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drh1965 · 19-08-2007, 18:12

Newbie question... Directly under the engine, in the bilge area, there is this foam stuff. It's all greasy and mostly black. What the heck is it? Is it something I can safely clean out of there?

Thanks.

never monday · 19-08-2007, 18:18

can you post a picture?

**Alan Wheeler** · 19-08-2007, 23:31

Any chance it is an oil absorbant cloth or product of some sort. These are often placed under the engine to catch oil drops and you throw it away when it is full and replace with a new one. Sounds like your's is full.

drh1965 · 21-08-2007, 06:51

Thanks. I think you nailed it, Alan.

drh1965 · 21-08-2007, 06:59

Another question... there is a stud in the front of the diesel where the flex mount attaches. The stud has broken free, apparantly. The engine does not vibrate much as a result but I'd like to fix it. The problem is that I can't get the nut off the stud because any torque spins the stud. Even if I could get the nut off, I assume the stud would just drop out of reach. I can't see any way to get to the back of the stud either. Has anyone had this problem before and come up with a solution?

I thought about buying a piece of 1/8" steel, welding a stud to it, and then bedding screws off to the side of the flex mount to hold it. I'm afraid the screws would work themselves free over time, though.

Any clever ideas for me?

Darrell

**Alan Wheeler** · 21-08-2007, 12:53

Can ya post a photo :-)
It sounds like a Bolt for starters. A bolt goes right through the parent metal and a stud screws into the parent metal and can not fall out the back.

drh1965 · 21-08-2007, 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Can ya post a photo :-)
It sounds like a Bolt for starters. A bolt goes right through the parent metal and a stud screws into the parent metal and can not fall out the back.

I won't be back to the boat until Saturday but will snap a picture.

I guess it could be a bolt... I can't see the head part of it. I'll just call it a bolt

All I see is the threads of the bolt sticking up through a fiberglass crossmember in the bilge that goes through the rubber donut for the flex mount on the front of the M18. There is a nut on the end of the bolt. The bolt is no longer being kept from spinning by whatever it is mounted in/on. If I could get the nut off, I'm assuming the bolt would just fall into a void in the fiberglass cross member. I suppose I could cut the bolt off, fill the hole, and try to bed a new bolt in there but I'm concerned that this would not stand up to the vibration...

Looking for ideas

drh1965 · 27-08-2007, 04:38

OK. So I understand the confusion now... it was me

Anywho... I couldn't get a decent picture with my cell phone camera but I drew one.

Basically, the rubber part of the flex mount it not where the problem is. The rubber donut is laying in the center of a u-shaped metal piece that is mounted front and rear to bolts going through a fiberglass cross member in the bilge. The rear bolt is holding fine. The front one just spins when its nut is torqued. That is what I need to fix. I see no way to get to the head side of that bolt and if I manage to loosen the nut, the bolt will just drop in to the cross member.

Hope that makes more sense...

drh1965 · 27-08-2007, 04:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Any chance it is an oil absorbant cloth or product of some sort. These are often placed under the engine to catch oil drops and you throw it away when it is full and replace with a new one. Sounds like your's is full.

Bingo. It was a large, diesel soaked sponge that is no longer resides in the boat

Thanks Alan.

drh1965 · 27-08-2007, 04:47

I spent the whole weekend doing maintenance and trying to figure out how everything is hooked up. I have a few questions but I'll try to put them in the proper sections of the forum...

Next question... There is a Racor fuel filter/water seperator mounted between the fuel tank and the fuel pump. I opened the thumb screw at the bottom to let out the water and I'd say at least a pint of water flowed out. Obviously, the last owner did not know that was there and didn't maintain it. The question... once water and solids drain out, should diesel start flowing out? That is what happened. The instructions for the filter are very vague.

PS. Here is a link to my electrical questions thread.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...html#post98008