Engine Removal

This covers the removal (more like extraction!) of the old Yanmar YSB12 from my Snapdragon 27. I have no idea how long the engine had been in there, the bolts where rusted in deep! I visited the boat every evening for a few days to soak the engine mounting bolts/brackets and ancillary equipment connections in Plusgas penetrating oil. Two of the bolts came out easy but typically the last rear bolts didn’t want to shift even with the biggest socket wrench I own, a pair of stilsons, and liberal application of heat. In the end I ground off the head of the bolts, but this lead to problems later on sliding the engine out. 

Engine Before Removal

 

To slide the engine out I had to place a small bottle jack under the engine to raise the brackets off the bolt stubs; I also had to remove the alternator so the engine would leave the enclosure.

Lifting out the Yanmar YSB12

I lifted out the engine using a forklift with extension forks so that I could get them centred over the top of the engine. I lifted the engine using chain and hooks through the engine lifting eye bolt. You can see my wonderful helper for the weekend ‘Mike’ whom was repaid with the promise of a sailing trip and a few beers. 

Engine Out! Huzzah!

Extracting the engine from the engine bay was a bit tricky, I am glad I had my helper for the day doing various twisting and manoeuvring whilst I worked the folklift.

End of a hard days work!

We got the engine onto a pallet and stored in my workshop. The engine still starts and runs; I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet. I may offer it up for sale, or I may take the time to freshen it up and put it into a project next year. 

I have been looking at replacement engines and speaking to manufactures and owners and I have decided the way forward will be with a Beta 20.