Weebles in Mexico - the adventure resumes (aka Tales from the Cruising Crypt)

[mvweebles]

I wonder the why of the boat being on the hard for 1.5 years. But figure if OP wanted us to know he would have said.

Lets move on ....................... what the splash date?

We planned to resume this time last year. Unfortunately, Hurricane Helene put 3-1/2 feet of water in our living room. We thought we'd rebuild and be done by Thanksgiving and wed resume after that. It was a good plan except for local govt totally constipated the rebuilding process, in my opinion in extreme efforts to collect FEMA reimbursements which took higher priority than getting people back in their homes. We ended up buying a new house on higher ground. Our flooded house still awaits rebuilding but isn't in bad shape - we just decided to put it on the back burner and get Weebles to Florida to tick that box as done. Had we known what a PITA the local building officials would be, we would have just closed up the house last year and not skipped the extra year. As an asterisk point, many Florida towns now realize what New Orleans found out after Katrina decorated the City in 2004: if residents can't come home quickly, they adapt and develop a new life elsewhere leaving the towns and cities hollowed out. They may have collected FEMA reimbursements but are now dealing with a much deeper and sustained problem of greatly reduced tax base and lack of tourist business. Sad.

Overall we got off easy. Neighbors with kids were seriously displaced. We also have the means go just go buy another house which not many do. And then there are the poor folks in SoCal who lost everything in the Palisades fires last winter. We can rebuild.....they have nothing. No complaints from us but a bit sallow about losing a year.

Splash date will be early next week. I have an inverter to replace, want to replace damper plate on tranny (forward maintenance since I'm a single engine boat), and a few other systems. Polish fuel, check start batteries (they don't last long in the heat), etc.

I need to lose weight......

Peter

 

[Don L]

I need to lose weight......

Peter

find the "special" street taco place

 

[mvweebles]

Yesterday was second day at Weebles. I'll take some pictures today. I keep forgetting that while nothing has changed for me, Boat Porn is always welcomed on TF.

Main breaker for Solar had tripped along the way so batteries were discharged to very low (not zero). I'm not getting a ton of production from my solar panels so they'll get a cleaning today. I suspect the breaker for the solar system is undersized and likely tripped during a very strong sunshine day. And I cannot find my portable Victron battery charger or the pigtail adapters to convert the 15A/120VAC extension cord from the Yard to something usable. A byproduct of being away for so long is CRS (can't remember stuff).

Since I'm a single diesel with a 35-year old Perkins, I decided to proactively replace the damper plate which I brought down. The rear engine mounts are off the transmission so it's a beefier job that I'm willing to sign-up for if I can avoid it. "Mario" to the rescue (I hope). Mario is a local diesel mechanic who is supposedly quite good and will do it for $450 USD and replace the main engine seal while he's at it......if I can get one from the Massey Ferguson dealer here in town. I'll have him align the engine once Weebles is back in the water. I'll say it upfront: I am hopeful he's punctual but not optimistic. The good news is it's work I could do myself if I were so inclined, and no payment until after he's done. So some inertia in my direction.

Peter

 

[Frosty]

Great to hear your report. And thank you for recognizing that of course we want to see any photos you feel like posting

I'm curious about your solar breaker. I have always sized mine for the wire size. Because a smaller fuse will have more voltage drop. Granted, that's likely not as important these days with high-voltage, large-capacity solar setups, but still..... why give anything away?

That means there's no way the normal solar input itself could trip the breaker, unless something has gone horribly awry (in which case, let it trip).

Too though, I don't know your setup, so pardon me if I'm off base. I just see many times that people think (likely not you though) that "Oh, 15 amps of panels, I'll put a 15 or maybe 20 amp breaker." When the wire could carry 50-60 amps or more.

Off that tangent: Exciting times! I'm so glad to hear you are at Weebles and apparently, no catastrophes. Yay! That's got to feel good.

 

[Mac2]

Just a thought. Solar panels are rated at a specific temperature. If it gets cooler than the specified rating, the panels can put out a higher output. Is this a possible cause for the breaker trip? Has anyone here tested this and if so, is the higher output substantial?

 

[mvweebles]

As mentioned, I am having the damper plate changed as preventative maintenance. The mechanic asked if I wanted to replace the rear main lip seal at the same time which sounds like a great idea......except I don't have the part. I keep hearing that you can go to a tractor supply store for parts for some diesels - turns out Massey Ferguson and Perkins go way back. Tapachula is an agriculture center and has a pretty large MF dealership and I was able to buy a rear main engine seal for $27 USD (UK Perkins OEM part!!!). Took all of 10-minutes. Fingers crossed it's the right part......

Peter

 

[Don L]

Main breaker for Solar had tripped along the way so batteries were discharged to very low (not zero). I'm not getting a ton of production from my solar panels so they'll get a cleaning today. I suspect the breaker for the solar system is undersized and likely tripped during a very strong sunshine day.

Mine was undersized based on what the panels could do in theory. But they never came close to that so it didn't matter. The wires were way bigger in capacity than that breaker or the solar panels. Check your wiring VERY close as the only time I had a similar problem was because one of MC4 connections burned up and may have been from a near hit lighting strike that did at the time fry a few things.

 

[mvweebles]

Mine was undersized based on what the panels could do in theory. But they never came close to that so it didn't matter. The wires were way bigger in capacity than that breaker or the solar panels. Check your wiring VERY close as the only time I had a similar problem was because one of MC4 connections burned up and may have been from a near hit lighting strike that did at the time fry a few things.

Good tips - Its on the list (quite a list these days)....

Too though, I don't know your setup, so pardon me if I'm off base. I just see many times that people think (likely not you though) that "Oh, 15 amps of panels, I'll put a 15 or maybe 20 amp breaker." When the wire could carry 50-60 amps or more.

I don't remember what I had going on - it's been a while. But I'll check it out.

Peter

 

[Don L]

Good tips - Its on the list (quite a list these days)....

Remember that not ALL has to be done before leaving. There will be lots of weather holds in places to keep working on

 

[Blissboat]

Remember that not ALL has to be done before leaving. There will be lots of weather holds in places to keep working on

That's right. Save a few projects for those occasional days when nothing else breaks unexpectedly. The definition of cruising is working on your boat in exotic locations.

 

[mvweebles]

I think it was Donald Rumsfeld who coined the phrase "known unknowns ." One of those sayings that describes perfectly but cannot be put into words.

If I waited for everything to be ready to go, we'd still be in San Francisco getting ready.

Mechanic was a no-show today.

Peter

 

[SteveK]

I think it was Donald Rumsfeld who coined the phrase "known unknowns ." One of those sayings that describes perfectly but cannot be put into words.

If I waited for everything to be ready to go, we'd still be in San Francisco getting ready.

Mechanic was a no-show today.

Peter

Maybe he will show up if you call him a technician.

 

[NoRain]

Mechanic was a no-show today.

Peter

Mañana

 

[tiltrider1]

I think it was Donald Rumsfeld who coined the phrase "known unknowns ." One of those sayings that describes perfectly but cannot be put into words.

If I waited for everything to be ready to go, we'd still be in San Francisco getting ready.

Mechanic was a no-show today.

Peter

In Aviation we have. Knowns, like mandatory cycle retirement of parts. Then we have known unknowns, like 5% of the parts break before retirement life, which parts are the unknown but we know 5% will break. Finally, we have unknown unknowns. This is usually never before seen failures or never before seen pilot failures. We don’t know what will happen, we don’t know when it will happen and we don’t know the frequency at which this will happen. Kind of like when one of my mechanics decided he was a pilot and flew one of our helicopters into the hangar. I didn’t know what or when or what the cost would be,I just knew I needed insurance.

 

[ofer]

I think it was Donald Rumsfeld who coined the phrase "known unknowns ." One of those sayings that describes perfectly but cannot be put into words.

If I waited for everything to be ready to go, we'd still be in San Francisco getting ready.

Mechanic was a no-show today.

Peter

Mannana for sure

 

[mvweebles]

find the "special" street taco place

Tried to find one tonight. All I could get were exceptional birria tacos and consume (Mexican equivalent of a French dip sandwich). Looking at about $4 US of food in the picture.

No weight loss so far. As a matter of fact, I'm backing up to get a running start on weight loss.

Peter

 

[Jklotz]

Tried to find one tonight. All I could get were exceptional birria tacos and consume (Mexican equivalent of a French dip sandwich). Looking at about $4 US of food in the picture.

No weight loss so far. As a matter of fact, I'm backing up to get a running start on weight loss.

Peter

No, you're not going to lose any weight eating tacos in Mexico! Brings back some memories for sure. Please go and get an el pastor for me, and make sure they give you some pineapple with it!

 

[Delta Riverat]

No! Carnitas por favor!

 

[ksanders]

Chicharones

 

[Don L]

Tried to find one tonight. All I could get were exceptional birria tacos and consume (Mexican equivalent of a French dip sandwich). Looking at about $4 US of food in the picture.

No weight loss so far. As a matter of fact, I'm backing up to get a running start on weight loss.

Peter

Maybe pair it with a glasses of the local water

 

[mvweebles]

The mechanic to change damper plate did indeed show up yesterday, more or less on time. I had left by the time he had the tranny out and flywheel removed so I was operating from pictures.

What came out was much, much different than expected. The old damper plate is riveted onto a roughly triangular plate which is bolted to the flywheel. I expected a standard round plate such as the one I brought down (see picture showing old one on left, new part on right), similar to a dry clutch plate (at least the dry clutch plates on my old BMW motorcycles). Looking at the pictures, my heart dropped. What had I done? Preventative maintenance gone awry? Had I broken the 11th Commandment: "if it ain't broker, don't fix it?"

There is slightly better news today. I haven't talked to the mechanic, but it appears I do have the right replacement damper plate, but it is mounted much differently than the old one. The parts house (Fred Warner) told me there are two options for my Perkins 4.236. A 9-bolt version which 95% have, and an uncommon and expensive 8-bolt version. So I bought the common one and yes, my flywheel has 9 bolt holes that match perfectly (though I will need to find 9 fine thread bolts - M8?). The clearance off the flywheel is 1/16"-1/8" less on the new one so should be in good shape.

Pictures: Old one in place on flywheel...damper plate is riveted into triangular plate. I guess this is somewhat common on Detroit Diesels.

New one rested on flywheel - ghost of triangular plate is clearly visible. The new one has 8 springs (vs 6) which are larger than the springs on the old plate.

Later today I'll find out if the main seal I purchased at the tractor dealer is indeed correct. There is a slight leak on the transmission shaft so will see if I can find a seal or have one shipped on fairly quickly and we'll travel inland for a week or two (making lemonade from lemons). Certainly lends support to the saying "Cruising: fixing your boat in exotic locations."

I'm glad I didn't do this myself (jury is still out on whether I'm glad I did it at all - peace of mind will be great once done as long as all goes well). It's a bigger job than expected since the rear engine mounts are integral to the transmission. I suppose the flywheel didn't need to come out but changing the main seal is a good thing on an old motor, especially a Perkins that is known for leaky rear seals.
Peter

 

[mvweebles]

Chicharones

View attachment 168600View attachment 168601

Kevin - those are fantastic looking chicherones. La Paz? Best ones I had was across the SoC in San Blas - closer to Pork Belly which is having a moment in the US

Peter

 

[Blissboat]

It's a bigger job than expected . . .

You mean like every job I have ever started, ashore or afloat? "Before I take this apart, I'll just make a trip to Home Depot and get everything I'm going to need . . ."

At first glance the photo of the old damper plate actually resembled a tray of chicharrones.

 

[ranger58sb]

A 9-bolt version which 95% have, and an uncommon and expensive 8-bolt version. So I bought the common one and yes, my flywheel has 9 bolt holes that match perfectly (though I will need to find 9 fine thread bolts - M8?).

I can clearly see the 9 bolt holes on the new one in your first pic, right hand image. Can't see those same 9 holes in the pic where you've overlayed the new one over the flywheel... and in that latter pic, the new one looks slightly small in diameter.

??

-Chris

 

[mvweebles]

I can clearly see the 9 bolt holes on the new one in your first pic, right hand image. Can't see those same 9 holes in the pic where you've overlayed the new one over the flywheel... and in that latter pic, the new one looks slightly small in diameter.

??

-Chris

The old one is actually smaller - six springs instead of eight, and slightly smaller in diameter. It looks bigger because it's mounted on a large triangular plate. It's also riveted. Parts of it look really gusto, other parts not so much.

Peter

 

[Bmarler]

not just fine thread bolts, but grade 8 as well, or the metric equivalent that escapes me at the moment. I thought Perkins was English thread though?
You did make sure the new damper slides onto the input shaft right?

 

[ranger58sb]

The old one is actually smaller - six springs instead of eight, and slightly smaller in diameter. It looks bigger because it's mounted on a large triangular plate. It's also riveted. Parts of it look really gusto, other parts not so much.

I see that. What I don't twig onto is how you'll attach the new one to the flywheel. In he lower pic, the 9 holes on the new one disappeared... and it looks smaller in diameter than the bolt holes on the flywheel...



-Chris

 

[ksanders]

Kevin - those are fantastic looking chicherones. La Paz? Best ones I had was across the SoC in San Blas - closer to Pork Belly which is having a moment in the US

Peter

Yes, pork belly. Just "found" the place tucked away only three blocks from our house.

 

[mvweebles]

Some boat-porn pictures and stuff.

Here's the storage yard for the Marina. Weebles is at the end, just left of center of the picture (bow-on).

Closer-up picture.

Her bottom has a couple of place where the paint didn't adhere properly, These have been sanded to sound paint and primed. She will get fresh paint shortly before getting splashed.

The marina (website HERE) is fairly small but is one of the nicest marina's we've stayed at in Mexico (most are fairly rough - like many countries, Mexico seems to afford initial construction of infrastructure, but struggles to maintain it). That said, there's a decent restaurant next to the Marina - salsa is made tableside.

And there's a pool on the grounds which is fantastic. It's half-under a large palapa (fronds are barely visible at top of picture). There is something magical about palapas - it can be hot as blazes out but under a palapa it's pleasant. There's a small bar under the palapa attended by Liliana. Remarkably, she remembered our names and our boat name from 1-1/2 years ago!

As you can imagine, the pool is the gathering spot for cruisers who happen to be around.

Peter

 

[Delta Riverat]

Why, that looks like a tropical paradise!