'77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower SPLASHED!

[Luhrs28]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

I finally got everything together today to change out the bad starter. Hey get a load of the cool gantry I made at work:

(the starter on the 6.2 diesel is way on the bottom. The engine has to be lifted 18" or so to get to it)

Here's the evil POS starter that failed after only about 25 cranks:

This job really wasn't too bad but it would've been a lot easier if it wasn't 85 degrees, sunny and humid. Tomorrow is supposed to hit 90 here in Jersey.

Man you guys have to admit I've paid my dues with this boat. I'm going to test-run the engine tomorrow with a garden hose hooked up to the raw water pump. If all goes well it's ready to go in the water next week.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

glad to hear you got it swapped out! Looking forward to hearing her purr!

 

[Triton II]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

And now the fun part begins. Again, all the best with her Luhrs...

TII

 

[emoney]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Hey, on the bright side, you ended up with another "tool" for future needs. Hope she gets wet soon (the anticipation is killing me and I don't even get a ride)

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Love the gantry. I winder why that new starter failed. China?

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

If any of you are ever contemplating buying a cabin cruiser with a V-drive, the photos below should convince you to run away as fast as possible in the other direction. Aligning it is a real PITA. I spent 4 hours on this today in 90 degree heat. You can't see the flanges from above.............a mirror is the only way.

The shop manager at my boatyard warned me the alignment has to be absolutely perfect or I'll have problems. He hates V-drives also.

I'm going to make it a project next winter to design and make a flex coupling for it. I think that would help a lot if the coupling could tolerate a little misalignment.

 

[oohsparkly]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

any way to get some G&P shaft into the gearbox? could maybe do a modified lovejoy welded to a b-lock... cant see enough to know if that would hold up to the stress or not but it would certainly make alignment easy on your end, would just have to get it close, then let the mechanical fasteners do the rest of the work

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Sparkly: next winter I plan to look at all the available coupling designs and see what might work. There has to be something better out there now, compared to what it came with originally. But the thing you have to keep in mind is the coupling has to be able to take axial thrust in both directions. Whether the boat is in forward or reverse the thrust from the prop is transmitted through the coupling to the transmission, which in turn is bolted to the stringers. Many flex couplings can't do that.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Being a V-drive boat owner myself I feel your pain. Although my motors have yet to come out, doing the stuffing boxes was quite the chore. Your boat looks even more cramped, so I couldn't imagine how you got in there.

Keep up the good work though!

 

[Tahorover]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

If any of you are ever contemplating buying a cabin cruiser with a V-drive, the photos below should convince you to run away as fast as possible in the other direction. Aligning it is a real PITA. I spent 4 hours on this today in 90 degree heat. You can't see the flanges from above.............a mirror is the only way.

The shop manager at my boatyard warned me the alignment has to be absolutely perfect or I'll have problems. He hates V-drives also.

I'm going to make it a project next winter to design and make a flex coupling for it. I think that would help a lot if the coupling could tolerate a little misalignment.

I have a Paragon Pv-400 in a 20' runabout and love it. 12 years of ownership and I have spent zero dollars on it! Try that with an I/O!

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Tahorover: OK well that's very encouraging input. If I get even 5 trouble-free years out of my transmission I'll be happy.

Thanks for the good feedback.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Well did the beast run? I suggest bubble gum and duct tape for a real flexible coupler. Hope your luck is better with the new starter. Hope you invent a better coupling option I hate trying to align a v drive.

 

[gimbal]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Hey Luhrs. Great thread, As for the advice about v-drives too late, cant remember what you are running, but this runs a conventional box with remote vdrive. 25ft l/u cabin early 70's I think. Have to post picks see if anyone can identify it? gimbal from oz.

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Check this out:

http://youtu.be/zCjUzNc3iYU

It's freakin' loud in person. I want to put mufflers on eventually but for now I can live with it. Besides I kind of like the idea of scaring everyone else in the marina when I start it up.

Some of the messy wires are temporary jumpers. I'm real happy all my gauges seem to work also, including the tach.

 

[Triton II]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Great to see the big girl fired up. May your starter always start her!
TII

 

[scipper77]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Hopefully it's not so loud in the water.

Is there a lot of vibration coming from the motor?

I have that same swim deck on mt 17 foot open bow. lol

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Scipper: There's very little vibration, I think just because it's a V8 which is inherently pretty well balanced. I'm going to do a little research on sound deadener material this morning, and maybe put some under the deck and hatch cover.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

glad to see you got her fired up!

 

[erikgreen]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

I'm going to express the opinion that it's not so much the V-drive as the design of the boat it's in. Working on almost any engine in that cramped a space would be no fun. Most of the modern "recreational" boats I've seen just aren't meant to have work done by anyone easily. Even if I bought one brand new (I wouldn't anyway, but...) I'd modify it to make the engine and drive gear more accessible.

Erik

 

[proshadetree]

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

Re: '77 Luhrs 28 ft. diesel repower - just beginning

My junk is loud out of the water to. I bet she quietens down a lot. Looks like she needs to get wet soon. Have a great week man.