Need to pull engine

[Kemp Dawson]

The engine mount frame in my Ericson 32 was steel that corroded away on one side. Since I have to pull the engine anyway to build new beds and I don't know how long since this engine has been in my 1974 boat, do I rebuild even though it runs great? Cost is always a factor but my feeling is if it's out of the boat I might as well do preventitive work on it. I just recently took off the head cleaned it and put a new side plate on, the cause of the steel bed failure...

[tenders]

If it has good compression and is otherwise running well I wouldn't rebuild it for rebuilding's sake unless you're looking for a winter project. Taking the engine out isn't all that hard, really--if it needs rebuilding in 5 years, do it then. However, if you've got it out, I would clean it off and paint it.

I pulled the engine on my 1969 E32 several years ago and discovered half a rusty bed too. (From a longstanding leak from the water pump.) The mechanic who helped me broke the old bed out by chiseling the old glass out from around the old mount, and had a new mount fabricated in stainless. We epoxied the new mount in with a bunch of fiberglass cloth and all has been well.

[jhwelch]

With the engine out here's your chance to pull the propeller shaft,
examine it for scoring, and replace the packing material in the packing nut.

The old shaft I replaced this summer was basically mated to the
coupling via a very tight press fit, so the only way to get the shaft
out was to pop the propeller and pull the shaft+coupling out through
the inside of the boat.

-jonathan

[Kemp Dawson]

Thanks for the feedback. I have a long list of things to do once the engine is out now. First thing to do is compression test then go from there.

[Greg]

Engine pull .. how'd it go ?

Kemp,

How did your engine bed repair go ? I'm getting ready to pull the A4 from my Ericson 32 as well. Any pointers on the new engine beds ? Fabrication ideas, materials and the like ? I need to replace both. I was planning on building a mock engine of sorts .. for coarse alignment and pulling one bed at a time and glassing in the new one(s).

Regards, Greg

[Kemp Dawson]

Right now it's been so cold that cleaning up the engine room has not been fun. I still have to check the fuel tank (metal) and see if that needs to be replaced as well do to age. I ordered a number of parts, manifold, mechanical fuel pump rebuild kit, gaskets, rear oil seal which leaks, and the fresh water pump kit from Indigo. The engine was a bear to get out since clearances were tight, 15" out of an 18" hatch access. I removed the starter, alternator, manifold, fuel pump for weight reduction but should have removed the coil too since it was a little close when the engine front dropped down because off balance lift. When you remove it I would recommend using an offset lifting point to connect to the lifting eye. Something similar to a straight bar through the lifting eye with the lift point clear of the hatch opening. This will put more weight probably 80-100lbs on the person holding the bar but you can put a rope or chain around the front of the flywheel around the bar also to hold the engine level since it's going to be off balance towards the front. This will keep the back of the engine from hitting the cockpit bottom and give you better control of lateral movement needed to clear the hatch. We are going to make a bar, that will be sleeved to add strength, of about three feet to clear the woodwork in the salon.

More later.

[Kemp Dawson]

Greg,
The steel engine beds crumbled when we started moving the engine so metal has to be more structurally sound than before. I am looking at stainless but may go with glassed in wood with shorter metal rails on them to mount the engine mounts on. I'm going to meet a welder later this week to decide on the materials to use. Putting the engine back in will definitely stress the beds when you go to align the engine and a solid wood connection to the hull seems to be much a much more solid surface to work with.
Regards,
Kemp

[Windbag]

So has this turned into an Ericson Forum??

Same issue on my "69 E 30...Stbd. rear stringer was swiss cheese due to years of water pump drips.

Before cutting out steel stringer I fashioned a jig to establish where the engine mounts were ( hard bolted) and mounted with cleats on each side of the engine compartment...marked up so it can be removed and then re-installed in the same place. Steel frame was then cut out. I had liberated some big purple heart scraps from when they were building the Exy and Irving tall ships in San Pedro, shaped them to fit and then glassed them in place after mounting new flex mounts under the jig...The wood is totally encapsulated in glass and turned out very clean

Worked like a snap! Considered a SS stringer but this worked out much easier and cheaper.

Good luck!

[warren casey]

I to will be removing my old A4 out of my Ericson 32, 1971, and reinstalling a rebuild I just completed. I know that the metal beds will need replacing. I plan on using SS to replace the beds that are now out of steel. I will remove the steel as much in one piece as possible. I have a great fabricator in the San Fernando Valley who can do the work.

I would love to see some of the work on the other Ericsons in pictures. I will take pictures of my progress!

[warren casey]

Preparing for the A4 removal

Here we are disassembling the cabinets around the motor. Just removing the sink took about two hours and cabinets took another 3 hours. nothing is as easy as it seems.

[Kemp Dawson]

Rust problems

Just some shots of the bad rust and rusted out engine beds. Trying to find out where the oil leak come from too. I have to replace some seals in the tranni but it wasn't too bad to begin with. The engine ran ok before we took it out and I can't see doing anything other that cleaning, new seals, and a fresh paint job right now. [ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[Dave Neptune]

Ericson sidebar

Well guys since this seems to be a bit of an Ericson thread I too would like to chime in for a little advice. I have an ol'e 1970 E35MKII with the engine amidships. My frame bed is also of steel at least what is left of it. My question is -- Is it really as easy to lift the A-4 out as it looks? My concern is can I get enough of an angle while lifting to get the trans end out without having to attack the box with a saws-all? My bed is in need of replacement and I have been using the engine somewhat gently, I'm just waiting for it to fall over before I try yanking it out.
BTW my engine is the original and I did do a valve job on her (the only tear down maintenance yet) 25 years ago! The poor ol'e gal still runs so good I may not tear her down if I pull her, just add some make-up (paint) and set her back in place. An amazing little raw water cooled engine!!!!!!!!!!!!

David

[Windbag]

Leaky Water Pump

Compared to many Ericson steel stringers I have seen yours looks pretty good! The pic of your water pump shows that a big effort went into correcting the drip...Speed seal cover screws as well as Don's "extendo bolt" for the water pump. You are lucky in that you had motor mounts. Most I have seen are hard mounted and are much more rusted out.

Are you sure that your stringer is too rusted out just to clean up, paint and continue to use?

[tenders]

I echo Windbag's sentiment that the stringers aren't as bad as they could be but of course you should replace them. (How did you get them out?) I'm pretty sure you could make a decent jig out of plywood using the motor mounts as a guide, have the parts made, replace the engine mounts and be back up and at 'em expediently once you've worked your magic on the engine itself.

Your engine actually looks pretty good. That rust is light stuff except for by the water pump where I would characterize it as no worse than "moderate" for something that sits in a bilge. I'm sure it will clean up nicely.

Disassembling the cabinetry takes a while the first time but now that you know how it's done I bet you could do it again in quarter of the time! Your setup is just a bit different than on my '69 model with a V-drive. I didn't have to take both vertical bulkheads out under the sink, just the one fore-and-aft closest to the engine.

[Kemp Dawson]

Pulling the engine out

I didn't take out my cabinetry to remove the engine. I just reduced the weight and width by removing the starter, alternator, fuel pump, and exhaust manifold. Once those items were removed we started the lift and rotated the engine towards the hatch opening which only gave me 18" to get a 15" wide engine out. Use a short off center lifting bar running straight through the lifting eye to navigate the turns and lift. The rails were so rusty one just came out the other twisted out of the fiberglass mount. Now I am cutting & chiseling out the old glassed in remnants to get ready for the new one. Taking out the cabinetry would probably make the rebuild of the engine beds much easier though.