The major restoration of Chance (Token) James Silver Western Isles Motor sailer

jstarmarine

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The twin fuel filters which were fitted to the forward engine bay bulkhead and one of the the drip trays



The top of the fuel filters showing the fitting going into and out of the filter bodies





another yet another fuel filter





The port engine ready to come out with the use of a crane in the morning





hopefully the last photo of the engines in the engine bay and hopefully the next photo will show a empty space.


 

jstarmarine

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Having got rid of the water out of the bilge, I can now the inner keel or as it is sometimes called the hog, this is possibly the first time it has seen the light of day in over 70 years.

The two pipes in the photo are one nearer the keel is the forward bilge pump pipe and the pipe to the right of it as you look at the photo is the fresh water pipe from the water tank in the engine bay.




The forecabin bilge is also dry of all the water and bits of rubbish that find its way into the bilge and block up the lumber holes to let the water from one area to the next so that it could be pumped out using the bilge pump in the engineering room aft.





Just need to get the steam cleaner in the forecabin and clean down the cabin sides and thew bilge area to make it look a 100% best than it has done for years.





The galley sink outlet skin fitting a well over engineered piece of British engineering from the 1940, just a quick service and a bedding of the bearing surfaces and a light greasing and it will be good for many years to come.


 

jstarmarine

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Thursday as been a good day with the engines finally out

My brother John doing what he likes most dismantling things and getting to grips with the major jobs at hand. This was the first stage in getting rid of the wheelhouse roof so that we could n=make enough room to lift the engine out of the engine bay.

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Next came the cutting the roof section out and doing it in such a way that it would not fall into the cockpit once it was cut through. on the forward side it was a straight cut and on the aft side it was an angled cut so that it would sit back in the hole that was made when cutting out the section of roof. the forward side as a couple of wooden supports holding up that end for added safety
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Then the wheelhouse roof was off and laid up against the back of the wheelhouse so as soon as the engines were out it could go back in place and then the roof could be covered up once more.

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John connecting the chains ready to lift out the port engine first as there was more room that side to lift that engine first.

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The port engine out of the boat and the boat feels better for getting rid of 650Kgs of engine
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Then there were two matched pair of engines

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This is the engine bay before we started

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https://www.patreon.com/posts/thursday-as-been-59133966/edit
 

jstarmarine

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There is the first engine out and beside Chance




Then there were two engines and that is a combined weight of 1300Kgs of scrap iron, unless there is any one out there who wishes to restoration two 73 year old engines





This is the space they leave behind, there is enough room to put a modern 35 hp diesel engine and a genset ahead of the engine and have enough room to work round each engine easily.





On the port side there will be enogugh room to put a water heater and diesel hot air heater as well as room for a good sized battery bank for all the services on the boat.





Next time the fuel and water tanks will be coming out and then we can see the hull and be able to make repairs to the planking a lot easier







John posing beside the engines, feeling happy they came out as well as they did have spent the last 73 years in the boat.


 

jstarmarine

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Are you sure you don't mean lbs rather than kg? They don't look big enough to weigh anything near that. Swift progress being made!
The crane man had had a load sensor on his crane and the the engines are cast iron and build like tanks are 3053cc engines not any small micky mouse engines.
 

jstarmarine

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The engines are a match pair of Dorman diesels from 1948 weighting in a 650kgs each. big engines that in their heyday only produced 20 horsepower from 3053cc's not a very good weight to power ratio.
 

tillergirl

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Gosh. Very slow running I guess? What horsepower are you planning? I think Chance would get driven easily but she will be a fair displacement when you restored everything.
 

jstarmarine

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The engines produced 20 hp at 1200 rpm which gave her a speed of 9.0 kts which is stated on her Lloyds Register. When she was commissioned in 1948. I am thinking of putting in a pair of 35hp hybrid diesels in their place. then trim ballasting her back to her original waterline .
 

penfold

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A tonne is a lot of ballast! Or a lot of batteries. A tonne of used Nissan Leaf batteries would be into 5 figures, a lot of storage capacity though, well over 100kWh. 6 hours steaming at 9 knots or perhaps as much as 24 hrs at 5-6 kts.
 

wombat88

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Yes the Dormans will be of interest to someone, they had a good reputation and of course are British! I used to rebuild an engine from time to time just to keep my hand in but not now...
 

jstarmarine

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Spares for all Dorman engines are still available. Dorman Diesels | Welcome to Dorman Diesels
Hi John,

I talked to Dorman's last week and I asked about my two Dorman's and they said are you having a joke about getting spares for my engines, They said if it was built post 1970 they could possibly be able to help, however, an engine as old as mine it is unlikely to source can parts for. They said I would have to have them custom made and the cost of making them would put it outside the range of most people without deep pockets.

As for getting dynamo's and starter replaced that is unlikely has well the same goes for the fuel systems.

So unless someone know of anyone who wishes to have them, they are going to be scrapped.
 

john_morris_uk

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Hi John,

I talked to Dorman's last week and I asked about my two Dorman's and they said are you having a joke about getting spares for my engines, They said if it was built post 1970 they could possibly be able to help, however, an engine as old as mine it is unlikely to source can parts for. They said I would have to have them custom made and the cost of making them would put it outside the range of most people without deep pockets.

As for getting dynamo's and starter replaced that is unlikely has well the same goes for the fuel systems.

So unless someone know of anyone who wishes to have them, they are going to be scrapped.
That's a pity as their website says that they supply spares for engines over 60 years old.

I'd still strongly encourage you advertise them as there are some enthusiasts around who might decide to take them on as a project. The advert shouldn't cost you anything and you'd stand a chance of getting more than their scrap value. I once got a Welling Barford variable pressure road roller engine going after it had been derelict for years by measuring the rings and piston required carefully and finding equivalents from some obscure Diesel engine. I had to manufacture the gaskets but I got it going in the end...

Plenty of places who will rebuild the starters and dynamos.

(And if I was retired and with time on my hands I'd be sore tempted to take them on - but I'm neither retired yet nor have time on my hands atm!)
 
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