Belts & hoses & stuff for MD6A-combi

tonguctr · Jul 18, 2002

Dear Group members,

Also I bought an old vega # 1571. The max speed with albin
is about 4.1 miles per hour and approximitly 1 lt of fuel per miles.
Is it normal or does she needs some adjustments ?

Thanks in advance,

Akif Esendemir #1571

mike_184_us · Jul 18, 2002

Hi all Vega lovers ;-)
I just wondered about all that talk about engines and fuel.
My Vega #1941 is a sailboat, wich means it have sails.
The wind is blowing me and my Vega where I want to go ;-)
My 31 year old VP MD6A takes me just in and out of the marina - and probably will do this for the next 30 years too.
I just came across a sort of nick the Vega got when it was build in the 1960'ties :
in Swedish :
Sluta segla, k?p en Vega !!
in english :
Stop sailing, buy a Vega !!
Let all us Vega loveres put shame on that nick - and start sail our Vegas by the wind - wich it really was meant for.
Happy sailing.
Kalle - Vega#1941

pelagicasd · Jul 18, 2002

Hello Kalle, There is nothing I love more than being on a nice beam reach
except maybe being offshore on a clear night with no moon and only my lady
and a trillion stars to share it with. A calm sea with just enough wind to
move me slowly over it. No other boats as far as I can see. A good bottle of
wine to follow the late evening shrimp dinner. What the heck, maybe a couple
of bottles after all the weather is nice and there are no other boats
around. I just remembered, that was the night of December 31st, 1999. We
were halfway across the Sea of Cortez, between La Paz and Mazatlan. Right
where we wanted to be for the new millenium. We had left our anchorage at
0600 with a gentle breeze behing us. With the spinnaker frequently
collapsing for the next 6 hours we made it 10 whole miles offshore. We then
motored for five or six hours until the breeze came back. Then we sailed
through the night.
Actually we had a lot of nights like that one. We also had a lot of times
where we could reach for 8 hours and the tide would change. Without the
motor we would be back to where we started from. Or trying to get down a
narrow channel to an anchorage before dark. Or being 100 miles from the last
anchorage and having a storm trying to kill you with an island 10 miles away
that you can get into the lee of. Or having the engine die in the mouth of a
bay that gets lots of ship traffic and the harbor 30 miles away with the
4knots of wind coming right out of the harbor. Or towing the disabled sport
fishing boat off of the beach he was being blown onto. Or searching for
whovever fired the flare that we saw. (We later spoke with a ship and when
we crossed the bearings we had taken found that it had originated over
land.) Yes I love to sail and yes I love having a good and reliable engine.
I just count myself lucky that I never once had to use it to get myself off
of a sand bar or out of the mud. (Well maybe once or twice or maybe even
three of four times or so.) My favorite sails are in the following order:
A. Mainsail
B. 130 Genoa
C. 110 Jib
D sail (otherwise know as the Iron Genoa)
E. Spinniker
Have a great summer Kalle. I envy you. My boat is in storgage in Mexico and
I'm working in California.
Fair winds and following seas.
Walt
S/V Lyric #120

bbach1949 · Jul 18, 2002

Re engines: Sailing is what we want to do, but an engine is important on a
river like the Columbia, and essential on the Columbia River bar. Lots of
motoring on Puget Sound as well, and wild currents that force motor sailing.
Ever seen Deception Pass? It would be nice to use the engine in and out of
the harbor only, but not realistic in my sailing conditions. So, glad to
have a reliable engine, but always happy for the silence when sailing
conditions are right. Bill Bach V1071

giani28582 · Jul 19, 2002

Well said, Walt
Giani
SV Puffin 1554

electricpowersteeringengineer · Jul 19, 2002

I don't know the part numbers, but the following is
minimal for me:

engine oil filter
engine fuel filter (2)
fuel pre filter (if one is installed on the boat) (2)
impellers (2)
set of belts.
engine oil (enough for a change)
1 can of WD 40 (used as a starting fluid for diesel
engines...don't use ether...read Calders book on boat
systems...available at Boat US...., also used to lube
all the engine control lines)

install a 10 micron fuel pre - filter if one isn't
installed.
a pair of leather gloves used to protect your thumbs
from blisters when bleeding the fuel system with the
mechanical fuel pump manual lever.
spare fuel pump replacement kit.Clean the fuel tank out down to the bare bottom....get
out all the water....flush....and....flush once more.
Water and algea in the fuel will ruin the filters
quickly on such a long trip if motoring all the way.

If you put algeacide in the tank...take extra pre
filter elements.5 years of fighting fuel related issues have resulted
in the above list. My ex-engine, a MD7A , (the
divorce was costly and longdrawnout), was very finicky
on fuel condition. And the fuel tank had never been
cleaned, and a prefilter/separator was not installed
at the purchase.

After the engine overheated and the rings took a set,
I could only start it by spraying wd-40 into the
intake....once running it ran reasonably well. Ether
just locked the engine when trying to start.With all that said, you'll probably have no issues
whatsoever, and the trip will be best ever!Heres to a beam reach 4 u!Jeff

electricpowersteeringengineer · Jul 20, 2002

One other thing that I wish had known about and done
on the MD7A....I would have tried to install an
electric fuel pump. The one I bought for my repower
was about $120.00 at NAPA....made sure it was marine
rated.

having an electric fuel pump is just fantastic. It
eliminates a lot of the trouble that goes along with
bleeding the fuel system, and pretty much guarantees
good fuel pressure to the injector pump.
The fuel lines from the tank to the pump and then to
the filter were all Volvo parts. Another reason that
replacing with the electric would have been good
thing...I would have spent at least 1/2 the cost of
the pump for new fuel lines from Volvo.

imbissfrank · Jul 25, 2002

Akif,
I assume you have an Albin Gasoline engine. 4.1 MPH sounds pretty slow, when was the last time the bottom was painted?? A lot of growth will definitly slow you down. As for fuel consumption, I have no idea, my engine is a 13 HP diesel, and it burns about 1/3 of a US gallon per hour. One US gallon = 3.8 liters. Frank Gallardo, V-2184

"tonguctr" akif@... wrote:

wxt8981 · Jul 25, 2002

Akif;
wau- you call your Vega # 1571 old? I have # 257 and even though in
Florida a boat older than 20 years is considered
"Antic" (and I only pay about $ 5.00 for my yearly license), I still
think my Vega is pretty 'new'...
About speed and fuel consumption, my engine (a 10 hp Yanmar) pushes me
6.5 mph and runs about 4.5 to 5 hours
on a gallon of diesel.
Wilhelm #257 VIKING

chris20636 · Jul 25, 2002

Here is another comparison for you. I just moved my Vega with a 6 hp,
two cycle, outboard. I averaged about 5.25 knots and burned about 6
US gallons during the 6.5 hour trip. I know it is not a fair
comparison of a 2 cycle outboard to a 4 cycle engine, but the rates
come out (using the 3.8 liter to US gallon ratio) as

3.5 liters per hour or
0.67 liters per nautical mile

When they hauled my boat from the water, the bottom was a bit slimy,
but only a couple of barnacles were attached. Also the prop was
locked down.

Chris
V265 Vinfalle
Chesapeake Bay, USA