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a picture of #923  .....  it does have supports as well.

What is the model number of the Maxwell windlass in the following picture?  I would like to add a chain gypsy to the windlass.  I have searched this web site on this topic and there is a referenced upgrade for a model VC500.  I don't know if it would work for my windlass.

Stu, is it my imagination or is there a slight taper to the cap on the HX zinc?  I have changed mine a number of times and always get a build up of white crystals over time.  If this is due to saltwater leaking is it because I have not tightened the cap enough?   I have been reluctant to tighten too much for fear of stripping the threads.

If it is tapered there should be a limit to how far it will go in before it jams.

Randy, I had the same line of graphite sprayed from the seal.  As John suggests, it may have been caused by debris getting into the seal and destabilizing it enough for the carbon to break down.  This may have caused a deposit on the surfaces of the seal as well ... further destabilizing it.
When I told Dan at PYI about this he suggested that I clean both surfaces in the seal.  This is done by folding a small piece of 600 grit Emory cloth in half and placing it between the carbon and stainless plates of the seal (water leaks out but not enough to worry about).  I then rotated the Emory cloth 360 degrees with the seal closed sanding both surfaces all of the way around.  This was done four times (Dan was very specific about four) and then the seal was burped to remove the resulting debris.
I have not had any chatter since doing this (knock on wood).  Dan has since sent me a new carbon plate with the vent and bellows at a very reasonable price.  This will be replaced when the boat is hauled to paint the bottom in the spring.

I have been getting a loud noise from the shaft area of the boat off and on now for a week.  Several posts point to air in the PSS shaft seal bellows as a possible cause.  As suggested in the posts I have burped the seal and it does seem to solve the problem for a day or so but the noise has been returning on a regular basis.

I talked to Dan in the customer support dept of PYI Inc, the manufacturer of the PSS seal.  He asked what type of boat I had and when told it was a C34 said that the hull design on the C34 was a know problem with their seal.  Apparently it can pick up air easier than other hull designs.   They do have a new design for the carbon half of the seal that vents the bellows through a small tube .... he offered to provide the new part at no charge.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with a PSS seal on a C34?

Hi Ray,
looks like we will just miss you in Desolation Sound ... we are heading north on the 21st with the first night at Jedidiah Island.  We are heading over to Chatterbox Falls tomorrow morning with stops at Smugglers Cove and Egmont.  Based on your comments it sounds like it will be well worth the trip.  Diamond Girl is looking great.

Thanks Stu, I did search the tech spreadsheet but only found the one article on changing the oil pan.  There were still a few unanswered questions which I think have been answered in the replys .... it sounds like the Kubota Pan is a problem that may be best solved by getting the proper (and more expensive) pan from Universal.
And Ron, you are dead right about the raw water pump ... it had been leaking for several months before I had a mechanic replace the seal.

Several large metallic scales have dropped off the bottom of my oil pan.  I notice that Ray (the PO) mentioned a corrosion problem two years ago in the attached topic so I think it is time to replace the oil pan.  I was not able to find any articles or projects that dealt with the mechanics of replacing the pan so I have a few unanswered questions:

- several references have been made to using a Kubota D950 oil pan and gasket ... has anyone done this and did it work?
- does the engine have to be raised?
- are there any other parts I should be getting in addition to the pan and gasket.

Any advice and suggestions on how to proceed would be appreciated.

the picture did not attach  on the previous reply ...

Ron, the threaded plug takes either the 1/2 or the 3/8 zinc, the threads on the zinc are the same ... the difference is that the 1/2 inch is flush with the outside threads and leaves very little room for corrosion (white scale that builds up on the outside of the zinc).  What I found on the one I removed is that the zinc had dissipated where it was exposed to the water flow but the 1/4 inch or so that was next to the threads was still at the 1/2 inch size but with some scaling ... which caused the zinc to bind when I went to remove it (see picture).
Given the ease of replacing the zinc (thanks to the advice of the people on this web site) I will feel more comfortable using the 3/8 zinc and doing the job more often.

Just to finish off this thread ... I filed the outside threads off a spare cap and was able to screw it onto the jammed zinc.  With a bit of effort it worked loose and could be removed.  It looks like the PO put in a half inch zinc ... this will fit although it is basically the same diameter as the hole.  With any corrosion at all the zinc will stay in place when the cap is removed.  I replaced the zinc with a three eights diameter and everything seems to be fine.

I tried to replace the HX zinc for the first time since I bought the boat in March and have run into a bit of a problem.  When the brass nut holding the zinc was removed there was no zinc residue in it.  I checked the hole in the HX and could feel the threaded end of the zinc still in position.  Apparently the cap came out but the zinc remained inside the HX.  Am I doing something wrong?
I screwed the cap back in ... hope the zinc is reattached.

I refinished the sole a few months ago and it looks great.  Sanding would be very risky as the veneer is only a thirtysecond of an inch thick.  I used a paint stripper (polystrippa or one of the biodegradable products work well).   After using the stripper it needs a thorough wash and rinse. Once it dried I gave it a very light sanding with 220 grit (the water will raise the grain a bit so it needs a bit of a sanding).  You can then finish it with whatever product you like.  I used a satin finish to match the oiled finish on the interior teak and am very happy with the look.

Mike, how much was the new panel?  I would love to change mine but only if the price is reasonable .... do the old gauges stay or is the whole thing swapped out?

Just to finish this thread off .... the leak was a hairline crack in the thin piping on the fuel return rail next to the aft injector.  The fuel dripped down the back of the block next to the transmission seal and on to the absorbent pad.  I had a new fuel return rail installed and all is well.