Engine goes in
Finally, finally, finally! We got the engine in.
My buddy Keith was once again instrumental in loaning me his truck and some floor space in his company's huge warehouse were I could store the engine for a couple of weeks as I finished up the engine room. I took the opportunity to level the Perkins on the nice smooth warehouse floor and take a bunch of measurements to make a jig that I used to locate the angle brackets for the engine mounts.
The aluminum angle is 1/2" thick, through bolted to the engine bearers. Bolt holes were potted by drilling them oversize, filled with thickened epoxy, then the correct bolt hole size drilled, leaving a "sleeve" of epoxy contacting the bare wood(no pictures of the potting procedure as they were on my iphone, which went swimming in the bilge and drowned). If moisture is going to get to the solid wood stringers after all this, hopefully it won't be in my lifetime.
Once again, we used Lupe and his crew at Eddie's Marine to hoist the engine back in.
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All the measuring, planning, and the placement jig paid off as the Perkins dropped right in and alignment only took a few hours.
Some before & after shots.
It's very close, but there are still things to be done. But it's a boat, so nothing is ever 100% complete, right?
My buddy Keith was once again instrumental in loaning me his truck and some floor space in his company's huge warehouse were I could store the engine for a couple of weeks as I finished up the engine room. I took the opportunity to level the Perkins on the nice smooth warehouse floor and take a bunch of measurements to make a jig that I used to locate the angle brackets for the engine mounts.
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| yes, there was a final touch up coat of bilge paint to placate my OCD |
The aluminum angle is 1/2" thick, through bolted to the engine bearers. Bolt holes were potted by drilling them oversize, filled with thickened epoxy, then the correct bolt hole size drilled, leaving a "sleeve" of epoxy contacting the bare wood(no pictures of the potting procedure as they were on my iphone, which went swimming in the bilge and drowned). If moisture is going to get to the solid wood stringers after all this, hopefully it won't be in my lifetime.
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| ready for Mr. Perkins. the aluminum drip pan was the final piece, and was bolted in the morning of engine day |
Once again, we used Lupe and his crew at Eddie's Marine to hoist the engine back in.
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| engine bolted in. all smiles |
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| begin hooking everything up. I sat on that engine for the next 3 days pretty much bent in half, was not smiling so much then. |
Some before & after shots.
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| diaphragm bilge pump was relocated under the aft cabin sole hatch, just aft of the bulkhead behind the battery box |
It's very close, but there are still things to be done. But it's a boat, so nothing is ever 100% complete, right?
Isn't that why they call them "a hole in the water that you throw money into"? We know because we have a Ranger Bass boat. LOL!! Love Kelly
ReplyDeleteYes, and how. That's what boat stands for: Break Out Another Thousand....
DeleteAwesome post! I dig your ingenuity with jigs. I can see the Racor, what brand of double polisher/filter is beside it?
ReplyDeleteThanks, G.
ReplyDeleteThey are both Racors. The one on the right is one of the existing filters with a new, shorter element. I was amazed that I could still unscrew the old element that was on it since 96'. The new double unit on the left is a 75/500 max2 purchased from Defender. Father's day sale that I couldn't pass up. As far as jigs go, I will spend 2 days making a jig to do a 2 hour job! I used to work in a cabinet shop and have been a woodworker since I could pick up a saw, so I always think jig first.
Congratulations on the new Hammer by the way. She's gorgeous.