Boat Maintenance - La Paloma
30/11/10 20:12 Filed in: Uruguay | Maintenance
Calm and cool this morning but a strong northerly is due soon.
First job was to tackle the Jabsco toilet pump and see if my theoretical modifications will work.
Sadly these pumps, excellent functionally, are probably not strong enough for live aboard use. This is the third failure I have had to deal with on this 12 year old pump. Firstly in 2008 a cracked water inlet manifold was sealed and built up with epoxy. Then the same repair was needed in August 2010 with the water outlet manifold. So far so good.
This repair was a bit more complex. The top pump housing is attached to the base with 6 self tapping screws. These screw into six studs which are placed under stress with screw removal and tightening and general flexing of the pump when in use.
The joint had started leaking when in use indicating a bad seal. Assuming some gentle screw tightening would solve matters I felt something give. A stud had sheared and close inspection revealed two others with large cracks around the base.
What to do. I might be able to get a new pump in Montevideo but Buenos Aires is the more likely source.
I decided to try a modification. IMHO self tapping screws are evil things and their frequent use on fittings where maintenance requires removal is, IMHO, not helpful. I decided to drill the stud holes out to a diameter slightly larger than the stock screws which would be replaced by nuts and bolts. The studs would then serve a positioning function with the load being borne by the two pump housings.
A walk up to the local ferreteria produced galvanised bolts of the right size. I can source stainless ones later.
All went well and the joint seemed watertight. On reassembly the pump worked perfectly with just a trickle seeping past the seal. A bit of gentle tightening produced a water tight pump. Fingers crossed.
At Punta del Este my hitherto trusty Autohelm tiller pilot ceased functioning. The cause was traced to some corrosion on the connector pins.
After a putting some hours on the engine after replacing the stern gland seal some tightening of the gland was needed to stem a fast drip into the bilge.
Seen on a roundabout on the back way into town.
A nice calm sea now. No sign yet of the northerly wind.
La Paloma lighthouse.
First job was to tackle the Jabsco toilet pump and see if my theoretical modifications will work.
Sadly these pumps, excellent functionally, are probably not strong enough for live aboard use. This is the third failure I have had to deal with on this 12 year old pump. Firstly in 2008 a cracked water inlet manifold was sealed and built up with epoxy. Then the same repair was needed in August 2010 with the water outlet manifold. So far so good.
This repair was a bit more complex. The top pump housing is attached to the base with 6 self tapping screws. These screw into six studs which are placed under stress with screw removal and tightening and general flexing of the pump when in use.
The joint had started leaking when in use indicating a bad seal. Assuming some gentle screw tightening would solve matters I felt something give. A stud had sheared and close inspection revealed two others with large cracks around the base.
What to do. I might be able to get a new pump in Montevideo but Buenos Aires is the more likely source.
I decided to try a modification. IMHO self tapping screws are evil things and their frequent use on fittings where maintenance requires removal is, IMHO, not helpful. I decided to drill the stud holes out to a diameter slightly larger than the stock screws which would be replaced by nuts and bolts. The studs would then serve a positioning function with the load being borne by the two pump housings.
A walk up to the local ferreteria produced galvanised bolts of the right size. I can source stainless ones later.
All went well and the joint seemed watertight. On reassembly the pump worked perfectly with just a trickle seeping past the seal. A bit of gentle tightening produced a water tight pump. Fingers crossed.
At Punta del Este my hitherto trusty Autohelm tiller pilot ceased functioning. The cause was traced to some corrosion on the connector pins.
After a putting some hours on the engine after replacing the stern gland seal some tightening of the gland was needed to stem a fast drip into the bilge.
Seen on a roundabout on the back way into town.
A nice calm sea now. No sign yet of the northerly wind.
La Paloma lighthouse.