M25XP Damper Plate replacement Pt.11 ( Final part )

Finished the Damper Plate Replacement Project.

Ok, all done. The last few steps were easy.

Step 1 - Replace the Gearbox Oil

Step 2 - Check the engine at the dock.

Gearbox Oil Change.

Anyone that has had to change the gearbox oil on a C34 knows - Jack had be nimble - practice boat yoga often and you might be ready.

The good news is there is an easy way to change the gearbox oil.

Remove the Gearbox Oil Dipstick - this is located on the Port side of the gearbox near the forward edge. It's also beneath the Heat Exchanger so just unscrew the dipstick until it is free to lift up, then work it upwards between the heat exchanger and the engine. The dipstick is about 6" long. Pull it out and check the oil level. There's a single groove about 1/4" from the lower end of the dipstick that indicates the normal oil level. Wipe the dipstick down and reinsert it just till the threaded portion touches the body of the gearbox. Remove the dipstick again and note the oil level.

With the dipstick removed, move to the front of the engine and run a 'Fill Tube'  about 1/2" OD, down from the top of the engine just forward of the heat exchanger. The gearbox oil filler hole is just visible. Insert the tube as far down as it will go.

Make sure your oil suction pump is empty! You'll be measuring the amount of oil removed from the gearbox in order to determine how much fresh oil to put back into the gearbox.

Now insert the oil change pump suction tube into the Fill tube, again, as far down as it will reach.

With the suction tube in place, use your oil pump to suck out as much oil as you can.

Pour the removed oil into a measuring cup ( or a Paper cup will do ) and measure the amount of oil removed. If using a paper cup, then simply have a second cup of the same size and mark it where the fresh oil level needs to be to match that amount that was removed.

Remove the Oil suction hose from the  Fill tube and insert a small funnel into the top end of the Fill tube which should still be inserted into the fill hole of the gearbox.

Now pour the measured amount of fresh gearbox oil into the small funnel and let it drain down.

Remove the fill tube and reinsert the dipstick to check the oil level is correct. If needed, reinsert the fill tube and add a small amount of gearbox oil and then check the level again. Remember, use the lower en of the dipstick without screwing it into the gearbox.

Once the level is correct then replace the dipstick.

Check it again after running the engine for a while.

Phew!

Ok, Next Check the coolant level.

As a lot of the coolant was drained out when I removed the engine and heat exchanger, there's quite lot of coolant to replace.

I removed the coolant filler cap and poured in coolant until it reached the rim just below the overflow outlet. 

Next we ran the engine quite hard! I pushed it up to 2800rpm and let it run until I saw the coolant temperature rise above 150 and shut the engine down before it got to 200ºF.

Giving the engine a few minutes rest and with a large rag covering the coolant fill cap, I released the cap. As I had not let the engine get too hot there was not a lot of pressure on the cap.

The coolant level was down, a good sign, as this meant that some of the air in the system was getting purged into the coolant tank. Again, top up the coolant to the rim and replace the cap. Run the engine again. Same process, push the engine until the temp starts to rise and shut it down before reaching 200ºF. Check the coolant level again as earlier and repeat.

I did this 4 times and the last time as soon as I started the engine, the temp was over 150ºF but it started to drop down within a minute. The temp stayed at the 150ºF mark and I allowed the engine to run for another 10 minutes. During that time I tested the gear shift, it easily shifted into Forwards, Neutral Reverse, Neutral several times and we tried to move the dock. The boat put a strain ou our dock lines and the engine temp stayed around 150ºF which has been our normal engine temp for the past 9 years.

Again: Phew!

I called Greg the Mechanic and gave him the good news. The engine ran a whole lot smoother than before, no more cackaling from the damper plate. All looked good

I checked the engine oil level again, we're still good. I'll check the gearbox oil when we get back from out trip.

So, it took 3 weeks but worked out great and really was not that expensive.

Now I can really say "See you on the water" in earnest.

See you on the water!