Now with 3224 hours on the main engine several maintenance events are due. We left Ensenada in March of 2015 with 2416 hours. 808 hours in 9 months with no major mechanical issues. Scheduled oil changes, duck bill valves for the head, water maker pump replacement and regular washing was about all we had to do. Now with a trip to Mexico planned with 2000 miles of travel in 6 months its time to get ahead of as many items as possible.
The list goes something like this:
Main engine: oil change, valve adjustment, replace main jacketwater circulation pump (weeping), replace belts, test antifreeze and inspect hoses.
Transmission: oil change, clean magnetic strainer, lubricate linkage
Generator: replace seawater pump (seal weeping), test antifreeze, replace belts, inspect hoses
Stabilizers: replace seawater pump (seal weeping) inspect hoses
Holding tank pump replacement
Vent fan in head: clean carbon from brush holders and spec replacement
Upgrade stabilized satellite TV antenna with larger format dish for extended coverage
Replace bearings in clothes dryer motor
Wax cabin and hull
Windlass: grease and reseal upper works, Disassemble and inspect gear case. New seals and oil
Polish stainless steel rails etc
Ensenada has an active fishing boat community and is home to about 100 yachts throughout the year. Most of the yachts are supported from San Diego just two hours away. Parts are readily available there and multiple trips back and forth are common.
WORKNOT carries spares for all of the pumps needing replacement. After each pump was removed the next task is to rebuild the cores and return them to spare status. A local technician suggested I try and get as many parts as possible locally as it would save several trips and perhaps some money.
Skeptical at first took a set of water pump bearings to the local industrial bearing supply. Simply walked in with the old bearing in hand and 10 minutes later was headed back to the boat with 2 new Timken bearings. $100 pesos each or about $7 US. Same bearing from Jabsco is $34 US......Found seals for all the seawater pumps for about 25% the cost of same from Jabsco. The real surprise was to find bearings for my European built dryer motor for $100 pesos each. This motor is no longer in production and used ones are $300 US and up on Ebay.
The main engine is a Lugger 6108 marinized by Norther Lights/Lugger from a Komatsu long block. All the hard parts below the cylinder head come from Lugger via Komatsu. The circulation water pump is plenty expensive from Komatsu ($1,200 US) and from Lugger add another 1/3rd. Its a big old casting with two bearings and a carbon face seal arrangement. Fairly common design. In Ensenada there is a shop that overhauls automotive water pumps for all of the local garages. Its a rough looking shop with plenty of broken down cars and a dirt floor.
Just inside there were about 100 automotive water pumps going from greasy to rebuilt and newly painted. The owner speaks no English but he took one look at my Komatsu water pump, reached up on the workbench and pulled the carbon seal set, tension spring and backup seal from the shelf. Installed them in my housing with an antique arbor press and asked for $800 pesos ($60 US). New bearings from the local bearing house, an hour of time from the local tech along with his hydraulic press and ready for a paint job.
The down side is no warranty but then warranty doesn't help much when you are miles for a harbor and the new part you installed does not work.
With all rebuilt pumps stored aboard and several spare bearing and seal kits as well we are ready to go for the CUBAR 2015 rally.
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