Exciting and potentially expensive day yesterday ( drivetrain & window)

[DougM]

I know I'm not the first guy to forget something important on boat, but this is really going to eat at me until I figure out if a new impeller solves the driveshaft noise. Who would think the two could be related.

I doubt that the impeller had anything to do with the shaft noise. If that Volvo shaft seal ran dry, its more likely the culprit. Lubricate the seal a per the directions and ”burp” it to be sure water id getting to it, and hope it doesn’t begin dripping.

 

[sailme88]

I know many leave their raw water open all the time. I was taught that hoses and clamps are the weak spot. Accordingly, whenever not aboard they should be closed. I follow this advice religiously. To make certain that the thru hull is always opened before engine start and closed when done, I hang my ignition by a lanyard that rests against the thru hull...anal retentive ? maybe

 

[dlochner]

Has anyone actually seen a burst water hose that was not caused by freezing?

Hose clamps might fail which would cause a leak, but not a catastrophic leak. The only leaking through hull I've ever was due to the through hull leaking not the hose.

Fuel lines are different story, they do develop leaks as the fuel sits in them and causes the lines to swell.

 

[dLj]

Has anyone actually seen a burst water hose that was not caused by freezing?

Hose clamps might fail which would cause a leak, but not a catastrophic leak. The only leaking through hull I've ever was due to the through hull leaking not the hose.

Fuel lines are different story, they do develop leaks as the fuel sits in them and causes the lines to swell.

I've only ever seen hoses slowly degrade over time - pretty easy to keep an eye on. Have seen hoses degrade at the junction with the nipple, but again, pretty easy to see so if you are keeping you eye on your hoses, at least in my experience, I've no concerns.

dj

 

[FastOlson]

When you install the new port lens, just do not do it the way the factory did. Your boat might be different, but their model 350 had huge problems with their installers squishing out all of the sealant except for an attractive black color layer.
What with the totally different coefficient of expansion of the lens compared to the FRP cabin side, the lens *has* to float on about a 3/16" layer of sealant/adhesive. Several builders have had this problem over the decades, they are notable. They saved the cost of several (needed and required) additional tubes of sealant, but created a problem for the owner(s).

 

[FastOlson]

Fuel lines are different story, they do develop leaks as the fuel sits in them and causes the lines to swell.

So True, and if your boat has older OEM fuel lines from the 90's or before, replace them with current USCG-stamped hose. There is a fuel-proof liner in the newer ones -- of course I do not know just how many years it's good for.....


Safest to just replace all of the fuel system hoses when they are 20 or more years old. I did that.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Thanks for the video.

I don't usually close the valve on this boat, it's not easy to get too as the old boat. We've had some crazy cold (-18F) weather lately and I was being cautious.

The impeller is easy to change, did it 6 months ago. I still need to find/remove one missing vane, probably more now. I have two spare impellers, but not for long.

There are 2 things that you said here that grabbed my attention.

First, if you have a missing vane from a previous failure, you need to find the piece(s). The broken bits will cause a clog that can be harder to fix. I wouldn't run the engine until you know there are no obstructions. Perhaps it even has something to do with feeding water to the dripless system. On that note, I am unfamiliar with that system, but I suspect that you might simply have had trapped air in the bellows and if you "burp" it you should be all right. I'm more familiar with PSS, though, where the water comes in directly from the shaft tube.

Second, are you saying that your boat was in the water with -18F weather? Do you not take the boat out of the water in the winter? If you leave the boat in the water in freezing temps, I think that I would be inclined NOT to close the valve during freezing weather. Wouldn't the water under the boat stay unfrozen. If you close the valve, aren't you trapping water inside the valve and in the hose (up to the water line) that is MORE inclined to freeze as it is exposed to the freezing temps inside the boat?

I would assume that it is safer to leave the valve open where it is exposed to unfrozen water and there is at least a chance that freezing water has a chance to escape out the bottom as it expands and creates pressure. I'd be afraid that a burst valve would sink the boat and it isn't going to be water underneath the boat that freezes.

 

[SycloneDriver]

There are 2 things that you said here that grabbed my attention.

First, if you have a missing vane from a previous failure, you need to find the piece(s). The broken bits will cause a clog that can be harder to fix. I wouldn't run the engine until you know there are no obstructions. Perhaps it even has something to do with feeding water to the dripless system. On that note, I am unfamiliar with that system, but I suspect that you might simply have had trapped air in the bellows and if you "burp" it you should be all right. I'm more familiar with PSS, though, where the water comes in directly from the shaft tube.

Second, are you saying that your boat was in the water with -18F weather? Do you not take the boat out of the water in the winter? If you leave the boat in the water in freezing temps, I think that I would be inclined NOT to close the valve during freezing weather. Wouldn't the water under the boat stay unfrozen. If you close the valve, aren't you trapping water inside the valve and in the hose (up to the water line) that is MORE inclined to freeze as it is exposed to the freezing temps inside the boat?

I would assume that it is safer to leave the valve open where it is exposed to unfrozen water and there is at least a chance that freezing water has a chance to escape out the bottom as it expands and creates pressure. I'd be afraid that a burst valve would sink the boat and it isn't going to be water underneath the boat that freezes.

About the missing impeller vane. I changed the impeller about 6 months after purchasing the boat and found 1 missing vane. It hadn't been a problem up to that point. I found a suggestion on this forum to use dockside water to push the vane back down to the pump with the pump cover removed and an old sock stretched over the pump. That sounded a lot simpler than removing the alternator and the heat exchange cover. But the water has been off at the dock and will be off several more weeks. I was simply putting it off and I may pay a price for it.

About the dripless. It looks like the same unit on my other Beneteau. This one is plumbed to the motor. I think the old boat just had a vent. It may indeed have some trapped air in it.

About the valves. I try to pour antifreeze through them while closing them. Not easy to do on all of the valves but the motor inlet is very easy.

 

[JRacer]

I hang one of these in my companionway when I leave the boat. It has the words "Open Thru Hulls" written on it in black marker.

I hang another on my wheel with the words, "Disconnect Shore Power"

Experience taught me that!

 

[Hydro Therapy]

I bought my boat 4 years ago. The port window had the same straight vertical crack. The previous owner cut a 1 inch wide piece of acrylic and chalked it in place. The window has not leaked in my 4 years of ownership and the piece actually looks like it belongs there.

 

[jssailem]

The window has not leaked in my 4 years of ownership and the piece actually looks like it belongs there.

That may be why they identify your boat as a "Precision 28".

 

[jssailem]

I was simply putting it off and I may pay a price for it.

The saying is "No good deed, goes unpunished."

I believe there is a corollary involving boats.
"When saving a task for a better time, expect to have the task grow exponentially. Like rabbits having babies."

 

[dlochner]

That may be why they identify your boat as a "Precision 28".

Be careful there John, the Precision 28 was designed by Jim Taylor and he don't design not slovenly boats.

 

[Tom J]

I hang one of these in my companionway when I leave the boat. It has the words "Open Thru Hulls" written on it in black marker.

I hang another on my wheel with the words, "Disconnect Shore Power"

Experience taught me that!
View attachment 192445

These would look cool on a boat. They take me back to my days in the Air Force, working on the flight line.

 

[jssailem]

My very point. Dave. Precision in design, carried over by previous owner in workmanship.

 

[SycloneDriver]

I bought my boat 4 years ago. The port window had the same straight vertical crack. The previous owner cut a 1 inch wide piece of acrylic and chalked it in place. The window has not leaked in my 4 years of ownership and the piece actually looks like it belongs there.

I was thinking about using a piece of aluminum but your suggestion sounds better.
Thanks

 

[SycloneDriver]

Found a few broken vanes in the heat exchanger today. The impeller looked perfect, replaced it anyway. The impeller from 6 months was missing 1 vane.
I spoke to the original owner today and confirmed that the second owner burned up an impeller and a muffler.
I checked the water flow to the shaft log.
At 2krpm I'm getting about 20oz per minute. That sounds like enough to me. What do you think?

 

[SycloneDriver]

Forgot to mention that the exhaust showed very little extra water after clearing the heat exchanger and replacing the impeller.
I also lubed the dripless per Volvos instruction.
I did not have time to take the boat out today.