Drive train job nearly finished or... ?

[CalebD]

This should be sort of like a game. I'll post a picture of my nearly refinished drive train overhaul and we'll figure out what is wrong in each photo. OK?

Photo #1: Prop, new zinc (that never fit before), new shaft. What is wrong with this photo?

[CalebD]

Photo #1

Besides the dirty fingerprints on my newly painted prop it seems that the split pin or cotter pin is not spread. The pin will fall out without spreading it's legs.

[CalebD]

Photo #2

Shiny new stainless shaft and refurbished stuffing box. Brand new shaft log hose and hose clamps but the inside of the hull is still dirty! What lazy baztard did this work? He even installed a rusty clamp on the new hose? (My boat partner thought the old clamps were beefier then the general purpose ones.)
I've got to at least vacuum this area out and it would be good to give it a very nice cleaning, if not painting.

[CalebD]

Photo #3

New SS shaft connected to old coupling and output flange on the engine. What is wrong with this pic beyond the dirty conditions you see in the bilge?

Well, for starters the set pin on the coupling is not wired at all. The set screw should not be able to back out and allow the shaft to fall out of the boat.

[CalebD]

Photo #4

OK. So that is not part of the drive train but is the raw water cooling pump.
One problem with that picture is that the back of the pump is not screwed in with the thumb screws.
Boats and auxiliary engines always offer educational opportunities.

[sastanley]

Nice update Caleb...That old prop turned out pretty good!

Isn't it funny how you get all excited about your project and want to snap all these pictures and then realize you aren't really done yet.

[msmith10]

Nice job on the overhaul. I envy the space around your stuffing box.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Hard to see in photo #1 but the nuts could possibly come loose and back off ~1/8" to the pin? You used locktight or some such thing to prevent this I presume.

TRUE GRIT

[ndutton]

In the first picture I see something other than the cotter pin that you might consider.

I'd lose the collar zinc and go for a prop nut zinc instead. It's recommended there be a portion of the shaft exposed between the prop hub and aft end of the bearing equal to one shaft diameter to allow space for water movement through the bearing. With your bearing in deadwood you already have less flow than us strut guys (we have both ends of the bearing exposed) and obstructing the only water access with the zinc collar can’t help.

Here's a thought but not necessarily a recommendation. The bearing in my full keel Westsail was situated similarly except that I installed a bronze shaft log. At the forward end of the log but on the wet side of the stuffing box I drilled and tapped for 3/8" NPT threads and installed a hose on a fitting. The other end of the hose was connected to a Tee in the water injection to the exhaust. This sent a portion of the engine's spent cooling water into the forward end of the shaft log under modest pressure to increase the water flow through the cutless bearing.

It was an uncommon installation and I unfortunately didn't have the boat long enough to know if it prolonged bearing life but in theory it should have made a dramatic difference.

It caused a funny scene in the boatyard where I built her. The truck arrived for the trip down Pacific Coast Highway. We dragged her out of her spot in the yard and loaded her on the trailer. I jumped up inside with a garden hose and fired the engine up for a final test. Water was gushing out the bearing as it should with my installation but it was certainly not conventional. The yard 'experts' started running around yelling at me to shut her down, there was a major leak at the prop. It looked like a scene from the children's story Chicken Little, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!" I said nah, no worries, it’s supposed to do that. They said, “Huh? Are you sure?” They were certain I had a disaster brewing.

[lat 64]

Hey, I have that same ladder!

The set screw on the shaft coupling looks like a meat hook to me. Does it have to be that long. I just imagine something getting caught on it and making an unholy mess.

My key ingredients for cleaning an engine room: soap(your choice), beer, favorite tunes.

Spring is coming!!!!
russ

[tartansailboat]

set screws in the prop shaft coupling

I just had the yard remove the prop shaft coupling to gain access to the keel bolts. After, they reinstalled the coupling and two set screws. There is no hole in the set screws to wire them so they cannot back out. Should there be such a hole?

[thatch]

"prop nut oddity"

Caleb,
As odd as it may seem, the correct way to install the prop nuts (according to the ABYC) is to install the thin nut first and then the thicker one. The theory is that the thicker nut will "deform" the thinner nut against the prop creating a better "lock". When I read this in Practical Sailor I was quite surprised since almost every installation that I've seen has been done "thick nut first".
Tom

[CalebD]

Nice update Caleb...That old prop turned out pretty good!

Isn't it funny how you get all excited about your project and want to snap all these pictures and then realize you aren't really done yet.

So true Shawn. The list of other projects I want to do keeps growing as our launch date of April 15th approaches.

Your old prop turned out looking amazing after I got it back from the prop shop. Still need to post a pic of that.

[CalebD]

Nice job on the overhaul. I envy the space around your stuffing box.

While there may be plenty of space around the stuffing box actually getting in there is a job for a contortionist! I should post photos of the small opening allowing what passes for 'access'.

[CalebD]

Hard to see in photo #1 but the nuts could possibly come loose and back off ~1/8" to the pin? You used locktight or some such thing to prevent this I presume.

TRUE GRIT

Mmmm, no I did not use loctite to lock the threads. Is this one of those ABYC recommended practices for prop nuts? I'll have to buy some loctite it so. Which color to use, blue?

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/threadlockers.shtml