Forums, Engine, Gearbox, Stern Gear, etc

eric clubley at 23/04/2011 09:14:57
Does any one know, can I buy a replacement diaphragm for my fuel lift pump (engine 2003)?

thanks

eric

tim bowling at 01/04/2011 13:51:09
Rev counter on Yanmar 2GM15 has packed up. Any ideas on cause and remedies gratefully received.

Alastair Pugh at 11/03/2011 20:03:32
Well, I’ve done it – greased all 8 of the blighters but it took almost all afternoon. I used to have a ground down short 16mm ring/open end spanner but the bilge goblins seem to have gobbled it. It was almost ideal for reaching the locknuts. The easiest one to deal with is the port (or is it starboard – I mean the one on the port side) cockpit drain where a normal spanner does the job (and, of course, the Stuart engine inlet). As for the others, (before I go hunting for another short spanner to grind down for next year), what do the rest of you do? And no, I am not going to replace them with ball-valves or Blakes’ new fangled ones with grease nipples.

George Isted at 22/02/2011 13:47:36
Hi all,
I’m just trying to work out some rough numbers for my engine and wanted to compare to others experience.

ODL at 20/02/2011 20:21:16

The broker has sent me this photo of a Co32 I will be viewing. Is there any explanation for the stream of water and corrosion products from the lower rudder bearing?

Given that rest of the underside appears bone dry is this a tell-tale of a water-logged rudder? Should it give me serious cause for concern as an buyer and what inspections can I make during the viewing to get an indication of any hidden problems?

I understand that some members have had rudder experiences, both good, bad, and costly, and
all thoughts/comments will be greatfully received.

Regards, ODL

ODL at 15/02/2011 15:28:29
I will be viewing a Co32 with an ageing Volvo 2002 from 1988.

The engine has approx. 1500 hrs, an average of fifty per year. She has had recent work on the heads and cooling system, but no overhaul in the last ten years.

The available photos show the engine to look quite tatty with a jaded paint job. The owner has great confidence in the engine and states that it runs cool.

Does anyone have experience with an engine of this age? Given that the engine is now over twenty years old is its useful life coming to an end?

I have often heard the remark that marine diesels die of neglect and not overuse, but in reality there a quite a lot of factors that are important.

Similarly, I would be very interested to hear your thoughts about viewing/surveying a boat with such an engine.

Regards, ODL

christophe at 10/02/2011 16:31:43
According class rules you can use a feathering prop (Darglow). This must be a difference in boatspeed? Is darglow the only feathering prop which is allowed or is there no other feathering prop that fits?

rob at 24/01/2011 21:44:51
Hi,

This summer I bought Kemah, a 1975 Contessa 32 from the Solent and sailed her to the Netherlands. Last Month I took out the 6 year old Yanmar 2gm20 Engine to clean out the engine room and have the engine serviced properly. I have a consideration. Given the low position of the engine and the position of the exhaust through hull fitting the changes are considerable that water will flow back through the exhaust into the engine. I did read the article on the changed exhaust configuration. I don’t know if this is the solution for me but I was wondering if other Contessa owners ever thought of changing the position of the through hull exhaust fitting from the original position in the hull to a position low in the transom. This combined with a gooseneck should make it a lot more difficult to have a flow back into the engine. From what I have noticed so far the transom itself is above sealevel at all times even with a gale 8 running from behind. I know that estatically the old position is nicer but in this cas I prefer the engine above estetics.Does anybody have an opinion on this to help me out?

Regards

Rob

Mark Farries at 21/12/2010 11:11:59
I have a beta 20 with a flexible coupling and a deep sea seal. It seems very difficult to achieve the precise angular and lateral alignment requested by Beta. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this please?
Regards
Mark (Contessa of Arden)

chris at 05/12/2010 19:37:48
Hello,

Got a new rudder from JR which is a tad too small, also have had to grind the skeg back to allow the rudder to swing in both directions.

The problem I have is that JR say that the skeg should take the weight of the rudder, I can’t believe they are right, my previous rudders weight was all on the cockpit bronze bearing, not the skeg heel plate which is GRP on SS.

I have pictures and details here http://therebepirates.com/2010/12/02/maintenance-is-expensive-crevice-corrosion-in-the-rudder-stock/

Many Thanks for any advice.

Edited: chris on 2010-12-06 08:53:21

Nyaminyami at 01/12/2010 13:11:40
Hi
I removed the rudder last weekend prior to having a new Darglow prop fitted [we have one of the original design, which has developed the same problems as others have experienced with pitch alteration due to wear- the new design looks far more robust]
Removal of the rudder was ok [technical paper on the site very helpful by the way- it certainly needed a lot of hammering to free the bronze block, which eventually flew off about a foot upwards!]
On removing the rudder completely, there is clearly a lot of water sloshing around inside and I’ve left it to drain out of a 20cm hairline crack on the leading edge of the rudder starting at the top end.

I was planning to grind this out and fill with epoxy once satisfied that there’s not more water inside the rudder.

Has anyone else experienced this/ got any ideas?

Many thanks

Simon
ps we also suffered some wear in the gel coat on the leading edge of the rudder immediately behind the prop[commented on in another thread on rudders]. This was caused by the “sanding effect” of one of those builders merchants’ bags, a part of which which had managed to get caught around the prop back in the summer when we were leaving Weymouth: fortunately it did not go through the GRP. The sea is becoming quite hazardous with this sort of flotsam.

chris at 30/10/2010 17:24:46
Hello,

On the newly purchased Coontessa, two days out of the port of purchase the clutch went and, leaving us only with reverse. We were 5 miles from the nearest port with no wind. We tried to reverse but C32’s do not like going backwards.

Anyway wind picked up and we got into port after 5 hours at ~1 knot.

With the boat on the hard we found we can move the prop approx 2 mm and are therefore going to replaces the bushes and service the rudder at the same time. JR’s yard was very helpful in talking us through the procedure and I have taken photo’s throughout. I am continuesly amazed at the quality of the laminate, although there is a small area of osmosis (was treated in 96 … grrrrrr).

Back to the purpose of the post. When manoeuvring the boat the prop never seemed to provide enough thrust, i.e. when trying to slow her down as we approached the pontoon. There isn’t any room for a larger prop and I notice some people line the props up with the keel (you must be very flexible to reach that area) …. has anyone gone for a three bladed prop?

Kind Regards,

doug at 30/09/2010 12:40:57
When I fitted my Beta 20hp, I stuck with my original two bladed prop which is a 13 * 10 1/2.
I may change it this winter, what would be the best size two blade prop for the Beta on the 32? Where would be the best place to get one? Thanks.

rocketman at 13/08/2010 21:29:47
I have now rebuilt my Yanmar 2GM water pump at least twice, but it does not take long before it starts to pump water into the bilge via leaking seals. I do not relish paying £400 for a new pump from Yanmar, so I have scanned the internet for alternatives. TMP in Poole do an aftermarket unit for £132+vat. Has anyone used one of these pumps or found other alternatives.

Stuart.

Martin at 30/04/2010 04:40:30

Hi,

It seems I need some Spares for my Gearbox which Volvo are now advising are out of Stock (The engine is the Original installation).

Consequently I am being advised here in HK that the only solution now is a new engine and Gear Box. This seems improbable to me (or is not an answer I will immediatly accept). These are the Volvo part numbers I need – is there anyone who can advise some possible additional options for sourcing these parts ?

1. 1 X gear # 839623-6
2. 1 X gear # 839625-1
3. 1 X sliding sleeve # 839628-5
4. 1 X sliding shoe #839646-7

Hope to hear. Thanks

Lee at 26/03/2010 18:48:38
Removing a volvo penta 2002 gearbox with the engine insitu.

Has anyone done this? The cooling water is not making it through the gearbox oil cooler

The questions I have are:

Can the shaft be slid back far enough to pull the gearbox of the engine?
How do you stop the shaft turning to undo the flange bolts on the gearbox?
Why are those Allen bolts so darn tight and any ideas about undoing them?
Will the gearbox fit through the access hatch?
Will I go mad trying this?

If it’s not feasible, any advice on how best to lift the engine out would be gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Lee

Raylden at 13/02/2010 18:57:05
hi everyone. I’m sure many have asked this in the past. How much play should my prop shaft have? I’ve got through quite a few with new tubes (tufnol I think) and yet the shaft play seems to increase quite quickly. Mine is now over 1mm play at the propellor. I have an aquadrive coupling. Any thoughts?

Janet at 05/01/2010 21:19:09
When Jaywalker came out of the water in the autumn we were surprised to find a circular defect, a few mm deep, in the rudder gel coat opposite the Darglow prop anode. It looks at 1st glance as if the anode has ground into the leading edge of the rudder. No problem noticed with vibration, or suspicion of anything round the prop.
Prop date 2004. Volvo engine removed for rebuild, propeller serviced, and all professionally done just before we bought the boat in 2008.
Have a photo that could email.
Any ideas, please? Janet

robin at 02/09/2009 14:33:57
I have had my Darglow 3 bladed feathering prop for 5 years and until recently had few problems with it. However, this summer we would be happily motoring along at 6 kts when the shaft would start to vibrate and our speed would reduce to 2-3 kts.

If we then put the prop astern for 30 secs – then ahead again – all went back to normal. It was pretty random but happened nearly all the time in the Solent – sometimes as often as every 2-3 minutes!

Indeed during Cowes week we nealry couldn’t get back form Lymington to Cowes because of the problem.

The pop was fully serviced over the winter and I have dived and checked and there is nothing around it? I checked with Darglow and they wee at a loss to explain it.

Having watched from the bow while motoring I notice that there are many ‘balls’ of sea weed in the water about 3 ft beneath ther surface in many areas of the Solent. I can only assume that these are getting wrapped around the prop and preventing it from deployng properly …

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

ConorOwens at 08/07/2009 10:26:33
Hi,

Earlier in the year I wrote about the problems I had with water getting from the exhaust to the back of the engine. The engine damage required a rebuild over last winter, but I could see that the root cause – the exhaust layout – also needed to be fixed.

I wanted to lift the exhaust about 6 inches before mixing the cooling water. To do this I got a local engineering firm to make up a new pipe and mixer from stainless to fit the same flange as the old exhaust elbow. I also bought a larger waterlock with 10 litres capacity as the old 4.5 litre one was almost full.

I’ve put some pictures of old and new here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/owens.conor/Contessa32Exhaust#

With the addition of the remote drain pipe to the bilge as suggested in response to my last post, I’m confident now that it will be much harder for any water to get to the cylinders.

What I wasn’t expecting was that it also makes starting the engine much easier. I think that the initial back pressure of only a short pipe and then a full water lock was quite difficult to overcome. Now it starts very quickly. Easier on the battery and the skippers peace of mind!

Cheers,

Conor.