Repowering '54 Shepherd

Good point, hadn't really thought about it that way. 

Yeah, we were thinking of something like that. Or a bar across the top, from stringer to stringer, countersunk into each stringer a bit and fastened to the rib at several places. 

Some more pictures today of the exhaust going into place. I dry-fitted everything then took it back out, except the exterior piece which I caulked into place, it doesn't have to come back out. 

The engine has to come out one more time so we can tidy up underneath it, drill holes for the motor mounts, etc. 

Still left do to: 

- run fuel lines

- run new water hose to trans. cooler and RWP

- tidy up wire harness, possibly shorten it

- run shift cable, possibly modify shift arm on transmission

- install new throttle control and run cable

- install new bilge pump outlets (2)

- general reassembly including seeing if the motor box fits - I think it might!?

etc. 

The thing is, all that stuff is pretty easy compared to everything else we've done so far. I can see the light! This thing will be in the water ... "soon." 

I didn't think I'd have a lot of time today so I tried to just fit up the reducer to the muffler. Then my afternoon was canceled so I got a lot done, relative to my expectations. A rare occurrence indeed. 

The muffler "fits" but barely, and it dumps out basically right into the rib that the driveshaft goes through. The output is also 4" and will be reduced down to 3" anyway, so why not get that done right now and make a smaller hole in that rib? 

Step 1 was to cut back the 4" pipe a bit, along with the reducer (it's a 3.5" to 3" and was probably 10" long). Then dry fit. Grind, sand, try again. The idea is to put a 3" diameter fiberglass pipe right inline with the rib, with any hose connections just on the other (stern) side so we won't have to cut even the extra diameter of the hose or clamps. We'll see if that works out, but I did a lot of measuring before I got out the saw. 

It was a pretty nice dry fit by the time I was done grinding and sanding. I lathered it up with some epoxy mixed with a little filler and that's how it sits now (not pictured), until tomorrow. I'll grind back the drips and put a little fairing compound in with the next batch to smooth out the lip and then a couple layers of cloth on top of that. No messing around with this joint as it sits below waterline. 

I've started putting time in my work calendar for this project so I can chip away at it a little at a time, while the marina is getting busier and really, really wants it out of the shop. Every little thing is a project, but that's how these things go. I'm so excited to get this thing in the water, and that's looking more and more promising... 

In addition to cutting a hole in the rib we've got to get the transmission shift lever out of the way, it hits the muffler downpipe. If I get get it to be straight instead of a double-L-shape that would be ideal. I might be calling on a friend to make me one, rather than mangling the existing one. It almost looks like I could flip it over to get the L the other way but I haven't tried yet, I think it would hit the tranny case though. That's Friday, if I get enough time to do more than a coat of epoxy on the muffler. 

Speaking of adding to the list, it'll need a new driveshaft, coupler, and prop, maybe just do the cutlass bearing while I'm there... 

Long story short, Art Cozier went WAY above and beyond getting an engine together for me, and I now have a beautiful 351 with a Holley 4bbl carb and a Velvet Drive 1:1 transmission, waiting for me to shoehorn it into the Shepherd. 

Last week I finally got around to taking enough stuff OUT of the boat to fit the engine in, and see for certain if it really does fit. I mean, we measured many times and looked at diagrams, measured again, and again, but sometimes you just can't tell what's going to be in the way until you try it. 

So I have had the engine in and out of the boat twice already, and it does fit. The oil pan hangs between two ribs. The motor mounts will work one way or another. I think the exhaust is manageable, and Art even gave me a muffler - the kind that combines the two manifold outputs into a single outlet, so I don't have to drill a second giant hole in the transom of the boat. Also, clearance for hoses isn't great. So that's excellent. 

Still left to figure out: 

- steering (modifying the 11' long pipe that is the steering rod, to go around the engine a little - the starter is where the rod used to be

- throttle and shift cables - adapting the old mechanisms to work with modern cables

- fuel

- wiring 

- gauges

- motor mount final mounting points

- exhaust fittings and adapters

- cooling (this should be easy, existing thru-hull has 1" or 1-1/8" hose barb already 

I'm sure there's more, but I'm just excited it looks like it will fit. Oh that reminds me, we'll need to build a new motor box. 

Pics: