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I did not want to be a 'neysayer' since you are the one with the motor and the tape measure... but it looked like it was gonna need to be sitting in about the middle of the cabin sole to have a wide enough mount.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeroth
Good luck on you quest.
I have a diesel engine on the way, it should be here next week. It's a one cylinder 8hp diesel engine. I'll take my boat out next week to start the retrofit, as soon as the ice melts in the harbor. It's been a cold week here in North Alabama.
Does anyone have any drawings on how your Ariel is set up as far as the shaft tube, prop shaft, cutlass bearing, and packing, etc?
Have you checked the drawing on page 158 of the manual? It might help.
I don't have a manual, con you just post that page?
renault couach r8d. that is an interesting choice for an engine, availability of spares and documentation will not be easy, but it is possible.
based on my install of a Westerbeke 20B2 into A-231 i can offer some limited advice. I recommend you get the following:
1. ariel/commander manual. the drawings set is very helpful but i did my installation before the book was available (had the A/C manual been available the installation would have gone faster).
2. owners manual for the renault. you will want the dimensions of the mounts, offsets to the output shaft and the max/min slope for installation. you will need this to build a 2D mockup of the engine mounts and output shaft. this will seem like extra work but it will save a lot of time in laying out your engine beds. My mockup became part of the jig to 'glass the engine beds in place and to align the engine mounts on the beds.
3. get a copy of Dan Spurr's "Upgrading the Cruising Sailboat". this was my roadmap for the Westerbeke install. His examples include the install of a small BMW engine into a Pearson Triton. Among the good ideas shown in this book include rigging a wire from the cutless bearing to the forward bulkhead in order to register the locations of the engine beds.
For another great source, take a look at www.triton381.com for two engine installation examples (both yanmars).
Thanks for the help Bill. I came across the Renault from craigslist for $500. It was out of the boat when the hurricane hit east Florida years ago. The boat was being refurbished and it was destroyed. It looks to be in good shape. I got the manual downloaded and the parts are still available through a different company. I don't think it will to that bad to install. I can't wait to get the diesel in the boat.
There are not a lot of drawings for diesel installations on the site but you will find some pictures on the A-231 thread (posts #120-#122) and on Mike's A-414 thread.
these will give you a feel for the close quarters and potential need to move the cabinets.
Here's a pic of my engine after some work. I rebuilt the water pump, installed a new fuel pump and starter. I started it a few times, with the pull cord, she runs great. I just installed the new starter this week, it turns plenty fast to start it. I plan to take the boat out in a few weeks and start the process of getting it installed.
Do you have someone or some company helping with the installation of the shaft log, engine beds etc?
I'm doing the installation myself.
with us as you go. along with pictures and discriptions of any problems that come up along the way. I for one will find it very intresting since I am planning on doing something similar except my "engine" will be a 48VDC motor.
Here's some pictures of the plugs removed from the keel and rudder for the inboard propeller.
It looks like the plug from the keel was hollow. I have not started cutting mine out yet but it sure sounds very solid when I sound it with a hammer.
I wish my rudder was that easy to deal with. I'm going to be making a whole new one since the one on the boat is a replacement and has a SS shaft that is continuous from top to bottom. I already have the quartered mahogany and have found the CDA 655 Silicon bronze from a company called Atlas Metals which I will be ordering soon. Then I will need a local machine shop to do the machining to the bronze shaft. before I can start putting things together.
Here's a few pics showing the engine installation. I made a mock-up of the Renault Engine from plywood, with engine mount locations, also a front and rear plate with a hole drilled at the center-line of the output shaft. These holes in the front and the rear of the mock-up are used to align the mount mounts. I shot a laser through the hole to check alignment. I designed and made the motor mounts from 2" square stainless tubing. The right and left hand mounts are bolted in place and will be glassed to the hull as well.