Messages

Benny : When I accused Jerry Douglas (designer of the C34) about putting 3M5200 in between the hull and the keel -- he only smiled and said, "You've never heard of a Catalina loosing it's keel, have you?"!!! 
Enough said.   

Doug : It sounds to me like you have a partial blockage and it is in the 90 elbow of the floor drain fitting.  The reason that Catalina used a diaphragm pump in the early boats is that rotary pumps back then were: 1. less efficient than a diaphragm pump and  2. (you guessed it!) Rotary pumps Cost More!!!

Here's what I'd try to clear that elbow/hose.  Pry off the "caulked on" strainer in the corner of the head floor.  Make yourself a probe and clear out that blockage.  After it's cleared out, you need to put a strainer and a one way valve back into that line so the the hair and junk won't flow thru and bugger up the impeller of your new shower drain pump.  Also try to "ream out" that hose from the elbow floor drain. Maybe a good blast of air and water would help clear out the junk.  Water to flow easily.
Look in the Feb 2007 Mainsheet C34 tech Notes for my article on the "Shower Drain Strainer & Back-flow Valve". 
Good Luck   

John : If you are still looking for a Cold machine manual let me know and I'll make a copy of mine.  It's the version that came with my 1988 C34.  It's on the boat and I'll have to get it next week.  

Steve : BTW, you also have a 1986/87 style engine instrument panel with a separate glow plug switch and an ampemeter.  Most of the later 1988s & subsequent C34s have a voltmeter and the glow plugs in the spring loaded key switch.   

Steve : You confirmed my suspicions.  When I saw that black electrical tape, I knew that you were "flirting with fire" - literally. 
It's amazing how many people looked at that picture like I did and only saw the riser in question!!!

The problem real is with the connector at the engine end - it gets both electrical and engine heat, where as the connector at the engine instrument panel only gets electrical heat, but change BOTH.

Here's a couple of tips when you replace the connectors with the euro connectors: 
When you cut the wires do ONE at a time and don't cut the wires flush at the connector!  Reason why?
because the wire colors MAY change and you can still see the wire color that you just cut and the differant color wire that you are to connect it to !!

I'd recommend that you do one at a time - cut one wire on one connector & connect then cut the matching wire on the other connector and connect.

If the screws that are in the connectors are "pointed" take a file and make them flat.  That way the flat end will compress down on the stripped wire and give you a better connection.

When you finish spray the strips with BO Shield T7 spray. 

I put the new engine and engine panel connections inside a small "Tupperware" containers for protection.

I did my wiring harness upgrade back in 1991/2 and have had NO problem since.  Good Luck   

[MANY MANY]

Steve :  I used muffler paste, but I think that the RV Hi-Temp isn't hi enough.  So why don't you try nothing!!  If the coolant stays in the reservoir and you don't feel exhaust escaping then you have a great seal with just the new gasket!!

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I believe that your boat is missing the "Wiring Harness Upgrade"!!!!!!!!!  I note in your first picture a bunch of black electrical tape wrapped around what suspiciously appears to be one of the two 8 pin trailer connectors!!  I should have caught that back on 22 Oct - sorry!  If I am correct you need to make that upgrade before that connector shorts out and your boat burns up!!  This is serious! 
There literally has been MANY MANY posts and articles telling owners to make that upgrade.  Your boat most likely has a volt rather than an ampmeter, but it makes no difference - get the upgrade from Seaward and get it installed ASAP.   

Steve : I assume that you used the table router to smooth out the cuts from the band saw?   

Jack : You might ask Espar - if the Racor line that you tap into is higher than the heater, does the 6'6" length restriction still exist? 
I assume that your heater is close to the flooring.   

jak : Did you ask the previous owner what that "Black Box" was installed for?   

[after]

Jack : I'd "T" into the fuel line after the Racor!   

Mike : Let me see if I can clear up SOME your confusion :

M25XP - Made by Universal in Oshkosh WI. and was the original engine in the 1987/88/89/90 C34s (23hp)
M25XPA - The similar engine as the M25XP, but made by Westerbeke after they bought out
              universal from Medalest Corp. in about 1990? (23hp)
M25XPB - Similar to the M25XPA, but 26hp with a larger cc displacement and a slightly differant footprint.

All have 3 cylinders and are a basic derivative of the Kubota D950 block.  The accessory front of each are different ie. raw water pump/alternator/etc.  The A & B have differant Xmissions and the Bs Xmission can be removed with the engine in place ( I think?).  I'm not too sure how many of the XPA parts are interchangeable with the XPB?
Clear as mud?   

Guys : Read the labels.  I know that CLR should not be used copper & bronze (heat exchangers).  I suspect that it also should NOT be used on aluminum !   

[filtered fuel]

ther : If your fuel system is set up correctly (tank - filter - then fuel pump) the fuel that you pump out of your tank (using the electric fuel pump from the out side of the Racor) to empty the tank is "filtered fuel" and can be reused.  The only fuel that you have to dispose of is the residual in the tank that won't come out - less than one gal as I recall.

I believe that polishing (cleaning) fuel and then putting it back in a dirty tank doesn't make much sense and is a waste of money!!  Infact in some locations, the cost of polishing fuel is almost the same as buying a new tank !!   

Rusty : I'd try some "Lime -A-Way" that you can purchase in a grocery store.  It's a home bathroom/kitchen cleaner.  Good luck   

Guys : I believe that most of the M25 & M25XP engines came with an oil drain hose. 
As I wrote in the Mainsheet, my hose developed an oil leak at the bottom factory connection and I replaced the hose with regular 3/8" fuel hose + a hose clamp.  That $2 fix was well worth it, so I didn't have to spend the $100+ on that oil drain kit that I didn't need!! 
Great info in those old Tech notes!!  A thought