What did you do to your boat today

Spyderweb

Shortly after buying the Rinker, and realizing how inaccurate some of the gages were, I installed a Vessel View Mobile.  One of the best things I’ve done for peace of mind.  Among other things, I have confidence in how much fuel I have.  We rarely go further than 10 miles a day, and I fill her up when down to a quarter of a tank left (40 gallons).  I’m a bit anal in that department.

Ian

I love mine

PickleRick

Id love to have something like vessel view, unfortunately (fortunately in many aspects) i have essentially a tractor engine in my 2001 bayliner.   Its a 225 hp vm 4.2 turbo diesel.   The only electronics that make the engine run is a little 12v shut off solenoid for the injection pump. 

I put half a tank of diesel in her on our way home last week so no marina prices,  60 gallons cost me 315 bucks.  My kids inheritance is dwindling by the day.

Id fill her up but we rarely travel a mile or two per week and 112 gallons is heavy towing down the freeway 

PickleRick

These bellows are extremely easy to install on a 97 degree day vs a 60 degree day in April.  

My shifter cable split at the transom end terminal so i figured id do bellows and gimbal all at the same time. Hope to be ready to launch Friday evening. 

grouch0jr

Is it easier on a warmer day because the bellows are more pliable?

PickleRick

grouch0jr said:

Is it easier on a warmer day because the bellows are more pliable?

Absolutely.  Some use a heat gun to make them flexible.  Ive left them in a car parked in the sun all day to help.  The warmer the better. I already had the drive off which helps but at 6pm i started removing everything and by 8am i had both the u joint bellow removed, surfaces cleaned and new one installed along with the new shift cable put in place.  The shift cable on an inline 6 is much easier than a v6 or v8 as can see/reach behind the motor.  

The metal bellow ring was able to be pushed on by hand with just a dab of dawn dish soap on it for lubrication.  Usually i need to tap it in place with an installer plate.

Its best to do bellows before spring launch as youll get an extra season out of them. I replace them every 5 years regardless of hours.  Its worse on a gimbal bearing to sit than it is to run regularly.  

My dad on the other hand purchased a boat around 2000 and it didnt get it's first gimbal bearing or water pump until around 2020.  I personally wouldn't do that but he only does oil changes  (engine, not outdrive) and runs them  all weekend every weekend from April to October.   

I have gotten him to treat the outdrive components better on their pontoon but only marginally.   I pretty much have to go over there with the stuff and start working on it.  

aero3113

My Vaccuflush wasn’t holding vacuum at the end of our trip last weekend. Will be replacing the duckbills and bellows tomorrow. I was able to pick up all the parts locally. Today I took everything apart and cleaned, including the tank…. I didn’t post those pics, LoL.

PickleRick

Why didn't you post up crappy pics for us???

aero3113

lol, here you go!
 I’m happy I pulled it apart and cleaned the tank. A lot of stuff was stuck in there!

aero3113

It seems like at some point there was an issue and the tank was filling up with waste. You can tell by the staining on the cover. I think the tank is just used as a pass through and minimal water/waste is in the tank after the flush cycle.

aero3113

I found an invoice from the previous owner. Looks like it was last overhauled 4-28-18. 8 years is a pretty good run!

Dream_Inn

Oh boy, I’ve worked on my share of those vacuflushes!  Yes, they generally should just pass everything through.  I now have a fully rebuilt one ready to go as needed. 8 years is a great run.  Consider yourself lucky.

Hopefully after you get it all back together you don’t find that the leak is actually the toilet.  Years ago I got so pi$$ed after I did a full rebuild of the vacuflush and it still leaked that spent close to $1500 for a completely brand new one….then to find out my second leak (original vacu did leak) was the toilet seal around the foot pedal shaft. That’s how I have a fully rebuilt spare.

PickleRick

Now that is a crappy picture!!!

aero3113

@Dream_Inn I 100% know it’s the bellows that’s the issue. I noticed a dried blue stain in my bilge. I pulled out the ice maker and flushed the toilet. Water/waste was coming out the top of the vaccuflush unit!!

aero3113

Since I opened up the tank, I hope I didn’t create a leak there. I didn’t order that seal. It’s not a problem to order and replace that if needed.

Dream_Inn

I was going to ask you why you had opened the tank up.  

aero3113

Just wanted to clean it.

rasbury

aero3113 said:

lol, here you go!
 I’m happy I pulled it apart and cleaned the tank. A lot of stuff was stuck in there!

Hey, the dinner hour still...crappie job!

aero3113

That’ll do it!
she’s all back together and holding pressure. We’ll see if the unit is still pressurized when I go back to the boat this weekend. ⚓️

PickleRick

I purchased one of those dometic T pumps. Its suposed to have 10 ft of lift capacity! Supposedly better than the cheap Jacobson pumps ive replaced twice now. 

Attached a tee fitting in my engine hatch pre dump out seacock to attach a garden hose to pump out into my septic tank. 

It wouldn't lift  

Now i have a whale gulper and she pumps as designed.  Also very quiet compared to the jacobson.

Probably a terrific pump but not for my application.  Not cheap at all. If anyone wants it ill give you a steal of a deal. 

Dream_Inn

Wow, I would have thought for sure the T pump would work for that application.

PickleRick

Same here. The pump sits on top of the holding tank! Sub 12 inches of lift and my hose connection is maybe 2 ft higher where it loops through through the transom door.  From that point its all down hill to the septic tank clean out flush with the ground. 

aero3113

Last weekend I borrowed someone’s plunger. I picked this mini one up to keep in the head. Vacuuflush says a plunger can be used, just go slowly and more pressure on the down stroke than up to push waste out and prevent the joker valves from inverting.

Dream_Inn

Since we are on a shi$$y subject, I remember last year I had a strong pump out actually mess up my vacuflush.  1st and last time I let someone pump out my waste tank.

aero3113

Do you have a vent valve installed on the tank?

Aqua_Aura

I took my vacuflush tanks out and did the same last year and to my surprise they were actually really clean inside. 

Dream_Inn

aero3113 said:

Do you have a vent valve installed on the tank?

Yes

aero3113

Held pressure when I arrived to the boat this morning, been working flawlessly 💩⚓️

grouch0jr

aero3113 said:

Last weekend I borrowed someone’s plunger. I picked this mini one up to keep in the head. Vacuuflush says a plunger can be used, just go slowly and more pressure on the down stroke than up to push waste out and prevent the joker valves from inverting.

I've actually got one similar to this, used it the other day to clear up the slow shower drain

Rich_

Last weekend generator didn’t instantly start pumping water like usual so pulled the intake hose and added some dish soap, reconnected and it then instantly pumped (soapy) water and ran for cooking dinner no problem. Today pulled the pump to change the impeller and was shocked the soap trick worked given it all vanes were ready to fall off. I had to use my last real onan impeller a few years ago and the aftermarket replacements just don’t hold up as well but at least they work