[C38] water hole

Tue Apr 5 19:03:01 EDT 2011

Hello Bill,

1.    Hot water heater location
I can't answer your question about putting a hot water heater under the sink but even if it will fit I wouldn't think that would be the perfect place.

I built a mount to locate my hot water heater between the transmission and steering quadrant.  This kept the weight low and this area is wasted space otherwise.   The engine compartment is usually warmer  than the salon so thermal efficiency is enhanced.  This also keeps the engine coolant hoses short.

2.    Replacement transmission
Why do you think you need a new transmission?  Unless your gear case is totally destroyed, a gearbox can usually be rebuilt for a small fraction of a new box.  I rebuilt mine with a soft pack which included all clutches and drive disks and I replaced the bearings.  I don't remember what the parts cost but I'm sure it wasn't more than a few hundred dollars.  I did the work myself but any transmission technician should be able to rebuild the box for you if you so elect.

On this note, most problems associated with the Hurst gearbox are caused by improper shift adjustments.   There is very little room for error in the adjustments.  One adjustment involves making sure the transmission shift lever is tangent to the cable at neutral.  The other and most often overlooked adjustment is adjusting the flange holding the shift lever.  To adjust the shaft and lever you loosen the bolts holding the shift lever flange to the transmission.  There is some play in these bolt holes which allow a slight movement to get the shift shaft lined up correctly with the case for a more positive shift.  Skip this step if you achieve good results adjusting the shift lever on the shift shaft.  This step is only needed if your flange is not in the correct position in relation to the inside shifter fork.

Our transmissions are fairly simple but they are a marvel in technology in how they actually work.   The input shaft has spiral splines to hold the clutch pack, drive and driven plates.  The torque of the engine actually binds the clutches like a giant bolt and nut.  This is why we can shift our transmissions with only a slight finger touch while a similar horsepower used in a car or truck would require a pressure plate and a strong clutch leg to activate the clutch.

3.    Replacement 3" heat exchanger.

I made my own 3" heat exchanger and if you don't want to build your own as I did I would certainly give Yacht Power Products in St. Pete, FL a call.  If they have a suitable exchanger, remind them you are a Catalina 38 association member and you will get 10% off.  The owner's last name is Lloyd.  You may still need help in fabricating a suitable mounting bracket to hold the larger 3" diameter exchanger.  The original mounts were not only made for the smaller diameter original heat exchangers, they were fairly weak and prone to fatigue cracking.  Any good weld shop should be able to modify your original bracket to hold the larger exchanger and also beef it up some for additional strength.  Both the bracket and exchanger were weak points of the Universal engines but both are fairly easy to correct.  When you do mount the new exchanger, mount new hoses on the exchanger BEFORE you mount the exchanger to the transmission.  Hose is cheap so attach more than you think you will need and just trim as needed after the exchanger is mounted.

4.    Locker floor removal.

This modification is a must on any Catalina 38.  I sawed out the floor in a rectangle shape except for the aft outboard side of the cut where I only cut within about 2" of the hull which made the cut out not a true rectangle.  I carried the cut so that the cuts joined the already present access area on the port side bulkhead of the engine compartment.  I used 1 1/2" lightweight aluminum and built a lip under the edges of the hole so that the cut out piece could be returned by sitting on this lip.  I mounted the aluminum angle lip with #10 stainless countersunk bolts which gave a flush surface to the floor of the sail locker.  I used Nylock stainless nuts to secure the aluminum lips.  I left about 1' of floor at the fore and aft ends of the locker but use your own judgement on the size of your cut out.  Just make sure you leave enough of the floor to mount the lip under the edges to hold the cut out section back in place.  When I remove my transmission, I actually sat over the flex coupling in the engine compartment.  I am 5'9" and 200 lbs and I had room to work.  I can't imagine removing a well rusted in transmission without this access modification.  Even good access didn't completely eliminate colorful words trying to get the old Universal flex plate off.  I replaced that heavy old ball of rust with the lighter, stronger PYI flex coupling which greatly improved the smoothness of my drivetrain.  You will need to purchase a 1" shaft flange collar since the original Universal coupling coupled directly to the shaft without the need of a flange.

Good luck
Tom Troncalli

P. S.  If you decide to install your hot water heater in the engine compartment aft of the transmission as I did, make this job last or you will surely regret it.

Remember, "Nothing difficult is ever easy"

----- Original Message ----- 
From: William Knowles 
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Sent: 4/5/2011 10:12:17 AM 
Subject: Re: [C38] water hole

This is a somewhat related thread. I was down with the yard repair guy, to try and find out why my strut shaft and bearing seem to be out of line. We are also  going to try and fix the ongoing transmission shifting problems. Here are my questions
1 I thought I read that the hot water tank will fit under the sink. True or false.
2 Where is a good place to get a transmission?
3 We will go to a 3" heat exchanger where is a good place to get one of them? Yacht Power Products?
4 I keep reading that some of you have cut out the locker floor, mine seems to be glassed in place, do you mean the part covering the muffler? and the vertical wall coming down from the cockpit floor.

As always thanks for your help in advance

Bill Flying Goose

On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 12:03 PM, Don Strong <drstrong at ucdavis.edu> wrote:

The water hole has let me understand where leaks come from. When they came from the rudder post, the hole held salt water; fixed that. When the cockpit drain fittings were leaking, the hole held water after washing down the deck; fixed that. The hole is a pretty weird feature, at any rate.

On 4/4/11 8:55 AM, S Orton wrote: 
Steve S,  That is exactly what I did (foam & glass) years ago!  I could never get an answer why that "water hole" was left standing from the factory.
Cheers, Steve O 

Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 22:35:04 -0700
From: SSmolinske at rainierrubber.com
To: listserve at catalina38.org
Subject: [C38] Strut Blister

After crawling into an area smaller than my frame and laying in a puddle of water to remove the steering and drop the rudder I then started working on the bottom.   After some sanding near the strut I found a wet spot directly above the strut, needless to say I was surprised after barrier coating the bottom last year, then it dawned on me that it was in the same area as the puddle I was laying in.   Im going on the assumption that its not an osmotic blister as It was not raised from the outside, just wet inside, that water cant be good sitting in the recess all year long

Has anyone else seen this and any comments on why its not a good idea to fill the area with foam and glass over the top so water runs into bilge?  Thanks.

Steve
#312 Peregrine
Seattle

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