YSB8 Removal

[jneely]

I am contemplating having the Yanmar YSB8 engine on our CD27 rebuilt over the winter. (I have a friend who will do it for free.) My question is can the YSB8 be removed from a Cape Dory 27 without cutting any fiberglass?

[mgphl52]

I've not owned a CD27, but I have had a "not so good" boat yard shift my MD7A forward into the cabins because they were too incompetent to properly disconnect the drive shaft for a cutlass bearing replacement!

So, with out having owned a CD27 before, I still cannot see any reason for fiberglass "abuse" from removing your engine.

[fmueller]

Replaced my YSB a few years ago (well, a hired mechanic did, but I did lend a hand) and it came out of my 27 fairly easily with a few of the ancillary parts removed before it was lifted out of the engine bay via a 3/4" rope and fork lift. There was a little interference but not enough to significantly damage the bay opening. Without removing the alternator, air filter, exhaust riser, and a few other items it would be nearly impossible I think. We just removed what we could right off the bat.

When the new motor went in it was significantly stripped as well.

Here is a shot of the YSB just after extraction. And the new block going in. The guys actually put the new block in and out quite a few times to check for fit and then have the bay clear to do additional modifications to the bay.

The critical part of the operation is the actual mechanism you've got to do the lifting ... (not everyone has a forklift available). There are many ways to use a block and fall - but you've really got to be careful about the structure you are attaching the b/f to. It's like blocking up a car, if the lift fails the consequences can be drastic or even fatal. The good part IMHO is that an 8 h.p. engine is just not all that heavy (250 lbs.) ... the lifting method becomes critical when the motor is heavier. I would not use the boom even braced with lumber, even with a YSB 8. If I had to do this in my driveway I'd get standard scaffolding (rent), build a bridge over the boat and clamp a short span of 4x4 horizontally above the companionway and hang a chain hoist from that.


cheers

[fmueller]

more pix

[jneely]

Thanks for the useful information. Did you replace the motor mounts? Any recommendations for a new instrument panel?

[fmueller]

Yes ... the Beta came with mounts, but in the pix with Nels Larsen (the mechanic) they have been removed and were in position on the rebuilt stringers in the bay.

Nels has a boat build resume that is eye popping.

I fit a new Beta control panel. Have no idea how you would find an old functioning YSB or replacement panel except by luck on EBay.

I gave the old motor to Nels who is on faculty at the Landing School in Newport, and he took it for rebuilding practice at that school.

This was a complete install ... new tank, shaft, cutlass, PSS shaft seal, throttle/shifter, exhaust, and prop. Kept the old Racor water separator/filter.

For anyone reading this in the future, keeping the old YSB engine pan is highly desirable, and all that it requires (for a Beta 14) is to build up the forward stringers and ignore the canted YSB rear engine cradle mounts. I forget the exact thickness. I think is was 1 1/4" but there is some leeway. We used G10. The pan catches anything that leaks out of the motor including just oil and coolant which always escapes somehow in just normal procedures, but is a great "early warning" visual catch-all for small problems which (unnoticed draining into the bilge) might become big ...

The boat was in my son's shop @ Carbon Ocean Yachts, Tupelo Rd. Bristol RI.

[jneely]

Thanks. More useful info there.