Record price for an exhaust elbow?

[john_morris_uk]

Our single cylinder diesel gen set has managed to rot out (despite it being stainless!)
It started out as a small hole which I hoped could be filled with weld.


But when the local welder started he discover a whole area was rotten. We can discuss the quality of his welding another time!!


He tried patching it up with braze but it still leaked.



OK so investigate the price of a new one…

None in stock in the UK and if they can get one that’ll be £408 plus delivery please.

Ouch.

 

[dgadee]

Can you not just cut out the damaged bit and insert a new bend and add a water input as required. You can buy short 316 elbows.

I am a great believer in fabrication. Hardest bit is finding a wee man with the skills and interest to do it.

 

[Sea Change]

Last time I bought an elbow it was about £100 for a stainless one for a 3GM... made by a guy called Ben, in the US...

 

[Stemar]

OK, it isn't diesel, but...

Inovtech I2000 inverter portable generator set

€373.59

 

[wonkywinch]

If you're anywhere near the Solent, then old school Abbey Engineering (E French & Son) is a great place to try.

55 Victoria Rd
Netley
Southampton
SO31 5DQ

02380 452266

 

[dgadee]

If you're anywhere near the Solent, then old school Abbey Engineering (E French & Son) is a great place to try.

55 Victoria Rd
Netley
Southampton
SO31 5DQ

02380 452266

My kind of engineering shop. You can almost smell the cutting fluid.

 

[Blueboatman]

My kind of engineering shop. You can almost smell the cutting fluid.

Three Bridgeports I think and a horizontal mill too, loverly.


The only critical part of an elbow is the OD at each end so yes, weld it up from standard bend and two turned ends. Is what I would do ( or buy more solar panels and batteries with the £400)

 

[Sea Change]

buy more solar panels and batteries with the £400

Absolutely!
We carried around a generator for three years and never used it once. And when we changed boat, I sold the suitcase genny and used the money to buy my new panels.

I think John would struggle to fit much more on his boat without compromising something though.

 

[Lightwave395]

These guys in Cowes (behind the Anchor Inn opposite Cowes Yacht Haven pedestrian entrance) have done several weird and wonderful jobs for me, both in Stainless and alloy:

 

[Blueboatman]

Absolutely!
We carried around a generator for three years and never used it once. And when we changed boat, I sold the suitcase genny and used the money to buy my new panels.

I think John would struggle to fit much more on his boat without compromising something though.

I remember him posting on getting a generator in to the boat.
The thing I quickly found once you get to frequent sunny climes, solar (and a windmill for night sailing ) and a suitcase genny tucked away for emergency repairs- and that is enough.

These manufacturers certainly like to keep a firm grip on inboard installation spare parts.

And the new £400 part may be of no better quality or durability than the one it is replacing.
Looking at Johns photo, the quality of the metal looks awful to me. I fear that in his attempt to do the right thing for the boat cruise, he was mislead by an indifferently manufactured product.
Which is a shame because- here we all are
Acshully. There’s a PBO article right there .
“Long term generator experiences, the reality, useage, reliability, hind sight, the good, the bad and the ugly” etc

 

[john_morris_uk]

All great ideas and if only we were in the UK I’d be talking to Solent Stainless (normally my goto fabricators)) and get it sorted by welding in a new elbow.

However we’re currently in the Dominican Republic about to sail up to Turks & Caicos and the Bahamas (I’m not looking for sympathy!…)

I’ve got a disc cutter with me so… Latest plan is to cut out the rotten bend and insert a hose. In a bizarre twist that’s what you get when you buy a new one for £408.




I’ll cut off the mount for the temperature sensor and get the local welding guy to braze it on just below the injection elbow as in the picture above. I could probably get away with zip tying it in place but brazing on the mount will be a proper job.

Local friend is driving me to the hose shop later this morning. Fingers crossed we’ll find a robust hose of the correct internal diameter and radius bend.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I remember him posting on getting a generator in to the boat.
The thing I quickly found once you get to frequent sunny climes, solar (and a windmill for night sailing ) and a suitcase genny tucked away for emergency repairs- and that is enough.

These manufacturers certainly like to keep a firm grip on inboard installation spare parts.

And the new £400 part may be of no better quality or durability than the one it is replacing.
Looking at Johns photo, the quality of the metal looks awful to me. I fear that in his attempt to do the right thing for the boat cruise, he was mislead by an indifferently manufactured product.
Which is a shame because- here we all are
Acshully. There’s a PBO article right there .
“Long term generator experiences, the reality, useage, reliability, hind sight, the good, the bad and the ugly” etc

It’s true that we can manage without (since we changed over to Lithiun with a charger/inverter) but there were a number of factors that influenced my decision to get a generator. We have limited space for solar. Without major structural change we’re maxed out at just under 900 watts. Our watermaker runs off 12 volts with all other loads and our solar keeps up when the suns out.

However I’m a great believer in layers of redundancy and when we left the Canaries we could charge our then lead acid batteries using main engine or solar or wind generator or built in diesel generator. The diesel gen set also gave us 230 AC on demand. (Mrs M’s hairdryer and charging laptops etc) it all seemed to make sense to me. We had a small pure sine wave invertor for the lap too charging but your constantly aware that you’ve only got 200 aH of available energy.

Since changing to Lithium we now have 230 AC permanently available with >400 aH of available energy but the wind generator is redundant (its regulator doesn’t do Lithium).

The solar is great but we’re heading to more northern latitudes and I’m guessing it’s not going to keep up. Running the main engine only gives 50 amps via the DC-DC and it’s not good to run the main engine on light loads and it’s also inefficient. The gen set gives more like 100 amps with the bonus of giving us a tank of hot water via the immersion heater.

However it’s true that small marine generators seem problem prone. We had a whole new generator engine fitted under warranty in Grenada when the first one dropped a push rod so I’m beginning to curse the thing. But when it works it purrs and is all but inaudible off the boat. Anyway I’m stuck with it now.

 

[john_morris_uk]

PS We used to have a suitcase generator. A Kippor. It was heavy and very noisy and needed petrol. I was glad to see the back of it and have 230 AC on the push of a button.

 

[Blueboatman]

PS We used to have a suitcase generator. A Kippor. It was heavy and very noisy and needed petrol. I was glad to see the back of it and have 230 AC on the push of a button.

Im sure that If I had a boat with on board generator I wouldn’t throw it out either.

Well, good luck with getting something decent fabricated . ( No I’m not volunteering on this one ) .
Crew moral and hair dryers are important for the smooth ship.

 

[dgadee]

Just looked at .gov travel advice for Dominican Republic. You need sympathy.

 

[newtothis]

It’s true that we can manage without (since we changed over to Lithiun with a charger/inverter) but there were a number of factors that influenced my decision to get a generator. We have limited space for solar. Without major structural change we’re maxed out at just under 900 watts. Our watermaker runs off 12 volts with all other loads and our solar keeps up when the suns out.

However I’m a great believer in layers of redundancy and when we left the Canaries we could charge our then lead acid batteries using main engine or solar or wind generator or built in diesel generator. The diesel gen set also gave us 230 AC on demand. (Mrs M’s hairdryer and charging laptops etc) it all seemed to make sense to me. We had a small pure sine wave invertor for the lap too charging but your constantly aware that you’ve only got 200 aH of available energy.

Since changing to Lithium we now have 230 AC permanently available with >400 aH of available energy but the wind generator is redundant (its regulator doesn’t do Lithium).

The solar is great but we’re heading to more northern latitudes and I’m guessing it’s not going to keep up. Running the main engine only gives 50 amps via the DC-DC and it’s not good to run the main engine on light loads and it’s also inefficient. The gen set gives more like 100 amps with the bonus of giving us a tank of hot water via the immersion heater.

However it’s true that small marine generators seem problem prone. We had a whole new generator engine fitted under warranty in Grenada when the first one dropped a push rod so I’m beginning to curse the thing. But when it works it purrs and is all but inaudible off the boat. Anyway I’m stuck with it now.

That rattling sound is the ghost of Bill Tilman blowing through the paraffin lamps.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Just looked at .gov travel advice for Dominican Republic. You need sympathy.

Not the last of it. We got robbed by a policeman and now the local Navy want £500 for our permit to leave. I might start another thread!

 

[john_morris_uk]

That rattling sound is the ghost of Bill Tilman blowing through the paraffin lamps.

Life (and technology) moves on.

 

[dgadee]

Not the last of it. We got robbed by a policeman and now the local Navy want £500 for our permit to leave. I might start another thread!

Is there a weak border with Haiti?

 

[Sea Change]

Not the last of it. We got robbed by a policeman and now the local Navy want £500 for our permit to leave. I might start another thread!

DR seems to divide opinion. We assumed we would stop in there but we were behind schedule and skipped it. You're making me feel like we didn't miss too much.