Day 168 9/14/24 Fuel tank (Fuel return fitting installation), service/emargency fuel lift pump, Chain locker, Bow deck painting prep.

 

 Chain locker

Chain locker hatch

PO installed some mild steel piano they are completely rusted. Also original design did not have any latching mechanism on chain locker hatch.

Hatch is updated, patched and sanded.

 I divided hatch on two parts, front part will be mounted to be removable, but without hinges. Aft (bigger) part (on the left) will be hinged. I sanded landing pads for the hinges and reinforced back side of the hatch there. Also, I added lip (green area) to hinged part to overlap front piece and keep it on place when hinged part closed.

I am going to install very similar looking rectangle handle, but it has latching capability.  Will be on the pictures below.

Hatch dry-fitted. One hinge and handle just put over. Also, I  lower landing places for hatch hinges on the deck to avoid tripping over hinges.

All hardware removed from bow area, surface sanded, all unnecessary holes glassed over, then sanded and patched by epoxy fairing (but no picture)

Front part of chain locker , latch-handle temporary installed.

One more surprise from PO. PO had mounted end of lifeline on additionally mounted stanchions and guardrails to let jib to go out without chafing over lifelines, which is smart.

 

 BUT these stanchions bases were screwed to deck with self-taping screws :-(

So, I will need to replace them with thru-bolts and put backing plates.

Fuel tank

 Why all below?

Original fuel system design did not have return line to the tank. Injectors  return was connected to intake fuel tube directly. WHY? in case is air will get to high pressure line injector line it will probably easy to get to back side (return) of injector. then I will have mystic air slowly travel from injectors return ports back to intake line and then mystically show up in High pressure pump and stop the engine. And it will happened in hours after system will be blended. 

One more surprise boat had not primary fuel filter and water separator at all.

Emergency/service fuel pump. 

I added small electric fuel pump right next to fuel tank. By idea, it will provide help for bleeding air from the fuel system as well to be able to polish fuel if I need without doing any temporary piping.

It appeared to be pretty noisy  on dry run, but i do not plan to run it for a long time, and maybe it is good to be able to know it is running.

I decided to add return port to my tank as well make an additional connection from primary filters back to the fuel tank. Port is mounted on the opposite side from the intake tube to be able to do some fuel polishing without additional tank.  With combination of baffle plate with reasonably small About 1 sq inch opening on the bottom, technically, I will have 2 tanks to polish fuel.

Return fitting, I added simple return fitting. Made it from 5/16 stainless hollow bolt using drilll and bench grinder. Outside it is simple. 

From inside, I have oil resistant rubber gasket and nylon washer to avoid bolt to push rubber out and provide good seal to bolt surface.