New Boat Owner/Where to start/Help/Hello

[Skywalker]

Make sure when you redo the rear chainplate knee you can bolt the chainplate on the outside. Be careful of the wire for the stern light.

Skywalkwer

[Mo]

Welcome, again (from the alternative). If you really mean that (title), you need to take that engine apart and put it back together - yourself. There is a lot of help and information here; and we do love pictures. First thing, get that Moyer Marine engine manual. 27 foot boat single handed on open ocean? You're even nuttier than me.

I met a guy from Annapolis two summers ago headed across the Atlantic in an Albin...I think it was a 27. People ran rum from Newfoundland to Boston during prohibition in 30 foot boat...loaded to the gills. Patrols didn't go after them because they figured they couldn't have been carrying much...one boat load could run a speak easy for week...and they didn't mind paying LOL.

Here in NS I tell people looking for their first boat, usually a couple in thier 30's with a couple of kids....C&C27....solid, fast, build like a brick SH, sails reasonably priced, upkeep reasonable. 27-32 is the optimal boat in my book...easy to handle...and if crew gets sick one person should be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat. If it gets rough it doesn't matter what we are on...but it needs to be robust...ie, take a hard hit on a beamy Hunter or Bene...14 feet to cross before you hit the other side and break something.

Tartan 27...yeah...good boat....give'r.

[JOHN COOKSON]

.ie, take a hard hit on a beamy Hunter or Bene...14 feet to cross before you hit the other side and break something..

Dang right there pal. Yet one of the selling points for these boats is "how much room there is below."
I think such boats are more suitable for entertaining in the marina and for short afternoon sails than for actual blue water sailing.

TRUE GRIT

[Skywalker]

Tres,

Where do you buy those zincs? There is room behind the prop for one. Years ago, when I had money but not much in the way of brains, I bought a Vari prop feathering prop for my Tartan. It used a zinc cone, too. But as you may remember, I sold my Tartan, kept the prop, sold the prop, bought back the Tartan, bought an Indigo.

Skywalker

[ndutton]

Dang right there pal. Yet one of the selling points for these boats is "how much room there is below."
I think such boats are more suitable for entertaining in the marina and for short afternoon sails than for actual blue water sailing.

Reminds me of a plant tour policy back in the day. More important than WOW-ing a potential customer with manufacturing processes and new (at the time) materials technology was catering to his wife who could kill a deal as fast as throwing a pan of water on an open flame. We would separate the husband and wife, take him to the mold shop, wood shop, mast shop and finally reunite them in the assembly shop. The wife's tour went directly to the finished assembly phase of the largest boat we built (also the roomiest) where the cushions and curtains were already installed, the 'kitchen' was complete, like a new home tour.

Sexist? Yes, but it worked. It was all about sales. Designing and building the best offshore boat is a worthy endeavor but you have to sell enough to keep the doors open on your 50,000 foot facility. Look at the Bristol Channel Cutter by Sam Morse. Great offshore boat, maybe even a perfect cruiser but they sold only a handful a year and of course they're long gone now.

[jil]

Carburetor question at boat now

I'm at the boat and I had Dan come and show me the engine.
I feel a lot more sane in my journey with this engine. I'm so appreciative.
I can't get my fuel valve to close- thinking of using pb blaster to try. I don't think the last owner ever shut it. Is that a horrible idea?
Also- when I touch the gaskets of the carb I smell gas. I'm assuming I should get the service kit and fix this? Can this wait? Is this dangerous?
Would prefer not to blow up boat yard....
I attached a picture- there was noticeable gas smells on the paint below the carburetor as well.
Thank you,
Jil

[hanleyclifford]

If the fuel shut off won't close it's easy to see why the carb is leaking fuel. This is the very thing the shut off is supposed to prevent. First thing before running the engine - get that shut off to do it's job.

[jil]

Fuel valve

Do some valves open and close with only 20 degrees of movement? Sorry to ask dumb question but, I'm going to.
This valve moves about 20 degrees and has a definite stop point.

[Al Schober]

I've got a valve like that. Mine goes a full 90 degrees from off to on. I suspect it may also go 90 degrees the other way, allowing it to act as a selector valve for two tanks.
I recently added a ball valve at the inlet to my Racor filter. I had a 12V solenoid valve (connected to the OPSS with the fuel pump) but I didn't trust it.
It's real nice to be able to shut off the fuel so you can work on stuff like the fuel filters, pump, and carburetor.

[hanleyclifford]

Like Al said that valve should turn 90 degrees. Try putting some penetrating oil at the base of the shaft where it enters the housing. BTW, that fuel hose looks a little shaky too.

[Trés 30]

Tres,

Where do you buy those zincs? There is room behind the prop for one.
Skywalker

They've got them at Defender and probably other places. My diver usually keeps them on hand too.
I was having one installed then it turned out the indigo i have is slightly over bored (actually it's totally overboard, zing!) so it wouldn't make contact with the anode spacer. Had to put a donut above the prop, only possible since I've installed a drive saver.

[ndutton]

Although the pictured valve should be repaired/replaced to function properly for your safety, it is not the reason your carburetor is leaking. Relying on the valve to stop the leaking is a work-around. There is normally fuel inside the carburetor bowl and it should be contained in the bowl regardless of the position of the manual valve. That it is not contained indicates fuel is leaking out (main passage plug on the bottom?) or the carburetor is overflowing (compromised internal float valve, compromised float). The manual valve is a great backup and fail-safe but it is NOT the reason.

[hanleyclifford]

Although the pictured valve should be repaired/replaced to function properly for your safety, it is not the reason your carburetor is leaking. Relying on the valve to stop the leaking is a work-around. There is normally fuel inside the carburetor bowl and it should be contained in the bowl regardless of the position of the manual valve. That it is not contained indicates fuel is leaking out (main passage plug on the bottom?) or the carburetor is overflowing (compromised internal float valve, compromised float). The manual valve is a great backup and fail-safe but it is NOT the reason.

Of course not; but the valve is intended to stop leaking should the carb itself fail to hold the fuel pressure. Actually, the most usual cause for carb leakage is failure of the needle and seat to stop the flow. The problem of leaks is frequent enough that the USCG requires the fuel shut off.

[Skywalker]

my 1966 has the same valve. It is stiff but not crazy stiff.

At first glance, it confused me on which way to close and open, so i marked the bulkhead.

Skywalker

[Marian Claire]

A few notes from my visit with jil.
For future reference, to the best of my knowledge and the short time I had to spend there here is what she has.
Late model direct drive A-4, FWC, electric fuel pump with OPSS, I believe it is points due to finding/feeling only one wire to the distributor. The alternator looks newer that the rest of the engine and I am sure one of you can ID it from the pic.
Cooling system: As stated FWC, fresh water pump appears to be the standard Oberdorfer, it has the back plate with thumb screws and is in the usual location and driven by the accessory drive. I believe the raw water pump is a Sherwood and driven by the belt that also drives the alternator. The raw water thru hull looks skimpy but may just be standard issue for this boat. There is a raw water filter. Hoses are "aged" and damaged by the hose clamps. Heat ex changer is of appropriate size and we discussed the cleaning and zinc replacement process and the possible addition of a T to facilitate winterizing.. The system does have the by-pass and valve. The dry section felt OK, it did not fall apart when I touched it. There is about 5 inches of fall from the high point to the wet/dry connection. From there a new looking hose ran to the SS water lift. Did not follow the system after that.
Electrical: jil planes to replace most or all of the system so little time was spent on it.
Fuel system: This is the most pressing issue for safe use of the A-4. The tank is reported to be fairly new but is set high, I would think that even the bottom of the pick-up tube is above all other parts of the system except the current location of the Racor filter. The only petcock is as shown in the pics and we are not sure it functions. If nothing else, being well below the tank, it leaves the in connection to the petcock totally unprotected. We discussed adding a petcock higher in the system. The Facet pump is a bit rusty. There is a polishing filter in the system just before the carb. Carb is standard issue late model with the fixed main jet. We discussed the function of the scavenge tube, idle adjustment, flame arrestor, up draft design, etc. I believe jil plans to rework the whole system, carb rebuild, new filters, new hoses and petcocks.
We spent some time just pointing out the location of things on the A-4 and how they worked, oil pressure adjustment, OPSS, and talked about valve sequence, manifold construction, coolant water batching, firing order, distributor orientation, finding TDC.
We also engaged the transmission and felt a good solid click in forward and discussed the difference in how forward and reverse work.

I am sure I have left out some stuff.

Dan S/V Marian Claire