Auxiliary overhaul - Fall 2019

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With the boat back in the water and close to my apartment in Brooklyn, it was time to work on the motor issues. There were a lot of different problems, but the worst was a crack in the head that leaked cooling water.

I had the head from the spare motor I had salvaged from the yard, so I had it magnafluxed, cut and painted by a local machine shop.
The old head was not coming up easy, so I made a puller out of a piece of half inch steel plate and some bolts with the same thread pitch and count as the spark plugs.
The puller worked well enough to get the old head up off the block by a few millimeters, and I was able to make a bit more progress using wooden wedges, but eventually resorted to chipping off peices of it with a cold chisel before it would let go.
Cleaning up nice! Pistons and valves look good, cylinder walls worn but not mirror smooth.
Rebuilding the carb.
New fuel and oil filters.
Repairing a chip in the block at the exhaust manifold mating surface with high temp epoxy.
Of course my initial timing adjustment turned out to be 180 degrees out of phase, but with that quickly corrected, she roared right back to life.
Improved main electrical panel, new chain locker hatch.
Cold but pretty winter days down by the creek.
Aloft again looking down after adding a radar reflector. Final prep complete, just waiting for a weather window now...
Next: NYC to Miami - Winter 2020

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