Engine Hoist and Gas Drum Removal

[Jim Bates]

I have painted and rehabilitated everything on top of the engine. Now I have to remove and replace the 50 year old 25 gallon steel drum gas tank that is deteriorating. The tank (L31" x D18") sits on its side held down by straps behind the engine.

I need to lift the engine up off the rails so I can slide a small dolly with wheels under it and move it forward in the boat so I can then roll the old tank out of the space behind the engine. This is the only way the tank is coming out of the boat as I do not want to cut into the cockpit. I can probably do this with boat still in water. If I do this with boat still in water, I can take my time and not be worried about any layover days and crane charge in yard is $400.00 plus $90.00 per hour labor.

Anyone aware of a small auto engine hoist or equivalent that I could use to accomplish this? (the boat is a 1963 Islander 32 and engine sits under companionway stairs). I thought about using a 1/2 ton lever chain hoist but nothing to hook it to overhead - but there is clear shot from engine up when companionway hatch is open.

Also, I read online that the A4 weighs 310 pounds. Is this correct? Any idea how much the block ONLY weighs after I have taken off the alternator, starter, exhaust manifold? I am wondering if four of us could just lift the engine if we could all get in there.

Worst case scenario is I just pay the yard to hoist the engine using the crane.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[Mo]

We have a " C " just for that down at the club. Most use the mast crane to lift the engine out but a block and tackle to the boom would suffice. The C will go in over the companion way...the lower part attaches with shackle to the engine...then upper to a block. The C is large enough so that the upper portion is still out of the boat and extending out the companion way...the lower part goes in under and attaches to engine. Lift and move forward. A person operating a 4 to 1 purchase on it can handle it no problem...another person guides it down. Pic attached....usually made of angle iron...welded. We remove engines with it all the time...walk in the park.

[joe_db]

I put my engine in and out with the ship's own gear. Run the main halyard to the boom RIGHT over where you want to lift the engine and use a come-along from the boom down to the engine.

[Mo]

I agree Joe, if you have a few people around and you can get it out without hurting or hitting any teak etc. My friend made up the "C" and it was used numerous times down around the club without much hassle. Attached is another "Crude" drawing. the idea is to have a loose loop over the boom so the block and tackle can be slid forward....then lower the engine again once you have it moved back out of it's compartment....or lift it right out.

[Al Schober]

Jim,
Stripped down as you describe plus remove flywheel and flywheel housing, the engine is about 200#. Think of something you can slide under it and then inflate - perhaps a basketball or an old fender.
Recommend you NOT put a sling around the boom. Use the main halyard direct, and just use the boom as an outhaul. This should you allow you to move the engine forward enough to get the tank out.
Check into Ronco Plastics for replacement tanks - rotary molded polyethylene in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Fittings as you specify, where you specify.

[ILikeRust]

I went ahead and paid the yard to do mine. I figured not only would it save me gobs of time in rigging up some solution to hoist it out myself, it also would save me gobs of worry about dropping a 350-lb engine through my cockpit floor or on my foot or off the back of the boat or...

Took them about 12 minutes, start to finish, to safely and easily lift it out of the boat and onto the tailgate of my pickup truck.

After I finished my rebuild, I hired them again to put it back in, for the same reasons. Again, took them longer to move the crane over to my boat and set it up than to actually hoist the engine back in. Lickety-split, easy as you please, smooth and - most importantly - SAFE.

I also figured that if they screwed something up, it would be their liability and they would have to fix it. If I screwed up, I could either injure myself or my helper or damage my boat. I figured a couple hundred bucks was well worth the simplicity, time saved and peace of mind.

[Jim Bates]

Thanks Captains. These are all good comments. I am going to get to boat today to do some measuring and figure out a game plan. I will let you know finally what happens. Thanks again.

[joe_db]

Whatever you do - do NOT bend the boom. The boom is strong in compression, but it is not designed to have 200-350 pounds hung off the middle. We have at times run the halyard to the same point as the lift or used a block and line to move the halyard fore and aft along the boom. The later system is easier. I am lucky my engine can more or less come straight up. I lift up about 4 inches, then pull forward a foot or two. We then lift up above cockpit level and then use the boom vang (4:1 tackle) to move the engine aft and lower to the cockpit floor. Then we hook it to the boom end to swing out over the rail and onto whatever is taking the engine next.
A friends boat had no way to go up, so we got the engine on some wood to slide it forward and then out and installation was onto the wood skids and slide aft back into place. If you have a strong buddy or two and take the starter/manifold/alternator/flywheel off you can just pick the thing up too.

[67c&ccorv]

And don't use the "lifting eye"...sling it.

[Jim Bates]

Mission Accomplished - Gas Tank Removed

I thought about all your comments (especially Bill T's) and looked at the engineering problem that I had. I looked again at how I was going to get the tank out. I was going to follow Bill T's advice and have the yard hoist the engine out to remove the engine then roll out the 34 gallon steel tank.

However, I looked at the issue again with fresh eyes. There were already a bunch of holes that had been cut in the 1/2 plywood that sits behind the engine under the companionway and figured that in no way was load bearing. And after all, when the project is complete, I am going to have a new engine compartment cover made and install new paneling behind the engine under the companionway.



I knew that the drum gas tank was 17 inches in diameter and 32 inches long. I decided to cut the 1/2 inch plywood and twist the tank so that I could pull the tank in through the whole. I had to take alternator, water lifter and the hot section of the exhaust out.





It worked - tank out. It took five minutes to cut the plywood, two hours to undue the fittings on the top of the tank and metal tie downs. Then five minutes to slide the tank out.





[Oops, as you can see I had a six pack of Lagunitas Sumpin Sumpin on hand for when the project was complete].

The new 20 gallon polyurethane tank is being delivered on Tuesday. I am going to clean the entire engine compartment behind the engine where the tank was and paint with Bilgecoat. Off to yard on 23rd.

Thanks again

Jim

[ILikeRust]

I wholeheartedly endorse and approve of your choice of engine color.

[BunnyPlanet169]

Nice!

Nice work Jim -

Must be a relief not to remove that nice looking red engine!

As you rebuild, my suggestion is to retain as much access as you can, or at least build back removable sections. No one ever regretted having too much access to inaccessible places. I also cut away over the engine and under the companionway, and I'll bet my tank is coming out again this fall so I can replace the shaft log hose....

[67c&ccorv]

Don't know where you are going to get your new tank but I just ordered a 12" X 24" aluminium tank from these guys...they do great work!

http://www.coyote-gear.com/

[Jim Bates]

Engine color is Ford Red by Dupli-Color.

I am going to in fact make some removable panels using red oak. I will also make new engine cover that eventually is covered with some type of teak and holly veneer which will match interior deck floor when I get to that project. The old plywood under companionway had lots of holes because the old electrical panels were on face of engine compartment (bad). I bought brand new Blue Sea electrical panels and installed them out of engine compartment on face of settee when I rewired entire boat.

New tank is 20 gallon Moeller polyeurethane tank obtained from West Marine. 20 gallon tank selected because - A4 burns one gallon per hour and it is approximately 60 miles to gas dock at Two Harbors on Catalina Island, California (or 66 miles to gas dock at Avalon on Catalina Island) and boat runs 6-10 knots per hour on engine only depending on conditions. So full tank gets us there and back in worse case scenario of not being able to sail which is generally not situation.

[ILikeRust]

Engine color is Ford Red by Dupli-Color.

Can't fault you there! (because that is what I painted mine...)

I am going to in fact make some removable panels using red oak.

May I respectfully suggest and recommend that you choose something other than red oak? Red oak does not handle wetness well. It turns grey, then black, and ultimately rots. It is also quite grainy and can split. If you want oak, white oak is a far better choice. Better yet something like teak.