Messages

I am in the process of identifying all cables and where they come and go and start building a diagram of what I have
I have found undersized (4 + 6) battery cables, some with terminal corrosion, they will all be changed to #2 AWG
The + cable from the starter and the ground from the engine block go under the ladder, along the aft bunk, behind the house bank and up to the
upper selector switch. Then the positive comes back down to a lower selector switch and then the  starting battery below the aft bunk.  Another +
cable runs back towards the cockpit panel.
The engine ground runs to the house bank negative, and then back down to the starting battery negative

This seems very circuitous route, no?

The positive coming down from the upper selector switch to the lower selector switch, then to the + starter battery seems nuts. The lower selector  switch only disconnects the positive lead to the starter battery to engage the cockpit panel and switch

So the house bank + it seems set on BOTH runs to the starter on the engine AND the starting battery   

Is there a free program somewhere to write down an electrical diagram?  The next few days will be pulling on cables  and identifying / labeling them
as a start.  I thought I could just pull them out and  duplicate them with new #2 and reinstall, but seems some redesign with a pro might be in order in my opinion.     


 

           
 

[B]

I believe that the M35BC engines only come with the square pump?? like the M25XPB engines do!!

Ron, some early engines with the convoluted oil pressure system had the cylinder pumps - they would have all been the "A" engines (eg, 35A, XPA) that were produced after JHW bought Oshkosh.  All the "B"s have cubes.  Whether any of the "A"s that have a cylinder pump made it into 34s - I dunno.

What I don't know is if the cubes that Wb used had/have the positive shut off valve??? (It would make sense using those w/ the low oil pressure shut off.). When shut off will your cube siphon fuel?

On the Facet pump screw in fittings -  Ive seen every opinion and still don't know.  Should the brass screw in fittings have sealant and if so what type?  PFTE tape? Loctite 243? Plumbers putty? 

Somebody switched your key switch and start locations and also changed what was an OEM the start button to a pull out.  It's not a bad idea to have moved the key switch because many of us have noted that the key tends to get bent from shoes and cockpit cushions at the forward slot location.  Most of us have push buttons for both start and glow plug.  See photo.

Stu

007 has an OEM, mid-80s, C30 panel.
The key is in its original location, as is the preheat switch.

On that panel, cranking was via the key (S position,) not PB switch.

Over the years (maybe on her/his) the key start was abandoned in favor of a PB.  I don't know exactly why but Seaward documents indicate that buttoning was changed in response to owner complaints about what they needed to push and with how many fingers.  Go figure! 

On 007 someone's figured the pull start was easier (or the key switch failed?)

That pull start reminds me of my grandfather's McCormick Farmall tractor that I used to drive before I could even reach the brake/clutch!!  Hey, we have "tractor" engines, don't we?

-k

Wondering if I should just go ahead and replace the starter pull switch back to a PB and eliminate one more possible slow crank cause 

Catalina007,

I'm still using my original boards but I sealed them with a couple of coats of West Systems epoxy, it seems to work fine for me.

Aha! That may be a cheap and easy fix. thanks!

Thanks all.. seems the big box stores do carry mdo. Should it be painted or can it be left raw?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-G1S-EXT-Fir-MDO-Board-185303/206461475

Any suggestions on how to make new panels for the under cushion access boards for the seat / bunk storage areas?
The original boards are a little punky and seem to retain moisture.
Thought is use the originals for patterns and cut out new boards out of 1/2 in plywood with a router.
Seal / paint the new boards
What have others done?


 

After reading and doing some research it appeared 5/16 hose was the  correct ID for my M25 fuel lines.
Got to the boat and they are def smaller than what is on there and wont go on the barbs.
Correct hose must be 3/8 ID.

IF  5/16ths can get on with a little heat gun and elbow grease and motivation, is there any issue with fuel supply
and the smaller hose?   

Sorry yes meant wheel.     
Could be true on the shifter cable which was only laying on the outside of the wheel wire with minor abrasion.
I put a temporary tie on the throttle cable which was working fine, and also the shift cable.
I was just under there for something else and did an inspection.  But no way should either have been
led anything like that especially the throttle cable which was inside of  the wire cable.   

I'm coming to realize one way to stop having all these problems is to stop looking for them.

Pedestal control cable was led between the quadrant and the wire steering cable. The installer  had to
work hard  at screwing that up. Chewed up a little but not bad for 35 years of chafing.

It's odd but this site seems more active. I signed up for C30 sites incl a Facebook group but
No reply.  And the M25 is common to high boats

Also- trying to sort out the wiring rats nest. For instance bilge pump is wired to the starting battery. But today's issue is: The starter is connected to the 1. starting battery ( which has a lower Guest switch under the ladder) and also 2.  the house bank which also has an upper  Guest selector switch on the panel. I assume the prior owner rigged this, but does it sound familiar?     
I guess the prior owner wanted to use the house bank if the starter battery was dead, but that can be done with the upper selector switch on 'Both' .
Probably going to rip all the original wires out and upgrade wire size to #2 anyway. Whole thing seems odd

It's odd but this site seems more active. I signed up for C30 sites incl a Facebook group but
No reply.  And the M25 is common to high boats

[than the entire internet does]

Another question, I will upgrade all battery cables  to #2 AWG from #4.
Seems like pre made marine cables are available on Amazon for half the cost (or less) of West Marine
Anything to be wary of here?     

Wary of?  Yes, West Marine prices!!!  I simply don't know how to emphasize any more than the entire internet does about WM pricing.  WM's allure is the availability of many items, not the cost.  I was around when WM just got started, and  I used to live less than 20 miles away from their startup garage!    They were simply great for boaters back then.  But this isn't about WM, it's about your question.

From Smitty, a C310 owner, very knowledgeable, who bought his boat, wintered over one year in Boston Harbor, and sailed to the Caribbean.  He knows his stuff.  He wrote, about wire:

For bus bars, anl fuses and holder vtewarehouse.com and genuinedeals.com for wire and lugs were the cheapest prices I found.

Maine Sail added:

VTE has some good deals but I do prefer the Blue Sea ANL holders to the VTE though the VTE works. If buying the VTE ANL's I MUCH prefer the "High Amp" version. I am not a fan of the cover on the low amp ANL version.

Also the ANL's VTE sells are not ignition protection rated. Sometimes the best deal is not the best product for the job. You can find ANL's on-line as low as $3.00 but they may not have the same trip delay curves as the ones from Blue Sea and they are not IP rated. Many of the ANL's sold act like an ANN fuse, or really are an ANN fuse but they simply slap an ANL label on them. The ANN's have a shorter trip delay curve and do not work as well for motor loads like a starter.... The VTE fuses are okay to keep as emergency spares but I would much rather use the Blue Sea ANL's..

^^^quotes are from this post, "boat wire"  https://forums.sailboatowners.com/threads/boat-wire.149812/?highlight=genuinedeals

I should have mentioned it's a 1986 Catalina 30 Tall Rig  not a 34

Interesting none of the hoses currently on the big are wire
But who knows what happened over the last 35 years.
They look original but could have been changed 25 years  ago.

Yes. The boat is new to us and we are replacing everything but there may have been a
Saltwater event years ago.  But everything is running well. Except for slow cranking.

Anyway I think this is a case of information overload. I've read everything.

Do I buy the $90 exact replacement? Or the $40 generic pump?

Speaking of fuel pumps, do you think mine is about due for a change?