I wonder just how long ........................

[Miles Offshore]

it would have been before i broke down (or worse) at sea????? As a couple of you guys know I pulled my ride last week for a mini-makeover and overhaul. I had been losing a small amount of oil into the bilge but was unable to figure out from where it was coming. Using a mirror and flashlight i was able to see some rust spots on my oil pan but no sure trace anywhere that would normally alert me as to the usual suspects- valve covers, oil pan, front oil seal etc. (rear oil seal was impossible to get to with the motor installed. BTW- the motor under my center console so its a little "tight" "in the hole". As i get a little older and after a few back surgery's I am no longer "gung-ho" about doing all of this motor yanking and back wrenching work. Besides the back it seems like I find new muscles to pull and bones to break all the time. (fun gettin old aint it). Anyways I figured that since I put this motor in myself 10 years ago it was time to pull it out , do some maintenance to it, and find/repair the oil leak, as well as seals etc. I enlisted the help of a friend who does this kind of work on the side, (he works QA for the navy and is so anal about everything it will drive you crazy at times, but that can and is... a good thing!) Although on a budget, i trust to let him go over the whole motor and other inboard sysytems for me. My plan is once I get the motor back in too bring the boat home and do some other cosmetic stuff, some glass and awlgrip work here and there to her cap and deck. The outside hull has some battle scars but the gelcoat still looks good for 28 years old so I wont mess with that. (i have got plenty of folks that will let me fish with so Im in no hurry to get her back in the water for awhile. ). So anyways I got my t-top and most of the prelim stuff done, then hauled the boat and took it away to my buds house to begin motor removal. It sure is scary letting someone else work on my ride besides myself, noone has ever done that before,(or previous rides) but its time to pay someone else whom I trust and if Im going to pay someone then Danny is the guy I want working on mine. Well I got my first report from Danny,who just got the motor out and told me that I have a broken motor mount , spongy water hoses, bubbly exhaust hoses and no sign yet off where the oil is coming from. Although we dont yet know the reason for the oil leak, what really bothers me iare those hoses. I have replaced those hoses, (salt water intake ) that run along the bottom of the bilge before, they are out of sight and somewhat "out of mind". Also since they do not handle "hot liquids"- there is not a whole lot of worry associated with them. I guess my point is that hoses laying in the bilges exposed to oil, and other contaminants- will disintigrate before you know it. Salt water intake , under the motor out of sight, can easily burst and it will be hard for even two bilge pumps to keep up with it. Also, when was the last time you cycled your seacock??? . if not recently then do it, make sure it will close and keep it in good operating order. and also check those hoses,and stuffing boxes, they can and will sink you, as has happened several times recently up and down the east coast. Dont forget those exhaust hoses and fittings as well. I have not done as much maintenance as I should have been doing the last couple of years. Oil changes and the "easy- stuff",stuff on the top and sides of the motor that dont take a whole lot of effort, I have been performing like clock-work. Broken motor mount too, who knows how long has it been broken??? By the way the metal looks,it has been broken a while it appears. Motor has been running great though- I guess Im lucky my shaft didnt get bowed or something. Most of this stuff doesnt really concern you outboard guys,(you still can take some lessons learned though) but for the inboard crowd , we all know that no matter the size of the boat, no matter the size or type of the motor- there is never any room to get around and inspect everything on your power plant very easily. They are just designed to drop the motor in and run- forget trying to work on them,lol. Ya gotta do it though, you never know.........if not for that little oil leak i guess I could had been in some trouble sooner or later- maybe sooner than later- if not for that little warning sign that maintenance was, and is needed. Well, I am sure it is not only me, i would much rather fish than lay in the bilge in sub freezing or 100° day's, i know that I better stop being so damn lazy and start paying more attention to the small things, anything that needs fixing or replacing. things that make the difference between an enjoyable day with buds and screaming drags, or the other not so pleasant kind of days-we are gonna run the motor in the shop this week and see if we can find that oil leak- i i still suspect now the rear oil seal or oil pan, then fix and replace anything that is even marginally bad, ill shoot a few pix of the rebuild (motor and improvements to the boat)if anyone is interested- I plan on doing it for the classic seacraft site anyways, but dont want to bore anyone over here. peace- and be safe out there!!!! craig

[frankypettolina]

Miles,

You make alot of good points that people don't think of. When I survey a boat, it is often surprising how many people don't notice bad hoses, missing clamps, worn belts etc etc etc. I always recommend to look at your boat as if you have never seen it before every 2 weeks or so. You would be amazed at what pops up. Same thing with seacocks/ball valves. I look at some that I know haven't been moved in years. Another good piece of advice is to have tapered wooden plugs of appropriate sizes ready to plug a failed through hull. I have at least one client who save his boat offshore due to having these plugs.

As far as hoses, I am finding even on big climate controlled engine rooms, 3 years is about norm for rot to start. At minimum replace ALL hoses every 5 years. I look at newer boats all the time and see a 2 year old boat that has worn hoses in the engine compartment. This, in my opinion, is mostly due to the heat generated by cramming 800 to 1000 horsepower engines into a space that used to hold 500 to 700 hp engines. Same can be said on smaller boats. Most 35 ish foot boats are coming with 480 to 600 hp engines now, wow! Lots of heat generated in even a tighter space. Also, when looking at hoses in the engine compartment, don't limit yourself to the ones attached to the engines. AC, bilge pump, water pump, baitwells, you name it, can suffer from the same problems.

And last but not least, especially for you guys that don't get to use your boat alot. Check your fluids before you go (even if you checked them when you got in last week) leaks can develop and drain lube or coolant may have leaked out since you last looked.

Even more last than last but not least, check your float switches at least once a month, if not more. The manual switches too.

If there are some requests, I will post examples of survey findings from unique to common. That may help everybody out.

[anthony]

Franky, I for one would love for you to post some up. I think a lot can be learned from the things you have seen in the surveys you perform. Oh, and Miles Offshore...great post!

[Proheat]

Franky, I for one would love for you to post some up. I think a lot can be learned from the things you have seen in the surveys you perform. Oh, and Miles Offshore...great post!

I Second It!

Franky- you also word your posts very well- I guess it is from wording your survey reports. I'd like to see some pics also!

Miles- Good luck with your project! Great post here!

[HOLWACHAGOT]

Interesting report miles. Look forward to the updates and pics.

Franky, I would appreciate some survey results as well.

Both of you are an easy read.

[Bert Rodgers]

A simple and essential saftey tip. Make and keep a checklist on board.

Bert

[Miles Offshore]

thanx for the positive comments guyz- i'll be posting more soon- craig

[frankypettolina]

Hey guys,

I kind of forgot about this thread until a minute ago. It is the busy time of year for surveying, but I will make an effort after this weekend to put up a "best of" survey findings list. it will probably save everyone some aggravation in the big picture.

[WAHOONBOX]

MILES THIS IS ONE OF YOUR BETTER ONES!!! I TIP EM TWICE TO YA!! I'LL BE SURVEYING MY MESS TOMORROW WITH YOUR ADVICE!!! THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE A POST OF SUCH VAST WEALTH!

FRANKY......I KNOW YOU ARE WRAPPED UP BUT WHEN YA GET A CHANCE....WE ARE ALL STANDING BY


WORLD CLASS GENTLEMEN ....WORLD CLASS

[Deep C]

Good topic... Just how long til something breaks is always running through my mind. I was a wreck after all the troubles I had with my boat last and early this year. Although I'm reasonably sure that we got most of the bugs worked out. I just handed my mechanic a two page typewritten work order to go over every hose, hoseclamp, through hull, electrical connector, belt, pipe in my whole boat this summer while I'm up north this summer. Pull the engines out and change every question mark the come across... Rewire the whole damn thing if need be.
That way... "How long" will at least be farther off.