Aurora 41LN17's Fuel Injector Tribulations

I spent last night tied up alongside for the first time in 3 years. I am the victim of deferred maintenance and procrastination.

Several months ago, I decided to change the oil. Though the engine hadn't been run in a couple of years a change seemed like a good idea. Crank, crank, crank.... no joy. Shorten story, no fuel going to injectors. Pull injector pumps and find one is well and truly bound up. Pull injectors too and catch ride on another boat going to Trinidad, where these things can be rebuilt. (Grenada sends to Trini.) Much procrastination over tedious job of pump re installation. Shop manual warns "Don't drop the spring into the crankcase". Of course the spring is at the rear of the engine. Get all back together and fire it off. Runs OK but leaking fuel from several joints using reused crush washers.

Trip to states and return with plenty of the 3 sizes of washers require. Attack the task with so much gusto that I twist off one of the return line banjo bolts. I found a lathe to borrow and an operator and we spent 2 days and got a usable looking replacement. It wasn't a hard job, we just aren't very good machinists. Lost confidence in my crafted product and went to a machine shop where, in about 2 hours, after a week involving local holidays and higher priority jobs, the guy turned out 2 very good looking bolts. Jumped on the job yesterday to find that they were about .10mm oversize for the banjo part of the line. Polished that down with a flat file in the cockpit and all is together with no leaks.

In the testing/starting process something went awry with my drip less shaft seal. If the vent tube is any indicator, the stationary part of the seal made about 8 revolutions, before everything started to slip. Nothing seems to be broken beyond repair, but the bellows is not properly seated on its carbon ring and there is a pencil sized stream of water running in. I'm tied to the fuel dock til Monday am when I'll find out when I can haul and see how big this breadbox is.

Ted
S/Y AURORA
(473) 456-7418 Grenada
Tedntex@yahoo.com