We're back at home and boat projects beckon. Here's the immediate to do list:
1. Replace engine temprature sensor.
2. Trouble shoot holding tank level light.
3. Add a ring or two to shaft packing gland.
4. Replace generator raw water pump.
5. Finish companionway turtle: install new teak bungs and apply 8 coats of varnish
6. Adjust v-berth gas strut.
I did #1 Saturday. #2 Saturday, and #6 was Monday's treat. #1 was easy. Drop the cooling water level in the heat exchanger, screw out the old sensor, screw in the new, turn on the engine and enjoy having a water temprature guage again. Only it didn't work. The darn guage is acting exactly like it did with the old "defective" sensor in place. Guess that wasn't the problem. I know the wiring harness is OK. The source of my problems would now seem to be in the engine control panel. This is where we enter high dollar land, and Volvo way over-charges for replacement parts. Maybe I'll stick with the infrared temp sensor I bought in Cabo. Price $97. It's a little pistol like thing that gives me the temprature of whatever I aim it at. Pretty neat device. Besides taking the temp of my engine, I never have to jump into the water without knowing how cold it is....to a tenth of a degree. Anyway, Saturday's job was a big disappointment.
Sunday I needed a win, so I did job #2, removing the float that activates the holding tank high level alarm light. Of course that meant opening up the holding tank, removing the alarm float and cleaning off the six years of poo that was stopping it from floating up and down on the liquid inside the poo tank. Simple, yucky and sucessful. It now works good as new. I hope the fix will last long enough to become the next owner's problem. Nice to win one.
Monday was strut day.
In order to make the storage beneath the v-berth easily accessable, I installed gas struts underneath the bed to push it all up. Mattress, sheets, blankets pillows all swing up without disturbing anything except Buster.
I installed the port side strut slightly out of alignment in order not to have to remove any wood from the bed supports, but the misalignment was causing the strut attachment points to wear badly and start popping free when the bed was raised. So todays job was to move the strut into proper alignment, notching out as much wood as necessary. The alignment is still not perfect, but much better then before. Hopefully good enough. We'll see...
Today I will start on job #3, add a ring of packing to the shaft seal. The steps are: 1: unload lazerette 2: measure gland size. 3: reload laz. 4: take a bus ride into town to buy the packing. 5: happy hour. 6: tomorrow's problem.
Today I will start on job #3, add a ring of packing to the shaft seal. The steps are: 1: unload lazerette 2: measure gland size. 3: reload laz. 4: take a bus ride into town to buy the packing. 5: happy hour. 6: tomorrow's problem.
Paul, you should talk with Michael about the engine temperature gauge - we had the same problem rounding Cabo and called the mechanic in Seattle. Are you heading south anytime soon?
ReplyDeleteHi Mike and Nita,
ReplyDeleteI met you both in the exit line at on-board the Baja Ferry. It's really too bad you didn't ride with me after all. I sprinted to the autopista paid freeway, then onward towards Tepic. But as it got dark I turned down a wonderful agricultural scenic valley and into the town of Santiago Ixcuintla (eesh-quint-la)Nayarit. It was a magic night of exploring, and eating cheap eats. The next morning by 11 I was in Cruz de H. I visited my mother-in-law for an hour in PV, then on to Melaque by dinnertime. We are here now and I will keep watching this blog for your whereabouts. We are right on the beach near where you will anchor (free). But it looks like you've a got a week of chores. No problema, we're here for 3 months.
Kip from Tacoma