DrFishbone Engine Build Thread 2017

I've been looking at up-sizing the FMIC while it's apart and doing a nice stainless steel tubing assembly. I don't know...

I have a section of stainless tubing on my return side. It is ridiculously heavy compared to the rest of the aluminum tubing. If i remember correctly, stainless is almost 3 times more dense/heavier that aluminum. The only reason I have the stainless section in mine is because the guy that built mine ran out of aluminum mandrel bends. doh...
 
Cut down any trees close to it. Also sand filter is the only way,to go cartridge sucks and costs alot of $ to maintain. Get your ph level right and chlorine then add stabilizer it will,save you alot of $ ... Also get a leaf cover to put over winter cover it will save you many hours of b.s. every year




The pain, I'm sure...can't be as painful as the install though! Hopefully the expense will be manageable for mom and dad (we're likely moving in the next year or two).

So far, materials have cost about $400 I think (picked up the pool and accessories for free...just had to take it down). By the time it's filled and running, we should only be out about $600. Had to buy a new liner, chemicals, filter sand, and mortar sand for the base.
 
I have a section of stainless tubing on my return side. It is ridiculously heavy compared to the rest of the aluminum tubing. If i remember correctly, stainless is almost 3 times more dense/heavier that aluminum. The only reason I have the stainless section in mine is because the guy that built mine ran out of aluminum mandrel bends. doh...

Yeah, I had thought about that and looked up the weight difference...cost and weight are the downsides. I can weld it myself though!
 
Cut down any trees close to it. Also sand filter is the only way,to go cartridge sucks and costs alot of $ to maintain. Get your ph level right and chlorine then add stabilizer it will,save you alot of $ ... Also get a leaf cover to put over winter cover it will save you many hours of b.s. every year

Yeah...I went I saw the sand last years (rather than weeks!) I knew that was the right way to go! Bag of pool sand at Rural King was like $7....little filters for the old pool were that much each and we'd use about 4 a year! Went ahead and bought the winter cover and I've had practice maintaining the ph and chlorine in a 12'x3' pool. Biggest pain will probably be keeping the leaves and bugs cleaned out. The 12' pool was easy on that point.

I did get the wall up last night. Need to do a little more fitting, then bolt it up and finish the sand spreading/packing. Should be ready for the water on Thursday! :)
 
I received a box from Summit yesterday with (4) pushrods in it. :eek::confused: I panicked....wondering if I misread the price or something...turns out they're shipping them separately...the other (8) are arriving today.

Dey big. 3/8" diameter....
 
Yeah...I went I saw the sand last years (rather than weeks!) I knew that was the right way to go! Bag of pool sand at Rural King was like $7....little filters for the old pool were that much each and we'd use about 4 a year! Went ahead and bought the winter cover and I've had practice maintaining the ph and chlorine in a 12'x3' pool. Biggest pain will probably be keeping the leaves and bugs cleaned out. The 12' pool was easy on that point.

I did get the wall up last night. Need to do a little more fitting, then bolt it up and finish the sand spreading/packing. Should be ready for the water on Thursday! :)

i've had the same sand since 2012 and it still works good.... just flip it to backwash bam instantly clean filter The leaf cover is a MUST have its basically same as a winter cover but a net instead of a tarp you throw it over the top and it keeps everything off the other cover (which always falls in your pool) also nice if you are going to be gone for a weekend or a week easy to throw on
 
i've had the same sand since 2012 and it still works good.... just flip it to backwash bam instantly clean filter The leaf cover is a MUST have its basically same as a winter cover but a net instead of a tarp you throw it over the top and it keeps everything off the other cover (which always falls in your pool) also nice if you are going to be gone for a weekend or a week easy to throw on

I'll have to look into that. The neighbors have some big trees that like to share their leaves in the fall. :)

Speaking of those neighbors, Fedex delivered my remaining 8 pushrods to them yesterday. :rolleyes: They are ready to put in now....pool should be filling by tomorrow early-afternoon...which means I might get to work on the SC some this weekend. :) Danielle made hotel reservations for the Shootout already...so apparently I'm running out of time!!
 
Above ground pool = expensive never ending pain in youre ~~~ lol

I would highly disagree with that statement. I have had an above ground pool for 17 years and before I got my Chlorine generator/Salt system, yes it was a little expensive every year to operate cause of all the chlorine and chemicals.
After getting my salt system I have had on average about $30 a year in startup cost and very little on Chemicals. Water is crystal clear and it is very easy to maintain.

I would also say that I have had a cartridge filter from the beginning and I would never use a sand filter if my life depending on it. No backwashing or sand all over the place. I simply hose off the cartridge filter once in the middle of the season and again just before winter.

Oh and because of the Salt I run mine all year round and only put the cover on it to get the leaves out. Comes spring time, remove cover check chemicals and I am ready to swim, albeit a little cold at first! LOL

Matt, do some research before completely disregarding a cartridge filter and I recommend the chlorine/salt system as well. Intex sells them as most Walmarts or on line for a good price.

Smitty
 
Matt, do some research before completely disregarding a cartridge filter and I recommend the chlorine/salt system as well. Intex sells them as most Walmarts or on line for a good price.

Smitty

If we were buying new, we would have liked to get a salt system...this pool and filtration system was all free though. ;) I know Rural King sells a saltwater system....thought it was just around $200. The idea is not dismissed at all! ;)

EDIT $250 for our size pool

https://www.ruralking.com/sand-filtr-pump-saltwater-system.html

If the pump dies, this would be worth considering!
 
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I would highly disagree with that statement. I have had an above ground pool for 17 years and before I got my Chlorine generator/Salt system, yes it was a little expensive every year to operate cause of all the chlorine and chemicals.
After getting my salt system I have had on average about $30 a year in startup cost and very little on Chemicals. Water is crystal clear and it is very easy to maintain.

I would also say that I have had a cartridge filter from the beginning and I would never use a sand filter if my life depending on it. No backwashing or sand all over the place. I simply hose off the cartridge filter once in the middle of the season and again just before winter.

Oh and because of the Salt I run mine all year round and only put the cover on it to get the leaves out. Comes spring time, remove cover check chemicals and I am ready to swim, albeit a little cold at first! LOL

Matt, do some research before completely disregarding a cartridge filter and I recommend the chlorine/salt system as well. Intex sells them as most Walmarts or on line for a good price.

Smitty


We had a,cartridge system on my old pool and it was 5 years ,of headache and expense. We had to buy a new filter every year 100$ a piece. The new pool we opted for a very much oversized sand filter and have zero headache
 
LOL I was thinking it should be renamed to "DrFishbone Swimming Pool Build Thread 2017"

We went from some great block, head and gasket pics to kids in a sand pit?
 
Got the pushrods installed and had some help setting the valve lash.

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Bought a few more things to try help reduce crankcase pressure.....;).....will require some test-fitting.
 
Stripped it down even further....getting a new FMIC w/Stainless piping, even larger aluminum radiator and cleaning up / fixing some things along the way.

I hand-cleaned all of the wire looms in the engine bay....have them bagged up/masked off and will be pressure washing the engine bay area with the intention of painting the bay prior to the new engine going in.

I have a few more hours of dirty work under the hood, I think. Then....it's all clean and new stuff!! :D:D:D

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