So all the youtube vieos of rednecks jb welding their SBCs are just some dastardly plot to get me to blow up this engine?
We did take it out last weekend.
We motored out of the harbor at very light throttle, maybe a half mile. Sailed around for a few hours then sailed in under partial
jib, then motor the last 1/4 mile or so. Leaked a maximum of a half cup, if that. We had a few gallons of
coolant on board if needed, but didn't.
The most impressive of the youtube JB patch jobs was one where they drilled a hole at each end of the crack, tapped the holes and threaded in bolts. They then JBed over it and cut off the bolt heads flush at the JB.
Their reasoning was that the drilled holes would keep the crack from spreading further and also the bolt gives the JB more to hold onto.
As for the bulkhead, I think what we plan to do, IF we do need the access is cut it in a straight line, a few inches above the
deck. We can then use a strip of
plywood which overlaps this cut a few inches either way and screw it all together. If this strip is on the engine compartment side of the bulkhead, it will not look too horrible.
Or I may just listen to the wiser heads here and yank it and bring it to a welder. I would think that if you bring it to him, it shouldn't be terribly expensive.