New Project 79 Chris Craft 22' CC Dory

Here's a question for the motor experts out there....

Currently, I am running a 357 Mercruiser. After the risers, there are two 45 degree elbows down and then a straight shot of 4" flexible hose along that stern hatch to the transome.

At idle, the noise is not too bad. But when you open it up, it is pretty loud. I have sourced a pair of 4" straight, low profile mufflers, somewhat affordable (price being relative of course) that I could fit in with relative ease. Just wondering A) would there be any decrease in performance or B) untoward effect on the water pump and C) would they be effective is reducing the noise?

Again, I am not a motor head.... Thanks in advance for you advice.

CM

Michael,
Here is what came stock on my 76 Dory. Nice aluminum trim and all straight out of the 70's. Even the original RED bilge warning plate!! I will be using it as a template for a new one when I get to that point. I am trying to stick to the basics without much modification and keep the stock look. As most others a nice slab of teak should fit the bill. As for your handrail, everything north of your "splice" is right it looks a though prior owner jury rigged it to accomodate the larger windshield.

Charlie,
Man I cant wait to get to your stage. She looks beautiful. My experience with silencers is that they do in fact silence the exhaust but the bigger the can you can fit, the less noise you will have. I know some guys who did not have alot of space and put in the "space saver" slim versions and it made very little difference. I plan to install Vernatone and they are probably about 8-10 inches in diameter and about 24 inches long. Hopeully they will tame the beast!!

Trapshot,
Dont know about where you are but this heat and humidity at the Jersey Shore is not fun with a respirator over my face. My neighbor asked me to stop sanding at 10:30 last nite!!

Regards, John

If any of you Dory rebuilders are looking for a mint original swim platform in teak, give me a PM.

I would be interested in it. Do you have any pics and what condition is it in. Was it off of these boats?

Al

Exhaust, dash, platform, etc!

Howdy, Ironman/Charlie...

I don't know about the back pressure, etc... but here's a picture of the wet mufflers the prior owner put in for my 200 hp 318 Chrysler, which purportedly work pretty well. Once I run this thing in earnest I'll let you know! Looks to me like there's room for bigger ones if they don't.

Greetings, 76 Dory...

Thank you so much for that "OEM" picture!!! I've found some gauges that are pretty darn close in style to those, and now I need to figure out just how "hardcore purist" I want to get re: aluminum dash v. wood. Did the rest of your rig come with all "OEM" configuration/fittings/etc?

ddw...

I would like to see a picture of that platform as well - but Al has first dibs... that's wayyyyy down my restoration priority list!

Thanks, all!

CC aka Michael

John - I had a good chuckle over your sanding at 10:30 PM, that is absolutely something I would do. I got yelled at last month for wiring the console on the living room carpet!

That gauge panel is identical to the one I replace on mine last year, no doubt it is OEM.

It has been wicked hot here, so I really feel for you guys sanding - hopefully you are making progress. After my push last week to launch and the heat, I have take a few days off. I just need to do a bit more research on my mufflers and I will probably go ahead with those - and also waiting for the budget to clear (if you catch my drift).

Be good guys - stay cool.

CM

ALANGLOIS:

I will dig the swim platform out my storage unit next week and take some pictures to post here.

Meanwhile, a word of advice for the current boat builders:

The guy that built my 79 Dory used starboard to mount the strut and the rudder post. Had to remove and replace with G10 board and completely re-align the engine and shaft angle.

Also, my boat has the Crusader 330HP small block and the largest mufflers that will fit between the narrow stringers and I wish there was room for even bigger mufflers. These boats were built with 130HP to 225 HP and 330 HP borders on too much power. I have a 14X10 prop turning on a 1 1/4" shaft and the boat literally 'leaps' onto plane from a dead stop. I have gotten used to it, but the first time you crack the throttle as a new driver........you better hold on tight.

Switch Labels, etc....

John,

The picture of your "OEM" panel inspired me to research how difficult it would be to replicate it, and believe it or not those "old school" round toggle label plates appear to be a relic of the past. In web-searches for them I found mostly postings on boards like this with people restoring boats/cars searching for them. Am I missing an easy solution to the challenge?

Unless someone knows where to get "off the shelf"... I MAY have found an outfit that can custom make them at a semi-reasonable price... would it be possible to confirm the dimensions of the label plate as likely 1 1/4" diameter with a 1/2" center hole?

ddw: remounting/rebedding the shaft strut on my boat is on our punch list along with all sorts of mechanical housekeeping tasks. The G10 recommendation for this is well taken...

Michael

We used starboard to back plate the rudder and strut flanked with SS 1/4 plate. We have not experienced any issues to date. What exactly was the issue? Also I will post a pic of our mufflers which reside outboard of the center floor hatch. The round toggle labels are available through LPX pars out of Bradenton fl Jim wick knows almost everything about almost any Chris . I will post a web site soon with the pics of the mufflers.

Al

Here are the labels

This is the setup we found on the boat when we acquired it. We kept the same mufflers, and just moved them outboard of the center hatch. We were able to do this as we created new hatches in the floor on either side.
Al

The 1978 Spec. sheet that might help you guys on the windshield surround......

I have the same question as Al...... What was the issue with re-inforcing the strut bracket, was there a problem? I did check my strut and it seemed fine, but I did not study it nor add any reinforcement in any way?

Should I take any action?

Thx,

CM

I think we will all agree that these well designed, good looking, Chris Craft boats were not built under the best management circumstances back in the 70's. Every re-builder is trying to improve the boat as they bring them back with modern materials and technology.

I am sure the original blocking that backed the strut and the rudder post back in the day was wood and most probably teak. My boat was rebuilt using 1/2" Starboard to back up the strut holding a 1 and 1/4 shaft transmitting 330HP. All four SS bolts were loose and the Starboard backer was cracked at all four corners. Using G10 board, we glassed the backer to the hull using West system. Starboard is not sold as a structural material and is fine for making doors and such, but not for keeping water out of the boat.

Alanglois:

This is a picture of the swim platform that came with my 79 22' CC. I can't guaranty that it is factory original. I can't find a SP option on the price sheets, but there is a photo of one with a platform in one factory photo that I have.

The supports were not included BTW. Make an offer, taking up room.

Picture to go with the last post.

Brain farts are coming all too often lately............

That looks like a Chris Craft platform to me. It's surface joinery profile is identical to the one I had on my 315 Commander SF. I distinctly remember cursing those grooves during a refinishing project.

Swim Platform

Don't really know if this swim platform is "OEM", but it was represented to have been. It was included with a 22 CC "Dory" I didn't buy after getting a survey done on it.

Crickets....

What's going on guys? Awfully quiet these days!!

Ed - been great weather for sanding - how is your progress?

Micheal - what is the latest fom Fla?

I need a fix!

CM