What to do with spares??

[bayview]

IMO carrying new spares such as pumps and belts is a mistake.

Spares should be installed to see if they fit and work and the removed part kept as the spare. That way you know for certain that the spare fits when it is needed far from home.

Installing the part also insures that you have the necessary tools and knowledge to replace the part.

 

[Bay Pelican]

This is a often cited concept but I don't know how often it is honored. Having the spare, a system for finding the spare when you need it, and the tools and instructions to install the spare are important.

 

[SaltyDog]

Warranty issues are a pro install the spare plus.

Spares that don't work and are not supported are not needed on the boat. But it makes one feel better prepared.

Now if I just followed my own advise I would not know this issue deserves some thought.

 

[bayview]

Some lessons seem only to be learned the hard way. []

 

[psneeld]

Some items are just too critical to not carry a spare for if you are cruising and either can't get to a marina or the marinas don't have services like water turned on due to the season.....items such as a fresh water pump, toilet parts etc....are handy to have...and yes you must KNOW they will fit/work....how you do that is a personal preference.

For many items and many cruisers who are only an overnight package or 2 day away delivery of a replacement...then again...just personal preference...I need the space and with not being on a set schedule can live with waiting for most things.

 

[ancora]

Figured it was time to replace my v belts and got out the spares I had aboard. Even though the numbers matched they would not fit the sheaves. Just glad I found out in the slip rather than underway.

 

[jleonard]

IMO carrying new spares such as pumps and belts is a mistake/QUOTE]

Sorry I feel the opposite.
Not carrying some spares is a mistake. I carry many spares. While one cannot carry everything, you make a guess.

 

[dimer2]

With only one engine, I try keep all the normal consumable spares onboard which gives me an absolute guarantee that I do not have the part onboard that breaks.

 

[psneeld]

IMO carrying new spares such as pumps and belts is a mistake/QUOTE]

Sorry I feel the opposite.
Not carrying some spares is a mistake. I carry many spares. While one cannot carry everything, you make a guess.

 

[Conrad]

IMO carrying new spares such as pumps and belts is a mistake/QUOTE]

Sorry I feel the opposite.
Not carrying some spares is a mistake. I carry many spares. While one cannot carry everything, you make a guess.

Umm....he's not suggesting that you don't carry spares. He is suggesting that as soon as you purchase the new spares you install them and keep the old ones as spares.

That way you know they work, and you know the spares work.

 

[Vashon_Trawler]

I can't imagine not having spare belts and other critical parts when underway. My typical assortment of spare parts for my diesel include belts, fuel/oil filters, spare impellers, raw water pump (with gear already installed), and hose (with couplers and clamps to repair breaks). I have limited space but still also manage to carry a spare prop, full assortment of tools, stainless steel screws/bolts/nuts/washers, wire/connectors, bulbs, 4 quarts of oil, transmission oil, hydraulic fluid, and much more.

I only use "Volvo" parts in lieu of aftermarket for my diesel to ensure fit and compatibility. Pricey and probably not 100% necessary, but I want to ensure the part will be fully compatible if I'm making a repair remotely.

 

[twistedtree]

I think a lot has to do with where you are cruising. If you are coastal US, then you can get pretty much anything within a couple of days, even one day if you are willing to pay. In this case I'd only carry what I think I would need for a repair that has to be done at sea, adn whatever additional things I would want on hand for convenience. For example, I have always kept a set of filters, impellers, wiper blades, etc. on board because I don't want to have to wait for parts, and I know I'll consume them within 1-2 years.

Cruising outside the US, even in 1st world countries can be very different. When in Canada I fried the plug end on my 50A shore power cord. I went from Quebec City all the way around the Maritimes including stops is pretty much every large port, and didn't find a replacement plug end, or even a whole cord set until I got to Halifax. People offered to order me one, but it would take a week and I wasn't staying anywhere that long.

That's Canada. Now try the Bahamas, Mexico, or someplace really remote. Fogettaboutit. In these cases it's about carry spares because they will otherwise be difficult to get and stall you for weeks or more.

The offshore cruising is another category where there is a whole other scope of problems that you need to be able to solve at sea.

I've never been a fan of keeping used parts as spares. I figure if a part needs to be replaced, it's because it's a bad part and why would I want to turn around and put it back in my boat again? And if I did put a used part in the boat as a repair, wouldn't I want to replace it with new at the next opportunity, thereby having to performing the repair twice? No thanks.

But you make a good point about being certain that the parts you have on hand actually fit. Some parts are move easily confirmed correct than others, so I guess it needs to be figured out on a case by case basis. If the filters on my engine are marked with part number X and the replacement is marked with X, then I'm pretty good with it. Air filters are probably easy enough to pop out and check for a match. A water pump might be a little harder, but I probably would just do a visual/measurement check. I wouldn't tear into the engine to check thermostats, valve cover gaskets, or anything internal. Same with injectors, pumps, etc. I think belts are the big thing that I'd worry about, mostly because engines have different accessories, pulley ratios, etc which can mean different belts, so I might do a test fit if I can't find an exact number match on the two belts. But I'd probably put the old belt back on and keep the new as a spare.

 

[psneeld]

unless you buy 2, toss what came off the boat, install one new part, remove it and replace it with the second new part...I can't see keeping used, questionable life parts that have been subject to forces, temps or chemicals as spares....

if you know your equipment, you pretty much know what tools are needed and parts from reliable sources ate either trust worthy in you mind or if there's doubt..dry fitting in place or with other known objects should ease the concern.

Things like old belts I keep long enough to pair up with a new spare..if within the adjustment tolerances of the alternator, etc..then stores get vacuum sealed if possible or hung where needed most...and the old gets tossed.

 

[N4712]

IMO carrying new spares such as pumps and belts is a mistake.

Spares should be installed to see if they fit and work and the removed part kept as the spare. That way you know for certain that the spare fits when it is needed far from home.

Installing the part also insures that you have the necessary tools and knowledge to replace the part.

:lol:

 

[ranger58sb]

I've never been a fan of keeping used parts as spares. I figure if a part needs to be replaced, it's because it's a bad part and why would I want to turn around and put it back in my boat again? And if I did put a used part in the boat as a repair, wouldn't I want to replace it with new at the next opportunity, thereby having to performing the repair twice? No thanks.

I tend to treat the idea of spares as a "one size doesn't fit all" situation.

We replaced a water pump with a new one... but rebuilt the old one, and I carry it as a spare. A get-home that I could install underway if necessary.

With belts and such like, we usually do as FF suggests: on with the new, save the old. Another get-home, in case the newer one fails.

OTOH, with impellers, I buy new and install the spares... which were new when I bought 'em last year. There, I'm hoping to deal sensibly with the idea of shelf life.

We keep a full set of filters on board; mostly as a matter of convenience. If I want to change the oil on a Sunday, I can do it without having to find a chandlery with our filters in stock.

I don't have a spare starter, aftercooler, turbo, freshwater pump, etc.... Yet. If I need to replace one, and if the old one is rebuild-able (within reason), I might consider that, though. The freshwater pump we replaced was NOT worth any additional effort... but OTOH I can get a new one relatively quickly if necessary. (Coastal cruising.)

And so forth.

IOW, a firm "it depends."

Yes, sometimes that might mean a repair twice... but OTOH, I do most of the work so it's not a huge cost, other than the part itself. And sometimes, I just don't want to tie up too much $$ in inventory.

Still, I do think different circumstances -- coastal versus passagemaking, for instance -- ought to guide one's process for dealing with spares.

-Chris

 

[Underway]

Spares should be installed to see if they fit and work and the removed part kept as the spare. That way you know for certain that the spare fits when it is needed far from home.

Installing the part also insures that you have the necessary tools and knowledge to replace the part.

Well, I have a spare engine and transmission....

 

[Andy G]

Well, I have a spare engine and transmission....

Oh Oh, are we about to morph into a single verse twin debate?

 

[eyschulman]

I have no grip with caring spares and knowing how to use same. The problem I have is my engine is a modern marvel and very electronic many faults are not approachable by my limited talent and I do not have the factory computer program to deal with same. Even the belt is a mechanical nightmare with a self adjusting system that is not for a weekend mechanic to mess with. I carry plenty of spare filters and a spare raw water pump and impellers extra packing for glands and am not sure there is anything else I could mess with. On older engines I used to carry fuel pump-water pump-injectors and belts now all I can do is count on my spare engine. as posted above.

 

[HopCar]

Shelf life of spares is an issue. When my boat was new I bought a lot of spares including a starter and fuel lift pump. Ten or fifteen years later my starter failed. I put on the spare, it didn't work. It looked new, it just wouldn't work. I still have my original spare fuel pump. I doubt if it would work now.

"OTOH, with impellers, I buy new and install the spares... which were new when I bought 'em last year. There, I'm hoping to deal sensibly with the idea of shelf life."

That's what I do as well. Their shelf life is long enough and service life short enough that this makes sense.

 

[bayview]

At home you have a car and know where to get parts. Go to any other city on a coastal cruise and try to find the correct lift pump or belt. It will probably take all day and require a rental car. If you have the removed but still in working condition belt and the tools to install it is not a hard job.
easyschuman makes a good point about modern electronic diesels which require expensive computer programs and skills beyond even the certified mechanics to operate. Not many wrenches are also the IT professionals that they are required to be.

RE, that complex belt. Often a wrench or lever on the idler pulley will move it so that the belt may be removed easily.

The best parts that came with my Cummins were repair and parts manuals. They sell engines world wide and the manual was written so that people anywhere would have a chance at doing stuff, even me.

 

[refugio]

IMO carrying new spares such as pumps and belts is a mistake.

Spares should be installed to see if they fit and work and the removed part kept as the spare. That way you know for certain that the spare fits when it is needed far from home.

Installing the part also insures that you have the necessary tools and knowledge to replace the part.

I have to disagree with every part of this - except the point about having necessary tools and knowledge!

Many spares come with single-use installation bits like crush-washers and gaskets. Using them up just for the sake of "testing" them is clearly counter-productive, and then you have the issue of whether the (often hard to source) installation bit is exactly the right size.

But what I most love about spares is what they can tell me about the installed part. How many times have you gotten all the bolts / screws off of something and it still won't separate? If you have the spare - evening a NON-WORKING spare! - you can find out if there's some hidden fastener you're missing - or whether it really is time to give the thing a whack to free it. The spare also lets you stage ahead of time. How much is that starter going to weigh when I get it off? Damn, the replacement is 35 pounds - better get something ready to set it on and get in position to be able to take that much weight in hand.

And I'm also against disassembling and assembling things unnecessarily. Your boat isn't a prop in Bob Smith's "Diesel 101" class - if you drop something (perhaps even inside the engine!) you might end up with an even bigger problem. Many years back I installed a rebuilt Mercedes diesel engine in my car that failed at highway speed - it turns out that some extra gasket sealer had plugged an oil passage (fortunately it was the color used by the professional engine rebuilder, not the color of the partially-used tube that I used that was still in the trunk - I got a replacement engine without argument).

Every time you put a tool to something you run a risk (from negligible to appreciable) of rounding off / stripping / breaking / losing that or a related thing - and stripping / breaking / losing / mis-threading / mis-aligning on re-installation. And then there's the question of whether you are really going to test the new part under all the conditions that you know the take-out operated - extended idle, cold start at sub-freezing temperature, running at WOT.

You can adopt the maintenance regimen you are most comfortable with. Myself, I strongly prefer to not muck with things that don't need it.

 

[Underway]

Oh Oh, are we about to morph into a single verse twin debate?

I was actually just taking the replacement suggestion to the extreme as I do have a spare, uninstalled engine and transmission for the boat (which does happen to be a twin).

 

[bayview]

An equally valid opposite point is that bolts subject to rusting and rounding should be addressed sooner rather than later and a little anti seize wouldn't hurt either.

I guess it is a matter of degree. Unless I plan on cruising the western Caribbean I wont be carrying an IP, perhaps not even then. I don't plan on swapping transmissions either but not being able to change a belt or lift pump when away from your home marina is a problem. Every engine has its often changed parts and those should be familiar to the owner. And being absolutely certain the parts will fit is important.

 

[Lollygag]

We carried lots of spares on our sailboat when we were cruising. As many have pointed out, finding parts outside the U.S. is an adventure that grows old quick. Now that we are in the delta and plan on coastal cruising within range of vessel assist we need a lot fewer spare parts. We do keep a spare radio.

 

[bayview]

For crushing washers in a pinch I roughed up both sides of the old washer in circles with sandpaper and it worked. Probably not perfect but it worked.

 

[psneeld]

If we are talking "get home" ..."get to the next decent repair facility" remedies...that's a whole different matter than "spares".

Duct tape for lots of failures, "o" rings for crush washers, tie wraps...etc..etc can all get you going again...but not really the concept of a permanent fix with a proper spare.

I understand the concept of fitting new and saving old...but only for a few things that I might be nervous of it's origin. The remedy for that is only buy what you know will work.

Certainly an "old" rebuilt is no worry and you probably know what it took to swap it.

Another methodology is get rig of hard to find parts and old "system" engineering. Like the lift pump on a Lehman. Why not just rig a generic electric pump and have a spare and set yourself up for emergency gravity feed to boot. By removing that pump and plating it off also removes the fuel leaking into the crankcase problem.

 

[bligh]

I visited Richard Rodriguez who is in the middle of a delivery from SoCal to the PNW on a 70 ft trawler. He stopped here in santa cruz to wait out some weather. During my visit, I noticed a case of spare fuel filters on board. Seemed like a good idea to me. And he has decades more experience than I do.
http://bitterendblog.com/

 

[psneeld]

Extra filters always a good idea...I would almost consider them consumables vs spares depending on what system and location...

Diesels use a bit of oil when running...therefore some on board goes without question, especially on long trips when sooner of later a weep or two is adding to the consumption till you get everything tightened back up correctly.

 

[catalinajack]

We recently purchased a Defever 44. On the third day out bringing her home to Annapolis from Florida, late in the day with a heavy wind blowing and still several hours from our destination, a fuel injection line cracked which, of course, was spraying fuel all over the place. We shut done the port engine and tried anchoring in an anchorage recommended by the marina to which we were headed. Lousy anchor wouldn't hold in the high winds blowing against our very high windage vessel (lots of canvas and isinglass). We were forced to up anchor and headed to a darkened face dock we spied about a mile away and, with great difficulty in the wind and a very heavy current, we finally were able to tie up safely.

Now here's the significance. The vessel we bought had on board spares for lots of components including a full set of injector lines for the Lehman 120's. We put up for the night and changed out the injector line the next morning and were on our way. My point is, that is, responding to the original statement, I don't think anyone would advocate installing new injector lines just to see if they fit. Yes, if I were replacing all of the lines I would keep the old lines as backups. But, I was sure glad those lines were on board. If we had been in the middle of nowhere, say the winding channels of the Georgia ICW, I sure wouldn't have liked to have been forced to motor many miles on one engine to the next marina to effect repairs. Just one boater's experience.

As to the spares on board when we bought the boat, I mentioned the boat came with lots of spares. Truth to tell, that was an understatement. Just last week I opened an obscure compartment and discovered five, yes five, brand new, unused oil coolers, plus a new main engine heat exchanger. Anyone want to hazard a guess as to value? At least $1,500, I'd say. We were told that the prior two owners were fanatics on maintenance, our good fortune.

 

[psneeld]

We recently purchased a Defever 44. On the third day out bringing her home to Annapolis from Florida, late in the day with a heavy wind blowing and still several hours from our destination, a fuel injection line cracked which, of course, was spraying fuel all over the place. We shut done the port engine and tried anchoring in an anchorage recommended by the marina to which we were headed. Lousy anchor wouldn't hold in the high winds blowing against our very high windage vessel (lots of canvas and isinglass). We were forced to up anchor and headed to a darkened face dock we spied about a mile away and, with great difficulty in the wind and a very heavy current, we finally were able to tie up safely.

Now here's the significance. The vessel we bought had on board spares for lots of components including a full set of injector lines for the Lehman 120's. We put up for the night and changed out the injector line the next morning and were on our way. My point is, that is, responding to the original statement, I don't think anyone would advocate installing new injector lines just to see if they fit. Yes, if I were replacing all of the lines I would keep the old lines as backups. But, I was sure glad those lines were on board. If we had been in the middle of nowhere, say the winding channels of the Georgia ICW, I sure wouldn't have liked to have been forced to motor many miles on one engine to the next marina to effect repairs. Just one boater's experience.

As to the spares on board when we bought the boat, I mentioned the boat came with lots of spares. Truth to tell, that was an understatement. Just last week I opened an obscure compartment and discovered five, yes five, brand new, unused oil coolers, plus a new main engine heat exchanger. Anyone want to hazard a guess as to value? At least $1,500, I'd say. We were told that the prior two owners were fanatics on maintenance, our good fortune.

Your injector line story is a good one though that makes a point here.

I had one start leaking too out of Oriental on the way to Morehead City, NC. Really crappy, windy day with thunderstorms and didn't want to stop and anchor in a narrow part of the ICW....found the leak and turned it into a drip rather than spray by wrapping it. Limped the rest of the way to Morehead City.

I knew I had spare lines onboard from the PO...they were wrapped in bubble wrap and stored with spare hoses and belts in the bilge.
When I unwrapped them...the top 3 (the ones you could see) were in decent shape with just a little rust...the bottom 3 were really rough and I would be hesitant to use one....but I was lucky and the one I needed was good enough...and has been for 2 trips to FL and back.

When I buy a new set...I'll probably not even keep a set of spares until I go out of the Atlantic ICW. Too easy to order and or get a temp or even permanent made up by a decent shop.

When I hit the Bahamas and further (not too much further though with this boat)...I may carry a set of spares or just one generic flexible line if possible. Even a rigid line and bend it to need (again I have to investigate if a couple inches either way makes a diff).

So spares are only as good as you take care of them and even with something like injector lines, the original was faulty (less than 4 years old)...so the spares could have a similar flaw.

Messing around with them too much could easily put a stress crack in them so unwrapping them and putting them on once is enough for me...even though they shouldn't have an issue if handles within reason.