Under-Propped ?

[sastanley]

jhwelch, Most garages claim to use something called "Torxstix" (sp?) that only allow 75-80-90 ft/lbs. or whatever your vehicles specs are. I systematically started elminating tire shops in my area when they kept warping the brake rotors on my car anytime I had tires balanced, etc.

I would ask them to not overtorque the things because I had been having trouble warping rotors (oh sir, we use blah blah..) but at the same time you can hear the impact guns hammering away in the background. I got to where I would go pick up my car and right in the parking lot pull out my wrench and torque the lugnuts in front of the shop before I left. Sometimes it was too late and the rotor was already warped, but sometimes I could save them if I hadn't driven the car yet.

Stupid shops. If only I could get the tools & equipment at home to set my own beads and a tire balancer, I wouldn't have to rely on those stupid tire people either.

[Dave Neptune]

Tach?

Dan, take a good look at the tach and see if there is a switct on the back like ~4~6~8~ cylinder. I think you are in the 6 cylinder mode. On some old tachs it is use a differant wire and there are usually 3 of them (again 4~6~8).
I have found that checking tachs on hi-performance stuff is not as necessary as it was years ago as the tach's have gotten much better with electronic improvements. I would surely check to see if you can just "switch it". There were also tachs of old that were specific for a given # of cylinders.
If there is a way to switch it, don't worry about the inaccuracies from there, if your within 5~10% (you can check) your fine.
If not post a pic and what you can fronm the tach and maybe it can be figured out without bearing the expence of a new one.

Dave Neptune

[Marian Claire]

The tach is a Faria??. It does have a switch but it is on the 4 cyl setting. As we discussed I will be paying alot more attention to the Vac #s and less to the RPM. I am warming her up for another torqueing and if the SCA is lifted I may take her out this PM. This has been a long strange trip and I fell like a dumbass for not realizing that the tach was so far off. It sure explains many things. I had to reset my oil pressure and timming because everything had been set by the MCs tach. I guess one cold day I can go thru all my old posts and correct the #s.
Is it safe to run her up under load after the third torque or should I baby her for awhile? I have been running some under load but at low rpm to warm the engine. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[Dave Neptune]

Not hard

Dan, take the t-wrench and shut her down while out if you can. I wouldn't run any harder than 8" until I got no movenment when retorqueing twice.

Dan try switching the tach, it's old and things like the switch may not be lined up on the inside. Knock it back and forth a few times and it may work fine. Might try some "contact" spray around the switch when knocking it around.

Dave Neptune

[Marian Claire]

Will do. Thanks for the info. No movement on this last, third, round at 35 ft/lbs. Maybe I can hit the tach with my new torque wrench. NOT. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[edwardc]

This past summer, my tach started reading twice what the actual RPMs were. Even though the switch was in the "4 cyl" position, I rotated it back and forth several times through all the positions to clean the contacts. It came back to the correct readings and was fine the rest of the summer.

[Marian Claire]

Removed the tach and worked the switch back and forth. Also sprayed with contact cleaner as best as I could. Did not seem to improve/change and I will replace the tach "some day". The tach has read this way since I got the boat so what ever the problem is has been there for 8+ yrs. Ran the A-4 hard enough at the dock to get the vac # to 10. I hope to do some on the water tests in a few weeks.
Helped a friend move her 40 ft Caliber up from Morehead City today. Nice, nice, nice boat and it was good to be on the water again. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[jhwelch]

My previous tach was acting this way and I finally took it out and looked inside; the circuit board was full of corrosion so I had to replace the unit.

[Marian Claire]

Several questions. I have read a few posts on repairing cracks in the head and there seems to be several options, JB weld, epoxy and welding at a shop. Does this crack look to big to repair? What repair do you prefer? Would you keep a repaired head as a spare? Can the repair be tested? The head is 47 yrs old and has been in service for 40 yrs all RWC.
Also could I have opinions on the color variation on the valves shown? Mainly the white, #3 #4 versus the clean #2 exhaust valves. More pics here. http://www.moyermarine.com//forums/album.php?albumid=97
Dan S/V Marian Claire
PS. Anybody got a early model head sitting around collecting dust? And yes the access is that good on the MC. I only had to remove the alternator, crossover and temp sensor to remove the head.

[Laker]

I jumped in at the end of this thread , sorry if If this has already been brought up - the location of the crack makes me wonder if it is lifting ring related.

[Marian Claire]

Laker: Several of the posts I have read about cracks mention the lifting ring. As best I know I am the only one to ever remove the engine. I did not use the ring but used a sling made of webbing to remove and reinstall. I do not know how it was installed by the original builder back in the 60s. The mechanic at the marina looked at it and simply said " old Age". Who knows, uneven heat, as mentioned by Ed, some time in its life, years of vibration from the alternator??? As old as it is I may be wasting time trying to repair. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[hanleyclifford]

Dan - Any reason why you are limiting your search to an early head? You have plenty of room for the "thermostat bubble".

[Marian Claire]

HC: None other than my plug and play approach to spare parts. Would I have to modify my early manifold to accept a fitting for the hose/crossover or can the late head be changed/drilled to accept my early crossover tube? Dan S/V Marian Claire

[hanleyclifford]

Dan - The only thing you would need to do is tap the manifold for 1/2" NPT and then cobble a tube to the "bubble".

[ndutton]

Dan,

If it were me I don't think I'd attempt a repair of any kind, it would be a source of stress and worry. And I agree with Hanley, any head will do.

There has been much speculation over the lifting eye causing cracks. It may be a contributor in conjunction with other factors such as decades of salt water cooling and the ensuing corrosion substantially reducing the material thickness internally in that particular area but I suspect the lifting eye by itself isn't the cause. Dan's mechanic summarized this quite eloquently in two words, "old age."

Dan's experience is an example. He's never lifted his engine by the eye yet he has a crack. Can't blame his on a lifting operation. Also, every one of our engines was originally installed with the lifting eye. If the eye alone causes cracks, why don't we all have them or at least a significant percentage? No, there are other factors involved.