The MV ScubaBoard...

[captain]

Just use a block that will fit sung under the oil pan with a couple of taps. You are only supporting half the weight of an engine that weighs maybe 400 pounds total. Unbolt the mount from the deck and the engine and pull it away. The engine shouldn't drop at all then all you need to do is just slip the mount back in place.
The jack bolt and nuts on the mount are to adjust the horizontal alignment of the engine crankshaft coupler with the outdrive input shaft. As long as you don't move the upper or lower adjusting nuts you won't change alignment. Pretty easy.

 

[JohnsIsland]

13. Go for a 3 hour cruise

Any reference to that song or show is prohibited when I have a group of friends on my parents boat. One of my friends was fond of that song one year, sang it way to much for my comfort and wouldn't you know it, on the way home after a week in the San Juan's, the supposedly overhauled engine died.

Friend was on board again this year and I was emphatic that I didn't want to hear that song or a reference to that show. I watched that show when I was a kid, but never again!

Edit to add congratulations on your boat!

Jeff

Long story about dead engine, I would suggest never ever purchasing any engine from US Engines, located in Kent, Washington and has several other names as well.

 

[JohnsIsland]

Pete, I suggest you read through this before making any decisions on how to do something that may end up being against USCG requirements. A lot of old boats are full of jury rigged fixes that are not exactly how they should be.

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Pete,

Please make sure any parts you install, such as starters and alternators are marine parts. This is critical as they are designed to not make sparks (as I understand the situation.) I am guessing you have purchased the correct parts, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware of this situation.

I would also suggest you purchase another larger fire extinguisher. I had always cringed at how small of a fire extinguisher was allowed on boats, and frustrated that my Dad choose the minimum acceptable size. Dad upgraded to a more reasonable fire extinguisher after he tried to put out a carb fire on a neighbors vehicle and saw how ineffective the small fire extinguishers are.

You also need to turn fire extinguishers on boats upside down at least once a year and check that the powder is still free flowing. If you turn the fire extinguisher upside down and don't feel powder moving, then it's time to have it checked or replaced. Something about the pounding on a boat causes the powder to cake into one piece, which isn't what you want!

Stay safe,

Jeff

 

[The Chairman]

Update: I finally got my Harmonic Balancer back yesterday! No, I probably won't have time to install it before DEMA: BUT I SURE WANT TO!!!

I will be installing ONLY marine grade components. The harmonic balancer took a powder because they put in a non-marine rated water pump that froze. All the hardware is Stainless Steel or marine grade brass if the Stainless Steel was not available. All of the wiring I put in is fully tinned with marine grade insulation.

 

[The Chairman]

I finally launched the ScubaBoard on January 2, 2012. It ran great. When I got back to the house, it cut out for apparently no reason. On further diagnosis, it appeared that I had a fuel problem. There was plenty of fuel in the tanks, but none in the carb. When I first got the boat, the engine compartment looked like this:

You can see the electric fuel pump is simply buried under the distributor where the mechanical pump used to live and one of the wires' insulation has cracked. In case of any leakage, it would be spraying fuel right into the distributor! Oh my, that does not look safe! My first refinement was to mount the fuel pump on the back of the engine on one of the bell housing bolts and secure the fuel line to the side, away from that fan belt. The old fuel line was stiff and cracking and NOT Coastie approved. I replaced the portion between the fuel/water separator using 5/16" approved line and added a clear inline filter just before the carb.

As I said, I was still noticing a fuel problem. The fuel pump was a long way from the fuel tanks and it was clicking in a manner that made me feel it was not getting fuel. I added a bypass switch (momentary, normally off) that I could send fuel to the carburetor without the engine running. But really, I had no idea if the filter was clogged or not: it was trial and error with a lot of priming. Finally, the tank selector switch was under a small hatch and was not secured at all. It flopped all over the place. I didn't like it.

My solution was to mount the pump and the switch on a small plastic board and mount that securely in the hatch. There's no guessing if you are pulling from the fore or aft tank now and the connection between the pump and switch is absolutely SOLID. I replaced the remaining decrepit old lines (which were 1/4") and fittings so that everything in the fuel system was standard. I also added a fuel pressure gauge on the output side of the fuel/water separator so I could better monitor the flow through the filter with less guessing. I want to test the aft tank, it's a removable one with a clip on fitting (like for an outboard). Any one know how to pressure test this? I don't want to put in a leaky fuel tank, but I don't want to spend $150 replacing it either! Here is how it looks now:

Tank switch and pump assembly.

Fuel/water separator with gauge.

Engine compartment overview​

You can see from the last picture, that you can easily access most everything in the engine compartment. I really cleaned it up and got rid of a lot of extraneous crap. My last issue with the engine is the rough water pump and how to tighten the belt. It's not a very rigid system, and I get a howling out of the v-belt when I exceed 4,000 rpm on the water and 3,000 rpm when I have water supplied by the hose.

 

[The Chairman]

Last week, I also rewired the trailer, installed a horn, and two stainless steel retractable cleats and a dive ladder! Today, I will be installing a Hummingbird 798ci SI GPS/Side Scan sonar unit in the boat so I can see where I am diving.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Wow, you've really cleaned the boat up. Nice! And I'm glad to hear you launched (sometimes project boats can get a bit too firmly embedded on the hard...)

I want to test the aft tank, it's a removable one with a clip on fitting (like for an outboard). Any one know how to pressure test this? I don't want to put in a leaky fuel tank, but I don't want to spend $150 replacing it either!

One note on the above: Is that aft tank above or below decks? I just ask because that type of tank is not approved for below-decks use. I realize you probably have this completely in hand, but it just caught my eye and I thought I would ask.

Blue Sparkle

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah, I was worried about that too. It's a legacy from 1968, is under a hatch and has no venting in place. The forward tank is huge and has vent/ground in place. I first used this tank because the fuel in the fore tank was suspect as it had been sitting a long time. I got a quote for $250 to "clean" the gas, but that's more than I am willing to spend. The gas coming from the fore tank is burning just fine, and I don't see any contaminants in the final (clear) fuel filter. The best I can measure the tank is !0"x36"x48", which converts to over 60 gallons. That's a LOT of fuel for this four banger. I just hate being without redundancy (I even carry a spare fuel pump, coil and points/condenser plate, two fuel filters and fuel line).

 

[The Chairman]

Before I forget, a special thanks to Gary at the NAPA store next door, 99256 Overseas Hwy, for helping me to plumb this out. If you ever need boat parts quick in the Keys, they do an awesome job of getting you back in the water!

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Understood on the redundancy. But yeah, the typical outboard fuel tank is not rated for below-decks use. IIUC, It's not only the venting but also that the plastic is of a different permeability and perhaps durability as well. Perhaps you could retrofit a small below-decks approved tank/vent in that space? Of course there is fuss and hassle (what boat project doesn't have that?), but they are not too expensive in the smaller sizes (check companies such as Moeller).

One of my previous boats had the same type of (red plastic "outboard") tank "plumbed in" for a reserve tank below decks (inboard gas engine). Clearly it had worked for a number of years and no-one had blown up, but I replaced it with a Moeller/appropriate hold-downs/venting. I just hate to tempt fate when it comes to gasoline.

As an alternative, is there a place you can store a jerry can above decks? It is possible to rig up a jerry can as an emergency fuel tank, and you'd be keeping it all above decks. Then too, it could be used as spare fuel for the main tank. (I'm guessing no, because space is probably tight, and you want to use it for dive gear )

Blue Sparkle