Welcome to my current project. Having pretty much wrapped up Dark Secret for the winter (see link to the right), I am moving to the next item on the list. This blog will chronicle the repower of Strider, a 1961 Rhodes Swiftsure. She was delivered with a 25 hp Universal Atomic 4 which has served her well for a very long time. Due to a number of contributing factors, it was decided at the end of the 2009 season that the time had come to undertake a complete and thorough replacement of the auxiliary propulsion system and all of its associated parts.
As most boaters know, you can't just pull out a gas engine and replace it with a diesel with any expectation that it just bolts together and goes. Engine beds, fuel tank, exhaust run, plumbing, battery banks, as well as many other systems are affected by the change-over. We will cover all of that as the project unfolds.
Let's start with some background: Strider was built at the Devries Lentsch yard in the Netherlands in 1961. She is #71 of about 150 boats built to the Swiftsure design, Rhodes #692. This design has the distinction of being the only keel/centerboard Rhodes design that was built in a production run. She has been in Manchester (Massachusetts) harbor since about 1971, and has stored at the yard where I work (Manchester Marine) since about that time. A few seasons ago I was offered the opportunity to become a partner in the vessel to assist the aging owner with sailing, as well as maintaining her. This has worked out very well, but 2010 was the first season that she was not launched since she came to Manchester. That was a jagged pill to swallow, but the repower is not the only project on the list (we'll get to that later, too).
The atomic 4 was running well as of when she was retired. It was the condition of the fuel tank and its fittings, as well as the locations of service points on the engine that really sealed the deal for me. The engine room and bilge were filthy, and the only way to clean and paint the area (as well as the engine) was to remove it. Since the engine was going to be out, I would have the opportunity to replace the tank, exhaust plumbing, seacock, etc., etc., etc., but why would I want to re-install a raw water-cooled, aged engine after all of that work? I know, I know - fresh water cooling kits are available for the A4, as well as electronic ignition, electric fuel pumps, and many other upgrades.
I considered all of these upgrades, but when a 1991 Volvo 2002B with very low hours came available on Craigslist, I jumped on it. The price was right, the seller offered full disclosure of a known transmission issue, and the pile of spares made for a gamble that could not be missed. I say "gamble" because this series of Volvos used a transmission that is specific to the 2000-series of engines. The MS2-B-series gear box is as rare as hen's teeth(particularly with the straight output shaft, as opposed to the 7 degree down angle), and is about $8,000 to replace if your local Volvo parts guy can even get his hands on one. I removed the damaged gear and shipped it to our Volvo guys to see if it could be repaired. "Not cost-effectively" was the reply. I kept my eyes peeled and checked eBay and Craigslist postings all over the U.S. I was fortunate to find a NOS, zero-hour MS2-BL gear on eBay for $750.
After the sale of the A4, and purchase of the engine, transmission, and a handful of other parts (the previous installation of the Volvo necessitated the use of custom aft mounts. These were discarded and a new pair of stock mounts was obtained), I am into the project for about $350, so far.
A sorted-out power plant is only the beginning of the process. Now for the real work. The mounts on an Atomic 4 are on 12" centers. Most modern diesels are 16"centers. There are a few exceptions; I looked for a used Universal M25 which would drop right on the existing beds, but I was unable to locate one that I felt I could trust. BetaMarine was also an option as the mount system on these engines is extremely adaptable, but there were no used Betas in the area.
I started by making up a jig for the Volvo with overall dimensions, mount locations, coupling face location, and a few other important data points. You can see this jig in place over the existing beds in the photos. As you can see from the photos, I also need to modify the ring frame in the engine room for aft mount clearance.
As of today, the blanks for the new beds are made (core of Penske board with a top layer of 1/2" solid Garolite) and ready for a glass skin. Tank removal is nearly complete, and the existing beds are ready to be removed.I transferred the existing heights to the galley joinery outboard of the beds. This will allow me to re-establish the shaft angle for the new beds (which are going to finish at a different height).
This is not a project for the faint-of-heart. Most people faced with the need to re-power head straight for their local yacht yard. I don't have the financial horsepower to just cut a check for this project. "Street value" of this project would break down about like this:
Engine - (new with panel, mounts, and warranty) - $8,000
Fuel tank - - $450
Other giblets (Racor, sea strainer, etc) - $600
Exhaust (water lift muffler, hoses, etc.) - $500
Labor to install above, plus new beds - $8,000 (based on our shop rate of $90/hour)
The above numbers are exclusive of any other systems work (water heater, refrigeration, charging system, fire suppression, etc). This represents a starting point for those of you looking at undertaking a project like this.
Dumping $17k or more into a boat does not necessarily add that amount of value to it. There is always some return to be gained, but that will depend on lots of factors. In my case, $1,500 - 2,000 or so in materials and a winter's worth of labor should return many times over in value added to Strider.
Next post will cover glassing the new beds, removal of the existing beds, and modification of the ring frame.
