Are all engine bays impossible to work in?

[wipe_out]

I'm new to inboard engines on boats and it all looks really neat but yesterday I decided to check the battery acid levels.. Sounds simple enough right??

Not really!!

I eventually managed to get the batteries out but nearly killed myself in the process and there was a lot of swearing.. While I was down there I happened to see the fresh water pump strainer.. Its next to the pump *behind* the batteries.. In other words IMPOSSIBLE to get to for any adult.. A well trained child or monkey may be able to get there to sort it out..

Now I am thinking of separating the charging of the batteries into two banks and getting rid of the 1-2-all-off switch but after yesterdays adventure this would probably require taking the engine out to do.. As would just about anything down there..

Can't imagine all engine bays are this difficult to work on..

Ok, rant over..

 

[David2452]

Can't imagine all engine bays are this difficult to work on....

They aren't, not by a long way.

 

[wipe_out]

I guess it largely depends on the size of boat but I would have thought on a 25-26ft boat it would have been better.. Just hope nothing goes wrong with the fresh water tank/pump because I physically can't get there..

 

[FalconSteve]

Your post made me laugh, I've got a Falcon 27, and it's pretty tight in the engine at of mine as well. mind ou I'm a big lad, so it's a case f knowing the angle you need to have your arm at and wedging myself into the appropriate Gap and wiggling my way all the way!

That's all well and good of course, but getting out is a whole bigger problem as my little legs often can't find a purchase to wiggle out. Glad it's not just porkers like me who think some engine bays are impossible to get round. I am thinking I need to save up for a few millennia to buy a 62 footer and get a walk around engine room!

 

[oGaryo]

The Rinker 250 we had last season was very tight but add a couple of feet LOA with the Sealine S28 a larger diesel engine and then pop in a second engine to boot and surprisingly, there's masses of space in which to work by comparison. Some boat designers need shooting when it comes to enablement of maintenance activities.

 

[scej]

The Rinker 250 we had last season was very tight but add a couple of feet LOA with the Sealine S28 a larger diesel engine and then pop in a second engine to boot and surprisingly, there's masses of space in which to work by comparison. Some boat designers need shooting when it comes to enablement of maintenance activities.

Boat owners for years have been saying we need more berths,hot and cold water etc etc. If you have a 25ft boat with all that then most of the systems need to go in the engine compartment along with the diesel engine every body also wants. there is a limit to what you can reasonably put in a boat under 30ft and still have fantastic access to everthing.

 

[superheat6k]

The Fairline Turbo 36 has a reputation for awful engine room access, and sometimes this is correct, but having gotten used to mine now, it is very much a case of the the specific job that is required to be done. This Winter I seem to have spent too many hours own there installing a new fuel system, so I guess I am getting used to the place now. I have also installed numerous LED light strings, and this has certainly improved the place - almost homely now.

Last week we had our first trip of the year and having decent lighting makes the periodic check of the engines underway a lot more straightforward, especially coming from bright daylight to the darkesst recesses of the boat.

Anything outboard of the engines or gearboxes is simply a nightmare to work on - last year it rook me 5 hours just to change a sewater impellor on the stbd engine (20 minutes on the port). I haven't yet had to tackle the stern seals, but if and when these need attention - well time to take up golf I guess !

 

[alt]

I can fit my whole body easily either side on the out-side of my engines. Between the engines is also easy access (but can't fit a body in there). There's also about 20" between the front of the engines and the bulkhead. So basically I have buckets of room.... any more room would just be a waste

 

[wipe_out]

Some boat designers need shooting when it comes to enablement of maintenance activities.

Especially the genius who decided to put my water strainer right back in the second most inaccessible corner of the whole engine bay.. Then again I suppose it could have been worse and put in the MOST inaccessibly corner..

 

[wipe_out]

Boat owners for years have been saying we need more berths,hot and cold water etc etc. If you have a 25ft boat with all that then most of the systems need to go in the engine compartment along with the diesel engine every body also wants. there is a limit to what you can reasonably put in a boat under 30ft and still have fantastic access to everthing.

I understand what you are saying but including a bit of simple logic could have made the layout and accessibility of things in my engine bay far simpler.. In fact I am thinking of moving some things around myself to achieve this.. If I am motivated enough to deal with the frustration of getting in there in the first place..

 

[oGaryo]

Boat owners for years have been saying we need more berths,hot and cold water etc etc. If you have a 25ft boat with all that then most of the systems need to go in the engine compartment along with the diesel engine every body also wants. there is a limit to what you can reasonably put in a boat under 30ft and still have fantastic access to everthing.

Got to disagree there I'm afraid. Rinker in their wisdom stuffed everything in to the engine bay including the calorifier, waste and water tanks, battery charger, ram for the engine hatch, water pump etc along with steering gear and batteries leaving very little room for a small 5.0MPI petrol engine. I had to stand on my head to get at stuff lower down in the engine bay, it was a cramped nightmare

Sealine however, distributed the systems above throughout the boat giving access panels to just everything and leaving only things needed to be in the engine bay e.g. batteries, steering gear and the like. It's a dream to work on in comparison as is clear in this video I took when buying the boat.

Well done Sealine I'd say.. Rinker gets a big thumbs down from me in this regard

 

[Alchemy2665]

My Regal2665 must have to rank up there as one of the worst! You have to go in head first and do hand stands to get to anything! I'm planning to test my rpm with a hand held tachometer but the fly wheel is right down the bottom and I'll be hanging upside down right next to the spinning belts! To say I'm nervous is an understatement

 

[volvopaul]

If they were I'd be out of a living.

It's how you attack each job in turn, like last week changing the anodes on a nimbus, the starboard intercooler anode is set way back under the grp deck, the gap between the engines very close, too close even for me to squeeze between, I'm 5ft 8 and under 12 stone in weight and very agile, so you have to look at what you can remove from the engine bay to get I. There and do it. Most builders don't really look at aftersales servicing and how it might be carried out, some are worse than others( I won't mention any names for fear of offending certain owners. But what I will say is that some owners loom at there engines and close the hatch in despair, some dealers have this stupid culture that engines have to come out for the slightest of jobs like starter motor removal, that's just a way of making bug bucks!! . I was in lymington last week to hear a tale of the local vp dealer charging ver 10k for work that could have been done with the engine in the boat, the work described was not far off routine either, it staggers me that owners will fall into this trap just because the so called professionals deem it to be done that way.

 

[oGaryo]

If they were I'd be out of a living.

It's how you attack each job in turn, like last week changing the anodes on a nimbus, the starboard intercooler anode is set way back under the grp deck, the gap between the engines very close, too close even for me to squeeze between, I'm 5ft 8 and under 12 stone in weight and very agile, so you have to look at what you can remove from the engine bay to get I. There and do it. Most builders don't really look at aftersales servicing and how it might be carried out, some are worse than others( I won't mention any names for fear of offending certain owners. But what I will say is that some owners loom at there engines and close the hatch in despair, some dealers have this stupid culture that engines have to come out for the slightest of jobs like starter motor removal, that's just a way of making bug bucks!! . I was in lymington last week to hear a tale of the local vp dealer charging ver 10k for work that could have been done with the engine in the boat, the work described was not far off routine either, it staggers me that owners will fall into this trap just because the so called professionals deem it to be done that way.

well said Paul. I have limited knowledge but as you know like to have a tinker with the engines as opposed to the look away and hope approach so this stuff is equally as important to me it's already clear to me that there are designs in place to make the industry money or save on build costs at the expense of ongoing maintenance as you say.

 

[moonraker 36]

http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/image.phtml?id=285986&ximage=140618
http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/image.phtml?id=285986&ximage=140617
http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/image.phtml?id=285986&ximage=140616
how much room do you need..!!

 

[Bertramdriver]

My local engineer was lost in my engine room last summer. It really spoilt the evenings with his crying and whimpering, such a selfish man. Last visit it was quiet but I really need to get someone to clean out the bilges.

 

[oldgit]

Can't imagine all engine bays are this difficult to work on..



O YES THEY ARE

Unless you follow OGs example and cut all sorts of little hatches with neat little covers everywhere,that merely leaves the problem of what each cover......covers .....if you get my meaning.

 

[Bbroomlea]

Boat owners for years have been saying we need more berths,hot and cold water etc etc. If you have a 25ft boat with all that then most of the systems need to go in the engine compartment along with the diesel engine every body also wants. there is a limit to what you can reasonably put in a boat under 30ft and still have fantastic access to everthing.

We looked at quite a few boats before buying out S24, some were larger in length and beam, and can honestly say Sealine did a fantastic job of fitting everything in....and sensibly too, in a smaller space. A friends boat is quite a few feet longer but more cramped in all areas, particularly the engine bay - in fact its not far off impossible to gain meaningful access!

 

[alt]

We looked at quite a few boats before buying out S24, some were larger in length and beam, and can honestly say Sealine did a fantastic job of fitting everything in....and sensibly too, in a smaller space. A friends boat is quite a few feet longer but more cramped in all areas, particularly the engine bay - in fact its not far off impossible to gain meaningful access!

Agreed. I was impressed with the engine room space in the S23. For a small boat, access was excellent. I viewed an F33 last year - you could have a party in the engine bay!