Engine Installation

This step has been delayed by worker injuries and illness, as well as another boat that needed way more work than planned before it could get out of the lift and out of our way, but today (Sept. 8) our new engines were placed in the boat.  They were fitted onto the spline shaft coming out of the transmission and bolted into place to the transmission flange.  The fronts of the engines are temporarily resting on wooden blocks atop the main stringers.  They will stay that way for a couple weeks while the boat does any flexing to accommodate their weight.  I’m sure it won’t be much, but the tolerance for aligning the engines with the propeller shafts is only .003 inch, so we want the wood to be where it’s going to stay before installing the front engine mounts and making those adjustments.

Here the crane picks up the first engine, for the port side.  The engines are mostly identical, but the dipstick location on this engine allows the oil to be checked from the front, while the dipstick on the other engine will be situated to be checked from the center aisle way.  We'll need this engine located to port so we have access to the dipstick.

The port engine is lowered through the roof.  Sealing this hatch and making it disappear with epoxy, sanding and a paint job is just one of the many tasks ahead of us.  This section of the boat hasn’t been washed since we opened the hatch in June, and several layers of I-5 freeway dust have accumulated.

  

Once through the hatch, the engine is rotated 90 degrees to line up with its new home.  Here the engine is hovering in the main salon, and both the lifting crane and Ray can be seen in the reflection in the window.

Jorgen aligns the bell housing to the transmission plate before the engine is lowered into place.

 

Once close to being in place, the engine is lowered manually with the come-along until it is in alignment with the transmission flange and spline shaft.

 

The engine is then moved back an inch or so while being rocked, until it slips onto the spline.  We purchased adapter plates earlier that match the transmission and bolted them to the flywheel.  These plates are similar to a clutch plate in a car, but they allow for up to 10 degrees of flex – this is especially important as its easier on the transmission when engaging the gears, and we’re using our original, 40 year old transmissions.

 

With the weight still supported by the crane, the mechanic bolts the rear of the engine onto the flange.  There are 12 bolts in a circle around the engine’s bell housing.  Measurements are then taken of the distance from the front engine mounting wing down to the stringer and a wooden block is cut to place there.  Then the weight is transferred to the boat and the cable and chains are lifted out to go pick up the other engine.

  

The entire process is repeated for the Starboard engine.

Looking into the engine room from the galley, it’s apparent there will be quite a bit more elbow room.  Even though the crankshaft is at the same elevation as the old engines, aligned with the transmissions, there is a lot more clearance under these engines and the mounts are higher.  New front motor mounts will be fashioned and welded so that they fully engage the stringers.  Until then, the engines will rest on the temporary blocks while the boat stretches to accommodate their weight.

Once both engines were secure, the two mechanics poled and walked the boat back around the dock to our moorage.  Note the cut out roof hatch is still on the foredeck. 

There are so many things to do and connect before these engines are ready to go that I’ve made a list, and I’ll even have to check it twice as tasks are completed for each engine.  Even though the motor mounts aren’t there yet, we can now proceed with connecting fuel and water lines, electrical connections, exhaust hoses and so forth.  It’s the ‘so forth’ that’ll probably get us!