Inboard Outboard

SadlerPete

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Hi
Shan't beat about the bush. Boats out (Sadler 26), engine needs to come out (BUKH 10). Sat in cradle about 8' up in the air, how do you do it? How do you get in through the rabbit sized cockpit locker hatch to undo the rusty prop shaft coupling, I wormed my way in once, never again, I'm still having nightmares! I've considered just sawing through the shaft and welding it back together again afterwards. As the access to both coupling and stern gland is so restricted I've thought about cutting out the cockpit sole, similar to the Sadler 29, but know nothing about how to go about it. Any ideas?
Pete W
 
Can't help with the Sadler-specific questions, but we lifted Kindred Spirit's 2GM20 out using a "goalpost" of lighting truss erected over the boat by my stage-tech mate. A small electric winch powered by my generator did the lifting:

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Pete
 
I have fitted a small hinged access hatch in my cockpit and can now reach stern gland, flexible coupling and water pump on rear of engine. Only cost about a pony and was a doddle to install.
 
ghostlymoron
Thanks for posting. Already got a hatch at the other end of cock-pit from earlier cock-up, Don't really want another at t'other, hence reason for looking at removing total area.
 
I removed and replaced my 1GM10 using the mainsheet and a strap over the boom. It's not even rocket science (which is a doodle compared to quantum physics). Small boys are good for tiny spaces, but you have to train them up before you let them loose on important stuff like shaft couplings and stuffing boxes. My old journeyman used to say "any damn fool can rip something out, it's putting it back together that takes skill".
 
Probably a good idea to take off as many bits as possible if you do not have access to a crane or fork lift. The flywheel is very heavy as is the gearbox. The usual way is to disconnect the prop shaft and mounts to slide the engine forward so you can get a good lift up through the hatch and then into the cockpit. If you still have the mast up, use the boom as a derrick to lift the engine above the coamings and then swing round outside the boat. You may have to lower it in 2 or 3 stages, perhaps onto something like an oil drum first then to the ground. Not too difficult to manhandle if you have removed the flywheel and box.
 
Thanks Pete
Can you describe how you got it over the side?

We had the winch hung from the truss via short webbing strops slung over the top. The plan was to simply slide the whole lot along the truss till it was outboard of the boat, then lower onto the pallet waiting on the ground. This probably would have worked fine if we'd thought to grease the truss (anything from seacock grease to butter or washing-up liquid) but with it dry the strops didn't slide when under load.

So instead I pushed the engine to one side while paying out the wire, and landed it onto the cockpit seat. Then we moved the winch until it was above the coaming and reeled in again, holding the engine so that it didn't immediately swing as it became airborne. Repeat the process, pushing it out and winching down to land it on the side deck, then moved the winch out past the gunwale and one more lift and lower down to the ground.

I recommend the greasing-the-truss idea :)

Pete
 
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If you still have the mast up, use the boom as a derrick to lift the engine above the coamings and then swing round outside the boat.

Yep - I should probably point out that we used the truss because the rig was down for varnishing.

I've seen it suggested that one should move the main halyard to the point on the boom where the engine is attached, and use that to take most of the load (rather than the topping lift on the outboard end). This will obviously reduce the bending load on the boom, though I'm not sure how critical it is compared to the load on a kicking strap in a strong breeze.

Pete
 
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I slide in under the sink along side the engine to work on it but I'm 11 stones so can do it. using the seat cusions help as I lay em the whole length
The first time I had to remove the shaft coupling on this boat the bolts were over tight so I ended up cutting em with a grinder, it isn't fun in a tight space but thats how it is at times

I'd not use the boom to lift an engine ! if you damage it then what. Strip it, enough to slide it inside onto the cabin floor then strip the whole lot. You''ll proberly get more money for the engines parts any way
just another thought,
could you if there was enough room remove the prop undo the engine mountings and cables ect and slide the whole lot including shaft right forward ?
 
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Splitting the coupling via the Stbd side hatch is indeed awkward but is possible, I've done it a couple of times to access the Volvo type stern gland. The only other alternative is to cut a hatch through the cockpit sole - a bit drastic. The flywheel on a DV10 weighs 30kg so it's worth taking that off first then take the load on the boom as described earlier. A bad back and damaged knuckles are almost unavoidable. Good luck.
Morgan
 
I helped a mate get a new engine into his wooden boat, using the "shuffle it sideways a bit at a time" technique. The higher you can get the winch, the better, as it makes it easier to swing the engine sideways.
 
Of no help to the OP at all but one wonders how the manufacturer got the engine in the boat in the first place... surely they didn't build the boat round the engine without thought to future maintenance???
 
surely they didn't build the boat round the engine without thought to future maintenance???

Actually that is the standard technique. A decent design will allow for the engine to come out in future, but it's generally installed before fitting the internal bulkheads and the deck.

Pete
 
Great!!! Thanks to all who have contributed up to now.
I'll take the weekend to digest all the different methods offered and answer them individually.
Many thanks
Pete W
 
I've popped an engine in - not on a sadler 26 - but on a Macwester 22 ...

I'm small enough to get behind the engine - just - so wasn't too much hassle.

The mast was down and we had the kit so to get the engine up there we used 2 scaff towers eitherside of the boat, an old boom across the top padded out with a bit of 4x2 - on which we tied a chain engine hoist (no power winches for me!)

Once ready we pulled the boat fowards (it was on a low trolley), hoisted the engine then pulled the boat back underneath - sounds simple, but it was a 3 to 4 man job.
 
With regard to using lighting truss, I cringed when I read that

There's truss and there's truss. Using a short span of top spec Trilite to lift a smallish engine would be OK (point load limit in the 300 to 400 kilo range from memory) but go over 3m span or try and lift a larger engine and the truss could buckle or fail completely

And that's the good stuff. There's a lot of rubbish sold that looks like Trilite but has thin tube wall thickness, poor quality welding and (if the manufacturers are being honest) much lower load limits

I ain't saying "don't use it", just use it with care (you'd frankly be better advised to hire a lifting gantry anyway)

Oh the sliding thing - greasing the tubes dunt work. The strops stick to whatever you've tried to grease it with. Don't ask me how I know this!
 
With regard to using lighting truss, I cringed when I read that

There's truss and there's truss. Using a short span of top spec Trilite to lift a smallish engine would be OK

I believe it was Trilite - certainly that's what he has a lot of. I know it was within spec because I queried that when he arrived with it - he'd promised me scaffolding but the truss was nearer to hand in the warehouse that morning.

(point load limit in the 300 to 400 kilo range from memory)

And the engine weighed about 110kg, in fact less as I'd taken the alternator and starter off.

Pete
 
I believe it was Trilite - certainly that's what he has a lot of. I know it was within spec because I queried that when he arrived with it - he'd promised me scaffolding but the truss was nearer to hand in the warehouse that morning.

And the engine weighed about 110kg, in fact less as I'd taken the alternator and starter off.

OK, so well within the limits for Trilite

But my point was more general than specific - there's a lot of stuff around that looks like Trilite but isn't!

Some of it is so poor it bends if you so much as look at it!
 
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