Pre-season Maintenance Stuff

[NorthernFocus]

Well we're having an unseasonably mild spring up here so got started on the boat this week. Last season was our first with this boat plus we got off to a late start. So some of the typical spring items didn't get done last year and we don't know when the last time they were done if at all. Plus over the course of the summer we generated a pretty long to-do list.

Two things that didn't get done last spring were to check/replace the engine zinc nor the raw water impeller. I've got a sneaky feeling the engine zinc has never been changed out. The boat doesn't have many hours on it and has always lived on a trailer. Note to all, check you zincs no matter how much you use the boat...



When the plate came off of the water pump, the impeller looked fine from the outside. We were lucky to make it through last season. Not to worry, all of the missing parts came off while pulling the impeller so they're not in the heat exchanger.



For a company that claims to have been producing boats since 1958, Ranger apparently never heard about tin plated electrical connections for marine service. This is the forward thruster positive supply cable. You can see in the detail shot that it was nearly cracked all the way through. I'm amazed the thruster was still working. I just happened to notice this when I stuck my head in the forward bilge. Luckily nobody apparently impressed upon them the benefits of minimizing wiring runs either. So there was enough slack for me to cut back about eight inches until I found relatively clean copper to install a new lug. It sure looks like this has been wet but there are no other signs of water. The (tin plated)lug on the pigtail from the thruster motor landed on the same post looked like brand new.

 

[CAPTCRUNCH]

Pix worth 1,000 words. Thanks for the reminders.

 

[SGIDAVE]

Hello Dan,

Regarding the thruster electrical wiring condition...was that NOT noticed during pre-purchase survey?

/dave

 

[Jake]

Just curious. Is there any type of product sold to spray of coat electrical connections to avoid corrosion?

Jake

 

[Andrew Custis]

Hello Dan,

What wire was that used for?

Thank you,

Andrew Custis

 

[SGIDAVE]

Just curious. Is there any type of product sold to spray of coat electrical connections to avoid corrosion?

Jake

Thanks to Dan for posting something so critical.

Wire terminations should be protected from both water and water vapor. When done properly, there is little exposed metal to 'corrode.' The exposed metal is tinned (i.e., the lug) to reduce corrosion as well. If you have terminations with wire filaments visible...the corrosion often extends well up into the wire jacket - several inches, sometimes feet.

One of the dangers of the oxidized and cracked wire termination shown in the original post is that these changes result in vastly increased RESISTANCE to flow of electrical current. In the application of a thruster motor, the amp draw is LARGE; large amp draw across high resistance = HEAT production...and FIRE is the ultimate end point. The fuse WILL NOT protect this situation since it is seeing 'normal' current flow.

Tinned marine grade wire with a tinned marine grade ring termination AND adhesive lined heat shrink is the proper way to create a long-lasting electrical connection. Welding cable is a NO-NO. It should look something like this when you are done

On my 2013 model year 21EC, all the cable terminations look like this - done properly.

A full tutorial is available here.

dave

 

[NorthernFocus]

Hello Dan,

Regarding the thruster electrical wiring condition...was that NOT noticed during pre-purchase survey?

/dave

No it didn't show up on survey.

 

[NorthernFocus]

Hello Dan,

What wire was that used for?

Thank you,

Andrew Custis

Andrew it is the power supply to the forward thruster. There's a no.6 cable landed on the same post that supplies the windlass. It was in the same condition.

On this boat there is a mishmash of tinned and bare terminations. There doesn't appear to be a common factor (e.g.length of run) for which cables got which lugs. The good news is that they are all appear to be properly sealed with heat shrink.

 

[Len]

Soon to be new owner of R21 and have been reading every post and taking notes. Could you help explain an engine zinc and where it's located? I would really appreciate it!

 

[NorthernFocus]

Soon to be new owner of R21 and have been reading every post and taking notes. Could you help explain an engine zinc and where it's located? I would really appreciate it!

The zinc is a sacrificial anode that protects things around it from corrosion. In the case of the one in the engine, it protects the raw/fresh water side of the engine cooling system. The owner's manual for the engine should indicate where the zinc is located.

 

[sheral]

I am thinking that the newer diesel engines have largely gotten away from engine anodes because the closed cooling system is now protected by the newer/better antifreeze additives. However as NorthernFocus noted, the raw water side / heat exchanger may have a zinc...somewhere, unless they depend on flushing procedures. I have not seen any engine zinc(s) mentioned in the manual for the D1-30, but very well may have missed it.

 

[SGIDAVE]

The R21 +/-EC with the Yanmar
engine have no engine anode.

Dave

 

[NorthernFocus]

If the heat exchangers that cool with raw water are all brass/stainless construction, then the zincs are somewhat superfluous. However many heat exchangers even if they have alloy tubes may have carbon steel tube sheets and or heads/shells. Granted if they develop corrosion problems it's not quite as dire as eating up an engine block. But still a lot more costly than zincs every season.

 

[REO6205]

The R21 +/-EC with the Yanmar
engine have no engine anode.

Dave

That's a relief! I spent all morning reading the manual and going over the engine trying to find the darn thing. Thanks.

 

[bill46]

Zincs and impellers are important every year. Do not forget the thruster zincs. Wire does not look like marine wire. Wonder if Ranger did it or someone else. Everything I have seen and my surveyor photographed on my R31 is proper tinned lugs with heat shrink insulation.

 

[Scuffy]

Our boat has a Volvo and they reportedly don't use zinc anodes. However our generator does use one the heat exchanger. Easy and cheap to replace pretty well shot after one year and not a lot of use on the generator. Maybe 5 hours total.