The Joy of Aftermarket parts

The installation of the new power trim and tilt pump hit a snag last night when the mounting screws did not fit teh holes in the new pump.  The holes are very tight and not deep enough for the machine screws mounting the old pump.  Its bad enough they are metric, but making the holes a half-inch too shallow leaves the pump flopping around on the bracket.  Boats vibrate from machinery and wave action, so a snug attachment is a must. 

I found some stainless steel washers to do the trick.  Hopefully I will get it installed tonight.

The previous pump failed when a replacement electric motor (whose mounting screws did not align perfectly with the pump body) failed and sheared off one of the mounting screws in the soft cast pump body.  To avoid a similar failure, I decided to replace the entire pump as a unit.  I just hope the replacement pump holds up and has no more glitches other that non-standard mounting holes!.

Parts is parts...until you try to return it

Just ordered a replacement trim and tilt pump for the barge.  Its a 1993 model, but the engine was replaced just 3 years ago. 

Still, the trim pump motor failed and took the pump itself with it. After spending a few hours looking online, I found a replacement.  There are two varieties, one connects to the hoses using a flared fitting, while the other seals with O-rings.  They are not interchangeable, unless you replace the hoses at $250 each.  So, I pulled the pump out after unplugging the electical wiring.  The whole thing is mounted on a metal bracket, so removing the bracket was easy, but about 97 wires were attached to two relays on the bracket.  Of course, the wires all plugged in from underneath, so unplugging them and getting them right again was impossible for me.  So, I unbolted the relays, wires and all, from the bracket as well.  When I removed the hoses, I found...flared end fittings!  That meant the unit was pre-1999, likely original equipment.  I found several replacements online, all of which were NOT returnable.  Great; if it does not fit, I am stuck with $400 worth of useless(to me) metal and I still need another pump!  But, I am quite sure the one I located will fit, so I spent the money and should have it in hand on Thursday!! Hopefully, it's back afloat this weekend!

BOAT=Break Out Another Thousand $

After returning from a long weekend in New Orleans, We got right to work prepping the barge for the season.  We keep her in a slip, so once she goes in, that pretty much ends any large projects.  We cleaned all the vinyl seats and applied a protectant, installed the new handrail I fabricated from aluminum angle stock and added a bit of fresh gas to get the boat to the slip.

The trailer is a POS, and is used only for storage.  I was about to hook up my truck to the trailer when I decided to raise the outdrive just a bit, since I had left it down.  Hit the switch...nothing but a click from the solenoid.  I ran a wire direct from the battery to the motor, still nothing either way.  Looking over the trim motor and pump, I noticed one of the 2 bolts holding the motor to the pump spun around and could not be pulled out.  It seems the bolt stripped out its hole and locked up the motor, destroying the pump as well.
So it seems we will not be boating this weekend...

I will order a replacement pump tonight or tomorrow to the tune of $400.  Hopefully my limited mechanical abilities will be enough for the job.  I plan to take pictures to provide a few laughs for you folks that actually know what you are doing.

Please visit my page on examiner.com for more boat stuff! Comments are cool, too.

Murphy's Law doesn't take weekends off

Even after working so hard to get to the weekend, things went wrong.  I had planned to complete my list of final preps before our spring launch, but it stormed all morning Saturday.  While cleaning my bathroom, I slipped and fell, breaking a toe on my left foot.  After all my overseas deployments and patrols in the Bering Sea, followed by nearly 7 years as a deputy sheriff, I never received more than scratches or small bruises. But cleaning my bathroom nearly put me in the hospital...I guess I should leave that chore to professionals!

Sunday was dry, but cooler, so my younger son and I worked on the barge into the evening. We remounted the twin spotlights for now, since I plan to replace them this season. We remounted the GPS remote antenna and the antenna for the VHF radio.  I replaced the dead bilge pump with a Rule 800 gph with internal float switch.  The engine compartment on my toon is too small to sink the boat on its own, so I do not use the "auto" feature on the pump. Still, the boat was wired for an auto pump already, so it seemed easier to replace it with another.

So, the make ready list is down to:

• Charge up the batteries
• Finish and mount the new handrail for the swim platform
• Air up the trailer tires
• Put some gas in the tank to get to the fuel dock
• Call marina 48 hours prior so they can clear out my slip

Need some interesting reading? Check out my articles on Examiner.com for great info on maintenance, boat handling and local businesses. Click on over!