4-107 Overhaul / Clean Up

[Maddog]

I have a 4-107 in a 32' sloop. All I want to do is lift it off its bed, (maybe 12 to 14" at most), move it forward 3-4 feet, rest it on a cradle so I can change all the gaskets and repalce/repair extrenal items. The engine runs great, no need for a full overhaul. I will build the temporary cradle myself. I plan to lift the motor with a 2x4 A-Frame gantry and a 2" steel pipe slung with a chain hoist. Eveything stays inside the boat.

Parts to replace:

oil pan gasket
valve cover gasket
valve job
injector overhaul
freshwater cooling system cleaned
heat inverter replaced
lift pump replaced
Clean exhaust elbow
New gauge panel with new gauges and alarms.

Other jobs:

Clean and paint the damn bildge (33 years of leaking oil, sawdust, seawater and crap)

Check and re-enforce engine bedding.

Has anyone done a job like this?
I welcome any thoughts on constructing the gantry.

[Jesse]

Hi Maddog
I've done what you are planning, same engine, and same size boat. My thought was to save money and I could do the work at my convenience and slow pace, making it a pleasant project. I did not foresee the ungodly mess that would be created by the blackest oil and goo I had ever seen. Cover everything in sight and keep wipe rags in every pocket. It's doable, but its not really convenient. There is however a satisfying feeling of accomplishment upon completion. Buy lots of hand cleaner.
Jesse

[Maddog]

I expect that. I had to cut up the cabin sole to replace a fuel tank last year. Right now its just ply wood. I want to do this job before I refinish the interior.

[donradcliffe]

Good time to do this project before you have to worry about your cabin sole. The lifting scheme is so boat dependent that its hard to advise you on that. I had access to both ends of the engine, and was able to lift the front with the main halyard and the back with the mainsheet to get it up the necessary 10" to change the pan gasket. I later used the halyards and sheet to change out the engine. I did use several 4:1 tackle systems (preventer and vang) to help move the engine horizontally.

Protect all the brightwork with particle board, and go slow. If necessary, maybe you can take the tranmission off. Don't let the engine rest on the oil pan, as it will make the gaskets leak again.

[goldbeard]

Did you do the overhaul?

[klem]

I have done a few very similar projects before. Is the boat in or out of the water? If it is in the water, I suggest doing the engine removal early on a still morning and then really securing it where you are moving it to. We had a detroit 671 get away from us a little when a storm rolled in and some paneling needed work.

Painting the bilge and or engine requires very careful prep work. It is quite a challenge to get everything degreased well enough to make it worthwhile. I have always kept a big fan going in the space to try to dry things out.

If you are going to the trouble of removing the engine, I would suggest really inspecting the hard to reach places and maybe doing a bit of preventative maintenance. If something like the oil pan or drip pan are starting to corrode, it might be worth replacing them so that you don't have to do the same project in another 5 years.

Good luck.

[Maddog]

Originally Posted by goldbeard

Did you do the overhaul?

I have to admit I haven't, (Time, money, etc...). My oil leaks are manageable with pads right now and I have great access to all sides of the engine. My current plan is to update what I can reach with the engine in place. The only thing I can't access is the oil pan. I'll continue to post on individual projects as they come up. Right now it is the fresh water pump.