Lap Cat FE conversion

[mpg43]

I bought this tunnel hull about a year ago. It was set up with a 3.5 K&B. It is a
27" tunnel, I also have the big brother to this hull I believe it is about 33" with a 7.5 K&B. After running the two on nitro several times I decided I did'nt want to start back into nitro, " nitro is to expensive & It always makes a mess. So, I decided to convert to FE. This was about 8 months ago I started on it and needed some help picking out the right lower unit. I got in touch with Darin Jordan, he suggested I take a look at the bullet drive. One look and I was hooked on it, this lower unit reminds me of my old evinrude XP200 on a hydrasport bass boat I had several years back. That thing was nasty in every way. I went ahead and purchased the bullet drive right then and when it came in it looked great. only one problem, the mount would not work on my prather adjustable mount without remachining the prather mount. well this project hit the back burner for a long time. Well we are having a big race at our race pond and there are supposed to be a bunch of boats in P-Limited OPC. So, now I have 1 week to convert, set up & test. I went ahead and got the adjustable mount milled and installed on the boat and installed the bullet mount on the adjustable mount. Now I have to rework the radio box or remove it completely and install electronics and then cover and seal. This is what it looked like before and where it is now.

[T.C.]

All I have to say is "GET ER DONE"
T.C.

[peells]

Well Good Luck with gettin that ready

[T.C.]

Is it done yet?
T.C.

[mpg43]

O.K. So I had to get a little help from TC Racing on the radio box. I just could not make up my mind on the best way to fabricate the top. THANKS T.C., I got back on it about 5:30 pm yesterday and it was done by about 10:30 PM. I foamed the hull. made the pull cables, cut and installed thru hull tubes and it was done. I think it will run great but, there is only one way to find out. I'll let you know how it turns out. Here are the pics as it was getting done.

[mpg43]

Here is the last of the pics.

[Brushless55]

Looks great..
Ok, now the video!

[peells]

Ok time to quit looking at it and go give it a test run!! with camera man!!

[mpg43]

O.K. Where to start? It WAS pretty fast and it took a bit to set the correct angle of the motor. Once I got the angle and the weight figured out and it ran good, real good. I decided to take one more run with it with a fresh batt. and see what it would do. I connected the batt. and the esc (CASTLE 120) BLEW UP!!! I mean really blew up, the boat jumped about 6" in the air off my tailgate and started smoking. It actually split the seam on the hull and split the bottom of one sponson. I will post pics soon. Anyway after that My son and I packed up and left to come home to put some other boats together for the big races tomorrow.

Hope you all have better luck with your stuff than I have with mine!!!

[mpg43]

Ok time to quit looking at it and go give it a test run!! with camera man!!

No need to post pics.
We have all seen a 120 go up in smoke before!!

[Doug Smock]

That SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry to hear about that.
Doug

[peells]

I have only had one ESC ever do that it got a slight bit damp and Blew the top right off my Boat and burned a new paint job, I still have the boat and the burnt spot on the top to remind me never run a wet esc. but the Castle is water proof I hope that is not a trait of the 120'S,
I know you were trying to keep that nice paint intact, do you think you can do a repair and not have it show? I sure hope so, Good luck with that.

Pete

[mpg43]

There was no water in the boat at all, I kinda wish there was. If water could get in then it might not have blew the boat apart!

[peells]

That will be a replacement it sure got fried sorry to see that, do you think you can fix the boat?

[mpg43]

That will be a replacement it sure got fried sorry to see that, do you think you can fix the boat?

Yupper, fixin it is easy, I think I'm gonna run a different esc, this one wont seem to link up (LOL). I think i might take a break from building and repairing for a few weeks and just relax. Plus I'm in the middle of remodeling a house for a friend and need to finish it. Ill keep you posted. Thanks for the interest.

Mark