On the ocean boat; Grady 325. Starts with us getting a bill from the marina for the Spring commissioning, includes a small charge for a replacement windscreen washer solenoid valve. Let's see, 2 year old boat.....guessing marina forgot to winterize the windscreen washer system.
First trip out that needed washers and they work for a few seconds and quit. Tell marina and they fix. OK for a trip or two then quits....irritated, but they 'fix' again. Next trip I test as soon as we are dropped in the water and another failure, but this time, as we are not underway, I hear water splashing behind the instrument panel and then the forward bilge pump activates?!? I open the panel and find that the feed hose to the washer solenoid valve has blown off and was hosing down the backsides of all the electronics and controls until the system depressurized or ran out of water
I look closely and the replacement valve must have had a slightly smaller fitting than OE and the shop made up the difference with wraps of electrical tape and a typical serrated hose clamp with the expected results..... Really?? 'Professionals'?? I'm a glorified accountant and I'm better than this. My solution, after talking to some folks in the know, is a film of marine sealant after roughening up the surface of the valve nipple and two marine/aviation SS proper (solid, rounded edges, etc.) hose clamps. Problem solved.
Maybe I should call myself a boat mechanic Maybe I should just take up golf.
Not a great area to hose down....
the fix (before cleanup)...
First trip out that needed washers and they work for a few seconds and quit. Tell marina and they fix. OK for a trip or two then quits....irritated, but they 'fix' again. Next trip I test as soon as we are dropped in the water and another failure, but this time, as we are not underway, I hear water splashing behind the instrument panel and then the forward bilge pump activates?!? I open the panel and find that the feed hose to the washer solenoid valve has blown off and was hosing down the backsides of all the electronics and controls until the system depressurized or ran out of water
I look closely and the replacement valve must have had a slightly smaller fitting than OE and the shop made up the difference with wraps of electrical tape and a typical serrated hose clamp with the expected results..... Really?? 'Professionals'?? I'm a glorified accountant and I'm better than this. My solution, after talking to some folks in the know, is a film of marine sealant after roughening up the surface of the valve nipple and two marine/aviation SS proper (solid, rounded edges, etc.) hose clamps. Problem solved.Maybe I should call myself a boat mechanic
Maybe I should just take up golf.Not a great area to hose down....
the fix (before cleanup)...
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