Ready for Lift Off

Yesterday I had a productive and successful day preparing the engine for extraction and the crane is scheduled to arrive at 9 AM today.

I started the day by removing the 160 amp alternator which I intend to keep.

I then removed the wiring connections in two categories.  The important group of wires was made up of those that may be used for the new engine, e.g. alternator, starter, temperature sensors.   These I marked for the Volvo installation effort.  The other group were associated with the Sabb only and I had little hesitation in cutting them at my convenience.  Once the Sabb has been removed and Pachuca is back in her pen I will spend a day or two removing all Sabb redundant wiring (and any other redundant wiring that I can find).

I then removed the cooling hoses, remembering to shut off the water intake sea cock because forgetting to do this would have led to great embarrassment when we lower the boat back into the water. 

Then it was time for the fuel lines.  I first shut off the fuel cocks at the base of each tank and then took the time to sample the fuel in the tanks for evidence of water.  There was no water but the port tank drain bowl was clogged up so I had to completely remove the  screw from the base of the bowl and clear the opening by poking stainless steel tie wire into the bowl.  One of Pachuca's virtues in spite of her years of neglect by the previous owners is that her fuel system is very clean so I see no need to "prep" the fuel for the new engine.   

Then I removed the throttle, shut off, and transmission cables.

I had already figured out that the extraction would be much easier if we split the Hurth transmission from the engine.  I went into the yard seeking mechanical help and soon one of the men was on board removing the shaft coupling.  We left it at that and I started to work on freeing the engine from the six engine mounts.  I had success with four of them  but there were two where I needed professional help.  It was almost 1 PM so I visited Marina de La Paz to arrange a visit by Joel after lunch.  Eventually Neil, Joel, and I got together and it was agreed that Joel would visit the boat.  To my surprise Joel had already had his lunch so he gathered up some tools and we headed back to the boat yard.  Before we left  his shop we opened the case holding the new Volvo and I found the box holding the PSS dripless packing so that the boat yard team could put it on when the propeller shaft was reinstalled in the boat.  I took the opportunity to fondle the new engine and pat it on its heads.  (The bonding process had already begun.)  Neil had by then read the instructions and handed me the instructions in Spanish that he had printed out and suggested that I make sure that the installer read them carefully.  I plan to do that and also oversee the installation of the PSS because I have seen the installation video twice and have a good idea of traps to be avoided.

Joel loosened the recalcitrant footings with relative ease using his socket set, though he was forced to go back to his shop to find a deep  socket.  We then loosened  the six bolts holding the Hurth gear box and using screw  drivers we split it off from the engine. 

I asked Joel to run his eye over the engine to see if I had missed anything and he pronounced the engine ready for lift off. He then took out his tape measure and confirmed that the engine will fit nicely through the companionway without any need to tilt the engine.  Joel then agreed to bring a pickup truck when the crane arrived so that he could  take the Sabb engine away.  Morning was best for him.

After Joel returned to his shop I arranged for a crane at 9 AM this morning then walked over to Joel's workshop to let him know.

I then spent another hour dropping the companionway dodger and tidying up then returned to the hotel room.  I was tired, dirty, and had eaten nothing since the two pieces of breakfast toast; but I was very satisfied with how the day had gone.