After about 7 months of worry and work I now have power again! The boat was hauled last Friday and while they had the travel lift in place, used the block and tackle to remove the old Yanmar. I had it all disconnected and partially disassembled. The next several days were spent painting the bottom, replacing the zincs, removing the old exhaust system and fitting/installing the new exhaust. The old was 1 1/2 inch and the new 2 inch so it meant new, larger hose, new larger thru hull and new waterlift muffler. We got the new Beta-Marine engine put in the cabin, again using the block and tackle. Saturday evening my son fit me into his schedule and helped me lift the Beta and maneuver it from the cabin into the cubby hole and put onto the engine beds. For those of you not familiar with a center cockpit boat, this was a chore. We had to lift it by hand and carefully (if you can move over 200 lbs. carefully) move it over the galley cabinetry and half bulkhead. It was such a tight fit the motor mounts had to be removed. Once through there we had to lift it and move it sideways into its 'hole' and roughly placed. That's when the fun began!
I had tried to get the old shaft coupling off but couldn't so decided to re-use it. Wrong! It was a different bolt pattern. After carefully using heat, muscle, gear pullers, hammers, etc. I was loaned a coupler puller and again using muscle and lots of sweat I got it off (this was over many hours). I then removed the prop and shaft to take home so I could lightly sand the new coupler to get it to fit on the shaft. I also drilled dimples (again, the configuration was different) in the shaft. Back to the boat and installation of the shaft and then new coupler. Next came about 4 hours of locating the placement of the motor mounts on the beds and then lifting, shifting, drilling, etc. and the tedious work of alignment. Finally it was all assembled and ready for water!
Yesterday morning she was put back in and the Beta fired right up! I made some final minor adjustments to the alignment and started the break in procedure. The one issue remaining is the problem of the shifter being reversed (covered in a different post question). Of course I still have a lot of little things left to do such as cable hangers and putting some of the panels back in place. I also need to finish cleaning the bilge and try to recover the adjustable wrench that I dropped into it!
I had tried to get the old shaft coupling off but couldn't so decided to re-use it. Wrong! It was a different bolt pattern. After carefully using heat, muscle, gear pullers, hammers, etc. I was loaned a coupler puller and again using muscle and lots of sweat I got it off (this was over many hours). I then removed the prop and shaft to take home so I could lightly sand the new coupler to get it to fit on the shaft. I also drilled dimples (again, the configuration was different) in the shaft. Back to the boat and installation of the shaft and then new coupler. Next came about 4 hours of locating the placement of the motor mounts on the beds and then lifting, shifting, drilling, etc. and the tedious work of alignment. Finally it was all assembled and ready for water!
Yesterday morning she was put back in and the Beta fired right up! I made some final minor adjustments to the alignment and started the break in procedure. The one issue remaining is the problem of the shifter being reversed (covered in a different post question). Of course I still have a lot of little things left to do such as cable hangers and putting some of the panels back in place. I also need to finish cleaning the bilge and try to recover the adjustable wrench that I dropped into it!
