Winter Boat Projects Update

Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
While my Bride has been busy selling things, I have been plugging away on boat projects. Just as a quick review of what the big project is this year, I am doing the following:
  • Replace the dampener plate
  • Replace the motor mounts
  • Replace the stuffing box with a dripless adapter
  • Replace the bronze shaft with a stainless steel one
  • Replace the cutlass bearing
  • Replace any original hoses left on the engine
  • Cleaning & rebuilding the strainer
The dampener plate replacement went fine, here is another photo to let you know how lucky we were that we were still able to use our engine this season.
Yup. Barely holding on.


Putting on the PSS dripless adapter became a bit of an issue. There is a hump on my model of C310 that doesn’t exist on others. This hump is just fiberglass and resin in the area that was hand laid. But it made the area between the hump and the shaft log too tight for the PSS bellows. So I had to grind some of this material away with my Dremel then reseal the area with some epoxy. I then painted this area with a little Interlux Bilgekote since it will be hard to get below the PSS in the future.

Finally I put the PSS on and slide the new shaft into place.

And the new shaft in the new cutlass bearing. Zero play, perfect fit.

Finally, with the help of my friend Frank, the motor went back in place on the new motor mounts.

Here is a close up of the new front mounts with the spacer plates made out of stainless steel thanks to my cousin’s machine shop.

To finish the project I need to align the motor and the shaft, reconnect a few stray wires and hoses and reinstall the line cutter and prop. Hopefully the weather will let me tackle that this weekend and call this project complete. The strainer is still in pieces in my garage but I want to hit the marine consignment store before I go any further on this strainer. I might change from a Perko to a different brand.

Next on the list will be making some modifications to my raw water pump Just changing out some fittings for a better fit. I think my drive belt is hitting one fitting slightly. Then it will be electric time. I want to move my small 300 watt inverter from the hanging locker (PO used it for the TV) to the navigation station. I will install a 12volt outlet near the hanging locker to get ready for a new, 12 volt TV. I also want to put a 12 volt outlet or two in the cockpit for charging the iPad and maybe run some LED strip lights for the cockpit.

We also decided to ditch the foam pads for the back birth. We don’t have people spend the night often. When we do it’s usually drunken friends who usually just sleep in the cockpit. So we took out the two foam pads and replaced them with a air mattress. The Coleman queen air mattress fits the area well and can be stored much easier. What to do with the old foam pads is still up for debate.

While I have been doing this, my Bride has been working to purge the house and getting it ready for the market. Now, if we can only get my buddy George to list it already.
 

pk104

.
Jun 30, 2009
207
Catalina 310 Atwood Lake
Jesse
Really nice work. Hope you have some heat in the boat while you do all that hard work.

I can see in the motor picture you replaced the short elbow hose behind the fresh water pump. Mine needs replaced. Where did you get yours?

Gary
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Jesse
Really nice work. Hope you have some heat in the boat while you do all that hard work.

I can see in the motor picture you replaced the short elbow hose behind the fresh water pump. Mine needs replaced. Where did you get yours?

Gary
There is a hose kit from Westerbeke (part #U200620) for $172.40. It has all of those odd size and prebent hoses. I got it through Hansen Marine, my local guy, but you might have someone different.

Jesse
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,309
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
There is a hose kit from Westerbeke (part #U200620) for $172.40. It has all of those odd size and prebent hoses. I got it through Hansen Marine, my local guy, but you might have someone different.

Jesse
Thanks, Jesse. I asked my parts guy in Plymouth if there was such a kit, and he said "no".
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Thanks, Jesse. I asked my parts guy in Plymouth if there was such a kit, and he said "no".
Tom,

Just go right to Hansen Marine. I deal with Steve in the parts department. I will email him a list of parts, ask for part numbers and costs and he emails me back the same day. I will send you his info by PM. Some things you could get a little cheaper if you search the internet but I don't mind a little premium to keep a guy I can drive to in a pinch in business.

Jesse
 
Dec 25, 2008
1,580
catalina 310 Elk River
Nice work Jesse, bet you're looking to get this weather over and back to reaping the rewards of all your hard work. One question, I thought you had the R&D plate? If so what happened to the ribbon, was it completely destroyed, or did you remove it?
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Nice work Jesse, bet you're looking to get this weather over and back to reaping the rewards of all your hard work. One question, I thought you had the R&D plate? If so what happened to the ribbon, was it completely destroyed, or did you remove it?
Yeah, can't wait for the good weather. But I can't wait until we leave to go cruising more, just 20 more months to go and the cold weather thing will just be a memory.

On the R&D plate, completely gone. Here is what I found when I opened up the bell housing.





I went with the Sachs for the replacement

http://svsmitty.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/img_0909.jpg
 
Sep 29, 2008
1,930
Catalina 310 #185 Quantico
Nice Work

Jesse, That damper plate looked really blown out, I am amazed it worked at all.

For painting your bilge what kind of prep work did you have to do? That looks so pretty I am really jealous and wondering how mine would look painted.
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Jesse, That damper plate looked really blown out, I am amazed it worked at all. For painting your bilge what kind of prep work did you have to do? That looks so pretty I am really jealous and wondering how mine would look painted.
Yeah. I am really surprised we were able to use the engine all season. We powered all the way back from Marblehead in no wind just a couple of weeks before I took that photo.

For prep I did some light sanding then wiped down with acetone.
 
Dec 25, 2008
1,580
catalina 310 Elk River
Jesse, from the picture you posted, it would appear that the input spline shaft of the transmission is severely worn, specifically the edges of the splines. This interface to the damper plate collar needs to be spot on, (no rotational play). If not, it will just eat up the new damper plate collar again.
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Jesse, from the picture you posted, it would appear that the input spline shaft of the transmission is severely worn, specifically the edges of the splines. This interface to the damper plate collar needs to be spot on, (no rotational play). If not, it will just eat up the new damper plate collar again.
I think that is more an artifact of a bad quality iPhone photo. I dry fit the new plate onto the spline and there was no play. I looked for better photos but I don't have any. That's for the heads up though.