Enclosing Motor Compartment 36 RH

I decide to pull my engine, mostly because when the factory built, they didn't finish off under the motor, it's just raw glass. Can't reach to clean under engine, and my one complaint is the motor is open on the back side so it's a noisy beast, especially when motoring for few hours. So while I have the motor out, I'm going thru everything repainting, new mounts ect.

So the real The question

If I add in across the back of my engine compartment with wood and some insulation around motor, I suspect it will make a big impact on noise, but damn it's going to make it hard to get at anything, there's no extra, just changing the filter is nut's.

if I just enclose the back of motor and don't install insulation, am I going to be sorry I didn't go the whole way and put in the insulation? if I just do ceiling and back wall with insulation is it worth the time?

Currently the fuel filter is in motor compartment, can I mount in compartment next to fuel tank 10' away from motor?

If anyone has any extra heat please send our way, 5 deg f. highs not good!

Tom
36RH

Hi Tom!

How's it going? I just saw this post today. I just changed out my hot water heater hoses in the engine compartment and was thinking about enclosing the engine compartment.

I was also planning to re-install the ducting for my engine ventilation blower so I can suck the hot air out of the engine compartment while the engine is running. I was thinking a back wall for the engine compartment would help contain the heat, reduce noise and hold the intake to the blower suction. I would place the back wall just in front of my hot water heater which is just aft of the shaft seal. I was also thinking of a side panel for the port side that would mirror the location of the fixed stbd side panel, i.e. at the outbd edge of the cockpit floor, running from the aft/inbd corner of the current hanging locker next to the galley back to meet the new aft panel. I think these panels could be removable. I don't think I would install them if they can't come out fairly easily because I love the access to the engine from the cockpit locker.

Regarding noise. You will get little benefit if you don't enclose and treat the entire compartment. The joints and any gaps need to be nearly "air tight" to be most effective. Any open area or gap will be a window for noise to escape. You will need to make the new aft and side panels with airborne treatment inside to minimize the transmission of noise thru the panel. You will also need to add a treatment to ALL the existing inside surfaces. This is a pain because you need to remove everything attached to theses surfaces and then figure out a method to reattach the wires and fuel lines somehow. You want to minimize lost coverage of the surface treatment and also try not to mount standoffs thru it too many places. I'll let you know when I get a design started but it may be awhile. I'm thinking something like 1/4' plywood skins with 1-2 inches of fiberglass insulation between and noise treatment on the inside. They actually make a coated flexible cloth for this type of application that the Navy uses for sound barriers. It's pretty dense, but thin and flexible and could probably be installed with Velcro (R) so it could be removed/re-installed. I can ask my friends at work to give some more detail tips

Check the RACOR or Universal specs on the fuel filter. The engine can only pull fuel up so far in height. I don't think the distance is that critical. I can access my filters from the front of the engine. They are on the stbd side of the engine. Mounting these fuel lines and all the wiring needs to be figured out for me to add acoustic treatment to the stbd qtr berth panel and ceiling. I have a bilge pump on the hanging locker inside panel that I can move.

We will have plenty of extra heat for you in a month or two! We had a really cold (for us) Feb with temps down below 10. Spring has been cool so far.

Let me know if you've got any questions since this is almost 2 months old.

Mark

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Maybe a "curtain"

It might be worth some research into a product like this:
http://www.steelguardsafety.com/noise-control-curtain-walls

Looks like you would need to size it and press in some grommets.

Starting out with nothing to block or attenuate the sound, this might be a noticeable improvement. And, it's removable / flexible.

Loren