110 Cookson Lane | Whitefield, ME 04353 | 207-232-7600 | tim@lackeysailing.com
Summer Song | Tuesday, December 17, 2013
With a new engine on the way and slated to be a significant part of this round of the project, I started on the removal of the old scary monster lurking within the engine room, an ancient and amusingly massive Bukh that had performed yeoman service, but was ready for retirement.
To begin, I removed the propeller, using a puller to ease it of the taper.
Next, I removed the batteries and battery box for better access to the starboard aft side of the engine room, and removed panels between the cockpit lockers and engine space for access from both sides.
The old engine controls were split between both sides of the cockpit well, and I removed the cables and wiring from both sides as needed, along with the old enclosures.
At the aft end of the cockpit, I removed an old wooden panel containing engine gauges; the wooden framework behind was well rotted.
The old exhaust would need to be upgraded along with the new engine, so I removed the old hoses and waterlift muffler, along with the platforms on which the muffler rested, for better access to other areas of the aft end of the engine room.
While I was cozily ensconced in the cockpit locker, I removed various control cable clamps and, where possible, the cables themselves from the engine; I left a couple of the decompression cables in place since access was challenging to their engine-side connection, but I'd get those off once I pulled the engine forward a little later. Also, I removed the bolts--three of the four--securing the after pair of engine mounts. The fourth one would require access from the forward side in order to hold the nut from spinning.
I also took care of the bolts securing the shaft coupling to the engine, breaking this connection to free the engine for removal, and snipped or disconnected any wires as needed.
Back at the forward side of the engine room, I turned to the various ancillary installations that I needed to clear out to provide better access for the final engine removal. This included the alternator, raw water strainer and hoses, fuel pump, fuel filter, and fresh water cooling pump, hoses, and heat exchanger. These systems were either obsolete, in the way, or due to be upgraded along with the new engine, so out they must go.
Bit by bit, and working carefully to avoid fluid spills that might damage finished parts of the boat, I removed these components, eventually clearing the space on each side of the engine by quitting time.
Total Time Billed on This Job Today: 7.25
