Goodbye Mr Perkins, never shall you soil my bilge again

[Russell]

Good riddance you noisy, dirty, leaky beast

[Gregg]

So, is it now "welcome aboard Mr. Volvo or Mr. Yanmar.

Congratulations!

[Russell]

So, is it now "welcome aboard Mr. Volvo or Mr. Yanmar.

Congratulations!

Indeed, next week sometime a volvo will be installed (lots of prep work before that happens though!). Was a tough choice between the volvo and the yanmar, both in stock, ready to install and priced the same. Though the volvo is actually a perkins engine, so I should probably not curse perkins too much!

To my suprise, I may actually have a buyer for my 4-108 here in Martinique! I was planning to strip the engine and sell the parts as I cruise to recoup some money, but sure will be nice if someone buys the whole thing so I dont have to lug anything around.

[Clay Stalker]

That looks like a good ole fashioned hangin' to me!!!

[Warren S]

I hear tell of a method of using the boom as a derrick to lift out the engine, but never saw it done. Is that what I see here? Cool!

[Russell]

I hear tell of a method of using the boom as a derrick to lift out the engine, but never saw it done. Is that what I see here? Cool!

Yep, the boom was used. I was a bit nervous about it at first but the mechanics assured me they have done it 100s of times and it was okay, especially since mine was an older boat with a more solid rig (they mainly work on french bleach bottle boats).

The boom didnt really take any load at all, it was mainly used to move the engine over the side. The load was taken by the rig (forestay, inner and I guess the forward shroud a bit too) the halyard and topping lift were attached to a loop of line around the boom, and the chain to lift the engine was attached under that, so the boom didnt take any weight. A line was led back from those lines to the shackle where the topping lift normally attaches, to keep the lines from moving forward as they would tend to want to. It was an interesting experience but honestly nerve wracking, and it will be done again to get the new engine aboard!

[Mike]

Congadulations on the new new engine. When we were talking in Bequia you said the Perkins would always start but you were tired of the oil field in the bilge.

A new engine along with french food and wine...does it get any better

Mike & Merrie
Adagio
Prickly Bay. Grenada

ps pet the cat for us

[Russell]

Congadulations on the new new engine. When we were talking in Bequia you said the Perkins would always start but you were tired of the oil field in the bilge.

A new engine along with french food and wine...does it get any better

Mike & Merrie
Adagio
Prickly Bay. Grenada

ps pet the cat for us

Does it get any better? Well the exchange rate sure could be better! The french wine is cheap and the food is very reasonble considering the quality, but ouch on the engine labor!

Consider the cat petted, though Merrie never came to say hello to him and he is dissapointed by that

Enjoy Grenada, I have spent a very considerable amount of time there and can give some great tips. Two restraunts that are must dos are The Little Dipper in Woburn, small place, husband and wife, a couple tables in their home, you will never feel more welcome in your life and the food is not matched anywhere with west indian cuisine. When you want a break from west indian food, Mona Lisa is a romantic spot, italian restraunt of a quality level you would not expect in a caribbean island. For cheap eats in prickley bay, the indian take out restraunt right outside the gate to the med school is great. Do the fish fry in Goyave at least once, its worth it. Get to Grenville at least once too, to experience an entirely non touristy but bustling Grenadian city. The north shore is also spectacular and worth the trip up, rent a car and do a trip up the east coast day 1, stay overnight at a little hotel called "Almost Paradise", great food and amazing hospitality, and as north as you can get, then day 2 on the way back to the boat drive down the west coast. Great 2 day tour of the island with the best possible place to stay overnight.

[Russell]

The new engine comes aboard.



And the difficult part begins, getting the thing to fit.

[Leonard Lookner]

Russel,
Is that A 3 or 4 cylinder Volvo and what is the H.P. and model number.
It looks like it fits comfortably and hope you will keep us abreast of the installation. Did you have to do anything to the prop shaft?

[Gregg]

Russ, that must be the D2-40 and it looks like the straight transmission (not angled). If that is the case will you also be getting a new prop??

As with the Yanmar, the outside of the mounts are 19" apart. On my boat that looked like a very tight fit for the aft mounts without altering the angle of the stern tube or moving the engine forward. Since you already have the engine in place it must be a fit. Were any changes to the aft mounts required? What about the old pipe bed, did that go bye bye??

I also notice that your new transmission has a water cooler - that's good. I had just rebuilt the Hurst on mine and bought the add on cooler to find that it did not fit (conflict with the hull). My solution was to bore and tap a small block of aluminum - I plumbed it in last week and it lowerd the trans temp from 180dF to 155 (under full load). As a side note I hear some folks are replacing the Kanzaki Transmissions on the Yanmar with a Hurst because the Kanzaki is heating up (undersized??)

Since you have already lost your hearing from the Perkins, how will you know if the Volvo is running??

[Russell]

Yes, its the D2-40, which is a 4 cylinder 40HP engine.

Its very similar in size to the yanmar, though slightly longer due to the extra cylinder. Though sizes are similar, the volvo is a bit more compact (the bits hanging off of it are a bit cleaner on the volvo) being able to literally look at them side by side in the shop and ponder over things really helps. The tranny that is mounted is indeed the strait one, but we arnt final on that yet, there is a down angle one sitting in the shop to switch to if we go that route.

I cant say much for fit yet, the engine is basicly sitting in the compartment on blocks of wood as they futz with it to experiement with what will work best.

The origonal plan was to install the engine similar to the perkins, angled down with the strait tranny and keeping the old shaft and prop and angle. But the head guy today as he saw it in there is leaning now towards a new stern tube and adjusting the angle to get the engine to sit a little flatter and deeper, as it will help with space (the coupling is larger then the old one, plus we are trying to squeeze in a PSS shaft seal) and the engine will be happier sitting flat it make work on it easier (access to everything behind the engine over the top of it). Its pretty shocking how much less space this engine is going to take up. This also means now a new prop, and going up a shaft size to 30mm while at it.

Fortunately, when we worked out the price, which was a bit high (due to the weak dollar vs the euro since I am in the EU right now), the shop told me the price is final, reguardless of unforseen work and expense. So the new shaft, prop and stern tube, plus all that extra labor, is on their dime, I dont pay a cent more. So ultimately I am pleased with this change in plans. The origonal plan would have worked, but these guys are perfectionists and would prefer to do more work (for no extra money) and make it a far better setup then cheap out and stick the thing in the easiest possible way while running to the bank with my cash.

Moving the engine forward was another possability looked at as well, both the yanmar and the volvo have the raw water pump sticking out a few inches furthur forward then anything else, the possability was explored of cutting a hole in the front of the engine room cover for it to stick through, then building a nice teak box around it to make it look nice. Would have given more room behind the engine, but I still was not fond of the idea and now they dont think its nessisary.

The solution for the aft mounts remains to be totally finalized. The idea is to attach L shaped brackets between the existing forward and aft mounts (the foot of the L attaching to the top of the aft mount, and the head of the L attaching to the forward mount) to create a lenthwise bed at the right height and width. The brackets would be wider then the existing bed mounts, so they come inboard furthur. Seems like it should be a good solution in theory, hopefully it makes sense, its hard to explain without drawings. I will certainly post more pictures as things progress, since I know this is a common thing CD36 owners face, and a detailed and well documented repower will be of use to a lot of people out there.

As for hearing it running, dunno what I will do about that! I have been on many boats with these modern engines and while enjoying the quiet they offer, it has indeed occured to me, how will I know something is going wrong with the engine if I cant even hear it? But as far as problems go, I dont think I will have a hard time living with that one!

[Russell]

Here are pictures of the engine mountings, the existing bed was used and added to for the volvo. The forward mounts are simple, just aluminium pads bolted onto the existing mounts to allow for the smaller width of the volvo. The aft mountings a bit odd, but ultimately not too dissimilar to the perkins mount that was there previously (Just with a solid bar between the two in addition). Ignore the bits off wood on the aft mounts, those will be replaced by aluminium like the forward ones.

The engine comes out one more time after the new stern tube is glassed in, then painting begins, then final install, getting there slowly but surely.

[Ron M.]

Russell,
The photo's of your new Volvo bring me back about a year ago when I installed a D1-20 in my boat. It was fairly straight forward except I have a vdrive so the engine sits backward. I had to cut and re-glass the stringers for the aft mounts. I did make taller front brackets out of 1/2" aluminum angle stock to get the correct position. It worked out fine. A bit frustrating with the trial and error, blocking the motor in place, then pulling it out. I think I did this 5 or 6 times before I was satisfied. A patient helper and a good electric hoist were indispensable. These engines run so quietly you will be amazed after listening to that growling old perkins. good luck
________
HAWAII MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY

[Russell]

Hi Ron,

I have lost exact count, but this engine has been in and out about 6 times now and at least 1 more to go (most likely 2). No electric hoist though, but the mechanic has a nifty mechanical hoist that seems to be like 20 to 1 purchase at least (its slow going, but very easy!).

Its been tricky enough coming up with a working solution for this engine, I am glad I didnt have to wrap my brain around a v-drive with a reverse install!

One of the things I am most excited about is how drasticly improved engine access is. I can now get to everything front the front of the engine, no more slithering through the cockpit locker doing contorsionist manuvers to check tranny oil and stuffing box. Every removable thing on the engine is very easily accessed. I keep looking at the engine sitting there and marveling at how small it is! Not only is the engine lower (even a heavy person can easy get over it to the tranny) but much furthur forward, I have room for anything I want between the tranny and the stern tube. PSS shaft seal (impossible on the perkins), a much nicer coupling which is longer and uses 6 screws like a vice rather then a set screw, and I can even fit one of those shaft savers too, and still room to spare!

Though I am still trying to get my mind into a zone that actually beleives a fibreglass stern tube is as good as that rock solid bronze one and that shaft seals, while dripless is nice, arnt going to cause my boat to sink.