Well, I have had enough - what a day! I loath, detest and hate my combi..... if the bloody boat was insured I would have set fire to it!
If you don't have a combi (you lucky man) please do not bother reading this - it is boring! If you do.... and the rear oil seal leaks a bit - just leave it well alone!!!!
When my back has recovered from 10 hours of being bent double in the cockpit, wresting with the cursed thing, I shall try and put together a blow by blow photographic account of my experiences. Briefly....
Taking it apart was easy - pretty much as per the instructions.... bought all the new seals and bearings and fitted them all... so far so good.
With son helping, - we slid the shaft through the new stern bearing, through the stern gland thing (all new seals and white metal bushes) and it got a bit tight so I told my son to push a bit harder (which he did!) and it locked solid! Oh gloom.... never mind, just pull it out again. It would not budge and after much tugging the only answer was to cut open and remove the hose so that we had something solid to pull against and then it came back out. (the hose acted as a shock absorber and stopped us from freeing it off)
Anyway, after a bit of investigation, it seemed that the new white metal bearings were binding. I tried the old ones and they were still a tight fit but slid on and off ok... so what to do? I decided to re-fit the original ones - they were not worn. So... slid it in (with a new piece of hose) and this time success..
Now the fun begins... I followed the combi instructions very carefully and got as far as fitting the nut at the front of the combi - the one that tightens the front clamp rings.. well I tried for hours to get the thread to start but no joy!!!! In - out - shake the damn thing all about - I took it out more times than I can remember and checked everything a zillion times.. still no joy...
.......after a great deal of head scratching and studying I noticed that on the exploded diagram it shows one clamp ring - but I took out two! I began to doubt my sanity and took everything apart again and checked that I had put everything back as it should be - yes I had an extra clamp ring! I took it apart yet again and removed the extra clamp ring and the nut screwed in easily - phew!
I was now getting worried - why did I take out two clamp rings (the rings are in pairs which fit inside each other) when the exploded diagram shows just one? It must have been done for a reason but no matter how I tried the nut would not start in its thread with two clamp ring units in situ!
So... sod it - lets get it back together with one clamp ring. I tightened up the nut and then tried to slide the geared shaft in (the actuator for altering the prop pitch).. surprise surprise it would not fit.. after more head scratching I discovered that the control tube had not been inserted quite far enough into the sleeve thing and therefore the gears would not mesh properly. Yes you have guessed it - out it all came again! At this stage I was suicidal.
Anyway, I took it all apart and discovered that the clamp rings inside the combi (another set of clamp rings!) had jammed up and prevented the shaft from sliding in properly and had not effectively "clamped" the the shaft to the slider.... so..... after another load of buggering about I discovered that the only way to successfully get the clamp rings to engage is to slide them onto the shaft first and then push the shaft home (I used a felt pen to mark the correct depth of insertion this time!!).... so ... that technique worked and I decided to tighten it all up and try a "dry run" without bothering with the key and front clamp rings... all was well, so out it came again - this time the key was fitted along with the single clamp ring and in it all went. Allah be praised. it all seemed to work as advertised.... I have probably caused about 5 years wear and tear on all the new seals considering the number of times it has gone in and out!
Never again!.......... I do not consider myself inexperienced when it comes to mechanical stuff... I have worked on engines and gearboxes since I was a kid - from tractors and diggers to a Porsche 911 so I know my way around a toolbox but this nearly had me reaching for the razor blades.... Jesus I hope it starts and runs ok tomorrow...
Suffice to say that I am now intimately familiar with the combi unit but never want to see the inside of one ever again!
off to "down" a bottle of wine and sleep for a week..
Luv
John
ps - if someone tells me it really should have 2 clamp rings at the front I shall join the local monastery and devote my life to quiet contemplation.
pps I am now convinced that the prop and its shaft will part company with the engine at a most inconvenient time and cause me to demolish some exotic marina and sink half a dozen nearby yachts.. I feel an outboard coming on....
If you don't have a combi (you lucky man) please do not bother reading this - it is boring! If you do.... and the rear oil seal leaks a bit - just leave it well alone!!!!
When my back has recovered from 10 hours of being bent double in the cockpit, wresting with the cursed thing, I shall try and put together a blow by blow photographic account of my experiences. Briefly....
Taking it apart was easy - pretty much as per the instructions.... bought all the new seals and bearings and fitted them all... so far so good.
With son helping, - we slid the shaft through the new stern bearing, through the stern gland thing (all new seals and white metal bushes) and it got a bit tight so I told my son to push a bit harder (which he did!) and it locked solid! Oh gloom.... never mind, just pull it out again. It would not budge and after much tugging the only answer was to cut open and remove the hose so that we had something solid to pull against and then it came back out. (the hose acted as a shock absorber and stopped us from freeing it off)
Anyway, after a bit of investigation, it seemed that the new white metal bearings were binding. I tried the old ones and they were still a tight fit but slid on and off ok... so what to do? I decided to re-fit the original ones - they were not worn. So... slid it in (with a new piece of hose) and this time success..
Now the fun begins... I followed the combi instructions very carefully and got as far as fitting the nut at the front of the combi - the one that tightens the front clamp rings.. well I tried for hours to get the thread to start but no joy!!!! In - out - shake the damn thing all about - I took it out more times than I can remember and checked everything a zillion times.. still no joy...
.......after a great deal of head scratching and studying I noticed that on the exploded diagram it shows one clamp ring - but I took out two! I began to doubt my sanity and took everything apart again and checked that I had put everything back as it should be - yes I had an extra clamp ring! I took it apart yet again and removed the extra clamp ring and the nut screwed in easily - phew!
I was now getting worried - why did I take out two clamp rings (the rings are in pairs which fit inside each other) when the exploded diagram shows just one? It must have been done for a reason but no matter how I tried the nut would not start in its thread with two clamp ring units in situ!
So... sod it - lets get it back together with one clamp ring. I tightened up the nut and then tried to slide the geared shaft in (the actuator for altering the prop pitch).. surprise surprise it would not fit.. after more head scratching I discovered that the control tube had not been inserted quite far enough into the sleeve thing and therefore the gears would not mesh properly. Yes you have guessed it - out it all came again! At this stage I was suicidal.
Anyway, I took it all apart and discovered that the clamp rings inside the combi (another set of clamp rings!) had jammed up and prevented the shaft from sliding in properly and had not effectively "clamped" the the shaft to the slider.... so..... after another load of buggering about I discovered that the only way to successfully get the clamp rings to engage is to slide them onto the shaft first and then push the shaft home (I used a felt pen to mark the correct depth of insertion this time!!).... so ... that technique worked and I decided to tighten it all up and try a "dry run" without bothering with the key and front clamp rings... all was well, so out it came again - this time the key was fitted along with the single clamp ring and in it all went. Allah be praised. it all seemed to work as advertised.... I have probably caused about 5 years wear and tear on all the new seals considering the number of times it has gone in and out!
Never again!.......... I do not consider myself inexperienced when it comes to mechanical stuff... I have worked on engines and gearboxes since I was a kid - from tractors and diggers to a Porsche 911 so I know my way around a toolbox but this nearly had me reaching for the razor blades.... Jesus I hope it starts and runs ok tomorrow...
Suffice to say that I am now intimately familiar with the combi unit but never want to see the inside of one ever again!
off to "down" a bottle of wine and sleep for a week..
Luv
John
ps - if someone tells me it really should have 2 clamp rings at the front I shall join the local monastery and devote my life to quiet contemplation.
pps I am now convinced that the prop and its shaft will part company with the engine at a most inconvenient time and cause me to demolish some exotic marina and sink half a dozen nearby yachts.. I feel an outboard coming on....
.... can I now be voted on as the Combi