Moving the engine back to engage the saildrive

[MagicalArmchair]

I’ve just taken my saildrive off and replaced the diaphragm. All very straight forward as suspending the very heavy D2 55, that weighs 250kg dry, from our dyneema halyard helped part the engine and drive. Getting the saildrive back in was also fine, however moving the engine back the final 3cms to engage it has been a struggle.

This far back in the boat, the engine cannot longer be suspended from chains, so it’s all levers and brute force. I’ve managed to get longer bolts to try and pull the engine back and to guide it in, however the last few cms are proving a challenge. I don’t want to just crank in on the bolts just in case the splines are not engaged… or am I far enough in now that they must be?

Any advice as to how I move it back these final few cms?

 

[Laser310]

you replaced the gasket that keeps water out of the boat?

 

[Martin_J]

Is the forward end of the engine too low by any chance?

It doesn't look as if you've got far enough to engage the splines but from the photo the gap does not look equidistant top and bottom. (Check out the fine parallel white lines overlaid below although it could be distance/perspective in the photo)



With the faces parallel, the engine should slide back into place without having to pull it in with bolts.

I did just check out that video on your other post about separating the drive from the engine... I was baffled why they resorted to using a wedge and a hammer.

I hope you've succeeded by the time you read this!

 

[Martin_J]

Perhaps a rest break and you'll come back in the morning and it'll just slide into place.

 

[Laser310]

i want to do this on my boat - it has a Volvo Penta D1-13.., which supposedly weighs 111kg without the saildrive

but the thing is completely under the cockpit - no way i can lift it with a halyard

 

[Boater Sam]

i want to do this on my boat - it has a Volvo Penta D1-13.., which supposedly weighs 111kg without the saildrive

but the thing is completely under the cockpit - no way i can lift it with a halyard

Inflatable air bag under the engine.

 

[Skylark]

Inflatable air bag under the engine.

Interesting comment. Do you mean this sort of thing?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WINBAG-Win-Bag-Wedge-Black-250kg/dp/B084CPNMWH

One of these days I'll need to think about getting my now 10 year old Yanmar seal replaced.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Thanks all for your responses. There are three challenges:

1. Alignment of the engine to the saildrive - The enemy of this is the height of the back of the engine and that our ability to adjust it is crude at best, using wedges either side of the engine. The fact the gap is smaller at the top than at the bottom, means that simply cranking these bolts will not move us any further forward as we are out of alignment.
2. Engagement of the splines - The enemy of this is the rotation of the saildrive spline vs the flywheel. The instructions speak of turning the flywheel as you move the engineback - something that sounds practically impossible.
3. Moving the engine back - The enemies of this are the weight and introduced friction. The bolts, ironically, have added to friction significantly, meaning they are now getting in the way. The wedges holding up the back of the engine are also significantly adding to the friction.

The bag should eliminate the friction from the wedges, and I'll take the bolts back out as these are not helping. So the plan is, buy the little bag above, put it under the sump (perhaps on a block of wood), support the back of the engine with it, remove the bolts, remove the wedges, slide back and wiggle?

 

[spannerman]

You can rotate the flywheel by putting a socket on the nut on the crank pulley.

 

[Boater Sam]

The engine is a country mile too low at the front end. Get some packers under the mounting feet.

 

[Thistle]

I wonder if anyone has tried using a big inflatable bag under the engine in this kind of situation?

 

[DownWest]

I wonder if anyone has tried using a big inflatable bag under the engine in this kind of situation?

It does sound like the splines and the inflatable bag is interesting. Not heard of it being tried before. The wedges look unhelpful.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Perhaps a rest break and you'll come back in the morning and it'll just slide into place.

Thanks Martin, I was in a pit of despair after the rest of the job went so well, and I spent three fruitless hours three centimeters from completion .

You can rotate the flywheel by putting a socket on the nut on the crank pulley.

Thank you, I am changing the lower oil seals too, so I'll likely move the splines on the saildrive by rotating the prop with the drive in gear once I get that all back together.

The engine is a country mile too low at the front end. Get some packers under the mounting feet.

Do you mean the back? Closest to the saildrive? It looked quite well aligned

It does sound like the splines and the inflatable bag is interesting. Not heard of it being tried before. The wedges look unhelpful.

The wedges are part of the problem, yes, there are precious few other ways of getting 250kg of engine to lift in that small space. I have high hopes for the bag - it works in my head, let's see if it works in practice. Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[Laser310]

Inflatable air bag under the engine.

well, i understand how that will lift the engine, and it's a good idea.

but i am not sure how easy it will be to move the engine forward once it is lifted - to disconnect from the sail drive

but perhaps magicalarmchair's experience will be illuminating...

 

[Boater Sam]

Do you mean the back? Closest to the saildrive? It looked quite well aligned



The wedges are part of the problem, yes, there are precious few other ways of getting 250kg of engine to lift in that small space. I have high hopes for the bag - it works in my head, let's see if it works in practice. Thanks for all the feedback.

No, the other end, the front of the engine furthest from the sail drive is far too low, the gap is bigger at the top than the bottom. Lift the far end up and pack under the mounting feet where they rest on the steel bearers.

 

[SimonKNZ]

All that trouble to replace a diaphragm that was probably good for another ten years.
Not saying you did the wrong thing, but it's annoying that Volvo don't publish some real life data on that part

 

[Skylark]

All that trouble to replace a diaphragm that was probably good for another ten years.
Not saying you did the wrong thing, but it's annoying that Volvo don't publish some real life data on that part

Completely agree. Mine is Yanmar. When I bought the boat, new, 10 years ago I wrote to Beneteau and Yanmar Europe asking for real life data, preferably a Weibull plot. Yanmar ignored my letter and Beneteau sent me a patronising response, ignoring the issue.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I wonder if anyone has tried using a big inflatable bag under the engine in this kind of situation?

See Post #6.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Thanks Martin, I was in a pit of despair after the rest of the job went so well, and I spent three fruitless hours three centimeters from completion .



Thank you, I am changing the lower oil seals too, so I'll likely move the splines on the saildrive by rotating the prop with the drive in gear once I get that all back together.



Do you mean the back? Closest to the saildrive? It looked quite well aligned



The wedges are part of the problem, yes, there are precious few other ways of getting 250kg of engine to lift in that small space. I have high hopes for the bag - it works in my head, let's see if it works in practice. Thanks for all the feedback.

I would suggest two bags, so that you can adjust the horizontal attitude and height of the engine. I would introduce a plywood board between the bags and the engine and smear it liberally with grease.

 

[Skylark]

Serious question. Is it good to lift an engine, using an airbag, by its sump?