Cracked Bell Housing - Arrrrgh

[Maine Sail]

Are Westerbeke motors still in production? Why did Rad ask if you can get a part for it?

Yes Westerbeke is one of the largest marine generator and engine companies out there and they own Universal too. The part is available as this is only a 2003 engine Bell Housing Exploded View (LINK) though like any marine engine the marinized parts are EXPENSIVE!! Unfortunately that bell housing is not a Mitsubishi part (the engine block maker) but rather a Westerbeke part...:cry:

I'm heading up there in a few minutes to pull the prop, slide the shaft out and begin removing all the parts and pieces. I hope to have the old bell housing off today.. I'm just waiting for my camera battery to finish charging..

 

[Roger Long]

Re: Gotta Love Boats...???

Maybe I've spent too much time designing and hanging around commercial boats that are more conservatively designed but I'm having a hard time believing that the shaft stress of wrapped line created that crack. It may have completed the separation of a crack that was already well formed I think you need to look hard for other causes while you have everything apart.

If you don't find any casting flaws or other evidence of an original defect, you need to consider whether something in the installation is putting excessive fatigue stress on those mounts.

 

[Maine Sail]

Maybe I've spent too much time designing and hanging around commercial boats that are more conservatively designed but I'm having a hard time believing that the shaft stress of wrapped line created that crack. It may have completed the separation of a crack that was already well formed I think you need to look hard for other causes while you have everything apart.

If you don't find any casting flaws or other evidence of an original defect, you need to consider whether something in the installation is putting excessive fatigue stress on those mounts.

Roger,

Perhaps I will find a casting flaw but with small aux engines this happens more than you would think in Maine.. Big boats just chew up the line and keep going but everything is smaller on a 50hp or less aux engine. I still don't think the bell housing should have failed as it did..??

 

[Roger Long]

The motor worked flawlessly for five seasons.

That's five seasons of fatigue. It could have operated for many of those hours cracked a good proportion of the way through until abnormal stress finished the job.

I suspect that most of those other boats had a pre-existing weakness as well.

The suggestion to move the mounts in just as far as possible is an excellent one. Just moving to the next hole would reduce stresses on the mount lug by about 30%.

 

[newly anonymous]

I love this!

It's like when you open your hood and start the engine, and suddenly half the neighborhood is standing in your driveway telling you how easy it is to rebuild an alternator.

The question is not whether a braze will work, but rather whether it will give peace of mind. In this case, obviously, it won't. But the good news here is that MS will have less time on his hands to wax and buff this year, which means that the rest of our hulls won't look quite so dull next summer by comparison.

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

Mainsail, Don't mean to ask a dumb question

But from the picture I couldn't tell. Is there a rubber bushing somewhere in between the upper and lower mounts? After wrapping a line around my prop this summer (don't ask )I was worried about damage to the engine and trans mounts. My Yanmar has vibration dampners on the engine mounts which I hope or guess would prevent something like this from happening?

 

[Maine Sail]

Just back..

Just came back from the boat and almost everything is off but the damn flywheel.

I got the prop off, shaft out, PSS out, motor jacked up and supported, HX out, fuel pump and filter out of the way, damper plate off and all the bolts out of the fly wheel. Unfortunately I can not find my lead hammer.

I would never whack a flywheel with a regular hammer and I tried my plastic dead blow with no luck. I guess I need to find a new brass or lead hammer to whack my flywheel and break it free. Anyone have a good source for either a copper, brass or lead hammer??? The PB Blaster is soaking in now and hopefully by the time I find a hammer it will be ready to come off..

 

[Tim R.]

Re: Gotta Love Boats...???

Use a regular hammer with a block of hardwood(oak is good) to insulate it. This way you get a stronger hit than with a rubber mallet and will not damage the flywheel.

 

[Maine Sail]

Use a regular hammer with a block of hardwood(oak is good) to insulate it. This way you get a stronger hit than with a rubber mallet and will not damage the flywheel.

Tried it with maple and my Estwing.... Waiting for the PB to kick in and I'll go back and give it another try. I've been through this before with flywheels and often it needs a direct hit with a brass or copper hammer.. I think I have a piece of brass stock if I land my Estwing onto the brass it should protect the flywheel and hopefully break it free..

 

[Chris Burti]

Re: Just back..

Your nearest truck repair shop will have an old lead hammer they will likely loan you with a deposit. Used to use them to knock the spinners off the tire machines.

 

[Seattle Scott]

Re: Gotta Love Boats...???

"So I go to the boat today to pull the tranny for some routine maintenance"

Main Sail, what maintenenace did it need? I am ignorant, I just change the fluid annually.

 

[Maine Sail]

"So I go to the boat today to pull the tranny for some routine maintenance"

Main Sail, what maintenenace did it need? I am ignorant, I just change the fluid annually.

I should have said "routine for me".. I was pulling the tranny to get the shaft out so I could check it for true. Anytime I hit a lobster pot or floating line hard I pull the shaft that winter and have it straightened.

 

[RAD]

Westerbeke engine

So the reason I asked about the engine is because I remembered that the boat was late 70's as is mine and I have a Westerbeke 30 that parts are rare and expensive but the question has been answered

 

[BobM]

Chevette story

My Uncle once got a speeding ticket in his Chevette diesel (yes he was going down hill)...he should have gotten a medal!

Maine, sorry to hear about your damage. You are right, in my opinion, to replace with new. I had my first run in with a pot line around my rudder this year. It was no fun. I duct taped a steak knife to my boat hook and cut it free. I definitely plan to be better prepared in the future.

BobM

 

[Roger Long]

I duct taped a steak knife to my boat hook and cut it free. I definitely plan to be better prepared in the future.

Try these methods. The hook and winch method works so well I've never had to resort to the hook knife.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~rlma/Pots.htm

 

[Maine Sail]

Re; Bell housing failures

Maybe I've spent too much time designing and hanging around commercial boats that are more conservatively designed but I'm having a hard time believing that the shaft stress of wrapped line created that crack. It may have completed the separation of a crack that was already well formed I think you need to look hard for other causes while you have everything apart.

If you don't find any casting flaws or other evidence of an original defect, you need to consider whether something in the installation is putting excessive fatigue stress on those mounts.

Roger,

As I said this happens and working in boat yards I saw it more than a few times. The quote below was just posted by NYSail, in another thread about Tef-gel, and I quoted it for you to see.

Also, the new shaft saver I got had to be "fitted" to my shaft as part of the trueing up process. I love having it for the protection aspect....Had a friend who did not have one that broke his bell housing and a mount after he hit an object under water.

Hermit was correct in that my bell housing is in fact cast aluminum. With the rust dust from the damper plate inside the housing it looked just like cast iron but it is not so I stand corrected and feel a little better that aluminum snapped vs. cast iron. I guess it just goes along with the newer ultralight weight diesels?

I am working on getting some more photos uploaded for closer examination..