Mechanic needed...

[BarryD]

Following the delivery of MVII to Chichester a number of things have fallen off the boat <G> or been shook up (aside from Matts teeth and my back). I'd rather drive it and play, than crawl around the bilges fixing things so I've got a list of jobs that need doing, mainly in the spanner weilding range, but also some electrical jiggery pokery.

I've a suspicion that using Peters might be prohibative so can any one give me some recomendations on people to use?

Short list:
Power steering not very powered.
Impellor not impelling much at higher RPM (also conversion to quick release)
Shore power conversion 110 to 240 and find out why they cut all the wires!

Thanks in advance<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by BarryD on Wed Nov 28 12:09:06 2001 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Guest]

Wot's the lump in there, Barry? Vilevo or Mercruiser? If Mercruiser, then there is no quick change impeller, AFAIK, since it's in the bottom of the leg. If Volvo, it's 40 quid and ten minutes work.

Shorepower's probably easier to rip out and start from scratch. Power steering: do not dick about with this unless you know what you're doing - the operating pressure is v dangerous, I think.

 

[Col]

Barry,
Re: your power steering, before you pay out your hard earned dollers, check your reservoir has fluid in it ( should be dextron2 transmission fluid ) take a quick squint at the belt to make sure it hasn't broken, both are easy jobs, the rest I would farm out.

 

[BarryD]

Mercruiser 5.7L NM

*

 

[Guest]

If low on fluid, top it up and then run the steering lock to lock 5/6 times with the engine running to bleed the air out. If this unsuccessful, slacken one of the banjos on the ram and repeat till you get clear fluid out. You probably need help doing this, though.

 

[Guest]

Re: Yer buggered, then.

Wot makes you think it ain't impelling enuf? It's only a half hour job if the boat's out of the water, so I'd leave it till spring, now.

 

[BarryD]

Power Steering res full.

Thakns for the steer - but I checked the belts and the res. is full. It's been out since we left Bradwell so it's had a lot of use and not freed up, some of the bangs and turns were enough to ensure that any residual air would have bleed out.

I would say it's either the rams or the pump is duff.

 

[BarryD]

Might be..

Impellor comment from KevB - engine over heats when run at 4000RPM but is OK at 3500 - suspect an impellor that is at it's limits. Prior to Saturday we'd run it around 3900 - 4000 for over an hour with no issues. What's the red line on a Mercruiser 5.7 v8 - recent recon/rebuild?

 

[Guest]

Re: Power Steering res full.

professional job to check either. small hydraulic leak at X,000 psi similar to bits from Das Boot - limbs cut off by thin stream of fluid etc etc. V dangerous. In fact I had mine removed. I'm thinking of removing the engines, too, as they're ever so dangerous, as well.

 

[Guest]

Re: Might be..

4400-4600. Mine used to run happily to nealry 5000 without getting hot. Is it closed cooling or raw water? (Closed would have a cylindrical heat exchanger below the exhaust manifolds).

 

[Col]

Re: heat exchanger

Think its at the front of the engine block on merc V8's in any case you would have a very obvious rad cap type filler. most V8's are raw cooled.

 

[BarryD]

Raw water cooled.

Definately.

 

[BarryH]

Re: Raw water cooled.

If its raw water cooled it might be worth checking the pump housing as well. Well youve got to take it of to get at the impellar anyway. Also dont want to scare you but i have come across one in the past that had so much corrosion in the water ways tha the cooling was almost nil. It might be a help if you could run the engine up on muffs to see how much cooling water you get out of the exhaust, the water you can see from the tell tale is just an indication that its circulating. if its out the water for the winter it might be worth having the heads off just to check, at the same time you could check the valves for signs of pre ignition( These engines eat them if the timing isnt spot on) Has it got a dizzy or is it electronic module off the fly wheel
Hope this helps and gives a few ideas
Regards Barry( confirmed petrolhead)

 

[tr7v8]

Barry,

a quick check to do on power steering is to take the filler cap off with the engine
running. If you get a stream of bubbles rising or lots of foam it normally means the pumps knacked. Rams on cars tend to leak externally before they die.

Jim
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