bertram31.com

Bruce

Still being in the service business just another direction, I find that most shops anymore as a sub-contractor don't want to rebuild or repair anymore, just replace for liability's sake and also finding someone who can repair items is getting more difficult as most of our generation retires or dies ...

Bruce

Sorry for the late reply. I have been soliciting some boaters I still know for recommendations. They don't have any. I have not paid much attention to the marine industry in Palm Beach area since I retired from it. I recommended some people but it wasn't long before those who had my personal phone n...

Bruce

Yanmar changed the ratings by a few HP on most their engine at one time Yannis. I saw that he purchased a 26 which I've never repowered but wanted to share my experience and his enquiry for the 28 with the lower 4lh. Parts between those two engines are not interchangeable even though they have the s...

Bruce

Are you needing service for older engines or newer engines? Looking for independent or dealer person?

Bruce

Any glycol solution for cooling doesn't really evap like water and there should be puddle or stains.
Isolate and pressure check cooling system as you have done. I've chased some difficult ones.

Bruce

I repowered a few 28's with Yanmar 4 bangers. The 160/170 is workable on a very lightly loaded non wet 28. I always pushed for the 230. One customer insisted on the 170 and I did it, Customers always right? Sea trial came and it did okay, light fuel, 2 guys, not much gear but took a little long to g...

Bruce

Yannis, Read the US news reports. You'll get all the inappropriate content you can handle. I got a group of guys using the signal app down here in Florida. Its pretty secure as a lot of law enforcement uses it. That crap still gets thru. Thanks Mike. If there was ever someone we could trust to hold ...

Bruce

Agree.
Running high output alternators on V belts is a pain. Two belts minimum. Back when flat belts weren't an option I did custom 3 belt drives.

Bruce

I've done so many 31's those pics give me nightmares today.

Bruce

Tommy sent this to me and it quickly reminded me of the incident. Pat and I had been hired to take an Ocean SF to Isla Mujeres. We left WPB for Key West, the jumping point to Mexico with a bunch of other SF for Sail Fish season. We got stuck in Key West for a few days with bad weather and finally de...

Bruce

Yes Jack you need to put a port/stb transtion switch in to prevent live prongs since the outlets have male connectors. Thats a big safety issue. Not sure how they wired breakers in but usually its a pair of breakers next to each other with a slide stop over top to prevent both sets of breakers being...

Bruce

Carl, They had a list of do and don'ts when they came out and inspected a new install for warrantee coverage. We also knew while we could prevent most rouge mishaps, you can't cover them all 100% of the time. Material fails. Yanmar, Cummins and others I did were pretty strict on water line location ...

Bruce

Long before solar and battery stuff for homes, I did a number of Catamarans who didn't want to use a generator with battery banks and Balmar alternators. They were they only game in town then but I'm sure there are others now. The biggest issue is high output alternators get hot and need a good heav...

Bruce

Yanmar came out and inspected the exhaust on Steve's boat to qualify for warrantee coverage along with other things.

Bruce

Thankyou all for helping to keep Pat's dream alive. And thank you for the gifts. T shirts with pockets are awesome.

Bruce

I get nightmares from those pics........

Bruce

Remember the days when the refits of the 31 were in high gear, you couldn't buy a bare hull for 40k. Junk gas boats where approaching 100k and old tired diesels 150k and up.

Bruce

I've rode on a number of 31's over time, most I repowered with a variety of engines and some that I was tasked to survey for a buyer and one where the owner was trying to sell after putting over 400K into it with 440 Yanmar's. The only one that plowed nose down and was uncontrollable at speed was th...

Bruce

Usually when the blades freeze up on Yanmar turbos its the housing around the blades that expands from rust and stops the blades. If its not bad, you can free them up. Yanmar elbows can be an issue. Best to replace them every 5 to 6 years.

Bruce

I replied to the private messages of donations sent and to those that sent donations and gifts I thank you very much. Every bit helps to cover the ever-increasing hosting charges since I don't sell anything.

BTW I especially loved the T shirts, had pockets, and the tuna. It was good.

Bruce

I have an original panel chrome in really good shape if you are interested. Donation to the site.
I may have the pilaster steps also. I'll look.

Bruce

Modern interior looks good.
Anything over 370hp in a 31 is wasted.

Bruce

Modern interior looks good.

Bruce

HP = Air and fuel.
The more HP, the more air and fuel you consume.
The more air and fuel you consume to produce hp the more stress you put on the engine and heat you have to dissipate.

That my friends is just stupid money doing what it does best......enriching the economy.

Bruce

Get a welder to make up a stainless V shape to match your hull and make it long enough to set the hull V on it. Weld that piece to a stainless tube put in one of the rod holders. Lift the bow up and set in the v and pull the dingy on in. Put it in the opposite side rod holder to lift up the bow, set...

Bruce

The engine block should be tied into the ground and bonding system but don't run your grounds to the engine block then the block to the bonding or negative terminal on battery. I've seen galvanic action eat up engine blocks doing it this way. A good buss bar as a central tie in point is the way to g...

Bruce

Peter, Thanks for posting that about Walters 31. I was privileged along with a few others to have dinner at Walters house at one time. He was someone who came along in life not to often as many of the people here are. A man of many talents not the least of which was his cook book. And BTW, while Pat...

Bruce

Tough year health wise for myself and my youngest daughter. Going thru these things and getting older and having a bunch of down time I reflected on a lot of things not the least of these was this web site. I remember when Pat and I talked about doing the internet thing and he said he wanted to make...

Bruce

Sorry for the absence, fell off a ladder, pinched nerves and rehab with a brace. I think her name was Hilda the Hun, hurt like you know what. Brace is off now and I'm moving around slow. Be back after weekend with auction, sorry. I recieved two donations, wife took care of it, thanks. Wife hid phone...

Bruce

You have to go to Staniel Cay to see the swimming pigs.
Been in the Exumas a bunch but not as pleasure, work related. Staniel Cay I would say is the best in the Exumas. Haven't been there in some time though. Exumas are a bunch of Islands.

Bruce

A customer broke a alternator bracket over in the Bahamas and called when he got back to have me check. There was a .45 spent brass with a 9mm spent brass inside with a hole drilled thru the centers for a spacer..........

Bruce

"Florida Man" strikes again.

Bruce

Geebert wrote: ↑Jan 16th, '23, 21:39 Of the 100% you'd want your boat to do, what percentage is just floating?

Having been in the business for 29 years I'd say 85% are just floating.

See: Floating condos.............

Bruce

Thats correct Steve.
Disregard the field and ignition wires, Make sure they are taped up. The one output is all you need. Just make sure it goes back to a good battery source like your main lug on the starter.

Bruce

Sad news today of Becks passing. He didn't have the commercial success of many electric guitar players, but he was in the top 5 of all time. His playing was melodic and so effortless to see and hear. I was fortunate to meet him and Rod Stuart in the 90's in WPB when they came to hear Roger McGuinn w...

Bruce

I've been using a similar system on cars where wirelessly if you get a certain distance from your car and its running, it shuts off. The only way to re-energized it is with the fob. Also acts as a theft deterrent. The marine version I never used and always relied on the clip in the shut off switch t...

Bruce

On the latest issue of Acorn to Arabella they go to a prop shop to see their shaft made. As an amature machinist I always liked to go to Bobby Soles when Robert was there so I could see the workings in the shop.

https://youtu.be/kKPeHV2eiUk

Bruce

The difference between men and boys are the price of their toys.

Bruce

The following is from an article I found on the fire from the CT Examiner. New ideas maybe included opening a barbeque joint........... "The waterfront property was the site of “Smiler’s Wharf,” a redevelopment project proposed in 2019 for the 11.5-acre site that included a 6-story apartment buildin...

Bruce

Do you have the solid lowers or see thru lowers on the racors?

Bruce

Micky, One of the basics is making sure the throttle arm on engine is hitting the stop on WOT. Second is remove feed line at racor and blow back thru tank. Don't remember if that 34 has two or a single pickup tube for diesel of a seperate tank all together. Third, check fuel smell, it may be clear b...

Bruce

There should be set screws in the side of the strut holding the cutlass in place.

Bruce

It is but ground it at the back of the instrument. The signal is susceptible to RF noise and electrical noise which is why to be 100% sure of proper connection you use a twisted pair of wires to reduce the chance of noise screwing up your tach signal. I have seen one side grounded at the engine and ...

Bruce

Alternator output is the least accurate as belt slip will affect the readings. The tach output comes from an ac tap on the alternator and the tach should have that connection marked already depending on the faria model. The tach output on the bellhousing picks up the teeth on the flywheel. As each o...

Bruce

Not sure a prop shop would take out that much blade pitch. Approx 1" per 200 rpm. By the calculations he's down 4 1/2". Thats alot of pitch to take out. Micky to be sure and you may have already done this, but make sure you back up rpm with a hand held, don't depend on electric tachs to give accurat...

Bruce

What are your display screens Rick?

Bruce

The 31 is still around I think because of a number or reasons. First Bertram has been a staple in the boat build business, especially in decades past as a reliable built like a brick house boat. But with boating attitudes and requirements changing with generations, that could be a dying reason. It's...

Bruce

He's got it listed for 75k.
I thought Capt Brent sold it awhile back.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/1972-be ... r-8570907/

Bruce

My dad was an engineer for FORD who ran their advanced development lab in Blue Bell PA. He bought home all kinds of projects over the years. Retired when FORD closed the lab and was moving it to Michigan, Dad said no way. I remember the baby blue 64 1/2 mustang he bought home for my mom. Wish I had ...

Bruce

Electrical wiring is logical...there's an electrical source, a protection such as fuse or breaker, some type of switch to turn off or on, and the final component that is energized by the electrical source. In some cases such as lights, outlets, etc the final load source is piggy backed together to o...

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