"Leoma" update Jefa Steering

[JD-MDR]

Maybe I'm crazy I went ahead and got this Jefa sprocket drive for the auto pilot. I thought everything was included for the high price . Only the motor, mount bracket. tax and shipping was $3500. I found out I need the brains also. I let Beacon Marine Electronics,here in Ventura , convince me to get the GHP Reactor40 auto pilot @ $1750 and the Garmin GPDMap 742xs @ $1000. . Whoa! Thats $6200 Plus I'm gonna have to pay them for some labor. I'm not sorry. This unit looks super duty . It has a centrifugal clutch and barely any resistance on the hand steering and It won't affect my windvane. I think this boat deserves the best. Amazingly When I got home tonight I got two work contracts. One is a fire damaged home in my neighborhood and the other is a foundation retrofit for earthquake. I should have this paid off in a couple months. I haven't decided if I should work on the engine MD7A. I'm looking at 3 cylinder Volvo's. It's probably way out of my budget but so was everything else. Somehow I keep pulling along. It's time to get out sailing . I'll be thinki9ng about the engine.There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with mine except it's 42 yrs. old and doesn't look like it's been work on. I made the mount for the steering motor out of 1/2 " g-10 and glassed it in with 2 layers of 1708 biaxial. That stuff really looks strong. I hope i made the glass big enough It's only 2" each way . The motor is a little to close to the windvane quadrant . I'll need to secure the wires good . And the quadrant is only stored in the down position.When it's working its is up at the top. You can't see it very good in the last photo. It clears the wires of the motor by an inch

[hilbert]

In a short time, I would stop thinking of the money that I spend on a good auto pilot.
However, it would always haunt me (Happy Halloween) to recall having been shorthanded, exhausted and in desperate need of relief at the wheel.

Looks like you're getting comfortable working with composite materials, fiberglass and epoxy.
It is better to overglass joints. Real joint strength comes from the thickness and surface area of fiberglass (as well as proper application).
More than once, I have gone back and added additional fiberglass reinforcement to "completed" work.

With electric motors, performance will only be as good as it's power.
Wire should be sized for a maximum 3% drop in voltage and I would recommend using quality terminals, with heat shrink tubing.
Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Mechanical & Electrical Manual is an excellent reference.

With routine maintenance, diesels can have a very long life. Unfortunately, they can outlast the availability of spares.
Still, I would be reluctant to replace an engine that is performing.

Just my 2¢

[JD-MDR]

Thanks Jonathon. Your 2 cents is worth 20 or 30 at least. First time I used 1708 biaxial. I think I will put a layer of it over my windvane parts like the tube thru the transom and the mount pads .

[Frenchy]

It's plain you have a passion for your boat and sailing, J.D., - like me and probably most
Cape Dory sailors. A below-decks autopilot is wonderful. I just have the typical above-deck
wheel autopilot which is sometimes balky.
Later on, when you get a new engine, consider a Beta. It's based on the Japanese Kubota
tractor engine which is as reliable as Volvo. The parts are cheaper though, and more available.
The new Kubota-based engines are smaller and lighter than the older styles. My new Beta 25
weighs something like 260 lbs; the old Universal 5424 was something like 430 lbs.
Good luck - Jean