Cummins Repower Roadblock: The Unexpected Propeller Shaft Issue [Ep. 146]

We hit a bit of a snag with our Cummins repower project today. Everything was going great until we discovered some propeller shaft issues that might cost us more than we expected. It’s a bit of a curveball, but we’re figuring it out! Come along with us to see how we tackle this bump in the road.
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[@brucebrown5863]

You guys are doing a traffic job and I’m learning so much. Thanks You! Bruce

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Glad you are enjoying the videos!

[@kaygeemusic5077]

Yay Team! You guys are awesome

[@OnboardTangaroa]

We are pushing pretty hard at this point.

[@cornnutzgazpacho-libre3555]

Sorry Blaine, Rolling the paint "Better". OMG, I'm freaking out 😄Good luck with the shaft.If I had one, I'd give you the shaft.😗

[@OnboardTangaroa]

I can't believe I am going to have to give this one to Janis. I guess she is right sometimes 🤣. The shaft should be fine until we get the boat funds back up again. We will likely replace two more sections in Alaska. At that point they will all be perfect.

[@MrJgame]

love seaboard marine, they have all the parts for QSB 6.7’s we run! super helpful

[@OnboardTangaroa]

They definitely have some good stuff and Tony's website is a wealth of information. Thanks for watching!

[@samfeuster4673]

Another excellent video. Never heard of twisting the wires. Makes perfect sense.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

It is a very common technique in the controls trade. Works very well for cancelling out EMI. Thanks for watching!

[@va7dgp]

You make a good radio operator. Twisting your cable getting rid of EMI on your HF SSB radio. :)

[@OnboardTangaroa]

I do my best! 😁 Thanks!

[@Graveltrucking]

Your guys boat has had a lot of haywire in its life. What a pain to fix stuff that should have been done properly to start with. Proper electrical system on steel and aluminum boats is a must. Your zincs would be justa cooking then once they are gone the hull is taking the hit. Slow and steady along with a lot of patience when working on an old boat having deep pockets helps lol.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

It's pretty crazy how much crap I have found and removed and I just keep finding more. Just like an old classic car that has gone through multiple owners with no proper maintenance. The engine room wiring is going to be my next big project. So far I have fixed any stray voltage issues or it seems. Hull zincs have lasted for 3.5 years and still look almost new so I am feeling confident there. Slow and steady seems to be working. Definitely no deep pockets here. We have to carefully budget for projects for sure. Would be nice to have more of a budget but we have what we have. Take care!

[@kaygeemusic5077]

Love Maggie!

[@OnboardTangaroa]

She is awesome!

[@heatherbella]

Roller the wall! Cheaper and no overspray! (sorry Blaine! 😂)

[@OnboardTangaroa]

I realize that I have lost this one at this point. 😂

[@heatherbella]

@@OnboardTangaroa Ha ha ha! Honestly though sometimes for me it's whichever way I don't have to do the work! :P

[@OnboardTangaroa]

I feel ya there!

[@MsJon52]

For a good finish it would have to spray, not with cans but air, but the overspray would be a nightmare so the roller gets my vote, lol

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Looks like Janis may be winning this one. 😂

[@sethbarnes7608]

Use an HVLP sprayer, and overspray will be very minimal

[@sethbarnes7608]

Also, when masking things like wiring harnesses, using aluminum foil works well, and it's much easier to remove from such things than sticky masking tape.

[@sethbarnes7608]

Prop glide is very good on the props and rudders

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Thanks for the tips! Will certainly have to try the foil method. Prop glide appears to maybe be a bit less costly?

[@sourkraut911]

Seaboard marine is great. I went with the same fuel filtration system a few years ago. you will not be disappointed.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

The filtration system seems quite nice. I am tempted to add an FS20000 for a third filter for the lubricity benefits but I have not spoken with them about its merits. Seems like anything to increase lubricity in a modern common rail diesel would be worth it. I am so impressed with the fact that Tony has compiled his life of experience with marine diesel and posted it for the world to benefit from. Even experienced techs could learn a thing or two from there. Thanks for watching!

[@MikeyLikesItToo]

Rolling looks way better than spraying, for sure..

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Darn, one more vote for Janis. 😂

[@jeffreygilchrist1330]

I’m just amazed at how much smaller the two new Cummins engines are, is that how far we’ve come in regards to power to weight and efficiency or am I missing something I see other boats far smaller in size than yours with huge engines about the same vintage just love your channel and the restoration process cheers from Australia

[@OnboardTangaroa]

It is quite comical really. The new engines are definitely way more efficient in power to weight. Engineering has come a long way and they have figured out how to make engines last even in a much smaller package. Tons of Iron is no longer necessary to make them last. The engines also very much depend on the usage of the boat. Slow displacement or semi-displacement hull forms don't need much power to push. Back in the day when fuel was super cheap the mentality of bigger is better ruled everything. Even the slower boats got massive engines because back then high speed small displacement powerful diesel engines did not exist, at least no to the level they exist today. The Detroits were the go to because they were able to produce great power levels from their displacement. They were yesteryears high speed diesels and they had a really good run. One type of boat I like to point people toward when I am questioned about my sanity is the FPB 78. They are world renowned aluminum world cruisers. Pretty amazing pieces of engineering. They cross oceans easily and there are some really good photos as well as video of them cruising Antarctica. They weigh over 25% more than us, are 3ft wider and are a displacement vessel. They are powered by two 230HP Deere 6.8L common rail diesel engines. At the end of the day its not that the new high speed diesels are too small, its just that the old iron was just too big. Glad you are enjoying the channel!

[@dalecostich8794]

Blaine needs to listen to the Mrs. the bulkhead aerosol approach was a wrong approach.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

I do listen to her.... sometimes🤣. Thanks for watching!

[@HankFrederiks]

Man, I wish I lived closer, I'd come lend a hand ( free, of course ) just for the experience.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Its the thought that counts! Thanks for watching!

[@Vagabond1209]

Roll it

[@OnboardTangaroa]

It looks like Janis is winning this one. 😂 Thanks for the vote.

[@JustinTurnerman]

4500$ for 1 shift Wow. Save it if at all possible. Boats ate super expensive. How's the heat at the boat yard. It's crazy hot here in Burnaby. Also Blaine, sorry but Janis won. Roll over spray for that location for sure haha.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

We have saved it for now. It will likely be replace on the next haulout when the budget has recovered a bit. I am getting the feeling Janis has won this one.

[@rogerreed905]

Great video team . Are you having a blackwater treatment system . . Till next time . Bye from NZ🍻👋🇳🇿twa

[@OnboardTangaroa]

We are fortunate to be right next to the washrooms at the yard. They also have great showers. The toilets aboard are only flushed once daily and are used sparingly. So far we haven't filled the tank however I imagine we are getting close. No treatment system yet but I have looked into them. Possibly in the future? Take care!

[@dadejazzba402]

Power Drum Auger

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Thanks! I didn't even think of that but we have one kicking around somewhere. May be back in Victoria though.

[@mitchhill345]

Hi Blaine, just wondering why you are having to make up the injector harnesses. Didn't those new Engines come with a complete ECM harness. I could see you having to make up a harness for the power feed to the ECM and the twisted CAN network J1939.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

They did indeed come with harnesses and ecm's but these were originally truck engines from 2012 so the original harnesses were already 12 years old and filthy. They were also based around the truck sensor package which is completely different from what I am running for these now. There are sensors that are no longer needed and a few I will be running that the original engine never had such as turbocharger speed, wideband air/fuel sensor, EGT, etc. I am also running aftermarket laptop programmable ECM's as they allow me to much better integrate the engines into the boat and give me the flexibility to really make the whole system function better as a whole. The new units have user configurable CAN messaging so I can add data to my engine displays that is not typically availabe even on the j1939 stream. I decided it was easier just to build new harnesses. Besides, the new harnesses are considerably "cleaner" than the original harnesses. Thanks for watching!

[@mitchhill345]

Very interesting set up, will you be able to change your HP and torque rating also. No aftertreatment issues will make those Cummins worry free. Will the turbo be a fixed or Variable Geometry. Love watching a channel when people know what there doing like you two. No hack jobs here keep it going strong.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

I can theoretically change anything on the fly however I will be derating these engines for longevity. The main reason for the ecus was purely for flexibility with integration. Turbo will be fixed geometry purely for reliability. It would certainly help to have a variable for a broader efficiency range though. While occasionally I do things as a temporary quick solution. I always get back to it at some point to clean it up. Its never sketchy or unsafe, just sometimes not pretty. Glad you are enjoying the videos!

[@Adam-en4zm]

So for the shaft with pitting, are you getting a welder to just fill it in? How is Bracewell gonna handle that? Great guys to work with, BTW, only good things to say about them.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

We are going to run it as is. Stainless has a pretty aggressive heat expansion rate. If we tried to fill it there is a good chance it would bend the shaft. Don't want to risk it at this point. Bracewell did fit the new coupler on the starboard shaft though. They were great albeit a bit more expensive than I would have expected.

[@Adam-en4zm]

@@OnboardTangaroa Are you worried about the cavities throwing off the balance? I suppose they're so close to the center of rotation it won't matter. Bracewell definitely isn't cheap, that's for sure.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Not really concerned about the balance. As you said the diameter is small, it's not a massive divot and the shaft speed is so slow it really has no effect.

[@Adam-en4zm]

@@OnboardTangaroa You're running 3:1 gears on the ZF's, correct?

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Correct. They are 2.957:1 to be exact.

[@joshuascally8065]

Can the pitting in the shaft be welded up and then the shaft stress relieved? Also, did you replace the cutlass bushing in the prop struts? If you have it apart, I highly recommend it.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

I am always super leery about welding on stainless shafts. Stainless has such a huge heat expansion rate it would be very easy to induce a bend in the shaft. We have just taken note of the issue and we will likely be replacing two of the shaft sections on the next haulout. I checked all of the cutless bearings this time around as well as last time and all are in great shape with the exception of the port stern tube cutless. I have already replaced that one this time around. Thanks for watching!

[@joshuascally8065]

Awesome. Sounds like a good plan. I just started following, so some of this is catch-up.

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Enjoy the rest of the videos!

[@johnbowen2963]

roll

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Rolling it is! Thanks for your vote.

[@hubertfruzia1803]

Spray 6 coats

[@OnboardTangaroa]

You and I seem to be the few in this vote.

[@user-oj1ri5ld3x]

What type of insulation do you but in for nose and for Werther

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Sadly the insulation in many places is a bit rough on board. We have been experimenting a bit with the pink rigid insulation. Its been ok in the places we have used it so far but it could certainly be better.

[@petegreen3024]

Big mistake with 160 therms. Please 180

[@OnboardTangaroa]

One thing that I have noticed over the years of building engines is that if you run a thermostat close to desired operating temps on systems with more than adequate cooling sometimes on transient loading the thermostat may only be partially open and can cause temperature spikes. Running a lower temp thermostat and adjusting water flow to achieve desired temp is a better solution as you are guaranteed the thermostat is fully open at all times. On that note, I'm not sure why Cummins does it but 160 degree thermostats are standard on all new marine QSB 6.7 engines. Maybe they have discovered the same issue.

[@jmsask]

👍🍻

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jmsask]

@@OnboardTangaroa any reply is good for the channel 🍻

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Absolutely!

[@nathansandwich5579]

what model is the yacht

[@OnboardTangaroa]

Its is a Stephens Brothers custom yacht built in 1969. Thanks for watching!

[@paraweir]

Drill, long flexible but not able to bend or twist wire and a steel brush bit. From a below average make a plan guy...

[@OnboardTangaroa]

I may end up giving that a go if I can find a flexbit nearby. I have one but sadly its back in Victoria.