1965 26' Owens Flagship restoration underway.

[Sea18Horse]

Next on the list is some pretty extensive engine work. I was adjusting the valves a couple of weeks ago because the PCV valve has always rattled @ idle really loud. I suspected it was because of where they hooked the PCV valve to but I wanted to make sure it wasn't because of tight intake valves. They had the PCV valve plumbed into the fitting on the #8 intake runner because that was the only one the engine had. No vacuum ports on the carb at all. I've since drilled and tapped a port on the rear of the carb base where the vacuum brake booster fitting would ordinarily go. This solved the rattling problem and also gave me a centralized port to hook up a vacuum gauge.

But anyway in the course of adjusting the valves I discovered a few problems. One is a compression leak into the valley on cyl. #3. With the valve covers off I could hear what sounded like a compression leak (Sounds like an exhaust leak but with a sharper attack if that makes sense). If I'd kill cyl. #3 it would go away. A stethoscope confirmed it was coming from the valley. Bummer!

Next I discovered that it has a flat cam lobe on both cylinders #4 and #5. Bigger bummer!

It's funny that without the normal cues that one has from 40+ years of automotive repair an engine can fool you. #1, with the engine more or less solidly mounted there's not so much as a quiver. Smooth as can be. Feel for a dead miss at the exhaust? Nope, can't reach it. Infra-red exhaust analyzer? Nope, too much water. This engine has always sounded pleasingly rumpety- rumpety at idle. Well it turns out that's because it's idling on 5 cylinders :facepalm: .

All this together leads me to the conclusion that this engine was just pulled out of a mid 70s Chevy truck and plunked in here. I've replaced a ton of flat cams back in the day. It was common back in the 70s and 80s. I don't think it will be too difficult do do the work in the boat. The head gasket work will be easy peasy. Just heavy. The camshaft will likely be a whole different story.

When I unbolt the prop shaft flange I'll have about an inch of clearance there. Looking at the diagrams of the velvet drive transmission input shaft it looks like that should be adequate. I'll have to construct a miniature gantry that will sit on the motor mounts to hold the back (front) of the engine up while I pull the trans and housing. If it's not enough I'll just have to lift the engine higher is all.

Cheers.......................Todd

 

[sphelps]

Any reason you didn’t do more while it was on dry dock ? Having it back under cover is nice though ...

 

[Sea18Horse]

Just budget constraints really. Schooner Creek doesn't allow you to work on your boat in the yard. Unless it's something being done by a bonded/insured outside contractor that does work that the yard doesn't do. I think that's pretty much a thing of the past. I was happy that they let me go out and poke and prod and take measurements.

Cheers..............................Todd

 

[sphelps]

Ok , that’s a shame but somewhat understandable.. Is it the same marina that you have it moored ?

 

[Sea18Horse]

No it's around the other side of Hayden island. About 4 miles or so by boat.

Had a buddy meet me at the boat yard so that we could do the vehicle shuffle. And so he could crew for me.

Cheers..........................Todd

 

[Sea18Horse]

Update time again. Ok the engine is coming out.

That's a lot of water in there. Yuk! I had that compression leak from cylinder #3. The head bolts near the valley in the vicinity weren't very tight. A number of others weren't very tight either. The head gasket looked perfect though. Not a marine head gasket I don't think. A magnet stuck to it. I'm thinking if it was stainless it wouldn't have. Boy they really loved their orange sillycone! I'm excited to get this cleaned up if nothing else. I'm sick of looking at it!
Here is one of the lifters.

What's wrong with this picture? There were actually four that looked like this. Here is one of the valve tips.

Peened over big time!

So it'll be getting a valve grind, New cam and lifters. Cam, main and rod bearings and a re-ring at the least. No ridge in the cylinder walls. We'll have to see what the crank looks like.

Cheers......................Todd

 

[Sea18Horse]

Update time again.

My friend Dave and I pulled the engine out last weekend. We rigged up a chain hoist in the rafters. The boat house has some kind of a lifting mechanism on a sliding rail that would slide out the door. Maybe was for lifting a dinghy? Anyway with four more 2x4s added to the wall studs (it had two already) It looked plenty stout enough to hoist a short block SBC.

I built a little gantry that sat on the engine mounts to lift the back end of the engine enough to get the transmission and drive housing off.

Once they were off we rigged up the chain hoist and lifted it out.

We'd layed out a tarp and a piece of plywood on the aft end of the cockpit deck where we stripped the block and set it down and flipped it over. (crappy picture -sorry)

Now the fun begins!

Cheers...........................Todd

 

[mickyryan]

do a ls swap! better engine and will last a long long time

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I really like the lines of this boat. Very nice!!

 

[Sea18Horse]

do a ls swap! better engine and will last a long long time

Haha, I knew when I saw your name pop up that that was coming! Good idea but waaaayyyy beyond the scope of this project.

Cheers..........................Todd

 

[Sea18Horse]

I really like the lines of this boat. Very nice!!

Thanks Chuck! I like it too. Like a floating "65 El Camino.

Cheers......................Todd

 

[mickyryan]

Haha, I knew when I saw your name pop up that that was coming! Good idea but waaaayyyy beyond the scope of this project.

Cheers..........................Todd

if you stay with same old style gm just buy a rebuilt engine and save your self some money , but a ls would be perfect for your boat and id be more then willing to do your wiring harness while im layed up

 

[Sea18Horse]

Thanks for the offer! It would be cool to do an LS swap for sure. But no way. Way too much work.

Todd..........................Todd

 

[Sea18Horse]

Engine work continues slowly, Pulled the camshaft out, got most of the old gasket material scraped off and got the old steel drain plugs out of the block. I was a bit worried about those. One of them was rusted through and weeping a bit.

My friend Dave was busy scraping and sanding on the fore deck and deck side on the port side while I was working on the engine. It's looking pretty good. These photos are after only a couple hours work.


Still a bit splotchy yet but coming along. Still not sure what we're going to do with the fore deck. Once we get it sanded out as best we can then I plan to treat it all with Smith & co. CPES and then see where we are. I'd like to see if I can get that left forward toe rail piece off because there are two frames inside that have come loose and the screws are under the toe rail. If We can get the plugs and screws out and get the toe rail off Then I think we could pretty easily get the rest of it off and replace that whole section of plywood, scarfing it in near the base of the windshield where there is a solid wood doubler underneath. Then glass and paint it. Or maybe put some thin teak planking on it as WoG suggested if it can be found for a reasonable price. But that will wait.

Cheers...............Todd

 

[JPO 1949]

Mind if I tag alone ? I really like your boat. Looking forward to your progress.

 

[Ned L]

You are really moving along on her, she is looking good!

 

[oldrem]

Not sure how I missed this one. Great looking boat! Reminds me a lot of my '72 26ft Carver

 

[Sea18Horse]

Thanks guys!

JPO 1949, Sure welcome aboard! BTW I like yours too. Love the provenance of the trailer brochure and the engine owners manual. Love that kind of stuff!

It's nice to be doing something cosmetic finally!

Cheers............................Todd

 

[sphelps]

Looks so cool sitting there with the illuminant green water !

 

[Sea18Horse]

Update time again.
Engine work continues. Cylinders are honed. We've got the new cam bearings in. Main bearings and crankshaft are in. They plastigaged out at between 3 and 4 thousandths and nice and even across the journals so I'm happy with that. Pistons cleaned up and new plain iron rings are on. We should have the pistons in, the camshaft in and the oil pan on this weekend. I have to finish making a new gasket for the drive housing, the water pump and the trans mounting flange.

I've got most of the engine parts painted. I went with the red that the trans and flywheel housing were painted. It's weird, those parts showed no sign that they had ever been painted another color. And then the block, intake manifold, drive housing and oil pan were 70's GM blue with no sign that they had ever been painted a different color. So I have no clue. I tried to contact Flagship Marine Engines. Their website claims a direct lineage from Owens Yacht Company to now. I tried contacting them through their webpage And I tried calling them on the phone. I wanted to see if there was anyone there who was familiar with the old stuff and had any idea what color the engines were painted in 1965 And if they had any suggestions where I could source motor mounts or get mine rebuilt. I was told there was someone out in the shop who might. But I never heard a word back. It seems they are more than happy to capitalize on the name but have no interest in helping someone who is trying to keep the legacy alive. Oh well.

On a different subject, I'm going to need to re-caulk some seams between the roof and the windshield frame base. And I'm wondering if anybody out there recognizes this caulking compound.

We went to the wooden boat festival up in Port Townsend Wa. last month (Awesome BTW!) and I saw the same stuff on a couple of the boats up there. Didn't get a chance to ask their owners though. I'm thinking maybe Sikaflex 291 Mahogany? but I don't know.

Cheers...................Todd