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Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2023 03:44:00 GMT
IT RUNS!
Waiting on Exhaust.
On Monday Sam and I put the engine back together. We finally received all
the parts. I was waiting on tappets. So we spent about 10 hours re-assembling
everything, rebuilding the injectors, setting the valves, painting parts,
and cleaning everything up. So on Tuesday I changed the oil, put in new coolant and started it up.
It took about 15 minutes to get the fuel system bled and then she started right
up. I only ran the engine for about 30 sec because it was filling the cabin
with exhaust but it runs! I was so glad. And it sounded really good.
We had lost the intake filter system. I was really worried I would have to
build one but we found it in the workshop we had been using. When we were
adjusting the valves I wanted to be able to turn the engine without a pipe
wrench on the splined main pully so I went to remove the front (secondary)
pully. But the heads of all three bolts snapped off. When I finally go
the pully off with a puller I found corosion between the spacer and the
aluminum pully. It was about 1/2 mm thick and it put so much pressure on
the bolts that the heads were just ready to pop off. It also made it
really difficult to get the pully off and it bent. So I had to straighten
it before cleaning it up and putting it back on. We also dropped parts
in the bilge multiple times which took easily 2 hours of our time
retrieving and finding missing parts that fell under the engine. All in
all however now that it's running I'm very pleased. It feels good to have
a reliable engine again.
We are now waiting on our exhaust. The parts/pipe are in and it is
actively being worked on but I'm not sure it's going to be done by the
first. We will see. It's going to be beautiful and made from copper
nickle it will last for another 50 years.
Hannah and I are working to get the boat ready to sail so that when we get
the exhaust installed we can be ready to leave. I had a really good dream
about being underway again. It felt so good to be sailing again that it
brought tears to our eyes.
Sam has found a girlfriend and has spent the last several weeks with her
every day. She has to leave on Friday so they are spending every waking
moment together. It's going to be sad when she and us both have to leave.
I havent been writing very much I know but not much is differnet day to
day. I can't express how much we love the Keys and Marathon. This is the
most wonderful boating community. I do hope we can return here again. We
have made so many friends and seen so many really cool boats. If you're a
cruiser this is the place to be. I don't think anything is quite like it.
I really wasn't sure how much we would like the keys but now we are almost
ready to make Florida our home.