I built this:
And I pressure tested it using Marcus’s tank of argon and refrigeration gauges (thanks Marcus!), and I have NO LEAKS. It was a very exciting moment for me, I’m not going to lie, I was really proud.
Next step: fabricate mounting platform for it, wire it up, then vacuum down the system and charge it up.
I’m working long days (paid work I mean) for a few months though, so I don’t have much time to work on boat stuff.
Changing the oil on the engine was unnacceptably difficult–you had to insert a small diameter tubing down into the dipstick tube (on the hard to reach side of the engine) and then pump it all out by hand. Because the tubing had to be so thin to fit down the dipstick tube, it pumped super slow and hard, and was a tedious, laborious job.
You don’t want it to be so hard to change the oil, or you won’t ever do it when you should.
My dad bought me an oil transfer pump for christmas, and we plumbed it into the drain plug fitting in the bottom of the oil pan. It was challenging to piece together all the fittings in the tight space under the oil pan.
The first time we used it confirmed all of our efforts–you pump out the old oil, then stick the end of the hose in the new oil and pump the new oil right back in the same way. Simple, clean, quick, easy.
In the previous setup, lines were tied to a shackle mounted on the deck and led through a fairlead on the toerail. We wanted a proper cleat amidships, so we mounted one on each side directly on top of the toerail. It has greatly improved our handling of the docklines.
