-----Original Message-----
From: Erwin Klein [mailto:erwinaklein@yahoo.de]
Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2004 5:24 AM
To:
ssengle@worldnet.att.net
Subject: Re: O Barquinho
Hi Sean,
re.: raw water pump Before the trip and before the haul-out, I had changed the raw water pump impeller and the gasket on the cover. After the haul-out, the pump did not self prime, which should have warned me. On the way up to Vancouver, the engine overheated twice due to loss of cooling.
Fortunately, I had installed an acoustic warning buzzer, so the engine was not damaged. As I realised later, it happened both times when the boat was rocked by a ferry/tug passing close by. Air must have been sucked into the intake.
I found a discussion on a Cal34 website, where one owner had complained about getting no cooling after sailing on a certain tack. Some people claimed the (original) Oberdorfer pump on the Universal M25 is not supposed to be self-priming, but others wrote the problem was in the new, slightly thicker gaskets creating a larger gap between impeller and cover plate.
Another problem I found was a groove in the cover plate created by the impeller. We polished it out, but the pump was still not priming, probably due to another grove in the housing (or the gasket). I think, a non self-priming pump is totally unacceptable, as motoring in a somewhat rough sea e.g. in the Dixon Entrance could mean loosing the cooling every 10 minutes. Fortunately, I was able to buy a new Oberdorfer pump in Vancouver. They now are made of a different, tougher material, not as easily ground out by the impeller.
Another thing I did was to install a strainer in the input line. Which turned out to be a wise idea later, when we passed a cannery in Alaska dumping a lot of organic waste into the water. This time I saw the thermometer climbing, which was due to a thick layer of particles in the strainer. They probably would have coagulated in the heat exchanger and totally blocked it otherwise.
Each time before going out on open water, I closed the sea valve, opened the strainer and started the engine, sucking in air to test if afterwards the cooling works again. And it did.
I realise, I should make this experience available to other Ericson owners.
I'm still pretty busy here after the long absence. Maybe you could forward
the message?
I have not found the time to prepare a write-up about the trip. Will try to
attach a picture taken with a digital camera which we handed to another boat
in front of the South Sawyer Glacier/Tracy Arm AK.
Getting nervous with the approaching date of ring exchange (I would!)?
Cheers
Erwin