Access Hatch in Cockpit Floor

[jvercher]

Hello fellow Pearson Owners,
After spending my afternoon trying in vain to replace a belt on my Westerbeke; I am considering putting a hatch in the cockpit floor to have access to the front of the engine.  I have seen a few posts in regards to cutting the cockpit in order to get the fuel tank out..., but very little in regards to modification of the cockpit.  For those who have had their engines and tanks out; what structural aspects are contained within the cockpit floor between the pedestal and the mast.  I have a 1976 Pearson.  To be precise, I purchased Abracadabra from RayNWanda. 

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

[SV Island Jade]

I assume your fuel tank has been relocated.  If I cut a hatch in the floor between the pedestal and the Mizzen, I would be looking at the top of my fuel tank.  I completed this modification on a bayfield 29 but not on the Pearson.

[graemek]

Hi
I did do a mock up few years back to see if it was possable and i found that the hole would be to narrow to be much help also the engine is to low to reach much,best way i find is to remove the battries from the port locker then you can squat down to get at things,while i was there i screwed a 12v light above the front of the engine so i could see at night if i had a problem,things never brake on a nice sunny day
also replaced the adjusting bar and bolt with a rigging turn buckle,now to tighten the belt i just give it a turn or two

[INCOMMUNICADO]

jvercher, Access hatches leak,your cockpit will have standing sea water in it at some point.I don't think this is good entry point for salt water. Do like most of us take up engine room yoga,not fun but it will expand your vocabulary you are a sailor so you have the right to speak like one. Allen

[POG]

GRAEMEK!

I would love to see a picture of your turnbuckle belt-tightening set up.

Carl

[graemek]

Hi carl
will try to get some pick's this weekend
oceanpilgrim

[Bay Sailor]

GRAEMEK!

I would love to see a picture of your turnbuckle belt-tightening set up.

Carl

Ditto, if you can find the time. And thanks for the posting.

[Dale Tanski]

Hold up there boys...
Some where I read a Perkins advisory regarding excessive V-Belt tension and your turnbuckle may do just that.  Apparently there have been problems with excessive belt tension and breaking the crankshaft between the main bearing journals.  The 107/108 only has three main bearings, one on each end and one in the center.  With excessive V-belt tension which is a sideways load on the crankshaft the crankshaft bends slightly between the front main bearings.  As the crankshaft rotates the sideways bending basically bends the crank back and forth work hardening the crankshaft until it gets brittle and breaks.  It's kind of like bending a paperclip back and forth too many times. 

Here is an alternative, and if nothing read the tech tip down near the bottom.
http://www.tadiesels.com/sepentine.html

I will keep looking for the actual Perkins service advisory.  It may be on the boat.

Dale

[RayNWanda]

Jeff, which belt are you trying to replace?

[jvercher]

Hello Ray,
The belt on the port side broke.  The one going up and down, not left right.  It is accessible from the port locker; but that is where the battery box, ice box compressor, and now the propane locker are located.  It is just too tight for my tall, large body to contort.  It broke, and I lost my Tach, water pump, etc.  Not a big deal; i have someone coming out to fix it (and thanks to you, I have the belts!)  I was just thinking ahead to having greater access to that end of the engine.  I could just imagine having a belt break, or something go awry, and not be able to fix it.  In a worse case scebaqrio, I could pull the propaned tanks out; batteries out, and then have room to work. 

Thanks,
Jeff

[RayNWanda]

 I had planned to put the propane locker in the lazerette right against the transom. I was going to build a shelf for it and mount it on a piano hinge so that it could be tipped forward to change bottles. In there it would be out of the way of just about everything.
The battery box can be cut down to make it smaller. With the 4 house bank batteries under the cabin sole, all you need space for in there is one battery for backup cranking, and that may could be relocated onto the front end of the shelf the refrigeration compressor is on.

I do miss that refrigeration system. We now have a separate fridge and freezer. The freezer isn't too bad cycling at 4 amps, but the fridge pulls 7 all by itself and it does not cycle- it is a constant load. We are in process of building an arch to put 2 180 watt solar panels on, bringing us to 530 watts of solar plus the Air Breeze. Whatever that power hungry refrigerator does not eat will go to the water heater.

[jvercher]

Yes, I would have preferred the propane in that position as well.  When they put it in, they did not ask where, and I did not specify.  I have thought about moving the battery box, but wasn't planning on doing anything this soon.  We sailed her in the Kemah Christmas Boat Parade; the family had a blast.  10 kids, 7 adults, and a lot of lights...  We have had her out almost every weekend since we purchased her from you. 

Jeff

[Bill]

Hey Jeff

I used to live in Kemah and really miss the boat parade, it was a highpoint of the Christmas season.  It has to be one of the best there is.

Merry Christmas
Bill

[jvercher]

Hey Bill,
This year was the 50th Anniversary.  They had over 100 boats.  It was a blast!

Merry Christmas,
Jeff