M25XP Damper Plate replacement Pt.4

Day 3 - Temporary Engine Stand

As mentioned, the plan is to hoist the engine on our next trip down to the boat ( Should be Thursday May 2nd 2024 ) and then move it forwards to provide easy ( Ha! it's a boat! ) access so that we can remove the bell housing and then remove the Damper Plate on our Universal M25-XP 3 pot diesel engine.

I'm going to make a couple of engine blocks ( to act like stringers ) to support the engine when it's out of  it's normally comfy engine room ( Ok, so the engine sits beneath the companionway steps = Engine room )

Basically they will be made from two pieces of 4"x4" wood for a base and then additional 4"x4" blocks on top to support the engine mounting feet, this way the engine should be high enough from the cabin floor so that the sump does not sit on the floor and solidly enough that I can work on the engine.  

The plan is to disconnect the prop shaft coupler from the back of the gear box, then with a line through the two lifting eyes on the top of the engine, I'll use a chain hoist to life the engine ( 1/4Ton hoist > 300lb engine )  Then when the engine is above the level of the top of the engine mount bolts, I'll drag the support beam that is resting on the rails alongside the cabin companionway hatch so that we ( Peggy & I ) can lower the engine onto the temporary engine blocks.

At least, that's the theory.

Once on the blocks, I'll detach the bell housing ( it will still be connected to the Gear Box ) 

ALL CHANGE

After continuing my research about how to change out the Damper Plate, I found that the aft feet of the engine that connect to the motor mounts are not attached to the engine block but are attached to the bell housing ( or Flywheel Housing as it is known in the USA ) 

That means that when I separate the Flywheel Housing from the engine block, the engine will not be supported at the back end and the gearbox & Flywheel housing will not be supported at the front end.

Dang!

Ok, how to deal with this.

I cannot leave the engine suspended as that means we'll be unable to easily get out of the boat - the companionway will be blocked by the Chain Hoist and support beam, it's asking Peggy a lot to get out via the V-Berth hatch - not easy even when the V-berth is empty  - it's not! All of the gear that was in the Aft cabin is now piled up on the salon seating and in the V-Berth.  

Searching the web, one owner used a fender to support the engine. Another owner used a block to support the front of the flywheel housing when it was detached from the engine block.

Not sure how this is going to work out but instead of making temporary mounting beams I'll try the fender process.

Now I'm thinking that if I lift the engine with the chain hoist and beam across the companionway, then there should be enough  room to move the separated flywheel housing astern over the top of the propshaft coupling.

If I can do that, then I could remove the bolts that hold the flywheel housing to the engine block and lower the gear box and housing onto a fender, even enough to slide it to one side in order to access fhe  flywheel and damper plate. Next I could remove the damper plate, reattach the flywheel housing and put the engine back on it's mounts. When I get the new damper plate, repeat the process but this time installing the new damper plate.

Sounds like a plan.

It's going to be a tough squeeze, but I think I can access the flywheel housing bolts from the aft cabin and with the engine raised on the hoist, I should be able to do this.

So now I'm going to take a few pieces of 2"x4" wood to use as supports and also a 2nd hoist to take the weight of the flywheel housing. I have a small fender onboard and a hand pump so that I can deflate it before putting it under the flywheel housing and then inflate it to where I need it.

The downside of this is that it does not give me the access I was hoping for in order to clean up the engine and give it a bit of love.  

We'll see how it goes.

Tomorrow !! 

Oh, I did order some new material to replace the grotty pieces that the heat exchanger was mounted upon, that should brighten up the back of the engine.

And, as I'll be working on the flywheel with all of it's bolts a couple of times ( 10 bolts ) I indulged in a new cordless rachet tool.

It arrived less than 3 hours from when I ordered it. Both batteries are now charged up and it's ready to go.