Moving along Part 4 the engine runs

The plan was to get the new engine as near as possible to a correct alignment before it was installed in the boat, as it was going to be a tight squeeze. I had measured the height between the engine bearers and the centre of the prop shaft so that I could set the engine feet as near as possible so that the gearbox out put flange and the shaft coupling flange, both 5 ins diameter would be more or less adjacent.

I had to renew the stud height adjusters as they were a bit tired. And change the mountings around, but all went well.

Came the day.  Actually that was not planned. We had been working on the boat when a lorry arrived with a boat on it.  It eventually lifted the boat off as it had a ''hiab'' on it…and then did some other stuff… I was not watching having my head in the bilges. Next thing I knew was the lorry pulling up alongside and the jib being extended. It turned out that my good friend and assistant had chatted to the driver and as he had a few minutes to spare…. Now was the time. Hooked on and into the air rose the engine.   Swing over the deck and slowly lower away. A bit of jiggling and it was in the boat.. on the bearers.  A small cash transaction and off he went.

Now the fun stuff.  The engine weighed in at about half a ton, so was going to be a bit awkward to move around. Also the fact that the bearers sloped down at about 15 degrees. I did not want the engine to slip downhill.

The solution turned out to be simple.  I made a frame out of 3 by 3 to stand over the engine. On he cross members over the engine I put a small car hydraulic 2 ton jack. Roped the lifting chain to it and gently pumped it up.  After a bit of straining and settling the engine was free to move.  Just the weight taken… no more than that.

The

The two flanges were nudged into line, and the vertical adjustment sorted until as near as I could tell they were parallel. To check this I tried some feeler gauges at each of the 90 degree points. Top  bottom and each side.  This is what the R and D instructions said to do before putting the flexi coupling in place.

They were very close to perfect. So far so good.

As this engine was a bit longer than the original I had had the shaft shortened by that amount before putting the shaft flange on as it was a very close fit and I didn’t want to have to take it off again once it was in position.

Pulled the shaft back and put the flexi in place. Bolted it to the shaft flange, and with 'matey' gently pushing from astern got the bolts lined up with the holes in the gearbox flange. Now..would it fit?

Ok….push !!!!. It just slid in, not a ripple. Not a sound. Perfect.  Tightened the bolts and was still able to turn the shaft by hand without any tight spots.  Final check. Again according to the book. Feeler gauges again. With the red painted bolt in the same positions as before. The allowance is no more than 10 thou. So I found what the gap was… added 5 thou and tried it in each position.  No, there was NO out of alignment.

That's not me by the way,,,,I'm older. but better looking.  another good friend Dave who volunteeered to sort out the installation electrics.....

Leaving everything in position we then carefully drilled the bolt holes into the bearers and tightened all down.  Rechecked the shaft again just to make sure…. All still exactly right.

During the next few days I remade all the fuel lines and connected it all up. Had primed the lines trying to get as much air out as possible. The engine hadn’t  run for three months.  As the boat was out of the water I had arranged a large tub on the deck with a hose topping it up. And the engine water intake in that.  Would it start?  No .  not until a solenoid lead had been connected… then it turned over very smartly indeed and Vroom…..stop.   did this about three times before I realised that the fuel stop tap was in the OFF position.  Turned that ON  turned the key and off she went.

Oh joy.

The wheelhouse woodwork progresses well. Finished the seating and dash instrument panel, then moved across to the other side. 

You will have seen in the previous entry how I had left the corners of the seating etc wide to allow a quarter round beading to make a nice finish to the corners, so here's a few shots of that. 

Moving across to the other side

 Here as there are two alternators on the engine I shall have one to charge the start batteries, and the other to charge a separate battery running the ancillaries like the radar and autopilot.  The panel there will have the breaker panel, the auto pilot. the DSC radio and the spare fishfinder, and feed  the radar and the main fishfinder depthsounder.

We continued the panneling all round the wheelhouse. just cosmetic really but it does make a difference

There is a chart table to be re installed but that won't take too long. then wire in all the various instruments.  There seems to be a lot of time until the spring re launchn but how time flies............. welll better get on with it.

More soon.