Engine Installation on the Far Reach

[John Stone]

Well, it’s more HP than I originally thought I would choose but the foot print and cube dimensions are the same as the 20 hp. Only real difference than the 20 hp is 30 lbs more weight and $300 more cost.

Plenty of room so seemed like the right decision.

Thought I’d post the basic installation design I’m following. The bottom step will be hinged and the vertical panel it rests on will be removable as will the vertical face of the engine box, drawer, and work bench top.

Focus this week is the electrical panel. Once it’s installed and wired I’ll install the engine.

[John Stone]

Been working on the new fold down panel door that will house the 12v electrical panel and engine gauge cluster.

Redesigned and milled the new shelf that will replace the old one that is positioned above the fold down panel. The shelf serves as a dedicated storage for the companionway drop boards. Same as before but fits seamlessly with the panel door that will be positioned directly under it.

Some of the supporting components for engine that I ordered last week arrived today—Groco seawater strainer, Groco Bronze 3/4” IBVF seacock, rancor 0500 2 micron fuel water separator, and a Blue Seas “Add a Battery” switch. I should be able to keep working on the boat unless we receive a shelter in place order.

[Frenchy]

Very nice, John. I see you've upgraded to a larger raw water strainer and are going to install a
Racor. If I get it right, the Racor has a 2 micron filter element installed. A 30 micron would be better.
The filter on the Beta is probably a 10 micron. Information from Beta is scarce but a replacement
filter, WIX 33390, is 10 micron. A Racor 2 micron would clog easily and render the Beta on-engine
filter useless. - Jean

[John Stone]

Very nice, John. I see you've upgraded to a larger raw water strainer and are going to install a
Racor. If I get it right, the Racor has a 2 micron filter element installed. A 30 micron would be better.
The filter on the Beta is probably a 10 micron. Information from Beta is scarce but a replacement
filter, WIX 33390, is 10 micron. A Racor 2 micron would clog easily and render the Beta on-engine
filter useless. - Jean

Hi Jean
Thanks for the comments. I always value your insights. I’m new to this. Your observation are similar to Nigel Calder’s. My friend Tim Lackey has generously guided me along on the engine installation. We discussed this very topic. He pointed out to me this is a hotly debated topic. The rational for the 2ma filter is thus. I have a new fuel tank with all new fuel lines. I’ll filter all the fuel coming aboard. As long as the engine gets clean fuel it should run perfectly. If a filter is going to clog it will be much easier to clean or swap out the racor filter than the filter on the engine. And Tim’s guidance to me is if your filter starts clogging then it’s time to clean the tank.

So that’s how I’m approaching it for now. Real world experience will of course guide me along. Seems simple enough to switch to a more course filter if experience indicates that would be the best course of action. While I have experience with gas engines I am pretty much a rookie with diesels. So keep those comments coming.

[Frenchy]

Good enough, John. Looks like your fuel tank , electrical panel and engine gauge installations
are turning out pretty neat. - Jean

[Jim Walsh]

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... or#p188474

I added a Racor unit 4 years ago as noted above. You may find the discussion interesting.

[John Stone]

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... or#p188474

I added a Racor unit 4 years ago as noted above. You may find the discussion interesting.

Jim
Very interesting. Lots to think about. Thanks for posting the link.

[John Stone]

Got down to the boat today. Worked on the shelf that fits ‘thwartship under the bridge deck. It’s where I store the companionway drop board. Small improvements needed since that is where the 12v panel and engine gauges will be located.

Also, the other day I dug the balsa core out of the deck where I drilled the 1 3/4” holes for the fuel fill. I back filled the hollowed out core with thickened epoxy. Today I drilled holes then tapped the epoxy for 10-24 bronze machine screws. The holes don’t pass all the way through the deck so water can’t gain access to the interior. They are called blind holes and you need two kinds of taps to cut the threads properly in a blind hole. I’ll bed the deck fill with 3M 4000UV.

I also measured for a “sounding stick” so I will be able to determine how much fuel is in the diesel tank.

Just some small projects that need to be done.

[John Stone]

Modified the black walnut sole that is located behind the new engine compartment. I had to trim the forward edge to fit the slightly modified ‘thwartship “floor” position right at the back end of where the transmission will be located. The shaft will run under the floor and sole. I cut a small removable inspection cover in the sole that is over the top of the stuffing box. I tried to craft it in such a way that I will be able to get immediate access to the stuffing box without having to remove the entire sole. I made the inspection cover wide enough to allow adjustment to the stuffing box.

[Jim Walsh]

In the second photo above there is an object which took me a while to figure out what it was.....it’s a portion of one fluke of a Luke fisherman’s anchor.....I must admit I checked back three times before the light bulb went on above my head. If I’m wrong I’ve just gone through a lot of trouble to exhibit my ignorance.

[John Stone]

In the second photo above there is an object which took me a while to figure out what it was.....it’s a portion of one fluke of a Luke fisherman’s anchor.....I must admit I checked back three times before the light bulb went on above my head. If I’m wrong I’ve just gone through a lot of trouble to exhibit my ignorance.

Jim
Right you are! Good eye. You may recall I stowed the 70 lb three piece Luke in brackets I had glassed to the hull during the six year rebuild. It was a great spot for the anchor as it was accessible and it also helped compensate for the loss of weight when I ditched the 50 hp 550 lb Perkins. For five years of sailing it sat quite comfortably there.

So, part of my planning for the engine is how to retain the Luke in that same space despite installing an engine there. The new 25 hp engine only weights 260 lbs.

Just the other day I built a mock up bracket to stow the long shank between the beds but below the planned drip pan. The flukes will likely be positioned about where they are in that above photo.

I attached below a picture I took two days ago of the shank positioned below the engine mock up. It’s kind of dark but you can just see the oil pan mock up under the template and over the stock. I’ve used the beta engine drawings and applied as fastidious attention to detail as I can muster so I don’t get surprised or have an oops moment when I install the engines.

In fact, I could install the engine now. But, I’m putzing around with small projects like the anchor stowage, engine through hull/seacock installation, oil drip pan design, and of course designing, building, and relocating the 12v panel. Though I’d love to be sailing as soon as possible I don’t want to get in a hurry and fail to get this right. I try to enjoy my time working on the boat and mostly manage to relish my time with her even when she is on the hard.

[Jim Walsh]

One thing you may want to take into consideration when mocking up the drip pan is something which may only be particular to the CD31. My drip pan is a beautiful gel coated fiberglass component BUT....it is designed so that any water which finds its way into the area below the rudder shaft and engine drive shaft stuffing boxes has to travel into the drip pan before it runs to a hole at the low point (at the forward end of the pan) thence to the bilge via a 1/2” hose.
It has never actually caused me a problem because I don’t have a leaky engine but it is contrary to a drip pans purpose....to contain engine related drips. Ideally it would have had a limber hole below the drip pan for any water to work it’s way to the bilge without compromising the drip pan.
I just put a plug into the hole and check the pan regularly but it’s a design flaw which I would certainly address if I was at the design and install phase as you are now.

[John Stone]

Jim
My plan is to do exactly as you suggest. The drip catch for the stuffing box is separate. It will be Directly under the stuffing box then plumbed into the grey water tank which is under the sole opposite the ice box/chart table. There will be about a 4-5” gap between the drip catch and the aft end of the engine drip pan which starts just aft of the tranny then extends to the front of the engine. Tilted down at the forward end and dammed but without a drain. Nothing goes into the bilge. I want it to remain as dry and clean as it has for the last five years.

If you have additional ideas please send them along.

[John Stone]

I was back at the boat today. I spent about an hour sitting on the sole with my feet dangling down in the engine compartment bilge just thinking about the options for stowing the storm anchor in that compartment and especially the 35-40 lb shank below the planned drip pan. I didn’t think I would be able to lever it under the pan and into the bracket. With the pan in place there will be very limited access. So I mused on that for a while and it occurred to me there was another way.... And, that was along side the starboard outboard side of the engine bed. But, the shank is so long (about 44”) that it would extend all the way back past the floor and over the walnut sole behind the engine. I decided if I cut a notch in the floor (the vertical framing for the beam that supports the sole, as well as a slot in the walnut sole, it would fit. Yes, the shank would have to rise up through the sole....choices and compromises.

I would have preferred to stow it lower down in the boat and right on the centerline. But, this new location is only 14”’off centerline and maybe 12” higher up than the other position. The good news is I think I can stow the heavy fluke part of the Luke below the drip pan as it is a bit more compact and easier to manage. Also I need to compensate for the 140 lbs of diesel fuel about 24” from the centerline in the port side. Which will not completely offset removing the 110lb outboard from the port quarter. So, it’s going to all work out.

Once I made up my mind, I cut a slot for the shank in the vertical floor. It looked good. I drilled a hole for the stock next to it. Then, I made a doorskin template for the layout marks for cutting the slot in the walnut sole. I like to be as precise as I can and templates done properly are quite accurate. Yes, the shank will pass up through the sole but only about 5” long and an inch high. Not going to have much of an impact. And the new position will mean if I need to get the storm anchor quick it will be faster and simpler to do so.

As I worked on the Far Reach the past few months the stowage solution for the big Luke had often been on my mind. I was confident the right solution would reveal itself to me if I did not rush it. Getting in a hurry almost always leads to disappointment.

I’ll need to build a robust bracket for the forward end that allows the stock and shank to be securely locked into position. There is still plenty of room for the seacock.

MTF.

[John Stone]

Made a template with 3/8” ply for the bracket that will secure the forward end of the 70 lb Luke storm anchor stock and shank. Transferred and refined the design to 3/4” manufactured fiberglass sheet. Epoxied it in place with thickened epoxy fillet.