Oh boy

Just sharing the pain....

Found out I need motor mounts and Sims pump rebuild. Oh joy, several boat bucks on the plate.

dhmeissner said:

Just sharing the pain....

Found out I need motor mounts and Sims pump rebuild. Oh joy, several boat bucks on the plate.

Click to expand...

"Sims Pump"? What's that?

Sorry, FL120 injector pump

I had to do my motor mounts a few years back. Stressed on how to lift engine to swap them out (Perkins 135). I was actually able to do this pretty easily, using a 4' piece of Doug Fir 2x3 for leverage and blocking up off the stringers with a couple timbers. surprising how much leverage you can generate, plenty to lift up the front of a 1,300lb engine.

ouch ! we've all been there .... or will be

Some mounts can be purchased unassembled. This allows for a saws-all to cut the existing stud between the mount and the bracket, removing the old mount and slipping the replacement in. Then thread the new stud into the new mount body and wait a few days before alignment.

This allows mount replacement without raising the engine more than 1/4-1/2" so you shouldn't have to disconnect much of anything.

Worth checking out

Keysdisease said:

Some mounts can be purchased unassembled. This allows for a saws-all to cut the existing stud between the mount and the bracket, removing the old mount and slipping the replacement in. Then thread the new stud into the new mount body and wait a few days before alignment.

This allows mount replacement without raising the engine more than 1/4-1/2" so you shouldn't have to disconnect much of anything.

Worth checking out

Click to expand...

On the Perkins, I was able to support the engine and unbolt the entire engine mounting bracket, sliding it sideways, and avoid trying to lift it up over and dropping it down over the new mount.

So, please tell me Dave...

Is/was it that the bolt/nut corroded, rubber mount went rotten, fastening to the stringers loosen/spread their holes... or, some other item that went bad. Maybe all portions developed age related problems at same time. Just wondering!

So, Pat (from Pat's Marine Eng.) informed me 3 of 4 were shot. He said that sometime in the past that (unbelievably) someone used a welder on them. I don't know why someone would do that. I won't be doing this work myself, but the engine will stay in place.

In prepping for my trip north, I noticed the engine vibration seemed to be getting more than I was used to.

The injector work is overdue anyway, so I'm having this done now too.

Max Simmons said:

. . . I was actually able to do this pretty easily, using a 4' piece of Doug Fir 2x3 for leverage and blocking up off the stringers with a couple timbers. surprising how much leverage you can generate, plenty to lift up the front of a 1,300lb engine.

Click to expand...

The use of a small bottle-jack can sometimes come in handy for gaining a few inches of lift. Not against the hull of course, no metal/metal contact and blocks before fingers.

dhmeissner said:

So, Pat (from Pat's Marine Eng.) informed me 3 of 4 were shot. He said that sometime in the past that (unbelievably) someone used a welder on them. I don't know why someone would do that. I won't be doing this work myself, but the engine will stay in place.

In prepping for my trip north, I noticed the engine vibration seemed to be getting more than I was used to.

The injector work is overdue anyway, so I'm having this done now too.

Click to expand...

"... in the past that (unbelievably) someone used a welder on them."

Humm, sounds as though they were maybe loosening previously and welding was a stop gap measure??

I keep my engines' mounts all well lubed with P-Blaster

Greetings,
Mr. A. As an aside, IF your mounts have a rubber component you may want to re-think the use of PB Blaster. The solvent component may degrade the rubber.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. A. As an aside, IF your mounts have a rubber component you may want to re-think the use of PB Blaster. The solvent component may degrade the rubber.

Click to expand...

Thought of that! So far so good! Let you know as decades pass.

Still the original eng mts form 1977. Rubber seems OK. Had PB on em since 2008. Not too much... just enough to keep metal items in good shape. I mist them about every three years.

Why are you rebuilding the Simms pump? Injectors I can see but the pump too?

Mr. X, the oil is being displaced by the fuel, I get about 1 drip/sec of oil out of the overflow, I put the correct amount in. The sheen on the water out the exhaust has been getting worse over time. I'd like to keep pollution to a minimum.

I feel your pain! We just put in new motor mounts ourselves last month. For us it was more of a why not since we had to rebuild the engine and they certainly were not in top shape.

DH, Its common for the Simms pump to "make oil" which is why it is recommended to toss the overflow pipe and drill a hole in the filler cap for a vent. If you can't go the recommended oil change interval with this mod then it is time to rebuild. You could also just add a catch bottle connected to the overflow.

The fuel on the water is 1. Characteristic of the Lehman; 2. Can be mitigated to some extent by rebuilding your injectors
but it will NOT be eliminated. The rebuilt injectors ease starting and some smoking but not the fuel in the water. This is NOT caused by your Simms pump.

IMHO, you are getting bad advice about your Simms and should get another opinion. I think its a waste of money rebuilding it.

My engine has at least 2200 hours on the Simms pump. It might actually have many more hours on it as it was a cobbled together long block by the PO.

It makes zero oil still. I have heard the same from other owners with similar and even more hours on the pump.

Mr.X, thanks, I get that the sheen could not be directly from the pump, but injector rebuild.
Mr.PS, thanks for the data point. I have inquired on Boat Diesel to see what they say there.

Since this is a 42 year old boat with the original engine, and I am uncertain of the actual engine hrs. (meter says 1490 but that's unlikely), I'm tempted to let the mechanic, who has a good reputation, have at it. But I will have another talk with him before proceeding (with the pump).

Dave,

In the old boat after removing the engine hatches I built an H frame. Used a come along to lift the front a bit, replaced the the mounts. The jack method worked well in the rear with a piece of 2 x under and over.

Good luck,

Rob

Im in the same boat Dave. I'm about to attack all 8 mounts on the Grand Banks. The boat's a 71 and the mounts are the same God-awful pea green color as the engines so I'm thinking that they're original. Any hints on lifting the engines on a woody GB?

Good luck OreWa, I'm leaving it to the pros, my back couldn't take it at this point, 10 years ago maybe.

You may be able to do the mounts one at a time without lifting the engine. On the Lehman 120s in our OA the engine mount brackets can be unbolted from the engine after the mount stud nuts are loosened all the way. If you use a dial caliper to measure the height of the engine mount bracket above the bed rail on each mount before you loosen the mount you can get the new one back in close approximation of the original adjustment. Changing one at a time keeps the entire engine very close to its original position which should help a lot on the shaft alignment, plus you don't have to deal with hoisting frames or blocks and jacks.

Update

So here is the list, picked up The Promise today.

Rebuilt Sims pump. It was a mess.
6 new & tuned injectors.
Valve adjustment
New raw water pump & gear
4 new motor mounts & relocated rear mounts to the transmission
New trans to shaft coupling w/damper
New trans seals & some kind of plate whose springs were shot?
New transmission oil cooler
Oil change
Repaired fuel return lines

There were a few more bits & bobs to list.... but I spent the rest of the day drinking after I paid the bill. Good news is she runs like a top, and there is no vibration at all. Starts on first crank. I will take some pics soon and post them up.

Man.....sounds like this one turned out great! Nice to hear a story with a positive outcome from time to time. There are so many of the other kind.

I am extremely happy to hear of your success!

Great news Dave . Sounds like you had a good team taking care of The Promise.

New trans seals & some kind of plate whose springs were shot?

Click to expand...

Damper plate. Attaches to the flywheel and drives the transmission.
See photo.

Dave,

Who did your work?

Bob

^^^Ditto.
Who did your work?
Thanks!