hartley vixen restore advice needed

[packratbob]

i have a vixen 17 in need of restoration.

top half of outer hull and cabin has been cut back sealed and primed with epoxy to stop any more weather damage. bottom half is still hard to access due to trailer.

then fixed the hydualic steering ram and got the engine running again

have ripped up all the floor boards intending to expox the inside bottom up but found that the inboard holden 186 has leaked quite a large amoung of oil all down the bilge area. also where the prop shaft runs thru the hull apears to have a crack which might have absorbed oil as well.

Do i need to get rid of the oil?

i was thinking of using degreaser and then high pressure wash it from the inside and then letting it dry for a very long period of time before continueing with any repair work.

[Boatmik]

Removing oil for epoxy or other bonding can be tricky.
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High Pressure Hose
Be careful with the high pressure hose - they are great in that position but can do a lot of damage if not used carefully.

The most common types of damage are stripping surface veneers out of the ply and breaking glue joins between framing and ply.

If you keep it a good 200mls away from the surfaces it should be OK.
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But maybe you don't need a high pressure hose.

I spoke to David Wilson at Duck Flat about this - they had a restoration project that was saturated with engine oil.

Every time they put the hull out in the sun the timber would warm and more oil would seep to the surface.

they used a number of methods. Washing repeatedly with degreaser and solvent. But one thing they found useful was putting fine sawdust in the boat and leaving it in the sun - when the oil came to the surface it was absorbed by the sawdust so then more oil would be able to come to the surface.

They basically kept going for a few weeks until very little oil was coming out on the surface when the boat was left in the sun. They then gave it a degrease/solvent wash, let it dry properly in the shade over a few days - and kept it out of the sun until all the gluing work was complete.

It has lasted 10 years to date.

I think that's a true record of what he told me.

Best Regards
Michael

[packratbob]

its odd u say sawdust cos packed on the bottom is a soft chaulky sawdust like paste sitting in the bottom of the bilge.

havent attemped to clean yet cos weather hasnt been too great.

thanks for the advice though. i'll try pressure wash then let it soak in the sun with some saw dust after.

[Daddles]

G'day Packrat,

You'll find me on the Hartley email group as well. I live about a C clamp's throw and a bit from Glen.

I can't offer a lot of help at this time, but I'm facing a similar situation to your own - I've got a 1950's clinker that needs some tender, loving sanding (oh, all the sanding). She also has a Holden 186, with an almost new dog clutch, and a rusted out sump (probably your problem), and piston rings with only a vague memory of what the cylinder walls look like - I'm tempted to replace the lot with a marine diesel, an old 20hp or something, depending on what I find lying in back sheds. So it's possible we can learn from each other - me more than you because I'm about 12 months out from starting the destruction and reconstruction.

Cheers
Richard

[packratbob]

hey richard. anything mechanical i can be of help just ask. (mechanic by trade) leak was coming down out of the seals around the dog clutch not to mention i sheered the the key on the dog clutch drive gear when giving the motor a good dry run. it was a home made key anyways so am glad it happened on land and not miles out at sea. :) best things abt the inboards are that parts are cheap and the 186 is pretty much bullet proof.

just bore the cylinders out. replace rings and bottom end bearinngs. and repair the sump close to a 100 kw in that motor so its got plenty of power and more then likely fixable. i'm a bit far out from u and glen on the northen side of town

[Aberdeen]

KITTY LITTER
Now a thought is to try some kitty litter, they use that on roads after accidents to soak up oil spills...... and have seen it used in workshops.... might be worth a try.......
Glenn

[Aberdeen]

Hi again
Just wondering how things are going with that old Vixen?
Sorted out the little problems by now I hope.

Just to let you know I have bitten the bullet and decided to build a new one.... only will stretch it to 18'

Best wishes
Glenn