Drain Plug and Engine

Almost seemed like nothing was accomplished last week and into the weekend. If it was not one thing, it was another.

I did manage to install the drain plugs and the engine. We put the center consol in place but only to make sure we had the right length of cables for the steering, electrical harness and throttle control cables.

I also gave the inside a second coat of paint and used marine silicone to seal any minor openings along the frame and the floor. This was the part that really took up most of the weekend.

So let’s check it out.

For starters, I recomend inserting your drain plugs prior to mounting the engine. But I got so fired up about mounting the engine, I skipped that step. It makes it easier to intall the drain plugs without the engine.

 

After drilling your hole, make sure  you cover the inside of the hole with epoxy. Don't just rely on the silicone. I used five minute epoxy and saturated the inside of the drain hole. Then I put a generous amount of marine silicone on the outside of the drain plug.

Squeeze the drain plug in place. You should feel some resistance when you try to tug on it. If so, you know you got a nice fit.

Drill your pilot holes for the brass screws. When doing so, also put silicone inside the pilot hole. After you tighten the plug in place, you want to see some of the silicone ooze out. Now you know you have a good seal. Some boat builders like to wipe off the excess of the silicone for looks. I chose to leave just a little on the edges. Why? It makes me think that I got a good seal.

For the engine well, measure to find the center line and correct width. Check you engine specs to make sure  you have the proper size opening so that the engine turns free of obtructions.

Mount your engine in place and make sure it's right on the center line. Turn it to the left and right to ensure there are no obstructions. If there is, clear the obstruction before proceeding to bolt the engine in place.

View from port side with center consol. Note center consol in not fixed in place as of yet. It was only put there to check cables and ascetics of the boat.

Other than that, the Sunday afternoon smoked ribs rocked! The margaritas were great and over all, there was some progress on Big Tuna.