Ariel #414

[414]

Had a scary moment in the engine rebuild yesterday when after hooking up the temporary cooling system (a bucket filled with water and some garden hoses) water started spraying from the exhaust! Shut the engine down and when in the house to have dinner. Later that night I realized that the zinc bung just below the exhaust had been leaking and the exhaust manifold wasn't on tight. It was creating a venturi effect and sucking in the water spray from the bung and pulsing it out with the exhaust. Today I tightened the manifold and the problem resolved.

I then descaled the engine with 7-10% HCL (muriatic acid from the hardware store) circulated through for 5 minutes, followed up with baking soda and water to neutralize the acid then about 5 gallons of clean water that I allowed to circulate through the system for 5-10 minutes. All told the engine was running for about 25-30 minutes. I might catch some flack for using HCL for the descale and I wouldn't recommend it for routine maintenance but I decided to go for it after testing a few bronze (brass perhaps given the anodes?) parts from the engine in undiluted HCL (~30%) for 5 minutes. They did fine but were totally descaled. Also this engine is all cast iron - no aluminum heads or any other part and I removed the two zincs to prevent them from being eaten. Lastly the engine had a bunch of fine sand in the bottom of the water jacket that was sort of encased in scale. The only way I could see to get it out was to bust all that scale first then flush it out. Seems to have worked.

I then drained the oil from both the engine and transmission. The engine oil was great but after the 30 minutes of running the transmission oil looked like thin mayonnaise . I'm hoping it's from condensation that built up over the years this motor sat and not from something I have yet to discover. We'll see when I give it a flush then refill with new oil and run it again.

Next is to take care of a few oil leaks, replace all the rubber hoses, new thermostat, raw water impeller, degrease the thing and slap some paint on. Then on to the interior of the boat - new rear engine mounts, paint for the whole engine "room" and a drip pan of some sort for under the motor to keep everything out of the bilge.

What have others done for a drip pan under the engine? I've got a bunch of 20oz copper left over from a recent job and I'm thinking of making a simple soldered copper pan that laps onto the logs the engine is mounted on then hangs down under the oil sump - with a pretty agressive slope forward so I can mop up the inevitable spills easily. I also have some galvanized sheet from another job that solders nicely and it would take paint better than the copper. Anyway just spitballing now... if anyone has a recommendation let me know.

-Ben

[414]

Still chipping away at the 2gm. New zincs, fuel filter and I replaced the couple of fasteners I chose to cut to remove the engine. I also slapped (and I do mean slapped) some new Yanmar grey paint on it. Time to deal with the engine room if I can get a day that isn't super cold or raining. Plan to cut out the rear engine mounts and replace them then clean, sand and repaint the whole area before re-installing the engine.

I'm thinking of tearing out most of the existing wiring. It's all pretty old (much original I'd guess) and some of it is confusingly complicated for what it is. I need to dig around more but that's the way it's headed I think.

Also need to make a hinge for the foot of the mast (is this a tabernacle or is that specifically the type that leaves a couple feet of mast on the step before the hinge?) and a bow roller for the new-to-me Bruce 33 that'll be up front.

Scored a mooring recently too at Broad Cove in Cumberland, Maine. About 20 minutes from the house in the municipal field. It's an unpopular spot because of the long tender ride out (read row in my case) to the field, the shallow (and this year no) dock and it's a long walk to the water from the car. But It's all mine! I'll be dragging a 10' row boat with a 2 year old and all his stuff over the mud every low tide I get a chance to. Super excited!!

[mbd]

That's awesome news - and the engine is looking great Ben!

[414]

Took advantage of the very non-typical weather we're having here in Maine to get the "engine room" and deep bilge painted tonight. I'm hoping that with the above freezing temps for the next few days and a small space heater I'll be able to get it cured. I can finish the paint that can be seen at the back end of picture after the engine is in.

In finishing up the engine I've replaced the couple of coolant hoses that run from the raw water pump to the block and from the block to the thermostat housing and head. I opened the raw water pump and had a good look at it but the impeller was in perfect condition so I let it be. I've got an extra (thanks Mike!) and I'll keep it on board with the tools to change it. From here on I'll make it a yearly maintenance item. I also pulled the oil pan while I had it out of the boat just to get a look at the bottom end and see if there was any metallic chips or shavings in the pan. All was well in there with barely any sludge which surprised me given its age and the amount of non-run time all boat engines experience.

All that's left to do before dropping the engine back in is to make a catch pan for under the engine that slopes forward to catch drips and make them easy to clean up and perhaps a two new rear engine mounts (I had cut about .5" off the top of one to get the nut to unthread but they are actually still stiff and in goodish shape). They may wait though as boat funds are running particularly low.