Uniflite 42 Double Cabin Refit

[sbman]

Been very busy working on the boat projects. Finally was able to remove the starboard stuffing box.

I ground out a trough and then carefully eased into exposing the shaft. Took a couple of hours going really careful but was able to cut it without damaging the shaft.

When I bought the boat, I was told there was a 'tear' in the starboard shaft log hose. The owner had patched it with cut up strips of a fender, some kind of sealant and hose clamps. It turns out the shaft log hose was completely torn in half.

No wonder it was still leaking after the emergency 'repair'. I'll feel a lot better with some proper shaft log hose in there to replace it.

Then I moved on to the port side, my shaft log hose, tube and PSS dripless seal arrived, so that's all installed now on the port side.

It looks like I'm going to have to lift the starboard engine to perform the same shaft log tube and hose installation, was hoping I'd have room without doing that but it doesn't look like it.

I've also got a guy helping me by grinding off all the bottom paint and smoothing out the hull down to the glass and/or gel coat as appropriate preparing for a full epoxy barrier coat.

I removed the old, rusted out muffler for the onan generator.

I also spent an entire day moving the Onan aft about 24" so that I can crane it out to remove it. That involved some boards for cribbing, pry bars, a come along and plenty of sawzall to Onan parts that were in the way. It's not serviceable and I'll eventually replace it with something more modern. For now, it's just coming out.

 

[Comodave]

What a job...

 

[Frosty]

I ground out a trough and then carefully eased into exposing the shaft. Took a couple of hours going really careful but was able to cut it without damaging the shaft.

That's impressive. Kind of the "orders of magnitude bigger" version of trying to get a piece of crusty hose off a hose barb without nicking the barb (and that's bad enough!)

When I bought the boat, I was told there was a 'tear' in the starboard shaft log hose. The owner had patched it with cut up strips of a fender, some kind of sealant and hose clamps. It turns out the shaft log hose was completely torn in half.

The boat clearly has a will to live. Geez!!

Always enjoy your updates and usually learn something to boot,
Frosty

 

[Comodave]

The shaft log hose was scary. I thought mine was getting long in the tooth but it just had some minor checking.

 

[ghost]

Well that’s just terrifying! You can put a hose clamp on the shaft behind the collar as insurance.

 

[Ruffryder]

Original shaft log copper tube was replaced.
I can see those original copper fuel lines...

 

[sbman]

Original shaft log copper tube was replaced.
I can see those original copper fuel lines...

That's fresh water plumbing for the aft head and shower. All the fuel lines are in good shape or being replaced as needed. I'll replumb the fresh water system with PEX at some point, but not right now.

 

[Ruffryder]

That's fresh water plumbing for the aft head and shower. All the fuel lines are in good shape or being replaced as needed. I'll replumb the fresh water system with PEX at some point, but not right now.

All original copper fuel lines still in good shape on ours.
Fresh water plumbing lines upgraded with PEX.
MY 77 falls right into blister years...any blisters on her?

 

[sbman]

All original copper fuel lines still in good shape on ours.
Fresh water plumbing lines upgraded with PEX.
MY 77 falls right into blister years...any blisters on her?

Yes there were quite a few. I ground them all out, laid up fresh fiberglass over the divots and an doing a full epoxy barrier coat on the entire bottom. That's not been a fun job.

 

[Ruffryder]

Mine had almost none below the water line, but hundreds above the rub rail.
All grounded, filled with 3M vinylester resin, fared then primed.

 

[Comodave]

I looked at a 42 Uniflight that had the pox everywhere. It was on the flybridge and the cabin and hull. Some were small but some were 10” or so. I think it was due to the fire retardant in the glass. I passed on the boat because of the blisters and the amount of work required. I loved the layout though.

 

[Ruffryder]

I looked at a 42 Uniflight that had the pox everywhere. It was on the flybridge and the cabin and hull. Some were small but some were 10” or so. I think it was due to the fire retardant in the glass. I passed on the boat because of the blisters and the amount of work required. I loved the layout though.

Yes great layout!
What year was that Uni! Going into MY 80, 42s interior has gotten even better with some major changes.
After Chris Craft bought the mold started producing as a Catalina 428 & Viking did as Viking 44...
They sort of ruined it though.

 

[Comodave]

I don’t recall, it was back in 2001 that I looked at it.

 

[sbman]

Mine had almost none below the water line, but hundreds above the rub rail.
All grounded, filled with 3M vinylester resin, fared then primed.

Yes mine has some areas like that. I've repaired some of it, but will be doing the above the water line stuff in stages. The below the waterline ones are the only ones I"m really concerned about at this point.

The engine goes in tomorrow!

 

[Ruffryder]

Are you dropping in through the salon chart table/engine hoist access?
Waiting for more pics!

 

[sbman]

On thursday, the big day finally arrived. The freshly rebuilt Detroit was lifted into place with a 15 ton crane. Yes, the engine drops in through the chart table access, congrats to Uniflite for taking the extra time to build that sturdy hatch.

It flies!

Catching it:

Back where it belongs.

Only one minor issue with, managed to break off the quick drain for the engine oil, will be able to install a new one with the engine in place.

Also lifted out the old, bad Onan, so it's nice to have that rusty old thing out of there.

 

[Frosty]

Also lifted out the old, bad Onan, so it's nice to have that rusty old thing out of there.

Out with the old; in with the new! Thanks for the updates and especially the included photos.

 

[sbman]

During the install of the engine, we managed to break off the quick drain valve on the oil pan. This resulted in me standing in the bilge with my finger over the drain hole while my friend found something to plug it up with since I had the oil still in the engine. That was after we both said we needed to keep an eye on it since it sticks out 6 inches and we knew it was at risk. Oops.

Later, I drained the oil from the engine and looked to see what the best course of action is to repair. I didn't have any extraction tools that would fit such a large item, so I ordered a good quality set of USA made extractors.

The set has a large size range and each extractor has a lot of sharp, hardened flutes to dig into whatever is broken.

I selected the best size for the job, tapped it lightly into the hole and it came right out with a wrench on the extractor.

 

[Comodave]

Don’t you hate it when you do something like that? I can take everything into consideration and still do what I said I shouldn’t do... Oh well you got it fixed so it wasn’t too bad and now you have another new tool!!! My wife says that I have never seen a tool that I didn’t need...

 

[sbman]

Don’t you hate it when you do something like that? I can take everything into consideration and still do what I said I shouldn’t do... Oh well you got it fixed so it wasn’t too bad and now you have another new tool!!! My wife says that I have never seen a tool that I didn’t need...

I have a lot of tools, but it seems like there is always one that I need! The extractor set saved me a ton of time not having to pull the oil pan in-situ, so certainly worth the price!

 

[sbman]

I have the rebuilt raw water pump in place on the rebuilt port engine now, along with new belts.

Started working on the Starboard sea cock. These are Wilcox Crittenden 2" tapered cone sea cocks, thru hulls and strainer plates.

I finally received the lapping compound and grease from Spartan marine. The lapping compound I found at the auto parts store was too coarse.

The grease is very, very thick, not like any I've used in other applications. It's about the consistency of cold peanut butter. The lapping compound is very fine and requires a good stir to get the powder up into the liquid.

They are quite seized up due to lack of maintenance by previous owners. To disassemble, first I undo the nuts holding the cone in place, with the sea cock firmly mounted in a vice.

Next I rotate it 90 degrees and use aluminum bar stock as spacers and shaft protection, clamp the vice down until the cone pops out. Comes out easily this way.

Then a bath in the parts washer to remove old grease, followed by a dip into the barnacle buster to remove dead sea creatures.

Apply some of the aforementioned grease and have a very smooth action on the handle with no stuck spots. Not a bad afternoons work.

 

[sbman]

I also started fabbing up a couple of hold down clamps for the forward and mid ship bilge pumps. Previously they were just sitting there loose and I want them installed securely.

I got some scrap G10 from a friend at the boat yard and set to sketching out a basic L bracket with a cutout that will fit the bilge pumps.

A hole saw in the drill press, a chop saw and spindle sander made shaping the piece easy and I had a piece that fits the pump nicely.

A little bit of epoxy, structural filler and a couple layers of cloth and I've got a bracket, will be ready after glassing the bottom side and some cleanup.

 

[Comodave]

Keep posting the photos and text. I enjoy watching you work!

 

[Ruffryder]

Nice work as always!
I attached a 5' extension hose to my quick drain valve, after all DD 671 will take 28 quarts SAE 30 oil.
Best quality original Wilcox seacock...they just don't make like them anymore.

 

[sbman]

This afternoon after work, I commissioned the hydraulic steering. I rebuilt both helm pump in another thread and now it was time to fill and bleed the system. The older Teleflex system does not have a pressurized system, but simply vents at the highest point. The fill procedure is to rig up a reservoir at the highest point and keep fluid in the reservoir.

I used some plastic epoxy to mount a hose barb in the lid of a gallon oil jug, then zip tied it to something heavy to hold it up.

This leads to the fill/vent port.

With that rigged up, I put Dexron in the jug and let it trickle down and air bubble up. Once this stopped (after about an hour). I opened the bleed screws on the uniflow valve down near the cylinder 2 full turns as the manual says to do, this allows the helm to be turned continuously in one direction. I moved the wheel in each direction until no more air came out of the fill tube, tighten up the bleed screws and it's all set. Nice firm helm and no leaks.

 

[sbman]

With the engine in place, it is time to get the cosmetics started on the exterior. Had to build a large tent to enclose the boat for that work.

Will be focusing on the hull exterior for a while.

 

[Comodave]

Your boat is looking a bit boxy...

 

[sbman]

Progress continues on the cosmetics work. Here is as shot of the port side in the beginning of gouge, crack and tiny blister repair.

The filler product is a two part epoxy marine filler (Total Fair by Total Boat) which sands fairly easily.

I purchased a new cordless die grinder that is perfect for grinding out any defects and roughing it up for the filler application. With a 2" 40 grit Roll Lock disk it makes quick work of them, and the dished shape allows easy feathering. It's really nice working without an air line or a cord.

In this shot, I have two coats of Interlux Prime Kote applied to the starboard side and the repairs are starting to blend in and fade away under the primer. I'm really impressed with this product, it lays down thin, but flows and smooths out better than other epoxy primers I've used in the past. This is all roller applied, am not tipping the primer. Probably another week until we have top coat on the starboard side, port is a bit farther out.

We sand it smooth between coats with 220 grit (per the Interlux instructions) to eliminate any orange peel, it's a light sanding and the product sands fairly easily.

Some of the through hulls are being replaced (they were plastic) while others are being kept and left in place (bronze). Someone had used plain plastic through hulls in a couple of places and they were sun cooked, cracked and broken, will be replaced with Marelon.

 

[Ruffryder]

She's looking good!
Any vinylester resin should work.

 

[Comodave]

Looking good. I used a Roloc to grind the areas on my boat before we painted it. It worked really well. I used a right angle drill and it wasn’t bad. I tried finding a battery powered die grinder, burned up 2 of them before I went to the Dewalt corded drill. Keep up the great work.