March 5 Watermaker Pump Installation Details

Michael has spent the last week in the engine room. With the assistance of Richard (sv Before), the main bracket which supports the Balmar alternator and the new Hypro watermaker pump was redesigned and taken to the machine shop (Moos Welding) for modifications. This was because the new pump profile and height was different than that of the old Tecumseh refrigeration compressor and necessitated lowering the mounting platform and increasing its area to accommodate the mounting brackets of the pump. M obtained some new 1” angle iron (thanks, Joe!), and he and Matt spent a day fabricating the new Hypro mounts and cutting adjustment slots in them. Four 3/8” bolts hold the pump down, and the pump can be moved side to side to tighten the belt which runs from the Hypro pump pulley to the Perkins water pump and crankshaft pulleys. The new belt is a Gates Green Stripe 58 7/8” belt, and runs in a “belt alley” alongside the bracket which supports the alternator foot and just under the expansion tank. Clearances are tight, but the belt runs free and the entire bracket set up got rid of the (old version) tensioning pulley, and belt adjustment is easier to accomplish. The Hypro pulley belt can also be put on around the alternator and its belts without taking them off first, so that was a major win. The Hypro pump was then plumbed as follows: 1. A ¾” salt water intake hose into the low pressure port 2. A SS “T” comes off one of the high pressure ports and goes to a Cat Pop Off valve as well as a custom 5’ length of ½” Teflon impregnated SS hose which is capped and functions as a pulsation dampener for the pump 3. The main 3/8” High Pressure hose that goes into the membrane housing comes off the pump’s other high pressure port. As Sue noted, the more hoses that go into the engine room, the less room there is to move around in an already cramped space! Because of that reason, the dual Racor fuel filter system was moved yesterday, and is now easier to service, as well as affording more room to squeeze by to get to the alternator and forward part of the engine (remember, it’s a V drive!) So, it’s been a busy week! M has to buy just a few more SS fittings for the Codeline membrane housings and the two Filmtec SW-2540 membranes will be ready for insertion. The Jabsco Water Puppy intake pump and the Hypro EM clutch have already been wired to separate breakers. Then the 20 and 5 micron filters, as well as the charcoal brick filter, will be placed in their housings, the ¾” seacock will be opened, and the system will be ready for testing! A long, complicated project is nearing completion, and a special thanks goes out to our buddy Dave (sv Soggy Paws) for all his ongoing technical help! Update: Mike (sv Windy City) was kind enough to drive M to POP Supply this morning, where he purchased the three fittings required to complete the system. In the afternoon, M cut and fit the HP hose with their Gates (like Aeroquip) end fittings, so all hose is ready to fit onto its respective port. Tomorrow he’ll fit the membranes into the membrane housings and that about completes the system! Yea!