January 1-28, 2023 Engine real seal leak and repair

 1-7 We were preparing the boat to go to a boat yard to paint the bottom when Dave discovered an oil leak.  There was a drip in the engine compartment form the real oil seal.  Dave researched replacing it himself.  Some said let it drip because you could make it worse.  He decided to go ahead.  First he had to order the seal.
He had to take the transmission off of the engine, then the flywheel, to take off a plate to access the seal.  He could only remove one of 18 bolts.  So he bought an electric impact wrench -worked great on the first attempt -drrrrit, drrrrit, drrrrit.  Still cheaper than paying someone to do the work.  A neighboring boat was paying an engine mechanic to come from Savannah, GA.  They charged $1000/trip on top of their labor costs.  But, the mechanic gave Dave some very good advice while he was here.  

To place the seal, he had to move the cupped seal down a round rod with a very tight center hole.  He needed enough pressure to move it down the rod and stay square.  He used a punch to tap it in place.  Then he reassembled everything.  Fill it with oil and IT STILL LEAKED.  Maybe that guy online was right about making it worse.   But he was ready to give it another try.

bottom to top-shaft, transmission, dome with the flywheel inside

This time he ordered 2 seals.  On the second attempt, he used a pvc pipe cap to move the seal down the rod.  It just happened to be the perfect size.  All the while he was in an odd position to be able to see what he was doing, which involved hammering 4 out of 5 fingers.  But the second try was successful!!
While everything was apart, Dave removed rust that had formed from a leaky drain cock.   This whole adventure took most of January to accomplish.


 

the seal was inside the bolts and outside of the dark holes

successfully placed

 1-13 Dave’s Christmas present to Pete and me was a spa day.  We went to a place on St Simon’s Island for massages, pedicures and manicures.  We were able to bring in wine, cheese and crackers.  Very relaxing, fun day.  
We went to Sea Salt Healthy Kitchen for a late lunch afterwards.  Amazing food!

 
1-20 woman’s lunch

 

1-28 We took the boat out for a “shake down” cruise to be sure the engine was working correctly after Dave’s repair.  Everything was fine.  That evening, I could hear a strange and unusual sound.  I stuck my head outside, but it wasn’t coming from there.  Before we went to the bed, it was getting louder.  We finally realized that when we came back from the dock, we forgot to open the the through hull for the water intake for the air conditioner.  The hose was under pressure and finally collapsed.  Dave was able to run a temporary hose with a bucket under it to catch any leaks.  That will have to do for now.