Phoenix

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:33 am

Frank, What's going on now that you have Phoenix home in Wilmington? Buzz Buzzk 1988 Bertram 33 FBC Buzz Off Morehead City, NC

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:36 pm

Hi Buzz... Haven't spoken with you in a while.. hope you had great holidays! Actually I haven't done much on Phoenix since I got her home.. the contractor is still working on the bulkhead replacement project, and my slip is dismantled.. a neighbor is letting me use his at the far end of the canal where the bulkhead has been completed and his floats reinstalled. He still does not have power there, so I couldn't do very much even if I had the time. I promised my wife I would be completing a couple of things in the house before I started on the boat again (I am still working on the finish carpentry.. have almost completed the whole downstairs, and will start on the upstairs soon).. I expect to do a few small things on the boat during the cool weather, but will start on the major interior stuff when it gets warmer and I am in my own slip. I am debating on whether to remove and clean the aftercoolers.. per Tony Athens on the Boatdiesel forum, these should be cleaned every few years, and I bet my 1996 engines have never had them done. How about you? What are you doing with "Buzz Off"? Frank B - IRGuy@aol.com "Phoenix" 1983 FBC Wilmington, NC

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:23 pm

I haven't been doing much with the boat lately. When it gets cool I don't do much or as little as I have to. Next month I'm going down to the Miami Boat Show and order a new auto pilot. In the spring I'm going to have my after coolers cleaned and maybe add the fuel priming pumps that Racor makes for their filters. I'm also going to have a new enclosure made for my half tower. Buzz Buzzk 1988 Bertram 33 FBC Buzz Off Morehead City, NC

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:09 am

Buzz... Even though I am a transplanted yankee, I find the winter months drive me indoors rather than to the boat. Re: Your enclosure... I had a top made here in Wilm by a guy who did a great job.. price was right and service and quality were excellent. If you don't have a local guy in Morehead City let me know and I will put you in contact with him. Re: Aftercoolers... While I want to clean my aftercoolers I have some trepidation.. Tony Athens strongly implies that they might be difficult to disassemble, since Cummins has always assembled them "dry".. ie: without greasing the mating surfaces.. and as they age they become difficult to impossible to get apart. I am in sort of a no win situation.. mine are 10 years old and probably have never been apart.. if I don't remove and clean them I might face engine damage..if I do remove them and can't get them apart I might need to replace them.. $$$ in either case.. just a matter of how much. I try to be proactive when it comes to maintenance.. better to face a problem in my slip than 50 miles off shore! So.. I think in a couple of weeks I will remove them and see what I find. Why add the priming pumps? Have you had problems in the past? When I changed my Racor elements in Dec. before the trip north I just shut off the fuel valve at the top of the tank, and disassembled the Racors.. removed the "clear" (actually mine are now yellow) bowls, cleaned everything I could get my hands on, refilled the bowls and reassembled them, and inserted new elements and topped them off with fuel.. Opened the shutoff valves and the engines started and ran fine without a hitch. Frank B - IRGuy@aol.com "Phoenix" 1983 FBC Wilmington, NC

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:30 am

No I haven't had any problems with my filters. I just like the idea of having to turn a switch on to top off my filters after changing them. Especially if I'm not at the dock. Although I have never had to change my filters off shore on this boat and I run 2 micron in my racors. I have on other boats. I have a friend who put them on his boat and they are nice. Buzz Buzzk 1988 Bertram 33 FBC Buzz Off Morehead City, NC

richcatch22 · Post by **richcatch22** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:13 pm

I added a priming pump and associated valves; I think it is good upgrade. The advantage is you do not have to carry fuel (un-filter fuel!) to fill away from the dock, with this system the fuel is filtered when filling the bowl. I did color code the valve arrangement so it is visual, this after I changed a filter at sea primed and fired them up only to run them dry not fun. I should have added the valving to make this arrangement serve as a fuel polishing system. I can still use the pump as fuel polishing system but have to move hoses so it possible but not convenient. Capt Rich Catch 22 1989 33 FBC

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:34 pm

Racor makes a primer pump that attaches to their Filters. You don't need any extra valves. A firend of mine bought a pair at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show, they had just come out. Just change the filters cut the switch on and it fills the bowl up. I'm not sure of the price but I think they were around 200 each. His work really well. Buzz buzzk 1988 Bertram 33 FBC Buzz Off Morehead City, NC