How to define good engine access?

[markc]

If someone wants that style of boat there's not really any alternative. On that particular brand the engines can be removed without too much trauma if by professionals (I have seen this carried out)

I have to disagree, I have that size and 'style' of boat and I can get round all sides of my engines. Main reason is that the engines are on V drives and the fuel tanks run amidships. As I said in my previous post, my worry isn't so much that the floors etc may need to be removed to do major work, it's that because it's so hard to access, these sides of the engines are not inspected on a day-to-day basis, thereby potentially leading to missed maintenance.

Just to add, on a Fairline I used to own, to change the stbd impeller I had to remove the furniture in the guest cabin - really shonky planning by the builder.

 

[Bouba]

The gold standard for engine access is being on your driveway working on an outboard engine. My boat requires me to stop and think, ‘how am I going to reach that?’. And the answer often is, I can’t. I often dream of an engine room that you can walk into (and I know this is quite a common dream). My ideal would be like a Nordhavn, huge engine room small engine. That would make me very happy

 

[TonyR123]

My 15m boat (prestige 500) has access all round both engines. Generally I thought you only needed access to max two sides per engine at least for modern engines. Generally for twin engined boats the general checks for oil, filters etc are all done down the gap between the 2 engines (if that makes sense).

 

[petem]

My S /Skr similar to your T34 was too tight for DIY , perhaps not as bad as Bruce’s .Eg trim pumps .
For a gen annual service we used to remove the cockpit seating and lift the floor panels Two blokes about 20 mins .

I could easily access all relevant parts of my engine for DIY servicing. No need to remove any floor panels!

Perhaps it's just your S/Skr that was poorly designed?

 

[petem]

The gold standard for engine access is being on your driveway working on an outboard engine. My boat requires me to stop and think, ‘how am I going to reach that?’. And the answer often is, I can’t. I often dream of an engine room that you can walk into (and I know this is quite a common dream). My ideal would be like a Nordhavn, huge engine room small engine. That would make me very happy

Are outboard really that easy to work on? Maybe OK for oil and filters but I suspect everything else is buried under cowling.

 

[Bouba]

Are outboard really that easy to work on? Maybe OK for oil and filters but I suspect everything else is buried under cowling.

They are not easy to work on because they complex modern car engines full of electronics

 

[Portofino]

If someone wants that style of boat there's not really any alternative. On that particular brand the engines can be removed without too much trauma if by professionals (I have seen this carried out)

I disagree .
As I intimated a lot of owners just see a hatch and think that’s it .No fwd thinking what if ?

There are as always many ways to skin a cat ? Some better than others .
Professionals bill by the hr or factor hrs in the quote .
Removing one unit of a cylinder head of a MAN engine in situ ( say for a sticky valve or is less hrs than having to
1- remove the whole head if the Volvo D12 /13
2- removing furniture to get the massive unitary head out ,It’s can’t rotate out of the hatch orifice .
3- a zillion times more in parts for the whole head than one of 6 or 8 or 12 - in terms of other stuff in the way gaskets etc .

As Marc inferred tanks can be placed athwartship by a bulk head or behind .
Ferretti are clever placing the tanks Fwds of the V drive g boxes cross compensates for the rearwards shift of the lumps .+ as is obviously opens up the lateral aspects for access which is what this thread is about .
Its hardly re inventing the wheel .

Here are a few variations.


Magnum 51 on Arnesons the whole sun pad lifts up .


Otam 56 .

Again lift up pad .
Are theses exhibitors at Soton ?


This is below a Priny 52 from circa 2017 .

see the red mark placed by me .
Oil filter housing the leaky central bolt holds it tight .Despite the middle access it’s not tight or the copper crush washer has not been replaced = cheapo maintenance?
it ain’t based on the Welch riviera either .Sorry couldn’t resist .

Now what’s the stb one look like ?Further more did the engineer ever do it .I bet he sure invoiced you for it .How can you tell with that ridiculous access to the filter ?
Personal experience it heavy ( does not look it I know ) and the alignment to start the central bolt is mm precise .How you do that laying on top of the cold stb motor arms like a gorilla extended unsighted is beyond me .
For me I climb over sit comfortably on a shelf cross legged with the weighty filter in my lap and eyes on carefully start the long bolt and watch it tighten up crushing the new washer .
Also after a run ( marcs point he’s made itv2x ) I can eye ball or rub a tissue under the housing to check for weeps / seeps .


Twisting the knife if I may The yellow is where the engine 2 micron spin on fuel filters sit .Obscured by the air filter .
The primary’s on this boat are screwed to the Fwds bulkhead adjacent to the ECU Boxes .

So picture the screen having to deal with a fuel bleed with the lateral tanks there on the port engine !

Again it might appear on the invoice ………??

 

[Portofino]

But the killer here is the water pump impeller .
Shocker .

It’s there blue marker . Low down front LHS .
How the hell do you get to the port pump ? Anyone!

Here is the same Motor same port pump in my boat
You can sit by the side of it .

Engineers knee btw .


Yes I get guys at uk shows being banned on H/S reasons for getting into the ER ,its as if this stuff from a manufacturers pov is dumbed down .” Don‘ t let punters see what’s in there “

CaC removal + clean on the port motor anyone ? It’s the thingy top RHS of the puller handle.How do you get to those bolts and refit those gaskets on the Priny ?

Btw marcs point that big bolt ( a MAN service item ) weeps n leaks over time .How do you spot it on the port motor ?
Every motor has nuances over and above std annual oil + filters .
Here on this Priny it’s the stb oil filter and port fuel filters + port pump + port CAC maintenance thats at risk .


Here see the drain bolts replaced and marked by the engineer .How do you do that , even see it without lateral access
As Marc says it’s missed until something inside the CAC let’s go and water mixes with air = kaboom ?.
Sure it’s not in the MAN manual but every 30 yrs time served engineer knows this nuisance as the Volvo Paul knows the VP,finer nuisances , preventable tweeks if he can see them and be arsed tacking them .

That’s the lateral access point .

It important outside warranty .

 

[Seastoke]

Pffff. Tight engine spaces. You lot dont have a clue. I could show you tight spaces and you'd leave to fit 2 beds in your engine room. 19 hours to change a turbo held on with 4 bolts and 5 more holding ancillaries on. I have to remove the steering helmets this weekend. Makes MMA training look like a Victorian tea party. If I'm not back Monday, I've got my gut stuck again. Send in Search and Rescue!

NO need for serch and rescue , that belly can be spotted from the moon.

 

[stelican]

Porto
You sound like a V drive convert?

 

[Portofino]

Porto
You sound like a V drive convert?

Not really .
More of a sit at the side of the motors in a 15 + M boat .

If this means V drives + bulkhead tank and the rest stacks up so be it .Put it in the sights .
Straight shafts preferred which mean s tanks behind like the vid I posted .Or in front .
Lateral tanks effective making a what would have been a nice mornings DIY into compromise on so many levels and as said the uncertainty of regular eye balls is a no no .Even if the work was ever done !

In the Med and particularly Italy there are many so many fish to fry from a boat choice pov .
I realise at SIBS owners of that Priny 52 highly likely never set foot in the ER .Accept the sales team might have opened the hatch in a naughty school boy kinda way as the ink was drying on the depo cheque.

 

[Ian h]

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This how tight the engine bay was for me . could not see much between engines in the middle

 

[oldgit]

Without wishing to rub any salt whatsoever in an festering open wound, on the Princess 40 the owner could visually (not sure physically) gain access for pre journey checks on the engine compartment, via the lazerrette.
Soon put a stop to that on later versions.