How do you hop with that beast of an engine in a confined space?
A story of the engine that could.... Then didn't…NOW DOES
- Thread starter jssailem
- Start date
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,047
The engine is expected to be removed tomorrow morning. Monday was a visit by the mechanic to assess the engine removal and gage when he could do the work. Wednesday morning was selected.
I took some pictures of the head, which Les and I removed on Saturday.
I took some pictures of the head, which Les and I removed on Saturday.
I tell you what: that's a good friend you've got there. Worth a lot more than just a boat! I wish you well with your project, John!
Last edited:
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,047
Yes it is. I have been busy.
Wednesday AM we arrived at the boat about 8:30. Scott, the Mechanic, was scheduled for 9AM. Got to the boat about 9:30. After surveying the problem Les and I went about setting up the A-frame Bases while the Mechanic went to his shop to get additional blocks of wood to serve as braces.
My boat has a cockpit port over the engine, where the control gauge panel sits. I removed the panel and the port cover. From there we dropped a come-along into space above the engine. This allowed us to vertically lift the engine off the motor mounts.
The mounting brackets were too wide to fit through the bulkhead opening, so I removed them while Les and Scott supported on blocks a 4x4 above the companionway. Attached a come-along to the engine and pulled the engine through the bulkhead while easing the hold through the port. The engine swung gently into the cabin. Once in the cabin, we set the engine down on a pair of 2x4's and rearanged the A-frame to get the engine up and out to the cockpit. From the A-frame in the cockpit Scott positioned an aluminum I-beam to over the engine on a 4x4 across the companionway. Again center lift out of the cabin. This time the come-along pulled the cable loop that was over the over the I-beam along into the cockpit. One last set down and reset of the A-frame. One A-frame in the cockpit and one A-frame on the dock. It was a stretch but the system worked with the boat snug up tight against the dock, we made one final lift and moved the 400lb block to the dock. Did not dump the engine block into the water.
The rig looked something like this. There were no wheels. The unit made from aluminum was managable on the boat.
Even though the fluids had been drained there was a little residual left in the engine and hose outlets to make a bit of a mess. Shop towels, some cleaner and most of the spots are gone. With the new empty space over the bilge, I will finally be able to clean up the black hole.
Scott took the engine to his shop and started the process to dislodge the pistons from the block. Here are the images I received Thursday afternoon.
He said cylinders 2 & 4 had a lot of rust. The pistons were frozen in the block. No apparent damage to the block crankshaft or bearings. All still need to be inspected. Unclear where the water entered the block. That is under investigation. He thinks a rebuild is possible. Is putting together a list of parts and will contact me with the news - a quote.
I remain hopeful.
At the present repair of SV Hadley seems more likely than 3 weeks ago.
Wednesday AM we arrived at the boat about 8:30. Scott, the Mechanic, was scheduled for 9AM. Got to the boat about 9:30. After surveying the problem Les and I went about setting up the A-frame Bases while the Mechanic went to his shop to get additional blocks of wood to serve as braces.
My boat has a cockpit port over the engine, where the control gauge panel sits. I removed the panel and the port cover. From there we dropped a come-along into space above the engine. This allowed us to vertically lift the engine off the motor mounts.
The mounting brackets were too wide to fit through the bulkhead opening, so I removed them while Les and Scott supported on blocks a 4x4 above the companionway. Attached a come-along to the engine and pulled the engine through the bulkhead while easing the hold through the port. The engine swung gently into the cabin. Once in the cabin, we set the engine down on a pair of 2x4's and rearanged the A-frame to get the engine up and out to the cockpit. From the A-frame in the cockpit Scott positioned an aluminum I-beam to over the engine on a 4x4 across the companionway. Again center lift out of the cabin. This time the come-along pulled the cable loop that was over the over the I-beam along into the cockpit. One last set down and reset of the A-frame. One A-frame in the cockpit and one A-frame on the dock. It was a stretch but the system worked with the boat snug up tight against the dock, we made one final lift and moved the 400lb block to the dock. Did not dump the engine block into the water.
The rig looked something like this. There were no wheels. The unit made from aluminum was managable on the boat.
Even though the fluids had been drained there was a little residual left in the engine and hose outlets to make a bit of a mess. Shop towels, some cleaner and most of the spots are gone. With the new empty space over the bilge, I will finally be able to clean up the black hole.
Scott took the engine to his shop and started the process to dislodge the pistons from the block. Here are the images I received Thursday afternoon.
He said cylinders 2 & 4 had a lot of rust. The pistons were frozen in the block. No apparent damage to the block crankshaft or bearings. All still need to be inspected. Unclear where the water entered the block. That is under investigation. He thinks a rebuild is possible. Is putting together a list of parts and will contact me with the news - a quote.
I remain hopeful.
At the present repair of SV Hadley seems more likely than 3 weeks ago.
Like I always say on my Hurricane Zeta posts, about my boat...I remain hopeful.[]
Step by Step to Recovery.
Jim...
Are you not thinking it might be a good time to go electric now?
I'm not sure that would have been the worst outcome. But I do wish you continued progress. It's a nice project to observe - from afar!
Thanks for the update, John.. Lotsa water was in there.. I am interested what yall find as to source. (I'll bet you are too!)
The good thing is that the rebuild kits aren't outrageously expensive and replacing the pistons and sleeves is not very complex. The valve job is going to be the only part for a real machine shop..
Again, good luck with it John
The good thing is that the rebuild kits aren't outrageously expensive and replacing the pistons and sleeves is not very complex. The valve job is going to be the only part for a real machine shop..
Again, good luck with it John
the last time my perkins was rebuilt was the spring of 92'. kept the block, the crank, and the heads. put it in and the tranny went while warming it up for the first run. still running today.. the tranny went out again in 06' but this time we switched it from a 45a to a 45c. or something close to that. more clutches, same case. velvetdrive.
i'm not easy on trannys. but, in 49 years i have never hit a dock.
for me it's akin to having an old tractor or such. shows it's wear but got it running still.
remember, i'm in fresh water.
and the entire face of the engine compartment un screws and comes apart with stern access thru a man hole cove in the cockpit floor ( for midgets/ i'm 6'5") as well as the bulkheads to the cockpit sail lockers unscrew for more access.
i love those Alden designers. wood boats come apart, so does mine
i'm not easy on trannys. but, in 49 years i have never hit a dock.
for me it's akin to having an old tractor or such. shows it's wear but got it running still.
remember, i'm in fresh water.
and the entire face of the engine compartment un screws and comes apart with stern access thru a man hole cove in the cockpit floor ( for midgets/ i'm 6'5") as well as the bulkheads to the cockpit sail lockers unscrew for more access.
i love those Alden designers. wood boats come apart, so does mine
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,047
Jon, that is what I thought. My 107 is from 1973. The indication now is that the 107 has a centrifugal cast iron wet type liner. They are pressed into the block. They have 2 rubber seal rings that keep the coolant from the closed system getting into the cylinders. Conjecture on my part, there may have been a seal failure. This may have let water enter the cylinders and thus the rust and water/salt residue showing up in the exhaust.
I found some white looking residue in the heat exchanger. Possibly another source of water. Even though the heat exchanger was recently cleaned and pressure tested With in the past 13 months.
I found some white looking residue in the heat exchanger. Possibly another source of water. Even though the heat exchanger was recently cleaned and pressure tested With in the past 13 months.
I had a hydrolock event caused by the cooling water in the exhaust hose running back into the engine. Further examination revealed that the highest point in my wet exhaust system was at the outlet end and not at the engine end. Unless you rev up your engine immediately before shutdown the accumulated cooling water may slosh back and into your engine through the exhaust valves. This is more likely to occur if your engine had been idling for a time before you shut it down.
Thanks for the note on why we should rev the engine before shutdown. It is recommended in the Yanmar manual, and I always do it, but I didn't really know why.
It is strange that the engine went from running fine to being flooded with seawater when it was not running. With the cranking that was done, was the seawater thru-hull closed and the water lift muffler drain open?
I don't know what Perkins says about their engines, but the Ford Lehman says you need to check for wear (with proper maintenence) at 25,000 hours....
dj