Important note: The information here is not warranted. Each writer has contributed his or her own opinions and experience for the benefit of other Nor'Sea owners and does so with the caveat that should you have difficulties implementing these suggestions or as a result of using them, the writer accepts no blame nor offers any warranty or redress. Please proceed at your own risk.
All material here is used by permission. This may be printed out for your own use. This may not be printed out for others or for distribution, however; if you wish to use any articles for this purpose, separate permissions must be obtained from each writer. Thank you for observing copyright protection.
Entec West is the distributor for Farymann Diesel engine parts. They have new parts for the original Farymann engines, which were in the factory-completed NorSeas, Downeaster, Cals and others. Dave Oostmann, one of the owners at Entec, spent over 30 minutes on the phone helping me solve an engine overheating problem and educating me on the Farymann engine (unfortunately they stopped making new marine versions a few years ago). They have gone beyond the call of duty and deserve a plug. I spent hours and lots of phone dollars before I finally contacted Farymann in Germany via the Web and e-mail to get their help and the distributor's address.
Entec West
Attn: Dave Oostmann
16710 SW 72nd Street
Portland Oregon 97224
503-639-2764 voice and Fax
voice 1-800-458-5065
This company also manufactures a Diesel Genset, rebuilds the Farymann marine engines, and has parts in stock 99% of the time.
Can anyone tell me if it's possible (after adjusting the shims between the driveshaft plates) to reduce the wobble of the shaft to a point where the wobble is no longer visible when its turning. I'm sure that less wobble the better, but how much is allowable? If no visible wobble is advisable, then I'll have to begin with a readjust of the engine mounts and then start over again on the driveshaft plates. Thanks.
What feathering props have been installed on a NorSea and are they worth the extra cost?
I have hull #38 with a YSB-8 Yanmar diesel that I can't kill even after 21years. I really am under powered and want to try a 2-blade CDI prop. Has anyone got the same engine and re-propped with success?
1. Disconnect the cooling water intake hose from the seacock of the boat. Then add an extension to it long enough to reach into the cockpit.
2. Disconnect the hose that feeds the cooling water from the engine to the exhaust elbow and add an extension long enough to reach the cockpit.
3. Put a 5 gallon bucket in the cockpit with both lines going in to it.
4. Add about one gallon of fresh water and about one gallon of auto type radiator flush to the bucket.
5. Rig up a drill motor to run the water pump. (May need to add a pulley to the drill chuck and run the belt with it removed from the crank. Also may need to remove the engine thermostat.)
6. Run this setup for 10 to 15 min or longer to do a complete flush of the engine!
If that won't work, a new Yanmar (I priced it at the boat show on Sunday) is about $5,600.00 .
Well, I thought, an auto radiator flush? That might be to o strong for the old girl's heart. Vinegar was about the mildest flushing agent I could think of, so I rigged a very small bilge pump to circulate through a hose from a pail to the water exit from the engine then from the normal water intake at the engine brought a hose back to the pail. I mixed 2 quarts of vinegar with 2 quarts of warm fresh water and circulated it through the engine for about 1 hour.
Eureka! the flush worked or so I thought. Water circulated well, and after reassemble, the engine ran very cool. Success? Yes, but only for a short time!
Well, we used the boat for a few times in September and October of 1997. Until the inevitable happened.
The engine would not turn over! In fact the engine even with the injector removed and the decompression lever open would not turn over.
I checked the engine crank case no water in the oil a good sign. Must have froze the piston. Was I wrong!
What I was unaware of was that I had created a very small leak into the fly wheel area from the exterior waterjacket area when I removed the old built-up deposits that had sealed that hole. Well what was I to do now? I was not prepared to spend $ 5,600 plus installation for a new engine, nor was I about to rebuild this one myself. Fortune was smiling.
Nick Meyer, skipper of Mirage, #79, a rear cockpit Nor'Sea, came to my rescue. Nick has the same engine and had it rebuilt for about $2,500. All I had to do was remove it, get to the shop for rebuild, then reinstall it.
Well, it sounded simple until I tried to get my 6'5" 250-lb. body in the engine compartment to deinstall this engine.
I was able to disconnect the electrical wiring, alternator, pullys, remove fuel lines, water intake lines, and take the exhaust elbow off the engine. Now, I had only the coupling to the prop shaft and the engine mounts to remove . Trouble! Couldn't get them off; they were as frozen as the engine. Well, Nick helped again this time with his physical assistance as well as his knowledge. We finally cut the main mounting nuts off the bolts with a Sawzall. Then we pried and lifted the 250-lb. engine up off the bolts the mount rested on. We used 2x4's and 2x6's to keep the engine off the fuel tank, and slid it forward into the cabin. Finally, we hoisted it out with the main halyard. What a job!
After using the internet and e-mail to find Farymann in Germany and learning who the US distributor was, I contacted Dave Oostmann, at Entec West, in Portland Or. Dave was great; we talked through the rebuild and the cost. The price was right: $2,500 including freight and a one-year warranty.
I shipped the engine off on a wood pallet as Dave handled the freight company pickup. We had to wait for one part to be shipped from the factory in Germany, but even with that we still got the engine back in about 8 weeks. The rebuild incorporated all the changes made to the engine before Faryman stopped making the water-cooled version. The workmanship was good, plus Dave even spent more time answering installation questions I had.
While we had the engine out, I fiberglased-in the exposed fuel tank to eliminate future oil leakage. The keel installed tank under the engine that Dean Wixom and Ed Zacko wrote about earlier is known to leak and fiberglasing seems to be the best cure.
Now the hard part, getting the engine back in. Well, thanks to my 22-yr.-old son and his small-but-powerful buddy, we were able to get the engine into the engine compartment and on to the old mounts with the new bolts. You have to tip the engine on its side to get it in. Could not have done this without the strong help these two young men gave.
Now for the finish! Nick again came to the rescue. He had done this Before, and in short order he had the engine aligned and we got it running. Thanks again to Nick for his time, expertise, and help. Without him I don't think I would have undertaken the task.
Would I rebuild it again? Maybe, but I would seriously reconsider the Yanmar and repower with a fresh water-cooling system. Carolyn and I love the boat and are back to learning to sail on the San Francisco Bay.