Cleanliness (continued)


2010-01-16

I finished up the fuel-filter relocation today; installing the new bracket went smoothly, and I started the engine and ran it for 15 minutes or so, checking for leaks and any signs of rough running.  Started up easily and ran like a top.   The exhaust was without appreciable smoke and only a trace of oil or carbon on the water when it started.  The only remaining engine system to check at this point is the raw water filter.  I will need to fabricate a tool to help me get the cap off the filter reservoir (visible in the photo, to the left).

Next is the electrical system, which I know to have some issues in need of attention.  The ammeter that was in the boat was fried, from some combination of too low capacity (it was a 50 amp meter with a 70+ amp aftermarket (Balmer) alternator), and loose connections (both at the shunt and at the battery charger as well).  I have a new meter to install, and will re-locate it in the process, installing it on the panel where the alternator switch and the engine hour meter currently live.

In the process of doing this, I will need to fabricate a longer lead for the meter, and inspect all the connections.  Indeed, I want to end up with a detailed wiring diagram for the boat, both for my own sake and for future owners.  Sitting in Ripple's cabin, there is a wonderful sense of the mystery that accrues to the complexity of once-and-near living systems bundled in an exceptionally aesthetic whole.  I intend that this mystery not include her electrical system as far as I am able.

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