Posted: August 30 2008 at 23:08 | IP Logged

all, back to the exhaust smell thing. while surfing through ebay. came across thei chris, item # 160276549353 take a look at the exhaust, outside of the transom. i think this is the answer we all have been looking for.

floater

Posted: August 31 2008 at 08:43 | IP Logged

that's it Floater!  I wonder if they are available as a part currently

Hey Capt' Heavy?  Are you familiar with this in your line of work?  Any ideas on brand and part number?

Thanks,

Tom

Posted: August 31 2008 at 10:46 | IP Logged

SwanneeBill, cant find it.....

floater

Posted: August 31 2008 at 11:13 | IP Logged

still no luck. i'll try later. time to work on the lawn.

floater

Posted: August 31 2008 at 16:41 | IP Logged

Hi Bill, I checkd out that part and it seems to be just an exhause elbow.  The devices on the stern of the chris craft photo in page 77 seems like it is more than an elbow...looks like 4 bolts secure it to the stern, has cooling fins and drops the opening just below the hull.

We need to find out what they are called, there must be a name for them.  I searched every marine exhaust engine parts website and there is nothing pictured anywhere that resembles those things.  I bet it is something that used to be availalbe on older boats as I saw something similar on an early 70's silverton in the boat yard where my Cat was stored last winter, however they were mounted in the center of the stern inbetween the running gear.

If we still dont know, I will check for that boat in the yard at the end of the season and let everyone know.

Posted: September 01 2008 at 09:53 | IP Logged

OK! now we just wait................................anything yet?

floater!

Posted: September 02 2008 at 19:41 | IP Logged

rduhon, glad all is well. you have a beautiful craft, would be a shame to see her blemished.

floater.

Posted: September 02 2008 at 19:49 | IP Logged

Redbarontu, if you are out there, how are boat sales doing out there? im going with my buddy to carry 2 boats to mccotters marina in washington nc in 2-3 weeks his boss is selling. they said their sales have not dropped much at all. im really considering taking the floater out that way if things dont get any better here.

floater

Posted: September 03 2008 at 10:47 | IP Logged

Hey Capt. Heavy,

Do you know what these things on the stern of this Catalina are called?

Looks they route the exhaust fumes into the water and the CO along with them but dont know what they're called.  I am not sure they still make anything like them, maybe we can come up with used ones???  Last time out the CO meter read 500PPM and the alarm sounded.  I am still trying combinations of windows, vents and doors opened and closed based on boat speed and wind direction...sometimes I can get a good combination, sometimes I cannot.

I know what you guys are going through down there in paradise...we lived there in the 90's but moved back to NY.  My parents live in Cape Coral on the water and they go through the same thing with prepping the boats (54' Navigator, 18' Whaler) and house each time there is a threat.  Hang in there!

Tom

Posted: September 03 2008 at 13:55 | IP Logged

Thanks Capt H.  I did a quick search on them but came up empty.  I worte to one website who deals in marine exhaust, will post their reply once received.

Looks like Hanna may be coming up the coast by the weekend to pay us a visit, we'll be keepin' an eye on her.

Posted: September 03 2008 at 14:52 | IP Logged

Hello everone:

congrats to all who escaped damage fron the hurricane! we'er watching close and a little concerned one or more of the new ones may come to the carolinas. wish us luck.

I'm a little late but must give Bill a round of applause for the interior work he did on his boat. It was very impressive both as to workmanship and design. If you don't get that new boat I will offer up mine for a new project for you. Seriously if you were here and wanted it you could get lots of work.

Floater, boat sales here are not what they once were but for from dead. Unfortunately the slow down is in power boats but even they are moving pretty well. I am 60 70 miles fron washington nc and know it well. I almost bought a chris 281 at McCotters. If you are going to in washington come by Oriental and I'll give you the tour. Oriental is a smaller town but has a lot of boats we are also located right on the ICW and get lots of traffic. I work for a Broker here in Oriental its called BOW TO STERN YACHT SERVICES If I or the broakage can be of help let me know.

See you guys, I enjoy all of your posts   Red Baron, Oriental nc.

Posted: September 03 2008 at 19:32 | IP Logged

Capt Heavy. looks like hanna will come right across me when she comes into n.c. i am sitting at the east side of charlotte, good news is that that she will come nowhere close to the floater.

floater.

baron, i will let you know when i go to little washington, if anything, id like to meet you. about mccotters, he sold a couple boaats for my x boss. im supprised he sells anything, his prices are a little on the high side. i am pulling the boat out of the water at the end of september, re-running add, droping price prob down to 5000. any takers out there?

floater

Posted: September 03 2008 at 21:28 | IP Logged

Ahoy Skippers,

With the hiring of a professional marine mechanic, we're commencing a dockside servicing of the top-end of our '83 230 (305GM) Mercruiser engine starting next week. This includes head replacments. The casting on one of them is worn due to rust at an exhaust port on one of them. It should be very interesting to follow along and maybe God forbid, entertaining. To this end I'm considering posting a blow-by-blow synopsis with photos as this goes down. Our mechanic will do this in two days seperated by about 1-2 weeks for parts ordering, machining. Labor estimate: 17 hrs @$85 hr. 

Question:  Should we run a seperate thread for this process?

This is the engine:

Posted: September 03 2008 at 21:32 | IP Logged

Whatever you wanna do Roy, I can't wait to see the progress and results.  A new fourm would keep things better organized.  Thanks for the pix.

Tom

Posted: September 04 2008 at 08:42 | IP Logged

85$ an hour? Ouch! And I thought we were High. Here at hinckley we charge 70 per hour for a top notch diesel mechanic. What were the symptoms That made you decide to do a head job? Did you do a compression check? Backfiring, lost power, water in cylinder? How many hours on the motor? capt. heavy

Posted: September 04 2008 at 09:14 | IP Logged

Capt Heavy, if it looks like you are on a collision corse with ike, what are you going to do, i hope your not planning to ride out that monster. still an open invite here if needed.

floater

Posted: September 04 2008 at 11:56 | IP Logged

Hi Heavy,

Good questions...

Yup, labor is expensive here on the West Coast. Svensen's Boatyard down the way charges $102 hr for a mechanic!

The engine runs well- if a bit rich. My stratagy of holding it together with minor repairs for the last 8 years is starting to run its course. This is really heavy maintenance work for an engine with 970 hrs. A compressed air check two years ago indicated a fair-at-best situation for the valve train. Rust errosion on the starboard head's center exhaust port is raising its ugly head again following a chewing gum and rubberband fix on the mating surfaces in '06. At that time, I also replaced the exhaust manifolds/elbows to eliminate that as the source of moisture. Replacing the worn head gives us a chance to inspect the intake manifold and its gaskets for leaks that may be the moisture source. Photos below show my fix in '06.  I used Liquid Metal, filed flush with 2 exhaust gaskets on that side. The yellow stuff is sealing wax used for damming while the Liquid metal dryed. Liquid metal is strong medicine but is an overnight dry thing. There's a faster varient, but it's not as strong.  Not ideal, but inexpensive and to date, it's worked, although the rust is back now. A boat with a mid-trip single engine failure on in SF Bay open water,  followed by emergency anchoring and a tow is not a pleasent thought- would ruin our whole day...

Diver

Posted: September 04 2008 at 12:02 | IP Logged

Thanks for the invite. Both home and boat have ridden out 3 hurricanes. I'ts all about being prepared. Double line boat, remove all canvas lower antenas. Ther is a well protected basin behind our paint shop, may move the boat there. Our home is built to miami dade wind codes, 140 mph. Even the screen around the pool is built to the same standards. Biggest worry is having a trre fall on the house of pool. We have a lot of tall pines. Have a 6000watt generator wired into the breaker panel, plenty of gas, gas grill to cook on, plenty of food water and beer. Have a window a/c unit so at least we can sleep in comfort. During francis we lost power for 9 days, jean, 7 days, wilma 5 days. we learned a litte each time. I can even run the water heater if I shut off everything else. Hot shower anyone? Thanks for being concerned. Heavy