Please login or register.

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

1

Main Message Board / Re: Smallest plumbing pipe diameter

« on: February 06, 2020, 08:15:12 AM »

Paul

My bro replumbed his Carver totally in pex.
Plastic pex fittings and a crimper are a whole lot less $$$ than using shark bite type fittings.
The crimp rings and tool do a better job than the crimp/lock type, but that crimp tool is a slight more $$$ than the other. 

The newer type pex that you can use with the plastic expansion/contraction rings is REALLY cool (I was on a project where the plumbers used it) but the tool is $$$$$$$$$$ unless you can borrow one from a plumber.

2

Main Message Board / Re: Antifreeze: Which type is best?

« on: January 31, 2020, 04:14:36 PM »

I now see the swaged end in the picture. It was not obvious due to the paint.

I have all the manuals downloaded and in hard copies, and they are always my first point of reference. But I still wasn't sure exactly what I was taking a picture of because of how I had to blindly stick my phone down there, so I hoped some others would recognize it.

BA, ok your post post threw me - I thought the issue was you couldn't locate the drain location in a manual, I didn't take it that the issue was locating it on the engine due to the limited space/view.

Anyhew, for other B engine owners, here it is:

3

Main Message Board / Wiki issues?

« on: January 31, 2020, 04:08:36 PM »

Is anyone having issues signing on to the wiki?

For whatever reason - I was logged off, and now I can't sign on (to edit anything) or reset my password to log in, or anything else to get back in.

thx
ken

4

Main Message Board / Re: Repainting mast

« on: January 31, 2020, 02:30:20 PM »

cliff

MANY yrs ago (CRS) I used a 4 or 5 step process (after removing paint and fine sanding) --
A cleaner, acid etch, rinse, 2-part etching primer, 2 coats finish with a little flattener in it.

I used Dupont Imron for the top coat and the prep steps were what a client recommended (who manufactured concrete mixers and used Imron and that process to paint the drums and truck body and chassis - A very tough industrial finish!)

ken

5

Main Message Board / Re: Battery Orientation

« on: January 31, 2020, 02:24:25 PM »

Tim

You really have to budget out what your energy use is expected to be, which will determine how many amp hours you need to replace, over how many hours she's plugged in.  For longevity sake its good to keep the charger working at half its rating. 40 isn't a lot of amps capacity of you are using the heck out of your maximum available amp-hours and using her every day, but if she's sitting week long that's different.  A VERY general rule of thumb is 10% of your usable amp-hours (ie, 10 amps for every 100 ah of battery - again VERY general, everyone's needs are different.)

6

Main Message Board / Re: Battery Orientation

« on: January 29, 2020, 06:58:36 PM »

Tim  To answer your specific questions...

Being AGMs, the orientation makes no difference -- unlike flooded cells where the orientation does make a huge difference.

While it's ALWAYS preferable to balance installations by keeping cable lengths equal (and naturally short as possible) your difference is not feet but inches, so (presuming the cables are not WAY undersized) there is no issue with length.

I don't run AGMs but I know that they are easily killed with improper charging, so something to consider (not knowing what improvements you have ongoing.)  Not to put any pressure on but Winter is 1/3 gone!

7

Main Message Board / Re: Antifreeze: Which type is best?

« on: January 29, 2020, 12:57:14 PM »

and the online pictures of the M35B don't catch the correct angle. I


painted hose ..... has no hose clamp on it.

Download a copy of your Operator's Manual from the Wiki!!  It shows the coolant drain locations on the 25xpb, 35B, and 50B engines.   Someone exchanged the drain plug shown in the literature for your petcock. Nice!
The exploded parts manual shows the drain plug as well (but doesn't ID it as "coolant".)


The OEM oil-pressure-switch hose has swaged ends, no clamps.  The last time I ordered one (to convert an M25 to add an oil pressure gauge) it had swivel ends (whether it was on one or both ends, I don't recall.)  Hose clamps wouldn't be appropriate OEM for an oil hose that could theoretically see 80+ psi.  One might get by with that if replacing one.

Note that over several years engine heat could deteriorate that hose and it leak - it happened on my M25 (at age 13 or thereabouts.)

8

Main Message Board / Re: Fresh water pump will not shut off.

« on: January 26, 2020, 04:40:29 PM »

Bob

There is a potable water pump troubleshooting guide on the TechWiki.
Could be a bad pressure switch if it doesn’t shut off at all. I presume it’s primed and pumping ok?

9

Main Message Board / Re: Can't get all the oil out of my M35 engine

« on: January 20, 2020, 07:03:02 PM »

Are you accounting for the oil filter?

Apologies, I don't know -- where is the hose banjo located on "your" 35?  I know that some Universals are located mid-oil-pan and some are aft on the pan. 
I don't have a hose on my M25, but I use the dipstick and the stiff poly tubing (attached to vinyl tubing to the pump) and can reach both back corners of the pan.  The stiff tubing has a curve "set" to it that can be used to get to the back.

When you say jet black - immediately upon refilling?  Or after running? (diesels don't run "clean" oil like a gasser.)

-ken

10

Main Message Board / Re: Antifreeze: Which type is best?

« on: January 18, 2020, 11:07:44 PM »

Stu

This is RC's most complete procedure
https://www.sailnet.com/forums/1252482-post5.html

I just put it his steps and his pix on the
Wiki > Engine > Cooling (top entry.)



Actually, I did mean "globe."  The typical petcock drain (like atop our TStat) isn't a gate valve, nor a plug valve, nor a ball, diaphragm, butterfly, sliding knife gate, pinch, or wedge valve.  I don't know what's left. 

I thought it most resembles how a globe operates because it has a valve disk (chamfered plug type instead of flat or ball or cone) that closes against a valve seat (and can pinch debris and dribble.)
Shown closed against valve seat below.



BUT, it has 3 differences (I know you know the details, this is for non techies.)
The action is reversed - the stem pulls up, instead of pushes down against the valve seat (coolant system pressure makes it seal better,)
The flow when open is thru the hollow stem (instead of an outlet above the valve seat,) and
It's missing the valve body (the radiator/engine block/tstat housing becomes the globe.) 

It was really quite an ingenious invention - eliminated many parts by combining functions and eliminated the need for a globe body.

I ran out of valve types, maybe there's a ME out there who can more properly identify the type!!??

A bit of Trivia - Henry used the same type ball valve petcock as we have on our engines on his Model T !!!

11

Main Message Board / Re: Antifreeze: Which type is best?

« on: January 17, 2020, 04:02:40 PM »

Stu

The google search link I posted to BA calls up the forums that have Rod's flushing procedure (and/or copy/pastes thereof) and one or two links to his pix (bucket sitting on the sole.)  I didn't find a vid of it, but I didn't take the time to search for every one of is posts to see if he linked to a vid. 

As soon as I get time I'll put Rods stuff on the wiki>engine.

The B series can be drained exactly the same as yours and mine. There's nothing different/exotic -- the coolant circulating pump has the "same" portside hose from the Hx to the pump to disconnect.  The hose from the exh manifold to the Hx is the same.  The hose from the Tstat housing to the exhaust manifold comes off the back of the Tstat, instead of the side - only difference.

Only one seawater hose is port-side (instead of stbd-side) but the coolant hoses are the same from the M25/35 to the XP to the XPA/35A to the XPB/35B.)

I don't know if you are aware - maybe you are -- our coolant petcock (stbd side) is a ball valve so, unlike a globe valve, there shouldn't be much to clog and a particle would be self cleared as far as when the valve is operated.  I've drained there many times, no runs, no drips, no errors.  Although, if not simply draining but "flushing" (like continuously with a hose or pump) there wouldn't be a reason to use it -- it's too small to get much circulating-flow.

IIRC Kubota uses drain plugs (1/8"? 1/4"?) on the B series instead of a drain cock (as Kb calls it on our M25.)

12

Main Message Board / Re: Antifreeze: Which type is best?

« on: January 16, 2020, 10:02:02 PM »

if I remove the thermostat that the liquid would also flow into the areas around the cylinders. Is there any need for the motor to be heated up, or can I just use the impeller pump to recirculate everything though the cooling system? If so, where is the best place to connect the pump to recirculate everything? (Note that I have an M35B, which seems to have very different hose routing from earlier Universal motors.

BA, correct you can use an impeller pump.

If you are using RydLyme it's best to NOT HEAT it (do you expect calcium deposits in the closed system?)

If you use a lime buster, of course, you cannot see inside to know when its finished its job.  You can use pH paper to check when the return solution has reached equilibrium -- i.e., the pH is no longer rising (RydLyme is an acid, so reacting with deposits will raise the pH of the return solution.)

Not sure what you mean re: the B series' having a VERY different coolant hose routing -- can you be specific? 
The only (major) difference would be that OEM, some older Universals (basically M-25s) had the water heater plumbed inline (in series) with the Hx, instead of on a separate, parallel loop (plumbed to the thermostat bypass.)  That's how M-25s were on the C-30, dunno if M-25s on the C-34 were the same.

See coolant routing (second article):
https://groups.io/g/Catalina30/wiki/Home

Depending on where you introduce the flush and return the flush solution, determines what a parts of the engine it touches (water jacket, exhaust manifold, Hx, coolant pump, etc.)  So, theoretically, you don't HAVE TO remove the TStat, but it does make it easier to flush completely.

Lastly, not being too anal -- but you actually own an engine (not a motor.)  Flushing a motor wouldn't be a good idea.

13

Main Message Board / Re: Antifreeze: Which type is best?

« on: January 16, 2020, 09:31:00 PM »

BA

Google is your friend.  A search locates the info (first time) -- on several forums like google Beneteau, Sailnet, Cruisers (maybe others.)  RC's procedure (and link to a couple of pics are there.)

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22mainesail%22+engine+coolant+flush

-k

14

Main Message Board / Re: Catalina Smile

« on: January 08, 2020, 07:37:03 PM »

Ken— I do not believe the 1990 C34 has any wood between the lead and fiberglass in the keel stub structure. It is my understanding that the wood sandwich method of construction in the keel was discontinued in the late 1980’s.

Thx Noah,
(I neglected my usual "Stu" caveat) -- I didn't intend to imply that my condition was identical to the C34 -- only described my condition (and the rationale for grinding vs. covering it up.) 

However, water traveling down the keel bolt threads (the prime reason for water attacking the joint and it going punky) isn't dependant on having the wooden plank in place.  In fact, I left mine in there as it wasn't rotted.)  I believe the plank was eliminated in 88 or 89 on the C30, and my keel hasn't fallen off in the 20 years hence!! 

-cheers

15

Main Message Board / Re: Catalina Smile

« on: January 08, 2020, 04:25:20 PM »

The Catalina Smile is back  .

I am reluctant to start grinding out any part of the keep and perhaps this is just a surface impurity.

Back?  What had you done to repair it in the past (apologies if I missed a prior post.)  What surface (gel coat?) impurity would cause a Catalina smile crack?
Tho I have a fin, I too thought "How bad can this be?  I'll just grind out the surface per the CTY fix drawings and fix it.  "

To my shock, 1/3 to 1/2 the bedding (polyester chop/mung mix) was gone (not missing but punky like wet gypsum drywall.)  This was from likely a combination of the wood in the keel buss (C-30,) water leaking down the keel bolt threads, and improper blocking exacerbating the crack after the joint had been compromised.  After researching and opinions from Geoguon Brothers (West Systems - excellent advice ) and Frank (useless) I choose to drop, repair (resurface the top of), and rebed the fin.

Cliff my point is that you don't know what you have until you know what you have, and that takes grinding out the joint to reveal the condition.  Alternately, I suppose you could drill into the joint in several places to see if the cuttings are muck or competent, and then decide how far to go with your grinding.  It won't eliminate any needed work, but you might get a fair warning up-front as to what's in front of you and how to attack it.  On the pats of the joint that were still competent, it was a BEAR. I ended up drilling from side-to-side (long 3/8" electrician bit) to create "serrations" that I cut between with a Sawzall w/ a carbide grit blade.  Actually BLADES, the fiberglass ate them up like candy.

If you hesitate to grind to uncover the extent and want to avoid the task -- just leave it and hide it cosmetically -- your keel won't fall off.