Can't fish, do maintanence

With the stay at home order it's time to knock out a couple overdue maintenance item on the boat.

I've had a rear main seal sitting on the work bench for several years, just couldn't justify pulling the engine for a small job like that. With nothing but time on my hands, it was time to get to it. Pulled the outdrive and engine last week and knocked out the seal job. While the flywheel housing was off I was going to replace the bearings and seals on the stub shaft until I realized the bearings had spun in the aluminum housing. I had a set of new bearing in the garage and the were way to loose in the housing. I contacted a guy in Florida via ebay and he is sending me a new to me housing.

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While I wait for parts I started cleaning things up, and that opened up a whole new list of things that needed attention. Bilge got a cleaning, bilge pumps gone through and serviced my thru hull valves and put new handles on them.

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Next on my list was the exhaust tube. Over the years I've lost a coupe inches off the tube and have a hard time connecting it to the turbo with a long section of 4" exhaust hose. I had no idea what the part numbers for the tube was so I couldn't locate a replacement. The part number is on the backside of the tube, facing the transom. With the bilge clean I was able to get down there and feel the part number with my fingers. Not being able to read braille, I grabbed the smallest inspection mirror I had. I could see 5 of the 6 numbers but I was no better at reading upside down and backwards in a mirror than I was at braille. I sketched the numbers on a note pad just like I was seeing them in the mirror then looked at the with a mirror. The numbers made sense once I saw them in a mirror. All I needed to do was fill in the fourth number and start searching the parts data base. Once I had the number figured out, i searched it on ebay and found a real nice one in Canada. That should also be here first of next week.

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Back to the engine. I've been having issues with my raw water tubes getting real thin and developing some pin hole leak near the ends. The tubes are 1 1/4" copper, so I cut off a couple inches and soldered on a new section.

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Last on the list is my outdrive skeg. I've had a new one in the garage almost as long as the rear main seal so it's time to get that welded on.

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OMG Mike I would have been crying after the 3rd paragraph. If that would have been my situation Benson would have called his Travel Agent and said I found some money book a 2 week cruise through the Canal

Been doing the same thing here .lots of stuff done . Injectors, intercooler and all cooling system gone thru ,exhaust elbow. New props new bottom paint ( thanks jeff for use of stands ). Refinished all the teak . Fixed all the broken snaps on the covers . Cleaned out all the tackle and drawers inside. Replaced all zincs .probably missed a few things. Hope this ends soon for all of us. Stay safe my friends.

Doing all the work myself(except for the welding) helps keep the cost down. Parts cost is always the big UN-known when you're looking for stuff that hasn't been in production for almost 40 years. I search ebay regularly for part that I might need someday. If the price is right, I'll pick it up and add it to the spares pile. I'll be about $1500 into it when I get her all back together.

Parts are coming in. The flywheel cover I found was a two piece used on a TAMD to adapt it to an outdrive. I had to press out the 26 spline shaft and install my 10 spline with new bearings and seal.


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The new exhaust tube came in and also got installed.


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I made a jig with the new tube so I could see how much was missing off the old tube just in case I need to repair the old one.


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I'm only waiting on my Bro in-law to repair my swim step brackets, then Ill be ready to slide the engine back in.

Looking good mike

By the time your new exhaust tube gets as bad as the original you'll be ready for a new D4; how you were able to design it's repair template is beyond me nice work!

Put the engine back in on Tuesday and had my Bro in-law do the welding on the outdrive Thursday. Fired her up this morning and she's purring like a kitten again. Nothing to do but wax and wait for the ramps to open back up.

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You're going to void your warranty with that oil filter Mike

Warranty? I think that ran out back in the mid 80's.