Update-Project completed!
Well the engine replacement has been completed. I sailed the boat home from its winter storage yard to its home base last Sunday. The engine saw maybe 2 hours of run time. I just re-torqued the head gasket and adjusted the valves again this evening. A re-power project is not for the faint of heart. It required the most time and effort of any project yet on the boat. I've literally done nothing but work on the boat in each spare hour since this began.
In the pics you will see the stainless steel engine mount plates. They are 1/4 304 stainless with nuts welded on the bottom for the engine mount bolts and then through-tapped to finish. They were inlet into the engine rails with a router, bedded in thickened epoxy and fastened with 4 lag screws each. This allows adjustment of the engine alignment without disturbing the mount integrity. Overkill? Maybe, but certainly bulletproof. This is the permanent cure for stripped holes in engine mounting rails.
The entire engine space, the access panels, etc. was painted and covered with 1" thick Soundown brand acoustic insulation. Needed almost 36 sq/ft to do it and that is not counting the aft/stbd access panel that still needs to be done. The engine noise has easily been reduced by half. Motoring is now quite pleasant. Most places sell Soundown in a kit with silly attachment needles and spray adhesive. Defender, etc. has a 12sq/ft kit for @$120 I found
www.cyberbridgemarine.com has 36sq/ft for $160. Use 3M 08090 spray adhesive and 1 1/4" #6 stainless screws with fender washers to attach it. Don't follow the 3M directions just coat both the wall and the insulation once, let dry for a few minutes, coat again and install it all with the adhesive WET, not dry. Works like a charm. Its a royal PITA but worth it. The "hint" on how to do this the easy way is to make paper templates and transfer it to the insulation. The insulation is difficult to cut and heavy so trust me on this.
The original Universal 5432 had 1 1/2" exhaust hose and the actual transom thru-hull was only 1". I replaced the Vernalift muffler with #1500264, thats 2" in and out, 2" hose off the engine and all the way to the transom to a true 2" thru-hull. The engine sounds very different now and runs wide open under load with almost no smoke.
The 5432 had a piece of coolant hose that makes a very sharp 90* bend as the coolant exits the thermostat housing and enters the exhaust manifold. My old engine and the "new" one both had a significant "kink" in this hose that reduced the ID by at least 50% due to the tight bend. I replaced this hose with a 90* copper plumbing fitting and two short sections of hose to correct this.
The thermostat is new and I cannot get the engine to run hotter than 155* no matter how hard I push it. I had already moved the water heater coolant feed/return to the bypass hose ports. I'm guessing improved coolant flow and reduced exhaust backpressure is the reason.
I used regular automotive Chevy blue spray paint on the engine. I really hate that damned Universal gold color. The black bits on the engine are POR-15 engine paint, brushed on, after everything was sandblasted, degreased, metal etched, etc. Actual POR-15 anti-rust paint was used on the oil pan and the shaft coupler. Any corroded bolts/nuts were replaced with new ordered through McMaster-Carr.
Engine space was painted with Interlux Bilgekote. White for the pan and grey on the walls. The fumes from the stuff is hellacious. Wear a respirator.
Heres a list of things done:
-New engine mounts
-New stuffing box
-New damper plate
-Rebuilt transmission
-Disassemble, check over, reassemble/new gaskets, clean, paint, detail, etc. "new" used engine
-Paint engine space
-Sound insulate engine space
-Remove old wiring and clean up/reoganize existing wiring.
-Install new fuel pump
-Complete new exhaust system
-Reorganize/reroute all engine space plumbing
-Align engine
-Install new feathering Variprop
There are a few small odds-n-ends to do but its operational. The engine performs extremely well, no leaks, no issues, starts immediately, etc. I ran it very hard, at 2600rpm for 45minutes as a test. It actually seemed happy to run like that.
I can't say I recommend this sort of project but if you have to do it, well, it can be done, its just not a lot of fun, especially with a deadline.
Enjoy the pics.
RT