New purchase and new sailor

[jtuner119]

Seriously, not owning a Catalina 30, but considering one, how do you repair the smile? Jeff

that's a good question. First I had the bottom inspected to make sure that it was just a smile. The smile is commonly caused due to the flex of the keel. I can fill it with epoxy and fair it but the smile will only return because of the flex. The simplest solution would be to sand and grind the area and fill with compound that will flex. I've been recommended 3M 5200 will do just fine. Then paint over it. That should allow the area to flex without causing the smile anymore. Other wise, if it's not leaking through, the smile is just a smile. I would fix it already but it's too cold to do work on the hull. So that part of the project is waiting for warmer weather.

 

[ggrizzard]

EH, Maine,
You wanna add any thoughts to the never ending "5200 Fix"?

 

[jtuner119]

EH, Maine, You wanna add any thoughts to the never ending "5200 Fix"?

I should also add that I have no idea what I'm talking about. Lol. The thread is new purchase and new sailor after all. I'm sure someone can enlighten us with the proper fix.

 

[peter_ms]

I had an 84 C27 with the smile. It had been soundly run into a rock shelf just before I bought her. It put a fist sized dent into the bottom leading edge of the keel.
Messed around with various fixes but every haul out the smile was back.. until someone suggested tightening the keel bolts. I was surprised how "loose" they were.
This was almost 20 yrs ago now, so my recollection is not crystal but I think I got a little more than a turn on the front bolt and progressively less as I worked my way back.
I sold the boat a couple of years later but after a final patch up the smile didn't recur.
Peter
C310 #147

 

[Kingjim91]

I have an 82 C30 that had a little smile when I bought it 2 years ago. I checked that bolts were tight, then I dug out the crack a bit with a beer can opener. Then I filled and faired with Marine RX. So far, so good. Two seasons with no sign of a smile, even with a sandbar grounding.

 

[jtuner119]

A little update on the engine work. Cylinder head is at the machine shop waiting on parts. $450 with parts and labor will get her ready to be put back on. Sometime next week, hopefully, I'll have it done. I'll try to post some pics of the install.

 

[jtuner119]

I have the head back from the machine shop. I'm gonna try and slap this thing back on this week. I'm getting so anxious. I just want to sail.

 

[The Garbone]

I know the feeling. Hope when cranks for you.

 

[jtuner119]

i tried to reassemble my engine today. heres as far as i got and it took me 3 hrs to get to this point. then i had to take the head back off anyway. in my rush, i got careless and over torqued one of the rocker arm studs and snapped it. back to the parts store. arrggh!

 

[jtuner119]

I was so excited to put the engine back together that common sense is just out the window. I realized that I need to calm down and do everything right. Since I managed to break one of the studs, I figured I should replace all the head bolts before I break one of those. So those parts are ordered and I just have to wait some more. All from Kubota of course. On top of things, I found out that there is water inside the trans bell housing and it was frozen. That's what took me so long yesterday. I thought the engine locked up and I started to panic. I almost gave up. It gave me a big relief when I found out that the engine was ok. Just more things to add on the list. I just want to sail.

 

[Kestle]

A lesson I learned a long time ago redoing an engine head:

Eat, drink lots of water, pee and only THEN work on the head.

...and never allow someone to talk to you while you do it.

Jeff

 

[peter_ms]

A lesson I learned a long time ago redoing an engine head: Eat, drink lots of water, pee and only THEN work on the head. ...and never allow someone to talk to you while you do it. Jeff

AMEN!

 

[The Garbone]

If you don't have one you can borrow a torque wrench for free ( refundable deposit) from Autozone. Helps to know your head is tight enough and prevent damaging he studs by over torquing. I had a motorcycle that had such cheap head studs if you torqued over 25lbs they would stretch like rubber.

 

[jtuner119]

If you don't have one you can borrow a torque wrench for free ( refundable deposit) from Autozone. Helps to know your head is tight enough and prevent damaging he studs by over torquing. I had a motorcycle that had such cheap head studs if you torqued over 25lbs they would stretch like rubber.

i have a torque wrench. my mistake was trying to tighten the rocker arm studs with the same torque as the head bolts. thats when it snapped.

 

[jtuner119]

I recently broke one of the rocker arm studs and ordered 2 new ones from Kubota. But when they arrived and after comparing them with the old, the new studs are shorter. I have not had the chance to install the head back on due to this inclement weather that we have. But I went ahead and ordered 2 more studs from westerbeke and I'll compare the difference. It's about half an inch difference between the new studs from Kubota and the old stud on the cylinder head. I think the new and shorter studs will still work but better to be on the safe side and order the longer studs. When I look at the parts diagram for a universal 5411, it has a washer, a lock washer and a nut for the valve cover. I, on the other hand, only have a lock washer and a deep nut for the valve cover. Which would cover the extra length of the original studs. Hopefully the weather warms up a little bit this week and I'll try to put the engine back together. I've set a launch date in my head and hope to launch on April 1st. That gives me about a month and a half to get her ready. I just want to sail.

 

[The Garbone]

Have you tried McMaster-Carr. I have used them for replacement studs before, good quality ar a good price, all you need is the measurements.

 

[pencema]

Thanks for the tip captnron. I'll try that. Yes mortyd, it's a universal atomic diesel. The 5411. What would you suggest I replace it with? I was told it ran great before it went to storage. It may need a starter and an alternator. I'll find out after I change the batteries.
I used the Home Depot bucket top wet/dry vac to get the water out of the bilge. I'm going to scrub the inside and work on the port lights tomorrow. Pics tomorrow.

I'm playing catch-up on this forum, so I'm a little late in replying. I think the gentleman was alluding to the fact that Atomic 4 was a gas engine, and that the 5411 was just a Universal.

Anyway, I replaced my original Yanmar YSE-12 with a Beta 16, 2-cylinder Kubota block. With the optional shallow oil pan and high-rise exhaust manifold, it fit the existing engine bay perfectly. No cutting out the dinette seat, etc. I did have to build in new engine beds and I relocated the side access hatch to the front. I've been very pleased with this conversion, although it wasn't cheap.

MAP

 

[jtuner119]

no snow all winter then when its a few weeks from spring, blizzards arrive. i plan to launch first week of april and i have a lot to do still. suppose to be 50's next week. hopefully all the snow melts away and i get working on the boat. i just want to sail.

 

[jtuner119]

its crunch time. got the engine put all together. cranks just fine. but i didnt have enough time to get her started. i have to change out the fuel and the secondary fuel filter. i'll post more pics if i can manage to find someone to help me out.

 

[jtuner119]

My launch date has been set! The week of April 20! With or without the engine running, I will set sail. No worries though. I've got unlimited towing.