Rebuilding engine access

[patrscoe]

I really do not like the access method to my diesel engine within the 34-2 design. You have to remove the entire one piece cowl behind the stairs built from laminated teak, find a place for it within the cabin (along with the teak steps) that is not in the way while you are working on the engine and it is secured by hardware that raddles. Just seems like there should be a better means of access the engine that is not so cumbersome. I saw that another Ericson model had a teak wood frame around the engine access behind the cabin steps and teak panels that you can remove individually from the top and front. This is similar to my previous sailboat and if you needed to work on the front of the engine, you only needed to pull the front access teak panel.

Has anyone made this modification?

 

[nquigley]

I agree its inconvenient - especially finding a place for the 'box' (I prop my ladder against the stove). Can't imagine what it would be like in a seaway.
I guess one could cut a panel out of the sloping front side (leaving just the edges intact for stability of the rest of the box), and attach it to the box with some barrel bolts. You'd want to add overlapping sound-proofing across the new gaps around that panel.
But, I wonder what sorts of regular maintenance/checks one would do just at the front of the engine to justify this mod.
My fuel filters are accessed from the sides of my engine - I could probably also do an oil filter change via the port side access panel if necessary.

 

[Kenneth K]

Has anyone made this modification?

No, but it sure would be nice. Like nquigley, I lay the ladder up against the stove, but the Box is always in the way. And then I can't climb over it, or the saloon table to get to tools that I store forward. This usually marks the first, but not last, outburst of swearing.

Come to think of it though, all of the latches are on the forward two-sided piece. So that piece would probably lock in place securely without the side piece. The hard part would be finding a quick-release method to secure the side piece to the front one. If it took a screwdriver to remove, I'd just be back to my usual swearing.

 

[Tom Metzger]

I put the ladder in the doorway to the aft cabin so it couldn't fall, and the engine cover against the starboard settee. I could still get past it if necessary.

The one improvement (fix) I made was to put gussets to support the angle. As built there is a lot of leverage and little support. I really thought the teak and holly added a lot of class to the boat.

 

[patrscoe]

This is a Ericson 380 engine compartment access. The ladder is a two piece, which I would not do.

I probably have two many projects going right now that I need to finish before early spring splash but as per Kenneth K comments, that has happen to me a few times.
I had some fuel line and air issues this past fall and I spent too many hours working on the engine and trying to eliminate the problem, getting frustrated and I felt that no matter where I put the teak box, it was always in the way of access tools or certain parts of the sailboat. Only place where I thought it would not be in the way was in the water.
I may put this on my to do list for next year.

 

[Kenneth K]

Only place where I thought it would not be in the way was in the water.

I had the same thought. Unfortunately, on the 32-3, I don't think it'll fit through the companionway. ~~~Г (splash)~~~

 

[clayton]

I've got the same problem on the 32-200. I typically put the ladder (1 piece) in the aft cabin standing up and the engine cover in the head. The large one piece engine cover is a PITA to put somewhere, but it's great to have that engine access without taking apart a puzzle. The joy of tradeoffs...