H34 minor issues

[Richard Bryer]

Presume you are out of the water? I drained my tank by putting a piece of garden hose into the tank thru the fill hose fitting (after removing the fill hose) and then out through the cockpit drain hose and out the back and into a new garbage can( I had almost a full tank). You can then get a siphon running by sucking on the hose ( carefully- diesel taste lingers) I would suggest cutting a cleaning port in the tank when you have it empty.

 

[splax]

fuel tank draining

Presume you are out of the water? I drained my tank by putting a piece of garden hose into the tank thru the fill hose fitting (after removing the fill hose) and then out through the cockpit drain hose and out the back and into a new garbage can( I had almost a full tank). You can then get a siphon running by sucking on the hose ( carefully- diesel taste lingers) I would suggest cutting a cleaning port in the tank when you have it empty.

hmmm...
I am out of the water.The method seems a bit involved, but simple. If I am going to cut a cleaning port, I could siphon out of that (provided the fuel level is lower)? What do you use to close the opening? What about the fuel in the supply line to the engine?

 

[splax]

unresolved issues

Unfortunately, I have not resolved fixing or replacing the cabin vinyl cushions. I still need a mainsail cover, a bimini, a few winch covers, aft berth cushions. Harbor Freight has a 45 Watt solar panel array for $140. I wonder if it's worth the risk. I still need to clean the teak above deck. There's much to do.

I have read the closed cell foam is a good substitue for cushions, but I wonder about the construction method and what keeps them from blowing over the side.

 

[Richard Bryer]

Attached are pics of the opening I cut. Used 1/8 lexan and Permatex gasket sealer ( the one that says kerosene resistant) Be careful when drilling/cutting/inserting self threading screws. Do everything dry once ( after cleaning and wiping down the tank) then disassemble and wipe again to get ALL the bits of poly.

You will be amazed at how much gunk is in the tank if it has never been cleaned ( and if there is no port you can bet it has not) The last half pail of muck that came out looked like it could have come out of my eaves-troughs. I would never have left the dock if I knew that was there.

I wouldn't worry about what is in the lines/filters.

hmmm...
I am out of the water.The method seems a bit involved, but simple. If I am going to cut a cleaning port, I could siphon out of that (provided the fuel level is lower)? What do you use to close the opening? What about the fuel in the supply line to the engine?

 

[splax]

tank cleaning

Mr. Bryer,
Wow. I didn't think about gunk accumulating in the tank. How did you get the gunk out? The cut opening doesn't look very big. Would a shop-vac work for that? What did you use to rinse clean the tank?

 

[Richard Bryer]

Re: tank cleaning

The opening is 7X7 if I remember right. Used my right hand and lots of paper towel. I ran the siphon right to the bottom ( you need a helper for this job as you need a person in the locker at the tank and another outside to handle the other end of the hose.) There is a little indentation in the bottom of the tank under the intake so that is where you need to position the end of the siphon hose.

Finished off by wiping clean with lint free rag and kerosene (after all drilling etc)

 

[Jim D]

Here is a pic of my tank when i installed the cleanout and new fuel gauge sender.
j

 

[splax]

Jim,
You have a metal tank? Nice picture. Looks clean.

I went to HF today to get the 45 Watt solar panel kit, but the sale was over and the damage is now $190.
I am preparing to wax and buff the topsides. The weather should break soon. I shoveled snow and slush off the driveway today.
I paid $15 for a 10 gpm pump that works off a drill. Now if I can just get containers for the old fuel.
I bought two batteries for the boat and would like to put them under the port setee'. That seems a good place for them. Install to occur after the boat goes in the water, since I am not strong enough to climb up the ladder with a 75 lb battery.
I would really appreciate more input, since I know many of you have dealt with these issues. My thanks to those who have contributed. You have enriched us all by sharing your experience.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Splax...

Putting your batteries under the port settee will require some long runs of some very heavy gage wire to reach back to the engine, not to mention the challenge of fishing it there.

I tie a line to the battery's carry handle and haul each battery up onto the deck at the aft safety line gate each spring while still on the hard before I begin to try to squeeze me and them into the "basement".

I found those "drill pumps" will wear out the bearing at the chuck shaft pretty quickly and then leak, creating quite a mess. Be sure to wrap the drill with a rag so that a spark from the brushes doesn't inadvertantly ignite any fuel vapor while pumping out your tank.

Best result can be had by snaking a PVC tube (3/8" ID worked for me) down the fill pipe--the end will bottom at the forward port side of the tank, which happens to be the deepest part of the tank where the pick-up tube is located too. Should be able to suck out all the gunk in the tank if you can achieve this positioning. Big box home center stores carry yellow 5 gallon Blitz jugs for about $12-$15 ea. to pump fuel into.

Consider a Seabuilt metal tank closure--it's expensive but designed for use with fuel tanks. I used an 8" one to get a 6" opening. See pix.

 

[splax]

Dan,
Thanks for sharing by your post with good advice and a picture. I suppose it wouldn't be a good idea to use the fuel line to suck the fuel out, since I would probably get some gunk in the line. I appreciate you entering the discussion.
Why do you choose to bring on the batteries before you're in the water?

 

[splax]

I am down here today at the boat and it is CHILLY. The marina is replacing the 1/2" through-hull & valve with a 3/4" today. I want to replace the other gate valves with ball valves, but they seem quite difficult to access. How did others do it?

 

[splax]

through-hulls, valves, & hull blisters

After talking to the marina, I contracted with them to replace the through-hulls and valves. There doesn't seem to be a reasonable way to remove the installed gate valves to replace with ball valves without breaking the seal on the through-hull. :cry:
It was also pointed out to me that I have a "blistered hull". What have others done to improve the hull condition?

 

[Richard Bryer]

Re: through-hulls, valves, & hull blisters

You might want to replace or re-bed the thru hulls anyway- when I re-bededd my engine intake thru hull a few years ago, the seal between the thru hull and the hull was in very bad shape. I am not sure what Hunter used in those days but it had become fairly solid and dry and crumbly.

The rest of the thru hulls are a bear to get at with wrenches, especially the galley one.

 

[Jacques C]

thru hulls

Last week I worked with the yard mechanic to remove all of the thru hulls on my H34. He had giant sockets with which he was able to take off all of the thru hull lock nuts except three. He used a dremel type tool to cut through the lock nuts on those three. It destroyed the thru hull but I am replacing all of them. I have not found a way to place a ball valve on a thru hull without a flanged adapter. The thru hull is straight threaded and the ball valve is tapered threaded. They won't go together properly. There is no room for a flanged adapter on the engine intake. Any answers?

 

[splax]

issue recap

cable run - I figure the wire run distance from the PORT setee' is about the same as from the space under the cockpit to the engine.
hull blisters - I am going to sand the hull to remove the blisters then coat with West System, then Interlux 2000 epoxy, then bottom paint.
I am changing the fuel filters and installing a priming squeeze bulb in the line off the tank.
I found the tank is full of diesel. I will add a couple cans of Sea Foam when I have room and hope for the best until I run it out, then change the filters again.
I still would like some input on unresolved issues named previously.
I am posting pics of the hull blisters and the boom bungee installation. Also a pic of the deteriorated wood removed from the cabin sole, It's about 9.5" x 10.25".

 

[Allan12210]

The posting is getting a bit long and maybe hard to follow what questions there are about what? Maybe starting a separate topic about an individual issue would give you the responses you need. I think I got lost, although the work you are doing is great and very informative with all the sharing of experiences.

Regarding the thru hull question on the engine intake, probably most of the pictures I've seen are probably mismatched threads. somewhere I saw a post that Groco makes a hybrid through hull that goes from NPS (straight) on one side for the flange to NPT (tapered) for a bronze ball valve with tapered threads. Just don't use an elbow as you may need to clear that out sometime by taking off the hose, opening the valve and sticking a big screwdriver down the hole. I speak from experience more than once in this matter.

allan

 

[splax]

H34 minor issues repeat

Allan,
Thanks for reading. Issues that I am still trying to resolve are:
engine fuel filter replacement - how do you loosen the ring?
vinyl cushions - repair and fabric covering
solar panel mounting on bimini frame
engine panel - replace and reinforce
cockpit instruments - repair or replace Stowe Navigator 2
I still need a mainsail cover, a bimini, a few winch covers, aft berth cushions. Looking for a deal...
I still need to clean the teak above deck.
forward bulkhead needs to be shifted
I am going to use Open CPN and my computer as a chart plotter. Navigatrix is a Linux based operating system with a bunch of programs for the cruising sailor.

 

[cjfj]

cjfj,
The round, black thing on the floor under the cabin table is your bilge access port? How do you access the bilge pump from there?
Do you think there is something like that to drain to the bilge for the problem area near the companionway where water will pool after falling from the sliding cover?

Splax, where cjfj has a black Beckson port at the companionway stairs, I have a factory lift-out cabin sole panel like the one for the bilge sump, only much smaller. It is to access the aft keel bolt nuts on my shoal keel model.

Splax,
Sorry to be away from this thread for so long. Yes the access ports are to get to the bilge areas and to the keel bolts. I don't have any problems with leaks (currently) from the companionway as the broker did a great job on finding and fixing all of the leaks before doing the sole :dance:. I asked him about using the ports over an access pannel and he said that it gave more support over building a frame and easier to open as they won't warp.

Jim
"Realization"

edit for spelling

 

[splax]

Thanks for your input Jim. I have an access cover for the aft keel bolts about a foot forward of the area at the base of the companionway ladder shown in the above picture. The wood deteriorated from water leaking from the slider. I will bed 1/2" plywood with a drain in the corner using "rock hard water putty", then finish exposed wood with veneer. Hopefully that will take care of water on the sole there. I will try to mitigate the leaking, but a drain is good regardless.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Splax...as Allan suggested, it might be a better use of the contributor resources if you would separate the remaining issues into a new seperate post. It's hard now to follow what's done/answered vs what's not. I'll try:

I put my batteries and all my electronics back aboard before spring launch to ensure that all will operate once in the water. Issues can be taken care of before a critical need that way.

Place the flat edge of a screwdriver against one of the engine fuel filter knobs and gently tap it with a hammer to loosen and tighten the attachment ring. Yanmar has a special tool for this but I've never seen one.

I haven't replaced the gate valves that remain under each sink, but do tear them down, clean them, grease them, and reinstall them every couple of years. They continue to have "free" movement opening and closing. Nothing leaks.

Are you sure you can use your computer as a plotter in the cockpit on a crappy weather day? I have a small SH plotter at the helm and it's quite sufficient with an "all Bay" chip.

Will probably replace my Datamarine depth and knot meters with Moor units in the coming year.