Messages

Bob

You don't even need the rag as long as your bilge pump is running.  See my post on the FAQs about stuffing boxes.  So, what's a little water???  Don't worry about it at all when you're repacking the box, it is NOT an issue, it is NOT a lot of water.  Get my drift?

Paul

Yes.

No - just put it in.  Clean what?

Brian:  You wrote: "There is no maintenance interval for the FWC system listed."

Sometimes the car analogy works.  I remember that I have a baster type probe to check the condition of the coolant, looks like the gizmo you use to check the electrolyte in the batteries (hydrometer).  One of those should do you.

Brian

Try this for the engine info:

http://www.marinedieseldirect.com/universal/200157/

If 40 weight works and it's not too cold, I don't see a problem.  Ron Hill and I use the new synthetic oils, which leave/create less acid.  If you're going to change, it may be worth considering the synthetic oils.

Richard

There are many discussions of the water heater.

This is one:  http://www.c34.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=81 {Water Heater  ,}

Go to the bottom of the message board, right hand side, click on 35, then 36, then 37.  Lots of water heater discussions in April 2001.

I haven't, but you could, if you haven't already, do a Search on the MB for "Seaward" and "Raritan."  Seaward was OEM equipment and some boats had Raritan installed.

I also did a Pico Search on the main website and got a lot of hits, one of which sent me to the link above.

You could also take your C34IA CD-ROM, stick it in your computer's CD drive, and use Window's "Find" for a search on these topics.

I'm also sure that it has been discussed in the Mainsheet Tech Tips, which are on your CD-ROM and available to you online as a C34IA member.

Jim

Try this:

http://www.c34ia.org/faq-pages/faq-1-cutless-bearing.html

Ken

I think your choice is a wise one.  Only thing is the Racors, if you're using the R24S, are only about $25 a pop, so if you use 2 a season, that's only $50, and one of them is required, so you're only using one more than "normal."  Yeah, percentage-wise it's 10% of the new tank, but if you think of the new tank as a replacement, and the filters as maintenance, you can justify it to the bean counters who have separate pockets for each identifiable category of boat expenditures.  Of course, frivolous is NOT a category.  See:  http://www.c34.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2024 {Question about boat value} - scroll to the last post on the thread

PS Ron's written a very nice piece about tank removal, coming to your Mainsheet magazine soon.

[BEST]

The very BEST solution is to have someone else do it  

That said, I did a "boat work swap" with a friend a year or two ago: I helped install his inverter, he waxed my hull.  He did such a great job that we had to wax the cockpit and cabintop

He noted that combined "cleaner waxers" may have a drawback, in that the cleaner is cleaning and all that the combined wax is doing is trapping that dirt right back onto the surface.

He used Collinite No. 920 Fiberglass Boat Cleaner in a plastic bottle, followed by Fleetwax, which comes in a metal can.  Collinite also makes a special heavy duty cleaner No. 885.  Collinite also has a softer wax in a plastic bottle which I have used on less damaged surfaces.

I have only been able to find this material at BoatUS.  WM doesn't seem to carry it.  We have BoatUS stores right next to WM, and I suspect with the merger that the BoatUS stores will start disappearing soon, so I've stocked up on these products.

I am very pleased with the results with this stuff.  It's much better than anything I used earlier, mostly WM products, and mostly the combined stuff.

In addition to Calder's Boatowner's Manual, the Ample Power Primer (www.amplepower.com) [click on Technical Documents] and Jack Rabbit Marine (make it one word between www & .com), I have come across the following link to very good information about battery maintenance:

http://www.batteryfaq.org/index.htm

Just click on the "FAQ 5.2" hyperlink below the battery picture to get to the juicy text.

OK, all you "New Tank" folks, I'm convinced.  Sure beats cleaning the old one.  Once you're in there, might as well go for it.

So, where does one get the tank (Catalina I presume)?  What are the ordering specs, any suggestions for comments when you order, and all the rest of the interesting details.  

It can't be as simple as calling Robert and saying: "Send me a new tank for my #224 1986 C34, please.", or is it?  

If you've just ordered one, what's the part #?

Oh, last thing, any pictures for the Projects section of the 'site?

Joseph

Have you checked the Tech Tips, February 1997 and May 1997?  As a C34IA member, you can get them at Tech Notes Online or on your CD-ROM.

Ron

It's called the eyebrow.  A search finds this:  http://www.c34.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=272&highlight=eyebrow

Try the main website, too.  Many have replaced it, then you get into discussions of teak treatments, Cetol, varnish, etc.  Not worth going there, been discussed forever.

[Two Proposed C34 Head Sink Solutions]

Two Proposed C34 Head Sink Solutions:

1.  Maintain the Catalina 25 Stoop - this occurs because without the pop top up, one of normal head height has to maintain a stoop whenever down below.  It works just great for the C34 head sink, except you never get to stand up because your back has a permanent droop.

2.  Wash Only Hands in Head Sink -  Anything Else, Use Galley Sink, It's Not So Far Away and You Never have to bend down - self-explanatory  

John

Haven't had a leak there.  New leak on old filter or new leak on new filter?  Remember to lube the O ring and threads with diesel or oil before installing a new filter.  

On my M25, the nut on the top of the filter housing is THE place to get the air out of the system.  I do not fill the secondary (engine mounted) filter with fuel, since it is a bear to get back there and put a strap wrench on it, no less getting my hand in to get the threads started.  If it is empty, I can't spill any fuel.  It is difficult to avoid spilling fuel when I remove the old one.

Once the new clean secondary filter is on, I just open that bolt, run the electric fuel pump by turning on the key switch at the panel, wait till the air is gone, close the bolt, and I'm done.  Even opening the knurled knob is unnecessary, sometimes. It never hurts to crack it but only after the bolt on the secondary filter housing is dispensing fuel.  I tried just the knurled knob, but that didn't work. Shucks!  But the bolt on the filter housing is relatively easy to get to with a long extender on a socket or just a combination wrench (9/16 sockets, better with a combination wrench).  I wrote more details up on "bleeding" earlier.  

The fuel pump will pump through BOTH the Racor AND the secondary filter.  I re-plumbed our Racor to be ahead of the electric fuel pump on the fuel line from the tank.

I would normally just cut & paste the direct URL on the search for "bleeding" for you, but for some reason, the way this board is working recently, is that I can get the search result up on the screen, but the URL ends with "=results" and NOT the actual WYSIWYG.  So if I paste that, you don't get the search results.  I have to go into one specific post from the array from the search, and can get that URL, but not the full search result.  Sorry.  If you just try the search, on "bleeding" you'll find all of  those posts.

This is one of them:  www.c34.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1431&highlight=bleeding

John

I don't particularly agree with Casey about underlying structural defects.  many of the crazed areas I have seen (other than some crew! ) are around stanchion bases.  One other place is near the traveler and dorade fiberglass assembly where the cabintop and the fiebrglass assembly meet - most likely from hull flexing on an almost 90 degree joint.  There surely is plenty of support at the stanchion bases, and at the traveler assembly.  The Mark IIs don't have the dorades, but there is some fiberglass build up for the traveler track.

Rather, I would consider that the gel coat may happen to simply be too thin at those spots or subject to more wear and tear, causing the crazing because people tend to pull on stanchions.  Consequently, it could very well be that the site of your crazing may be near the swim ladder connection.  I'm not that familiar with the geometry of the sterns of the Mark IIs, so can't tell without a picture.  Since the gel coat is merely the last thin surface coat, that could be your issue.  I would doubt that the dealer knows more about it than Don Casey.  How big is the crazing, and is it anywhere near the swim ladder?  Any chance of a picture?

All the best,