2009 Week 16 in Review
April 12 to April 18, 2009
This week, I replaced the batteries on the Maris Pearl. They are really heavy, and so OTM Inc had its first insurance claim this year. I chipped two of my teeth while we were pushing the heavy cart up the gang way - the handle smacked right into my mouth. I look like Alfred E. Neuman.
Assessing the Ready
Later this week, I went to Long Beach to check out the Ready, the old tug that sold a few weeks back. New owner Tim wanted to better understand the condition of the engine, hopped down to California for an overnight trip.
We ran the engine for a while, diagnosed a few problems, and discussed the long-term maintenance needs. We had one cylinder not firing and I chose that one for the valve-and-injector drill. I pulled the valves and injectors out, cleaned all the parts, and found the injector was plugged. I put it all back together and stuck it back in, but it still didn't work.
At that point, away from my shop and with the clock ticking, all I could do was suggest that Tim send the injector up to Seattle for an overhaul (or a core credit towards a new one, if the old one was irreparable). I also told him that all injectors will need the same treatment soon.
It was a good trip, though, because I'm excited to see the boat get some much-needed attention. I can't wait for the next trip!
Still waiting for Illinois
The folks in Illinois still haven't set a date for me to come out to work on their Fairbanks-Morse bearings, but I started getting ready anyway. I picked up some Timesaver lapping compound, sharpened my scrapers, bought some new files... that kind of thing. Hopefully, I'll be making the trip next week.
Shop pranks
While I was out, some jerk (Dan) put wood plugs in the candy machine at the shop. What a jerk.
Praise for Engineer for a Day
I met with John Foster who had many evaluations from the high school class that took the engineer for a day class a few months ago. Overall, the kids thought it was a great class but they overwhelmingly agreed that without live steam the Virginia V portion of the class was lame. So we applied for a grant from 4Culture to do just that.
