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Joe-
Had your problem until I added pipe to guide chain aft to deeper spot just forward of v-berth water tank. That allows 50-60 feet of 5/16 chain to pile without castling and jamming windlass.
More than that, we pull it back manually over the water tank. Added an inspection port aft of the v-berth so we could reach in to do that.
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Clairebuoyant, #132Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:48 pm Post subject:
Hi Jim-
It is sold by ARCO as model #12101. We have been using the ARCO 12101 for several years and it works just fine. Google it, should be able to get one for about $250-275.
Quent
Clairebuoyant, #132W-58 thermostat also closes off a bypass that recirculates coolant back through the engine block. Running a W-58 without a thermostat will likely cause the engine to overheat.
QuentVery interesting article in Professional Boatbuilder recent issue in Rovings section on a new design steam engine that is as efficient as a diesel and burns just about anything, including powdered coal.
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Clairebuoyant #132Tor-
The factory installed bow roller assembly on Clairebuoyant (1981) uses what appear to be standard bow trailer rollers available at most marine stores. However, the axle diameter is 1/2″ Perhaps you could drill it out to fit.
On a similar topic, we solved our problem of getting the 60# Manson to come up over the roller by installing double rollers on pivots made of 1 1/2″ wide, 1/8″ thick stainless 6″ long. Works real well getting the anchor up.
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Clairebuoyant #132Posts: 366
Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:48 pm Post subject:
Hi Jim-
It is sold by ARCO as model #12101. We have been using the ARCO 12101 for several years and it works just fine. Google it, should be able to get one for about $250-275.
Quent
Clairebuoyant, #132Hi Dan-
A second W-58 in the garage, me too. Easy enough to drill and tap the upper t-stat housing for a petcock, although I doubt that it is worth the trouble. Probably the one on the exhaust manifold is sufficient, otherwise just loosen the hose clamp a bit to let the air out of upper t-stat housing.
Electric is really interesting. I think mostly diesel-electric because the range isn’t there without a genset. Some of the motors aren’t much bigger than the v-drive so it would fit together nicely. Problem is putting that much money into an old boat.
QuentWhat Patrick said. Open the petcock and let the air out, hopefully before the coolant is hot enough to burn you. We have a second one on the upper thermostat housing that is not shown on the W-58 parts list. The housing is a replacement part that we bought after 2001 so maybe Westerbeke improved it. It is on the engine front side, the side that faces aft in the boat.
Our replacement exhaust manifold came with the Westerbeke “Flowtroller” coolant diverter for the heater which has never worked until we added an electric circulator pump. Now it works fine.
QuentHey P-
It would be helpful to know how much over 180 degrees the engine went, and what engine speed you went for 36 hours. The radiator cap on the exhaust manifold is not the coolant fill. You were correct to add coolant to the overflow tank, which also has a pressure cap.
There are vents to bleed air from the system on the exhaust manifold and on the thermostat top cover and there should be no air in the system below the coolant overflow tank. I think that you have some air in the system. The W-58 in Clairebuoyant stays at 180 which is the rated opening temperature on the factory t-stat.
QuentWe redid C;airebuoyant’s interior in white formica with mostly varnished teak trim. both the sides and overhead. Looks good and really lightened up the cabin. Epoxy glued the formica to plywood. Only problem other than the massive number of panels was that the formica and plywood was a little too stiff to easily bend in place. Probably should have added some bend when gluing it together.
QuentVery interesting. Is there any data on how much additional AH from one of these units compared to a conventional controller? We have a Sunforce 30 watt unit that came with the 4 80 watt panels. They cost about $70.
QuentRegarding which bank to hook to the switched side of the combiner, if you have a large house bank, anchor for a couple days, then start the engine, the house bank is going to suck up most of the alternator output. The start battery, if everything is working right, will be already well charged and quickly replace the small discharge required to start the engine.
I really don’t think you want the much larger current to the house bank going through the switch in the combiner.
Since the VR sense lead needs to be on the alternator side of the combiner switch, any voltage drop in the combiner will reduce charging efficiency on the switched bank. No big deal on the start battery, but a problem on the house bank
You might also want to get one of those IR thermometers and check the connections for heat.
John: Jumper cables.
QuentI would be inclined to put both the VR and ACR sense wires on the alternator output, with the alternator output to the house bank and the ACR closing the circuit to the start battery when it senses alternator charging voltage.
Sounds like you might have a voltage drop problem between the battery being sensed by the VR and the alternator. This would cause the battery accepting less current to be at higher voltage. Try checking the connections and make sure the wire guage taking the charge current to the house bank is adequate, and check the voltages at the alternator, the house bank and the starter when you are in “cooking” mode.
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