Ad41's with DP drives trim gauges and other Cranchi aquamarine 31 questions?

[Ian MacAulay]

Afternoon


I have a recently purchased aquamarine 31 that i have a few odd jobs to do on her.

Firstly the trim gauges seam to read different in down position.. Port engine reads -3 and i can hear that trim is fully down where the other reads -6. I'm a little concerned regarding running like this and putting more strain on parts ... So how do i go about calibrating and is it possible to do while in water?


The previous owner seams to think she's under propped but I've not had a chance to go WOT to see as weather not been great so does 26mph at 2900rpm sound about right for people who know about this boat? (full fuel and 6 people)


Port engine runs slightly hotter and at 3400rpm and above sets buzzer off. Could this be thermostat or is it cooling system flush out job?

I also have a Bosh battery charger installed and for the life of me can not find a single detail out about it. I want to convert to AGM batteries so would like to know if its possible.


Bit bigger for me and not used to having a boat to leave on a mooring. I used to have a Bayliner on a trailer so totally new to leaving afloat for me but is there any thing people can suggest i check out or do?

Have also found the windlass to slip in both up and down direction causing a clonking quick donk donk donk noise.... have a fiddle with the top cap and then works fine?


sorry for all the questions but hope some may be able to be answered


Thanks


Ian

 

[A_8]

The trim gauges can be adjusted but some of the kegs on the driving wheel might be broken so you probably need it on the hard to get it sorted. Until then I suggest you adjust the trim checking attitude and how the wake looks. The overheat engine you need to get checked and clean out the cooling circuit.
Any charger designed for a wet lead acid battery will charge an agm without breaking it more than it would the traditional battery however it will not top them up or let you use their full capacity but neither will your engine generators unless you add some sort of intelligent controller/charger so think about why you want the agm's in the first place.

 

[dpb]

‘Firstly the trim gauges seam to read different in down position.. Port engine reads -3 and i can hear that trim is fully down where the other reads -6. I'm a little concerned regarding running like this and putting more strain on parts ... So how do i go about calibrating and is it possible to do while in water?’

Whilst you can hear that the trim is fully down, it might be that it is just as far as it can go due to an obstruction and the gauge is reading OK. Have a look at it when next in Swanage or Studland where the water is clear to confirm this. You can in theory adjust the sender position whilst afloat as long as you can get to it and the securing bolt frees up easily enough, its all on the inside of the transom shield…you’ll need the manual!. You can adjust them from the outside if you cant get to the inside but that is with boat out of water and involves messing about with the drive helmet so that it clears the sensor cog wheel so that you can reorrientate it to get the right reading. If you know it is just the gauge then I don’t think there is any harm in living with it…..just keep the difference constant.

‘The previous owner seams to think she's under propped but I've not had a chance to go WOT to see as weather not been great so does 26mph at 2900rpm sound about right for people who know about this boat? (full fuel and 6 people)’

Similar to my own 31fter all be it a Sunseeker with same engines. You will only really know by trying WOT with a known to be clean bottom!......but don’t try till you have sorted your next point!


‘Port engine runs slightly hotter and at 3400rpm and above sets buzzer off. Could this be thermostat or is it cooling system flush out job?’

Do not ignore this one….it could cause big expensive damage!!!!!
If the gauge and alarm are in agreement then she really is getting hot.
I would check in order:
Coolant level
Condition of raw water impeller.
That’s the easy ones…….rest a bit more tricky and debatable as to which order to tackle.
Condition of suction side, looking for blockages, air leaks into pipe, collapsing pipe under suction. (most of this tricky with boat in water)
Condition of exhaust elbow
Blockages in heat exchanger
Blockages in oil cooler and intercooler
(Heat exchanger seems to me to crud up more readily than oil and intercooler)

Flushing the system fits in somewhere

Use IR thermometer to determine relative temperatures at different places in the system for clues. (Guidance easily found on the Net)

 

[Ian MacAulay]

Thank you very much for the fantastic response.

I'm often in swanage so I will get a dry suit on and jump in and take a look.. If just out of sync I will just put up with for now
In regards to heat.. Could a stuck thermostat be a issue and is it worth checking . also any way of cleaning the exchangers in situ?

I'm currently on my phone so hard to reply but will take a proper look when I get home ..

Thanks again

Ian

 

[Ian MacAulay]

It's just come to me regarding trim...

When I first launched her she did read -6 on both BUT if I remember right port engines trim buttons seamed sticky as she would not move on the guage...... But kept pushing and then freed up.... I thought the buttons were knackered so pushed them real hard

Now thinking about it perhaps there has been something lodged up in there....