Breaking All the Rules ...

[lancelot9898]

Homeless, you seem like a pretty smart guy in solving technical issues and I applaud your efforts in taking the considable time to describe them in this forum. Are you able to figure out a way to post some pictures that to me would be even better than your detailed descriptions?

[lancelot9898]

Homeless, you seem like a pretty smart guy in solving technical issues and I applaud your efforts in taking the considerable amount of time is documenting those efforts in this forum. Would you be able to figure out a way to post any pictures of these projects which to me would be even more effective in understanding the solutions you are doing?

[a64pilot]

If your pulling the engine apart, please do a light hone and replace the rings, one of the best tried and true way to glaze cylinder walls is overheat the engine.
I hate to ask, but the wire brush your polishing your stainless with, it is stainless?

I wish I had your work ethic, I've gotten lazy

[Roy M]

Is your starter so badly decomposed that it can't be rebuilt at a local electric motor repair shop?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by MarcStAug

Touche. It often seems people want to rain on someone else's parade more often than pat them on the back and say "Hey, go for it!"

I likely used an incorrect term; I mean if the general accepted definition of cynicism is "... an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest" -- I'd hope instead of self-interest it might just be curiosity and adventure, but then I am pretty much a Pollyanna anyhow.

I'm in awe of the OP frankly. Takes guts to whip out a checkbook and jump in with both hands and both feet.

Touche, back at you. I believe you caught me using cynical we I should have used skeptical. I appreciate the correction. I like you admire is drive and ability.

[jeepbluetj]

Anybody said "Pics or it didn't happen" yet?

Good to hear about all the work - I've gotten lazy too.

[Reefmagnet]

We gotta see some pictures of all this. The suspense is killing us!

Originally Posted by homeless

I also got a quote from the Perkins distributer in Australia for the crank shaft seal, oil filter bracket, and gaskets I will need, but for the relatively critical replacement of the starter motor unfortunately their parts catalogue does not list a starter motor for my engine so .... computer says NO. Since my engine does in fact have a starter motor I asked the distributor to contact Perkins in the UK to confirm

That's quite possible. The company I worked for in my younger years used 3.152's and 4.236's like they were going out of style and most were sans starter (the engines bolted to gen sets that used the generator as a starter). These units originally had a flywheel without any ring gear attached and the plate where a starter normally went didn't have the hole or mounts to bolt the starter to. I'm guessing the serial number or model number stamped to the engine identified this variant which would fool a by-the-numbers part selector program on a computer.

[darylat8750]

Skeptical is a good word. This is a very big project with some types of failure irritating or expensive. Some failure modes could be fatal. Many of the issues he is dealing with were were forecast as nearly inevitable. Most of us would have tried to reduce the number of issues likely to be dealt with off shore by taking more time before departure.

That being said few are being negative without some useful information. I can't find it now but somebody uses a line something like: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend but deceitful is the kiss of my enemy. "

I do wish Homeless the best.

An old saying on forums , if anything on the internet can be considered "OLD":

WITHOUT PICTURES IT NEVER HAPPENED!

[BlueBuddha]

Originally Posted by homeless

When I climbed Everest

Say what? Did people miss this? Homeless you need to write a screenplay about your life! I'd buy and produce it if my last name were Spielberg. At the very least this entire thread is worth a documentary. Where is the crew from Untie the Lines when you need them?

Best bb.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Mirage Gecko]

Hey Homeless sounds to me like you might be at at Boatworks.
Any pics yet??

[downunder]

Originally Posted by homeless

Day 4 of varnishing. I test-started the engine again today to be sure ...

I also got a quote from the Perkins distributer in Australia for the crank shaft seal, oil filter bracket, and gaskets I will need, but for the relatively critical replacement of the starter motor unfortunately their parts catalogue does not list a starter motor for my engine so .... computer says NO. Since my engine does in fact have a starter motor I asked the distributor to contact Perkins in the UK to confirm ...

Those Perkins were commonly used as irrigation motors. You might find 3rd party tractor part suppliers can easily source perkins Parts. Most ag areas have such a local supplier. The Lockyer valley west of Brisbane for sure. Guess you have tried google.

Best wishes.

[homeless]

Yes, Boat Works yard is a good guess. Good rates if you take up their mid week lift and half price hardstand offers (better than GCC even after they offered 10% discount), nice yard, helpfull staff, laundry and restaurant, a good supply shop on site, and plenty of contractors to help out for a price when needed. Unfortunately it is a bit remote, but I believe there is a courtesy car available.

Got another reply from the Perkins distributor that the engine was in fact delivered without a starter motor, so my particular marine variant of the 4.236 does not have a matching starter motor part in the catalog. I would expect the standard 4.234 starter to fit, but since the current starter motor seems OK and my only doubts are with the solanoid that has been reconstructed with epoxy and glass, I will take the starter into an auto electrician and see if they can just replace the solanoid.

Regarding pictures, I am on a 4G pre-pay internet account and don't want to burn my credit with pictures. I am surprised at the number of people interested in this thread, so promise to upload some pictures as I complete some of the projects over the next few weeks.

[homeless]

Day 5 of varnishing. Now about 75% complete, with just the floors, headliner battens, and the port side of the aft cabin remaining.

I have also started painting the sun and water damaged veneer in the pilothouse white. Still not sure about this, but is certainly easier to paint the ply around the windows than replace it, and if it looks too bad I can still replace it at a later date. Using an oil based paint over the existing oil based varnish, so will probably need at least 3 coats. Much harder to paint with white than varnish, as I now have to clean up every drip, smear, spatter.

There are quite a few teak plugs in the floors and walls that have discoloured, making me believe the screws underneath have rusted due to the flooding (floor) or from deck, hatch, or window leaks. I had planned not to varnish these areas until I had re-bedded the hatches, windows, and deck hardware, replaced the screws, and inserted new plugs, but have now varnished them anyway, and will need to go back and re-touch after resolving.

Test started the engine again today.

Work planned for the yard :-
1. inspect the bottom, prop, rudder for paint, corrosion, anodes etc.
2. get advice on how to do the antifouling work myself
3. clean the area around any corrosion and grind off the glass patch in the bilge
4. get any pin-holes or pits welded
5. clean up any flaking paint on the bottom or rudder
6. prime any bare aluminium with etching primer
7. apply antifouling paint
8. grind off any loose paint on pilothouse, cockpit, hatch combings, dorade vents, then prime and paint.

And if time permits ...
9. re-bed the hatches
10. replace cracked pilothouse window
11. re-bed hull windows
12. test Sika 290 for teak caulking replacement.
13. continue with varnishing the interior, rewiring the fridge, fixing radar, ordering engine gaskets, autopilot backbone cable, new VHF radio, replacement starter solanoid etc.

[europaflyer]

This thread has been such a breath of fresh air after all the endless bickering about whether or nor 'production' boats or safe and so on... good to see someone actually out there getting it done!

Sounds like a well prioritised refit list for the yard - when are you hauling out? I'd maybe give a bit of thought to why the pitting is appearing in the first place - how well insulated is the electrical system from the hull? can it ground through the engine? how are the antennae grounded? (VHFs are often just through their base) - but what do I know, I'm just sitting in an armchair!

Look forward to seeing the pictures when you're in WiFi range!

Sounds like you'll have a serious expedition boat when you're finished... hope it gets to see some exciting places. Good luck, keep at it.

[homeless]

The corrosion found so far has always been in low oxygen environments (under damaged paint or between bolted plates) and close to other metals, but considering the age of the boat and poor maintenance I don't think it is very bad at all. The only corrosion of concern so far are 2 pin holes and one deep pit that were under flaking bilge paint and between sonar transducer and stainless steel mast step. Other corrosion was found at the mast base itself, under paint on hatch combings, and on keel inspection plates held with stainless screws. To avoid future problems I do plan to strip all damaged or flaking paint and re-touch only where necessary, and water blast the bilges to remove any remaining dirt or oil residue.

There are so many stainless steel screws tapped directly into aluminium plate that it would be impossible to isolate them all. The electrics are grounded to the engine, and while not certain, I expect it is grounded to the hull. Mains power goes through an isolation transformer. I do plan to get a galvanometer at some point to see if it gives any useful information, but if it did indicate a problem not sure I could identify the root cause (loose wire, or thousands of stainless screws ...)

So ... if you ever build an aluminium boat ... don't paint it, and weld everything instead of using stainless screws and fittings.