Sound levels

[EdHouston]

As many will remember I have been in the process of sound proofing the engine space on our boat I used the tiles from sailors solutions, I first bought the SPM18 kit which is 18 tiles this did not do it all so I then bought the SPM24 kit now bear in mind I have lined the whole space with the tile even installed a bulk head aft of the engine just in front f the fuel tank. I am still about three or four tiles short of completing the project stb side panel needs to be done yet.

The dosimeter I borrowed has to be returned next week so I went ahead and took readings yesterday and there is a marked improvement.

All readings are at 1500rpm in gear and in db

location                                 Before          After         Reduction
Top of binnacle                            81.6         75.4          6.2
Port sail locker fwd hinge*             86            81.2          4.8
   "     "       "     aft      "*            88.2          80.6         7.6
Stbd  "       "      fwd   "*              86             81.2         4.8
  "     "       "       aft     "              84.7          79.5        5.2
Mizzen mast base*                        87            80.7        6.3
Top step ladder*                          86.3          82.7        3.6
2nd step*                                   87.6           83.5        4.1
3rd step*                                  90.5            83.3        5.8
Bottom step*                              92.3          84.5        7.8

*Now bear in mind that industrial hygiene rules dictate that hearing protection should be worn above 85db to prevent hearing damage I guess my efforts have been worth while.

I would not say this was a fun project lots of re-wiring re-routing fuel lines etc. But all in all I like the noise reduction and the installation looks very nice, shinny and bright.

Ed

[Bay Sailor]

First, Happy Holidays, Ed.

Next, did you happen to take a few snaps shots? Not that you're required to be a photo journalist with each project but pictures make things easy for guys like me.

Best,
Mark

[SailingSeaDragon]

Ed,

This is wonderful data... This is a project I have been "noodling" for sometime (4 yrs)... Your data has inspired me to get serious. I, like Mark, would like to see pictures.

Once again, nice data.

Garner

[EdHouston]

Pictures shot today boxing day early am, enjoy.
In this shot can be seen some of the re-wiring that occured and also the freshly painted rocker box cover brand new rocker assembly under!

[EdHouston]

More

[EdHouston]

More  

[EdHouston]

And more  

[EdHouston]

And even more  

[EdHouston]

The flange between the top and bottom piece of the new aft bulkhead is tung and grooved to allow easy fitting secured with screws three in all.

[PeteW]

Ed,
Terrific work on your part. Its always nice to see someone apply a proper scientific methodology to problem solving. But I should note that when you installed the new rocker assy in your motor you may have added an additional variable. I would think that the sound level from you motor with .040" tappet clearance and then .004" would also be a factor in the sound level reduction.

I'm in the process of reworking my engine mounts as I feel the conducted vibration to be a big part of the overall sound equation.  I am dealing with a rather ugly re-power when the PO put that Westerbeke w58 in there. I will put new isolation mounts in there as  I don't know what's in there and what weight engine they are rated for. And I'm sure that rubber gets hard over not too much time. My Engine weighs 692 lbs. The smaller four that most of you have in your 365  is  475 lbs.

Choosing the right mount can be tricky. Too small  or soft and it will bottom out , too large or stiff and it will also transmit vibration to the hull. Not sure what the hot setup in motor mounts is.  Anyone have a recommendation on brand or type?

Regards,
Pete Weisskopf

[EdHouston]

Hi Pete

You are of course correct my new rocker did indeed throw in a variable I am unable to quantify. However noisy the tappet clearance was prior to the sound proofing efforts I still feel the noise reduction is significant. Engine mountings are maybe one of the other areas we should be paying more attention to, again you are very correct in your assertion that the rubber will break down over time, look at the raw water impeller my last one did not make 12 months.

The W40 AKA Perkins 4-108 recommendation is head bolt tighten and tappet adjustment every 500 hours. I now wonder what the engine mount replacement recommendation is? More research!! The guys who build this stuff have a fair idea on when it should be given a little attention.

Preventative maintenance is a science unto its self, environmental conditions dictate varying approaches and many of us have inherited our respective problems from previous owners who may or may not have understood the need for a good PM program.

So what is a good PM program for a thirty odd year old boat with little to no prior documented history??? From purchase time (2008) I have a very detailed maintenance log on our boat and hope over time I will be able to develop a life cycle and PM program!
Just today I found an issue with my bilge pump; I have an electro magnetic switch on my lower pump, today after arriving at the boat I found the pump running and my battery volts in the 11.8vdc range (no water in the bilge). Transpires the switch had a bunch of grunge on it that was causing it to think it was submerged! So now we have a clean the switch at least once every six months policy, in our PM program.

I think a good friend of mine coined this very close when as a young man he asked of me "how do you eat an elephant" the answer of course is a little at a time, I truly think although I have a good feel about our boat and her systems that it's a little like eating that elephant.

Thank whom ever the higher power is for this site and the immense wisdom that comes form it, we are all on a journey of discovery and learning, I thank you and all who contribute and in no small part our boats for they have all contributed to improving and enhancing our education.

One regret I have about the new sound proofing efforts which makes me wonder about the tappet noise! is I am now unable to identify when my refer compressor kicks in from the noise, in the past I could hear the clutch engage and the compressor start now that noise has gone, will now need to rely on the timer! damn the timer has never worked guess that is the next issue to solve!

Again thanks and good look with the mounts; let us know how it all shakes out!!

Ed   

[Bay Sailor]

Ed, thanks for your post, and now I know it is time for me to examine and clean my bilge sensor and pump. I thought it would be easy to look at everything on the boat that has moving parts and start a log of when checked/what done, parts used, etc. So easy to think about yet so hard to actually set about the tasks at hand. I'm certain I don't really understand yet the elephant's anatomy, but I will get there thanks to you and the other guys.


Mark

[Mike Sibley]

I understand that poor engine allignment can also be a significant source of vibration and noise.  I am trying to attack the noise problem also, but thought I would start by checking the allignment.  The book "This Old Boat" has a description of how to check/adjust engine allignment for a traditional setup, but not for the V-drive system found on the P365.  My boat was repowered by the previous owner and I wonder whether misallignment is the cause of the strong vibration I feel.  Does anyone know the steps to check allignment on the P365?

[RayNWanda]

 The shaft makes the rules, meaning that you can't change the position of the cutlass bearing. So- you align the vee drive to the shaft, then the engine to the vee drive in that order.

If you try to go the other way, you will almost certainly end up with the vee drive/shaft misaligned, and the only way to correct it is to move the vee drive, which will misalign the engine/vee drive. The order is important, unless you want lots of practice.