April 1, 2022

Holby 3

Friday

Continuing, I removed the various wires from the engine wire harness from the gauges and so forth where they were connected, then pulled out the remainder of the harness and key switch.  Beneath the helm, I secured the long, small hose, which I’d pulled through the conduit, leftover from a venturi/pitot tube speed indicator (long removed), as I wasn’t sure if this would be needed again.

Next, I removed the bolts securing the steering cable to the back side of the helm, then pulled the cable out from the aft end of the conduit.

I removed the end fitting and bellows from the aft end of the steering cable, but then found I couldn’t pull the cable out from the aft end of the jet drive as I’d hoped (at least not yet), as there was another nut securing the cable from the forward (inaccessible) side of the clamping opening on the drive housing.  Though the cable was semi-frozen in the aluminum housing, I was able to free it with little difficulty, but the inside nut was too deep within for me to manipulate, and was frozen enough that turning by hand wasn’t possible.  This nut would have to come off before I could remove the cable in either direction.   Worst-case, the cable would come out at the same time I removed the jet drive once the engine was out, but, hope spring eternal, I doused it in penetrating solvent and left it to sit for the weekend.

That was all the time I had for the day, but I felt like I’d reached a better stopping point that at the EOB the day before.

Total time billed on this job today: 1.25 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 49°, fog and drizzle. Forecast for the day: Showers likely, 57°.