Trouble comes in threes !!

[Refueler]

Setting up my Primor 24 for the River Festival .. I find that 'gardener' has left electric supply cable unplugged .... batterys on board are 'end of life' but with only river use - have been fine ... till today !

Batterys are dead !! Tried Booster .. tried quick charge .. in the end of to shop and pair of replacement batterys ...

Engine starts but sounds strange and smoke ! Smoke clears and all seems ok ... engine sound is a bit louder - but we put that down to having engine bay open to change batterys. Close up bay ... engine runs for a bit then stops .. starter spins her over but she won't keep running ... in the end we understand there is a hole in manifold collector ... exhaust gas is filling bay and engine starved of oxygen.

The River Fest is something we've really been looking fwd to .. so we decide to run with engine bay open ... bit noisy - but at least she's running.

We arrive at meeting point - by now engine is more noisy - obviously the hole is getting bigger !! We are a little early - so we nose her up the bank ... this raises bow - puts stern lower ... we see water coming in .. obviously the hole is now below water level ... pump is managing fine ..
We pull back of the bank - water stops ... but now engine is loud !

Decision ... go home or stay with the Festival ? We decide that because most are row boats / kayaks ... we can get by on tick-over and not too loud ..

Great day had ... but back to three troubles :

1. Exhaust / water collector on manifold has big hole !! Volvo Penta AQ170 (its the Volvo 364 3litre engine)
2. Outdrive lift failed - only click - click when button pressed .. we tried with rope over stern but outdrive is 'locked' down.
3. After festival - we put boat on her trailer (she's to go to yard for new canopy anyway) - we find the locking mechanism for going astern (stops prop kicking up) is stuck and connection to gear shift is broken. This explains #2 and why now #2 does not work at all - obviously strained the lift motor.

Looks like I am going to have a hefty bill at the yard !!

 

[oldgit]

"Looks like I am going to have a hefty bill at the yard !!"

At some point the word, whisper it "shafts" will enter the volcabulary , maybe not this time, but at some point.

 

[Seastoke]

Can’t the manifold be welded in place , and you need to get to know the leg for next time. Get on with it it’s boat ownership..

 

[Refueler]

"Looks like I am going to have a hefty bill at the yard !!"

At some point the word, whisper it "shafts" will enter the volcabulary , maybe not this time, but at some point.

Shafts or 'shafted' ?

 

[Refueler]

Can’t the manifold be welded in place , and you need to get to know the leg for next time. Get on with it it’s boat ownership..

Not likely unless guy doing the job has the body of a tiny midget ... the welding gear that goes round corners ...

The collector is right at back of engine next to bell housing ... the hole is underneath in the 90 deg curved section ... you cannot get eyeball to it - but by feeling round - you can get to it with fingers ...

I have hope that it can be welded once removed from the boat - but feeling the hole - its very pitted and rough indicating serious corrosion - so maybe surrounding metal is not so good either ...

I'm trying to get a remote video of it ...

Another item come to light ... the shaft anode (large ring in front of prop has come loose and needs replacement .... pity as its hardly any depletion at all ...

and you need to get to know the leg for next time. Get on with it it’s boat ownership

Is that comment supposed to be smart or ??

 

[Seastoke]

Not likely unless guy doing the job has the body of a tiny midget ... the welding gear that goes round corners ...

The collector is right at back of engine next to bell housing ... the hole is underneath in the 90 deg curved section ... you cannot get eyeball to it - but by feeling round - you can get to it with fingers ...

I have hope that it can be welded once removed from the boat - but feeling the hole - its very pitted and rough indicating serious corrosion - so maybe surrounding metal is not so good either ...

I'm trying to get a remote video of it ...

Another item come to light ... the shaft anode (large ring in front of prop has come loose and needs replacement .... pity as its hardly any depletion at all ...



Is that comment supposed to be smart or ??

Not at all what I mean it’s a new boat to you and whilst a breakdown is not , it’s an chance to know your boat.

 

[Refueler]

Not at all what I mean it’s a new boat to you and whilst a breakdown is not , it’s an chance to know your boat.

OK .. apology for reading it as something else ...

I agree that no matter how many years on boats - there's always something to learn ..

We knew the lift mechanism was weak .. needed a helping hand to complete a lift up ... but this is new.

As more thought occurs - I seem to recall that selecting astern when leaving home mooring - the lever was hard to move then suddenly moved ... that may have been the locking link seized and then parting ..

 

[Bouba]

I think only three problems means a reliable boat and ease of ownership......

 

[Refueler]

I think only three problems means a reliable boat and ease of ownership......

One way of thinking to ease the pain !!!

Trouble is - the engine is the most expensive bit of the boat !!!!

Here's the manifold collector 'hole' ...

There is suggestion of using thin plate with GunGum paste - then wrap GunGum tape round to create a strong temporary repair for this season till winter lift out ...then replace ...
The question is how easy to do that given the terrible tight space to work in ...

 

[Bouba]

One way of thinking to ease the pain !!!

Trouble is - the engine is the most expensive bit of the boat !!!!

Here's the manifold collector 'hole' ...

There is suggestion of using thin plate with GunGum paste - then wrap GunGum tape round to create a strong temporary repair for this season till winter lift out ...then replace ...
The question is how easy to do that given the terrible tight space to work in ...

This might be easier

 

[vas]

that's a nice big hole! better take it off and see how the rest of the elbow fares, doubt it's going to be all solid!

 

[Refueler]

that's a nice big hole! better take it off and see how the rest of the elbow fares, doubt it's going to be all solid!

That's my feeling as well ... if its that bad a hole with all the pitting / falling apart as we motored in the festival - it does not give confidence of the rest ..

 

[Refueler]

OK .. here's other issues :

Locking mechanism for astern :

Anode :

Yesterday evening finally fitted the Victron Blue Smart charger - having spent out on new batterys - felt it would be a good idea to 'protect' them by using a better charger solution !!

 

[Refueler]

This might be easier

To use GunGum as I posted before yours ... would need thin bendable plate - paste and then bandage ..

The hole is right on the 90 degree inside bend ... so plate would need to 1. hold the paste in place, 2. bend to the curve of the pipe 3. bandage to create a second layer tube to hold plate in place and also build up a 'tube' round the pipe ...

Not easy in such a confined space ..

 

[oldgit]

The boat moored behind me has/had a very similar problem, any repair would have been virtually impossible to complete properly in situ and eventually manifold had to be removed.
On removal the manifold visually was a work of art, it had been bodge repaired so many times and a perfect example of various owners simply not able to afford or prepared to pay for a new exhaust plus a wonderful demonstration of the art of welding to not much at all.
There was very little left of the original cast manifold to tack any more patches.
A new after market manifold was eventually tracked down and the cost was not that awful which makes you wonder why no previous owner had bought one. aka. Deferred Maintainance. ie. Let the next owner sort it.

Recently had cast exhaust riser welded, a right PITA to get off, hole about the size of a sixpence.
The choice, well over a 1K for new or £75.00 for a patch.

 

[Refueler]

Spoken to my guy who runs a Metal fabrication factory here ... he advised same as my pal in another town who repairs engines (marine and land based) ...

Remove item .. cut out bad metal ... insert new metal piece .... weld.

Given both are professionals - I would expect the job to be 100A1 ....

First though - we need to get the item off the engine !

New elbow - 731 Euros .... plus 30 euros gaskets ..

So I have choice .. repair or replace ... I also have to weigh up whether I am keeping the boat - there is a 9mtr boat in Gotland on a trailer that interests me .... Flybridge diesel powered on trailer ...

 

[Refueler]

OK .... decided to have another look and go at the two smaller jobs ...

Prop shaft anode ... blimey that was a doddle ... lock prop - remove centre bolt ... unscrew cone boss revealing inner prop bearing and splined shaft ... slide off prop .. slide off bearing shield ... voila !!

Two hex bolts loose that should be tight securing the anode. One the head has been bashed about - but still tightened up fine ... decent Hex driver and she's tight again ... shield / prop / cone / bolt back and she's good.
Note to self - Check bolts at decent intervals. Maybe I will replace before I re-launch after other repairs. Before anyone suggests - I will not use Threadlock ... unless its Blue.

OK - drive lift not working ...

Took a can of Spray Cleaner and cleaned up all I could get to from exterior .... and bingo - I think I now know why ...

The lift motor bottom end of shaft has a large flat disc that pushes onto the release rod of the astern pawl clamp. When I want to raise the leg - the lift shaft by screw action extends down - presses on the release rod to disengage the locking pawl and continues pushing - making leg rise.
The lift motor is not extending the shaft at all ... the relay is clicking - but motor is not turning to wind the shaft down / up.
OK - when ahead is chosen on throttle - I assume the relay is engaged momentarily to just enough release the pawl to allow leg kickup when grounding ... but its not happening - the pawl is staying locked due to lift motor shaft not moving.

 

[oldgit]

The real fun n games is always persuading the nuts and/or exhaust studs to release without stripping or worse snapping in situ if the exhaust manifold has not been remove since the dawn of time.#
Hopefully none of the nuts will have been "rounded off"
Lots of releasing fluid helps as will lots of heat.

 

[Refueler]

The real fun n games is always persuading the nuts and/or exhaust studs to release without stripping or worse snapping in situ if the exhaust manifold has not been remove since the dawn of time.#
Hopefully none of the nuts will have been "rounded off"
Lots of releasing fluid helps as will lots of heat.

I have fingers .. toes ... and other crossed in hope !!

 

[TK Blue MAX]

The real fun n games is always persuading the nuts and/or exhaust studs to release without stripping or worse snapping in situ if the exhaust manifold has not been remove since the dawn of time.#
Hopefully none of the nuts will have been "rounded off"
Lots of releasing fluid helps as will lots of heat.

Just bought a cheap Chinese induction heater for a old truck project, witchcraft!!!! 5/8" bolt & nut wouldn't move with long bar , air gun, etc even after soaking, 30 seconds with the heater and you could unscrew the nut with a small ratchet , total game changer for stuck fasteners , bearings etc.
only down side is the unit is about 16" long and 3" diameter, although there are multiple heating attachments in the kit which can be bent to access tight spaces, amazon prime , so just return if not suitable