12 year olds rebuild

[UsailIbail!]

Bad News...

Tonight, after we took the cylinders apart, we found out that the engine overheated and melted a whole throught the sleeve and the wall . so baisically, the block is useless.

Thanks for all the support,

Jay and Ebben

[ndutton]

Wow, disappointing.

Is there a plan B?

[UsailIbail!]

We'd love to stumble into a new block (or engine) on the cheap, if anyone finds one, PLEASE let us know...

Ebben and Jay

[ndutton]

May I ask?

What was your rebuild budget for this engine?

[UsailIbail!]

my dad said the engine was looking good, so we were hoping it was just some bearings, but a half-inch by 1 inch hole is just to much, I don't really know what to do...

[msauntry]

Hang in there and let's see if someone on the forum can scrounge up a donor engine. You're located where again?

[hanleyclifford]

Not so fast

I had an engine resleeved to standard once that had daylight showing. Post us a picture.

[ndutton]

Yeah, it's a tough realization right now. But be patient. You strike me as a very resourceful young man and I have a feeling this will still turn out to be a positive experience. Sometimes the right deal takes a while to come along.

I've had some luck searching out salvage deals in the deep south hurricane states. Found a guy parting out a totaled Catalina 30 a few years ago and bought a full pedestal steering system and 2 Lewmar self tailing winches for $700.

[UsailIbail!]

Hip.. Hip... Hooray$%^& ughhh!

I'm posting this for Ebben... I just found him having fallen asleep listening to a recording he made of Click & Clacks "Car Talk". I have to give him credit... he worked on the Atomic many nights after school over the past few weeks. I'd read ahead in Moyers Bible (as we named it) and figure out the tricky parts and then I'd relay to him the details... I'd go to work and come home and Ebben would have done whatever he could!

If the photos upload at all.. the first is of him having made it to the elusive crank. The photo was taken by a very proud dad! The second photo was taken about an hour or so later... I found I could stick my finger right through the hole from outside the cylinder.

Most of the motor seemed salvageable so this was quite a last minute bummer. We really didn't have a budget in mind.... I'm a fireman with lots of drive to work with Ebben to do a nice restoration on his boat but we need to work with a very small sailors budget. I was prepared to purchase bearings, pistons, and a few other items plus some machine work as needed but this may take a while for us to figure out!

Thanks for all your kind words and help recently.... We both check the site often for inspiration and answers. We are curious to hear thoughts about the sleeves. Is there anyway you can re-sleeve a cylinder even when there is little behind it in an area to back it up? I just looked at the piston sizes and they are stamped 2.5593 - I am not sure if that is oversized already or not?

Thanks again for the help... Good night from both of us!

ps. now that I think about it maybe this is a sign that all of the cylinders are close to the point of failure?

If you have not seen his $1.00 Ericson you can find a link on the #30 post (above). At last count we have roughly a dozen holes in the hull to patch, a couple of dents in the mast to cut out and repair... ohhh the list is long! but hey we got noth'n but time!

[hanleyclifford]

Still a question

From the look of those pictures it is not possible to say for sure if the block can be resleeved. Certainly everything else looks good and I cannot see the casting on the other side of the breach. When looking at the picture in post #18 I thought I saw the crack that may be on the other side of the break but I couldn't be sure. I would not write that block off yet. It should be seen by a competent and resourceful machine shop. Remember the compression on these engines is low and the rigidity requirements for any internal repair would be below those of modern high compression engines. Meanwhile get those rod caps back on where they belong and keep all parts organized for reuse. Remember what Yogi said, "...it ain't over til it's over..." Regards, Hanley

[ndutton]

Hey Ebben,

You might start a conversation with this guy (first post)

http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4586

[lat 64]

Fawkes

I need a new name for my boat...

Attach your answer to a rebuildable BRASS zenith updraft carbeurator and send it to Naming Contest c/o E Whitehair 1173 New Boston Rd. Norwich, Vt. 05055

A picture of the boat is attached.

A name for the boat "Fawkes"
A phoenix reborn from the ashes.

Think of all the cool graphics for the transom.

I have two rebuildable aluminum carb cores. I'll get them back from the guy that borrowed them soon.

Russ

[UsailIbail!]

"Fawkes"

Fawkes is a wonderful name... and has my (dads) vote! You are right about the graphics too.

Ebben... think of classy names like this. Be proud of your hard work!

It may be early to be thinking of a name with all the work ahead of us, but we are going to get this boat in the water within 2 years! We have the interior mostly gutted at this time.

[UsailIbail!]

New Photos

Hi All,

Here are a few new photos of Ebben's blown cylinder. We are still wondering if it is possible to re-sleeve all the cylinders and what should we expect roughly to pay for such work? We have a new lead on another motor but have not thrown this over the rail (yet). I know this would need at least a piston or two and bearings and machine work to thread manifold bolts, a carb etc. We may just be scrapping it but have yet to accept the doomsday theory. We love the work... but need to keep the costs low, as this is a TINY fraction of his over-all Ericson mom-thinks-we're-nuts restoration.

On the bottom right photo there is a second hole, at least as large as the one you can see.. in the white powdered area to the right.

In the bottom left photo - the hole is up where all the mung settled. I think this motor was never flushed. Might the holes have been burned through? or do you think they may have been the effects of salt water left on the piston head for 4 years. Ugh.

Our 2nd adopted tag-line is "The junk-yard is for quitters!"

Thoughts?


Jay

[hanleyclifford]

The large hole in the cylinder wall, #2 I believe, is too low to be exposed to the top of the piston even at the bottom of it's stroke so I don't think the damage came from the inside. More likely is that the damsge is the result of salt water blasting from the inside of the water jacket side. It is probable that this engine continued to run despite this breach although considerable water would have been getting into the crankcase. It would be instructive to see the back side of the inlet fitting of the water jacket cover. Is there any deflection or distribution of the water input or did it just blast straight into the space between #2 and #3? Your suggestion that this engine was never flushed is probably correct. With what I can see it looks like this block can be saved but only with about $400-$500 worth of machine work and on top of that at least one piston. My seat of pants guess is that you will spent $1000 to get this engine back into service. Neil has suggested that you look into the engine to be available in Annapolis, and I concur. Of course the engine I offered to you will remain an option. Regards, Hanley