Messages

I just redid mine using 3m VHB tape, I cut new polycarbonate and everything. The whole job was much easier than expected and it came out incredibly well. The worst part was removing and cleaning up the old adhesive. The VHB tape holds incredibly well and then only a little 795 is needed around the edge to seal it so there is no oozing 795 mess inside the boat. My friend did it this way years ago and hasn't had any issues. See this video I followed for guidance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQyjxVUskd8

For what its worth so far I replaced my engine mounts last month with the Bushings DF-2205-2. Not a lot of reviews out there about them but that's what a local shop suggested. Good price, exact fit drop in replacement for the original ones. We will see how long they last and if there are any issues. A lot of people recommended the Venus k50 or k75 or a combination of the two in these forums but the sales rep recommended the K40 which was designed for a 3 cylinder engine but it comes with a price tag the others don't.

Thank you all, New boat, never had a diesel, learning a lot.

scgunner you were spot on. I held the glow plug button for 60 seconds and it actually made a stronger attempt. Battery was getting a little tired after all of this so I borrowed one from a friend and she fired right up. Runs beautifully, pumping water and everything. Thank you to everyone for your suggestions, I'll be back with another issue shortly I am sure!

Thanks Ron, I just rebuilt the pump, new impeller, seals, cover plate, o ring for the cover plate. I removed the cover to make sure it was all looking ok still yesterday and seems fine. Who knows...

Decompression is closed, I fiddled with it and tried starting in both positions to make sure I had it right.

Thanks Jon, the lever is all the way forward, I wish it was that easy, Appreciate the suggestions because it could very possibly be something very small and simple like that.

scgunner, a bit was definitely not 60 seconds and likely not 30. I'll check to make sure they are at least getting power and give them more time to do their job. Appreciate the suggestion on the pump as well. Ill remove that plug and see if that helps anything and at least them I will see water coming out when it starts working.

I know this is a topic that has been beat since I have been reading for days but Im stuck so here it is.

I just put my engine back in the boat and it will not start. Turns over no problem but will not start.

I replaced the fuel filter on the engine and bled the system from the knob on top of its housing.
My knurled knob on the side of the high pressure pump is broken off so that took me a minute to figure out but there was enough nub left that today I was able to grab it with pliers if I took the nut off and unscrew it a bit. I actually backed it off enough that fuel poured out with the primary feed pump running. I caught the fuel in a clear cup about 2oz which has a clear yellow tint to it.

I even went as far as cracking the injectors which I know everyone says isn't needed but I'm desperately frustrated. I have fuel flowing through the system and coming out through the return line at this point but the engine still will not start. It was a chilly day, upper 40's so I sat on the glow plug button for a bit, still no change.

Who has suggestions for what else I can check? I really know very little about diesels.

Muffler drain is open to prevent overflow however the raw water pump also isn't pulling anything in. Does this need to be primed after replacement somehow? Boat is on the hard I just have the intake hose in a 5gal bucket at the moment with a garden hose at the ready to replenish the supply but it hasn't sucked a drop.

As a follow up to anyone who stumbles across this in the future. I spoke with the people at general propeller where I bought the bearing who seemed very knowledgable. He said that there is often some inconsistency in the struts and using a little 5200 will take care of it. 5200 felt a little too permanent for me but looking back there was some white residue in the strut when it came out so I bet that's what the PO had done. I used just a couple very small smears of 4200 in the hopes I will hate myself less in the future and a couple set screws. The set screws alone didn't seem to have enough bite and I don't want issues in the spring. It's now a 10 year away problem I hope.

I recently removed the old worn cutlass bearing which was a beast to get out even with a strut pro. I believe there were two set screws on the port side and 1 that I missed on the stbd. The bearing and inside of the strut were full of buildup and I gently cleaned it all up with a wire brush. I just went to put the new bearing in place and it slid in by hand with ease. It is far tighter on the shaft than in the strut so without set screws it is just spinning freely in the strut. Are a couple set screws enough to hold this in place and is this normal? I expected it to be much more of a press fit. Measured with calipers and they are the same size. The old set screws were trash so I drilled them out and re taped the holes... hopefully there's enough meat to hold.

Hi, in my slow moving progress on restoring my boat I have the engine out and am working on new mounts. After getting everything cleaned up I noticed some cracking of the engine beds. From what I have read these are typically oak with gelcoat and maybe a little glass over them? Does that sounds right? Just wondering if this cracking is superficial and nothing to worry about or if I need to grind it all out and reglass it.

https://imgur.com/a/bn7z8cE

Sorry, new to this and figuring out how to post images. see if this works.
1987 Catalina 34
Hull 401

https://imgur.com/a/4Tist6U

Hi,

I pulled my prop shaft to clean things up, replace the cutlass bearing, assess the stuffing box, motor mounts are on the list etc. Unfortunately once the stuffing box came out I found the shaft log completely worn away on the bottom. Honestly I'm a bit surprised it didn't sink. Any insight on repair? Can I just bore it out and epoxy a new one in place or do I need to grind all the glass inside the hull back and re build it up with the new one in place?

Was yours rated that way?  Were you present at the survey?

Yes and Yes. Cutlass bearing and a broken thru-hull were a must replace before launch and mounts were a high priority because they are completely rusted and deteriorating. One of them has a nut that worked its way almost off years ago and rusted in place. I need to clean up the oil pan, replace cutlass bearing, rebuild water pump etc so it's all going to happen as part of the initial engine overhaul that will hopefully carry me through for many trouble free years to come.

I don't see any specs that mention an elongated hole in one of the mount holes.

Do the 75's have an elongated hole? I feel like I read that this was a problem for some people but can be modified.

Hi Everyone,

I just bought a 1987 C-34 yesterday which is a nice upgrade from our '85 C-25 I have had for 6 years. Survey recommended new motor mounts amongst many other things. I have been reading everything I can and  see mixed reviews on the Vetus mounts but K75's seem favorable. A little negativity on the DF-2205-2 which looks like a knockoff of the Westerbeke part at 1/4 of the price. I emailed a rep from Venus about their take on the K50 vs K75 and he recommended the KSTEUN40A which is designed "for the modern 3cyl". It's double the price of the others so just wondering if anyone has tried these, I don't see any previous discussion about them.

others who say 40 deg is the best they can do.

40 deg, maybe a little better, is about it for the best speed for Shamrock, will point higher but loose speed.  You may find this interesting.  See the links for racing certificate, I think I've seen more speed/wind angle graphs.  It maybe worth a search for you. 

https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,11290.msg90552.html#msg90552

Jim

Thanks Jim, not the supportive answer I was hoping to hear but what I figured the answers would be.