paulonboat
Paul Crowder
I purchased a 1982-E36-RonHolland last October. The prop strut is loose: with sideways pressure it will move about 1/8" to starboard, then return when the pressure is released.
Does anyone have a drawing of the shape of the strut and how it is installed. It appears to be glassed in, with no apparent bolts.
The engine is a Universal Diesel 3-cylinder, mounted with only 3 engine mounts: 1 center-forward; and 1 on each side. The forward mount was broken (rubber had separated) and was held in place by only one bolt, (the other was a lag bolt hanging in mid-air).
The forward mount has now been replaced and securely mounted after first epoxying the stringer to bring the surface back up to flush. (The vibration had worn a footprint of the old, probably original, mount about 1/8" into the stringer.)
The new mount has significantly reduced vibration. Now, vibration from the 'moveable' strut must be eliminated.
I'm told that usually these struts were glassed in place, and that the best way to re-bed one is to grind out the glass below and above the strut mounting plate, then re-glass.
A simpler, but perhaps not as 'permanent' or solid a repair, would be to simply grind away the glass from below the strut mounting plate, then re-fill the space with epoxy. The potential problem with this simpler approach is that the heat given off by the curing epoxy would attract surrounding moisture, thereby preventing a 'secure' bond of new material to old material.
Another problem, which may be related to the loose strut, is that when under power and moving forward there is a substantial 'pull' to port: with the steering-wheel brake fully released, and no hand on the wheel, the wheel turns fully to port. This suggests that the prop/shaft is too far to starboard, causing more prop wash to pass on the starboard side of the rudder.
Anyone have experience (and solutions) with either of these problems?
Thanks
Paul
<!-- / message --><!-- controls -->
Does anyone have a drawing of the shape of the strut and how it is installed. It appears to be glassed in, with no apparent bolts.
The engine is a Universal Diesel 3-cylinder, mounted with only 3 engine mounts: 1 center-forward; and 1 on each side. The forward mount was broken (rubber had separated) and was held in place by only one bolt, (the other was a lag bolt hanging in mid-air).
The forward mount has now been replaced and securely mounted after first epoxying the stringer to bring the surface back up to flush. (The vibration had worn a footprint of the old, probably original, mount about 1/8" into the stringer.)
The new mount has significantly reduced vibration. Now, vibration from the 'moveable' strut must be eliminated.
I'm told that usually these struts were glassed in place, and that the best way to re-bed one is to grind out the glass below and above the strut mounting plate, then re-glass.
A simpler, but perhaps not as 'permanent' or solid a repair, would be to simply grind away the glass from below the strut mounting plate, then re-fill the space with epoxy. The potential problem with this simpler approach is that the heat given off by the curing epoxy would attract surrounding moisture, thereby preventing a 'secure' bond of new material to old material.
Another problem, which may be related to the loose strut, is that when under power and moving forward there is a substantial 'pull' to port: with the steering-wheel brake fully released, and no hand on the wheel, the wheel turns fully to port. This suggests that the prop/shaft is too far to starboard, causing more prop wash to pass on the starboard side of the rudder.
Anyone have experience (and solutions) with either of these problems?
Thanks
Paul
<!-- / message --><!-- controls -->