Trip 70 - Thursday Evening - May 7th

As much as last week, was a week I would rather forget (Mon-Fri), this week made up for it.

I spent Monday afternoon with my daughter Teri and we went out west to visit Ted's grave on his 37th birthday and I also showed her the hotspots of her lineage on my side.

Where Ole and Guri made their first home, a sod hut dug into the hillside and later, the foundation for their Big House. Then the rolling hills of Emil and Ingar's farm and where my father skied down the Munson Hill and flew over a hundred feet in the air. Then, as his sister Margaret stated, you could stand at Dad's porch and see my mother's farmplace. So we drove past the farm and house where my mother was born. Lake Linka, Scandinavian and Gilchrist and Torge's resort were also nearby.

All roads lead to Swift Falls, and Shepherd of The Hills Cemetery. It is a Peaceful place set into the hillsides of a small park and brook formed from the ever present dam of that small town. I showed her where the bank was, the cafe, general store, flour mill, creamery, reservoir and spillway that fed the turbine - now enshrined in the park.

Then to Benson and the house my parents built and the others I grew up in. Dinner with my brother Randy and his wife Angie, and back home we went.

A very full and meaningful day it was.

+++

Got the head back Tuesday and on it went. Then, spent four hours trying to get the Fuel Injector Pump in time with the crank. After that, progress was made.

Then, down to Lake City and continue to button up the bottom.

Some simple minded stats. I have posted 88 pages. 2,796 images - most of very dubious quality and intent. Made 70 trips to Lake City to repair, sail or simply set about. The engine decals came from Australia. Two shipments of engine parts from England. Another for the stock ignition switch now sold for an Allis Chalmers tractor (from England). A rebuilt injector from England. Five alternators before I found the right one. A machine shop in Cannon Falls and their superb work. Parts from Vermont, California, Illinois, New York, South Carolina, Ohio and Texas.

Sailed 16x last summer beginning the second week of August and one final motor about the lake. And never made it more than eight miles from port.

Some of you have written and said you enjoy these posts. Each takes about 2-3 hours to complete and I truly enjoy doing them for you.

So, here is the latest ...

 

The valves have been recessed into their seats by another 0.015". This took care of them touching the piston.

 

Timing the engine.

This unit is timed by rotating the flywheel, in turn the cam that drives the fuel injector pump to deliver the fuel. This is accomplished by removing a few parts from the pump and then flowing fuel thru it, rotating the flywheel slowly and then noting when the fuel stops its flow. Which then is the beginning of the compression stroke to open the injector at 2500psi and squirt the fuel into the combustion chamber.

The top image is marked at top dead center, the lower one is where we start the rotation, at about 90 degrees before that.

 

I have removed the pieces from inside and hung a cup from the nipple to catch the fuel.

 

 

I used a turkey baster (purchased for The Boate) for the fuel.

 

Here is the cam that rotates and pushes the barrel of the pump into the body.

 

The roller bearing that rides against the cam. Note the spots of corrosion. The first test I made, the plunger got stuck in the barrel due to the rust. I worked it in and out and freed it up.

 

I simply could not get the fuel to stop flowing. No matter what I did or how carefully I did it.

The instructions stated to move this lever to the Run position. After the two failures, I spotted where Run was, and corrected that. #3 was a failure too. Take all apart once more.

 

After three more disasters, and alot of frustration, I looked inside the unit and tried to find an alternative method that would get me close. The top image, the red circle is the piston that goes from the back forward and compresses the fuel.

The second, the line indicates a small hole that lets the fuel in.

Duuh, if I rotate the crank enough to move the piston over the hole, would that not stop the fuel?

And, it is times at 30 degrees before top dead centre, and guess what, time after time, if I slowly did the process, the flywheel marks were thirty degrees.

Good enough for me.

 

More parts hung. I intend to paint the block blue and the plumbing and nuts and bolts clear lacquer.

 

How to pop a stud back in? Tighten on nut to the other and run it right in.

 

Taking shape. Time to put the oil pan on ...

 

I cleaned the strainer which did have some crud in it. Got id of the stains with lacquer thinner from a spray bottle. Handy.

 

All uncovered, waiting for the water.

 

I made the top of the plug smooth again.

 

Every first time I come up the companionway, I crack my head good on the mast. It really hurts bad, it does.

 

The outside of the plug, all smoothed up.

 

This time I measured from the outside. Both from the keel and from a spot on the keel - ahead.

 

The dotted line is the center of the new hole.

 

The circled area is the center of the new hole. I checked and rechecked this spot at least a dozen times.

 

One more of these rubber thingys. I found dozens of these inside.

 

The new hole, almost thru.

 

Done.

 

The new thru-hull seacock for the water to flush the head. These will be accessed thru the panel at the bottom of the image.

 

The seacock for the galley sink and cooler and sink in the head. Instead of the original clumsy factory location, we will access it thru the hatch indicated by red.

 

Mounted the shaft and the new seal. The stainless collar is placed on the shaft and fits against the graphite on the bellows. No more drips, no more leaks from this area.

 

Once again, a clean bilge.

 

Instruments of Torture.

 

Sunset ...

 

A Boat Repairman again ...

 

On the way home ...

 

Later ...