RJ, where ya been man!!!:seeya:
Me?
Workin'
This damned boat has taken so much of my time that I got behind on work stuff.
With the engine back at SES again, I chose to get caught up on some of the things that pay the bills instead of hanging out in the forum.
Well, that and I am testing for the next level of black belt (month 3 out of 5 months of testing) and needed to make time to prepare for the test this Friday.
Great news!
SES sent me a different engine and it arrived today.
Not so great news! Either someone at SES or UPS must have dropped it, as I found a piece of one of the bottom standoffs in the bottom of the shipping container, and the starter housing is dented and cracked.
So, it will go back in the crate and back to SES tomorrow.
Pictures:
Partially crushed stand-off with the missing piece sitting to the right
I've lost count... how many times have I shipped the Challenger engine since I bought it in December?
lets see...
1) first rebuild after I bought the boat.
2) after I left the carb gasket crooked and fried the top end
3) after the bottom end locked up
4) after the rotary valve died
and now 5) because it arrived damaged
I wish UPS had some sort of rewards program.
I would have earned a trip to Hawaii by now.
You know, at this point, I'm not even surprised when this sort of crap happens. I've come to expect it.
And still, I can't wait to drive the boat again.
I'm a special kind of stupid, I guess. :nopity:
Oh, and the rotary valve failed because some sort of sliver of black metal got wedged in it.
Tom said that everything else was fine. He said it wasn't magnetic, but was too hard to be aluminum.
He sent me a picture via text message and I didn't have any idea what black metal sliver was from... didn't look familiar to me at all. I probably don't, but maybe I still have the pic on my phone.... I'll look tomorrow.
I had run it something like 14 or 15 hours and had not taken off the air box or spark arrestor. So I'm baffled on how something could have gotten in there and jammed up the RV. I meticulously cleaned EVERYTHING before putting it back together for installation.
BTW... I emailed Tom at SES the pictures above. He called me and said I could try to dremmel out the hole to make the starter fit or send it back. He said he could send me a new housing, but that the main seal is behind it, so he would rather get the whole thing back so he can pressure test it before I install it.
I was leaning towards getting out my die grinder and trying to make the starter fit, but since the plan is to drive it enough to be sure that it works, then sell it, I don't want a shoddy repair in there that might bite the next person.
If anyone hears a loud, long scream echoing in the distance Saturday or Sunday, it likely means that I've had an issue the GTX DI.
I test rode it for a few minutes last Sunday and it was perfect... which I am learning means that something bad is about to happen. Anyhow, I didn't have the right hitch ball to tow it, and couldn't find one (1 7/8") to borrow, so I just test rode it and put it back on the trailer to pick up at the shop this Saturday morning.
I pretty much quit drinking about 12 years ago when I was flying a lot of search and rescue and was on call 24/7. However, I think I'll pick up a 12 pack of something strong and take it to the lake with me this weekend. That way, when something breaks I'll be ready.
