Wind Song (26X) Outboard Swap

[hart]

Lol.

So not strictly engine related but I haven’t started a general restoration thread yet.

Had a go with the pressure washer. She’s almost white again:



Shame I won’t be able to finish before work today.

[Todd]

That can’t be the same boat. I need to get me one of those power washers

[Jimmyt]

Boat looks much better without the LA patina (lower Alabama). Free engine hoist just when you need one... You must be doing something right! Making headway!

It took me about a day to make my two gin pole stays, so you are making me look like I'm painted to the wall.

[hart]

I can’t believe the difference either.

Jimmy, sometimes I work closing shifts which gives me time to faff about with projects before work if I choose.

[Jimmyt]

You still win big. I'm retired, so I should at least be able to keep up... But no...

Maybe I can make a better showing on my next project. Two weeks on 4 cables (each under 8 feet) is almost embarrassing. Especially when the guy across the bay is doing the Egyptian pyramid block thing to his 26x.

[hart]

Especially when the guy across the bay is doing the Egyptian pyramid block thing to his 26x.

I didn’t realize you are in Mobile. Sweet.

Let me make it better, or worse. I washed the last of that LA patina off today.

Before:



During:



After:

[Jimmyt]

Wow! What a difference! Looking good!

[hart]

The missing hoist castor came in the mail yesterday. I put it on this morning and putzed about in the garage. I dug out the old Seloc manual for the outboards looking for how to properly lift them. Yeah, Mercury makes a special lifting eye that attaches to the flywheel. And of course I don’t have it. But I’m an impatient soul. So I dusted off my old mountain climbing knot skills and fashioned a lifting cradle.



Once I got the outboard off the pallet, I broke the pallet down. Honestly that was the toughest part of the job. Felt like they epoxied the nails in.





That will be about it for today. Gotta get ready for work. I was hoping to get the “new” motor in an upright position using the old pallet and some scrap to fashion a stand but it will have to wait.

[Jimmyt]

Is that garage floor I see? Making progress!

[Tomfoolery]

Yeah, Mercury makes a special lifting eye that attaches to the flywheel. And of course I don’t have it.

It looks like a 5/8-18 shouldered eye bolt (forged), which is like $21. With a flywheel removal tool thrown in.



But you could sling it under the engine portion, with a sling/choker on each side and a short spreader beam so the slings don’t crush small parts on the engine on their way to the hook. As long as it’s not too top heavy for that, of course.

[hart]

Tom, thanks for that link. Kinda hate to buy a tool I may only use once but $20 isn’t too bad I guess. I like the sling idea. I get the idea of the spreader bar (good idea) but I’m fuzzy on what you mean by choker.

Is that garage floor I see? Making progress!

Indeed.



I even managed to sweep it. The garage is another project. I’ll be building a workbench something like this soon: https://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop ... workbench/

I built it in a previous house and really enjoyed using and having it. So I’ll do it again, with a few design changes. And I need some better lighting in there.

I need a couple of non-rainy days to get those fence pickets put up. There’s 100 of them in there waiting for duty. That will clear a decent amount of space.

And I guess I should let go of some tools. Do I really need two table saws?

The stack on top of the Blazer is some sound insulation left over from an old studio build I did. It will get repurposed and installed in the house.

The bike in the foreground is my daily driver. My last job I had to commute an hour each way. My current one takes me 7 minutes on the bicycle. I love that.

[Jimmyt]

I try to never use the words NEED and TOOLS in the same sentence. ive never met a tool I didn't want.

Yep, one clear day and a fence project will make a big difference.

There are some great ideas in that work bench. Thanks for sharing!

[Tomfoolery]

Tom, thanks for that link. Kinda hate to buy a tool I may only use once but $20 isn’t too bad I guess. I like the sling idea. I get the idea of the spreader bar (good idea) but I’m fuzzy on what you mean by choker.

I looked around and didn’t see any 5/8”-20 shouldered eye bolts (fine thread), but for $20 I don’t think you can go wrong. An alternative would be to simply drill a piece of plate or flat bar for a 5/8” clearance hole, put another hole in the other end, and bend it a little more than 90 degrees so the top of the top hole is centered over the bottom (flywheel) bolt hole. Then just use a common 5/8-20 bolt. Assuming that’s what the hole in the flywheel center is, of course.

That OB only weighs a couple or few hundred pounds, so it really doesn’t take much of a steel strap to make a lifting ring. You could put the bolt hole in the middle and bend both ends up for that matter, so it’s symmetrical. Just a little more work. Use a shackle to give the hook something to hold. But there are loads of commercial or OEM lifting lugs on lightweight items that are bolted on and are asymmetrical; I think the one on top of my OB is that way in fact.

As to the choker, I was envisioning a pair of lines with a Flemish eye on one end like a dock line, choked around the flared casting under the actual engine, so it’s gripped tightly. The other ends would have to be tied, possibly choked again to a spreader beam (like a short 4x4), so nothing can slip. But as a climber, I’m sure you could think of other ways to do the same thing. Just be careful about it trying to slip out of the rigging, which is what brought my mind to a twin choker arrangement at the engine, one on each side.

[hart]

Ah. That makes sense now. Thanks for the explanation.

[hart]

Been busy working in the shop (garage) refinishing the table saw top etc all this week.

I put them to good use today making an outboard stand:



Then hung the “new” outboard on it:



Couple things: Mistakes were made. The stand is higher than intended. Eh, I thought, a couple inches won’t matter. Yeah it does. Whatever it’s temporary. Also it’s a little tippy so I added some ballast (cinder blocks) for peace of mind.

I’m buying the Mercury flywheel lifter thingy piece. Using an assortment of straps, ropes, spreader bars etc I finally got it done but it was a PITA and I nearly dropped the outboard twice. Learned the hard way I can support the weight of it though,

That’s probably it for a bit. It’s Mardi Gras and I’ve been informed I have to go to the parades tomorrow. Ugh.