looking for pictures of Sunpad hinges

LouC · **Posted:** Thu Aug 07, 2014 9:01 am

It looks like you could make that hinge out of the right size of galvanized or aluminum angle stock.
I know what you mean about college costs, just made the first "installment" for our son's, even with a very good scholarship it is out of sight expensive. My wife and I went to the same university he is going to, back in the '80s for graduate school. Then, the tuition was about 4500/year, now....its 34000 per year...yes that much. So its doing to be used vehicles and a new engine for the FW sooner or later. Don't really need new anyway.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:54 pm

Toddely wrote:

I would love to buy it today, I have a son who is starting at Ohio State this Month and we have been dropping Cash on everything for his appartment. Its amazing how fast you can spend it. Hell I could have put 2 or 3 swim platforms on the boat. :lol:

Oh well , what do ya do.. we are the Cash cows for the kids. You are correct. I love the no payment on the boat , especially during the no boating months.

I like all these boats with swim decks.. I feel left out now.. lol

Graphic designer by day for my 40hrs. then i have my hand in a few investment income sources: business and real-estate. along with making custom knives.. trying to stack the cash in prep for a 529 once my son is born in November.

here is what i am working with. don't mind the dirt the platform its all wet grass that was stuck to my feet when i climbed in.

so 2 hinges rather side of the vents at the furthest out point of the curve so that the hatch hinges from the outer most point and does not bind against the transom wall.

here you can see the "extensions" of the pull out bed lounger that eat up a ton of storage space.

LouC · **Posted:** Thu Aug 07, 2014 4:16 pm

OMG they expect you to work on the engine thru that hole? The seats come out easily right?
With the seats out mine is wide open. I can see why you want to change it. I think if you make some wood backing pieces and glass them in the underside of where the hinges fit it will be fine.
With your skills making the hinges should be very do-able.

The 529 will grow very fast. Where did the time go lol. I got the '88 H-200 in 2002 when he was 7!

Jdpber · **Posted:** Fri Aug 08, 2014 8:40 am

Yes it is a pain in the a$$ to work on have to kneel on the swim plat form and contortion and upside down hang into the engine area. Seat slides out very easy now but it does not help much.. the Redesign will Yield a very easy access engine area..

As for the backing plate i will not use wood i will do the same that i did for the rear swim later grab handle backing plate. Material called StartBoard. It is a synthetic polymer that is super strong, does not rot, and lasts forever. I plan to cut a decent piece of it to fit the under cavity and distribute load over about 12" or so and 1/2" thick. It will be good to go..

LouC · **Posted:** Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:37 am

Starboard is good but if you coat a piece of plywood with epoxy
And glue it in with thickened epoxy it will be very strong and not rot.
I did this with the backing pieces for the gas strut mounts 10 years ago. Still solid.

The bond between the wood, epoxy and 'glass structure of the boat will be very strong.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:55 am

the location of the mount would force me to be laying on the floor and over head vertical in a small pocket and have resin dripping in my face.. so i vetoed the glass in strength.. I am going to toss some 5200 on the back of the 1/2" star board and shove it up in the cavity and call it a day. I amy sandwich it to 1" and know that it is super strong.. I think i am about to order a pair of these hinges today and see if they will work.. if they don't I will find a use for them at some point with one of my projects. use the current hatch as a test for the hinges. at the very least i will now have a cockit entrance engine hatch for the time being and relocate the brackets of my gas shocks if they need relocating.

I am thinking 3 bolts in the hatch and 2 thru the transom. i think that this will yield the back spacing of the hinge pin to account for the curve of the transom wall and prevent the pad from any contact to the vents as i want the finished product to open to 55-75* so i have plenty of room to work. and the rear of the pad will have a radius to it to match the curve of the wall. with the hinges to the outsides it will pull the outer most point of the curve in to the wall as the hatch opens.

these are thick 3/16" thick cast Stainless 316 hinges. 1" wide and 6" long.. they should be plenty strong.. I just hope the twin gas shocks i have will be strong enough to raise hatch with the backrest added. As the new hatch will be a tad heavier.. if not ill have to go up the way and get some stronger shocks. cross that bridge when i get their.

http://danardmarine.com/product-info.php?pid112.html

rpengr · **Posted:** Fri Aug 08, 2014 10:51 am

Yes, I would expect to need heavier gas springs. Your new hatch will be both heavier, and CG will be farther from the hinge point. Especially with the upper backrest attached to the hatch.

I like your design, that will be much nicer.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:11 pm

rpengr wrote:

Yes, I would expect to need heavier gas springs. Your new hatch will be both heavier, and CG will be farther from the hinge point. Especially with the upper backrest attached to the hatch.

I like your design, that will be much nicer.

thanks i have been putting a lot of thought into making it very useful for the effort put into the construction... in many things in life.. "Do it right, do it once" "Build it to last, even if it is over engineered" I cannot remember the strength of the shocks that I bought 2 years ago but i know that they are too powerful for the current hatch and setup. the only way to know is try them and see.

I hope that these hinges work like i am envisioning.

rpengr · **Posted:** Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:43 pm

Jdpber wrote:

here you can see the "extensions" of the pull out bed lounger that eat up a ton of storage space.

I have figured out that the purpose of those "extensions" must be so you can pull it out and check the level of black soot, so you can see the condition of your rubber belts.

rpengr · **Posted:** Fri Aug 08, 2014 1:16 pm

jontmiller wrote:

photo 4.JPG by millerjont, on Flickr

photo 3.JPG by millerjont, on Flickr

photo 2.JPG by millerjont, on Flickr

photo 1.JPG by millerjont, on Flickr

Jontmiller: That's the same setup and hinges that I have, but did you add that folding starboard cover over the engine? Do you store anything on top of that? I have been thinking about a shelf of some kind because I have 6 or 8 inches between the engine and the underside of the hatch. Might be good for a couple beach chairs.

jontmiller · **Joined:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:16 am **Posts:** 296

No that was on the boat...I assumed right or wrong it was factory standard, there isn't a whole lot of room but if it had edges I suppose it would be a good place for a ski rope or tool set or something. Its pretty slick however.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:51 am

LouC wrote:

OMG they expect you to work on the engine thru that hole? The seats come out easily right?

I was in "The HOLE" again this weekend... uuuh.. upside down on my head bairly could see under the manifolds to the main ground location. Blood rushing to my head working laying on shoulder and head. EVEN more motivation to tear this rear end apart this fall.

The seat is bolted to the floor.. It does not move.. the only moving is the sliding of the bench in and out. UUUH. So ready for a front access open easy to work engine room.

Also if anyone wanted to know. NO their is no way in hell to set the timing with the current setup because you cannot see the top cast crank marking to shoot the timing light at.. yet another reason i want the redesign..

EVERY time i have to work not he boat I gain another reassurance into how justifiable this upcoming project will be.

www.iFourWinns.com

looking for pictures of Sunpad hinges

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