bertram31.com

In Memory of Vicroy

Doug - the 6BTA 250's (CPL 1247) have fresh water cooled aftercoolers that look like the one DQ posted pix of. There is a petcock on the back of it where you bleed air out of the fresh water cooling system, and since it's so high - actually above the radiator cap on the expansion tank - that they ca...

In Memory of Vicroy

Hey Nic - just got my new Ugg boots....Ugg Austrailia brand, made in China, bought from a US dept. store on line and delivered by a German courier (DHL).....good quality boots. Gonna order another pair before they go up.....

UV, the amazed

In Memory of Vicroy

DQ - yep, that's what I have. It's called the "tombstone" aftercooler.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Mr. Cranston is not exactly right on, but close. The Cummins 6B series was indroduced in the mid 80s and is an in-line four cycle, 6 cyl. 5.9 liter engine. The early natural versions were about 150 hp at 2600 rpm, then they turbo-ed to make the 210 hp, then aftercooled it to make the 250. The "CPL" ...

In Memory of Vicroy

Well, the Grosbeak Propulsion System never really took off......but it's still out there.

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In Memory of Vicroy

It never stops amazing me how people can try to re-invent the wheel.....bet the seals in that surface drive will last a week, even if the dawg don't fall in the prop. I've been to outdrives a few times over the years, and the old tried and true straight shaft with nothing but a strut and cutless bea...

In Memory of Vicroy

Many of us have tried to convince Bertram that bringing the B31 back would be a good idea...the hood ornament for the company..we got close a couple of times. The company even hired a guy to do it, but the best the bean counters would let him do was the 36, in my jaded view not a very pretty boat. I...

In Memory of Vicroy

John, the 10 kw is probably way too big to fit in your B31, probably too long, wide, and tall to fit outboard of an engine. I have a 6.5 kw Phasor, the "pancake" model, 3 cyl. 1800 rpm Kubota powered and it fits fine, better even than my old 5.5 kw Phasor with the same engine setup. Size is the issu...

In Memory of Vicroy

Thanks Nic, they had just what I wanted....now the bad news - this "global economy" makes my US$ worth less than dog doo-doo.....the Ug boots I wanted would have been US$ 205 including shipping from Aussie Land, but the same boot (exact brand, etc, imported from Aussie Land) from Nordstrom's dept. s...

In Memory of Vicroy

Nic, thanks for the local heads-up on Gameboats. You guys, the world is so small now......when I contacted Gameboats 5 or 6 years ago, they knew who I was and all the B31.com guys. Sent me what I needed in less than a week (God invented jet planes for a reason) and were just nice folks to deal with....

In Memory of Vicroy

I think Dug took our money and went to the Guays.......

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In Memory of Vicroy

JG, most of us with higher hp diesels don't use tabs....the B31 runs just fine without them...the boat runs bow proud naturally and was designed by Ray Hunt to do that so she will get up on the strakes but keep the 24 degree deadrise to the transom in the water. Bow proud is how she runs, and part o...

In Memory of Vicroy

In 1984 I pulled the orginal 165 Mercruisers out of my B25 and installed a pair of Vulva AQAD31 diesels with the Duoprop outdrives. Made her stern heavy and got about a 21 kt cruise, but only burned 8 GPH at that speed. Doel-Fins and big trim tabs helped get her level at speed. The engines were 110 ...

In Memory of Vicroy

Harry, its really an issue of engine loading. The 6BT 210s without a turbo can be pretty much loaded up with 1.2 gears, while the turbo versions need the 1.5 to lessen the load. You CPL 0970s need to be run like the CPL 1247 250s like Doug & I have, max cruise at 2400, and propped to top out at 2850...

In Memory of Vicroy

I ordered the "Bertram 31" and the eagle emblem from Gameboats in Aussie Land....www.gameboats.com.au and they are cast stainless and very good quality. I just checked their website and they still sell them....Don Jones with Bertram says they are protesting using their logo, but the Aussies say they...

In Memory of Vicroy

The DD 92 series is good for one thing, an anchor.....the 71 and 53 are OK, but the 92 is a total cluster from day one once they turboed it. The short analysis is they melt quickly. Makes a Man-grenade engine look good.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Right now there are 6 of us going, me, the Minister de Pollo (Ret.), Gail C. Hyena Love, Tom P. and his father in law. I'm gonna pull the trigger shortly so if you snooze, you lose. Fishing 3 to a boat, so a lone ranger will requre some others too.

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In Memory of Vicroy

No bushings, gotta lap the bore to the shafts with valve grinding compound to get them vibration free. You got your prop answer above....shoot for 2950-3000 with your 6BTA 300 CPL 970s. Go with JK.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Glass them in - works good, and you can still see thru them if you are Superman...... My experience is the only way to keep the front and side windows on a B31 from leaking is to put a fiberglass cap over the front and install solid side windows. Add a genset and big a/c and you are done...dry cabin...

In Memory of Vicroy

Got word today that I'm good to go to ship aerosols via DHL ground again, so I'm selling CX again to the Faithful, and I have the whole line of products. I'm pricing it at 25% off retail plus shipping, and the minimum order will be about 50 bucks to cut the hassle factor down some. Email me, and if ...

In Memory of Vicroy

I'd say an automatic system is probably not really needed on a diesel B31 simply because of the low risk of fuel related fire and the fact the engines are not really below the deck, but in the boxes where you can get at them real easy. Now on the other hand, like Tony says, can't have too much fire ...

In Memory of Vicroy

I've been on a couple, Bruce was being nice.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Very nice Nic.....we all start with the same canvas and end up painting in amazing ways....some of your details are just top notch.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Walter - the 6Bs don't have the problem, just the 4Bs. My 6Bs have about 2500 hours and not a single injector has ever been out of either engine.

Doc had the injector problem on his 4Bs but the new Bosch injectors seem to have fixed his......

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In Memory of Vicroy

Mikey yours really look first class. I sure did not invent them, a Coonass named Mr. Pitrie down Bayou Lafourche in Galiano, LA did when he repowered AJ in 1991 with the 6BTA Cummins. I ran into his former captain on the dock in Venice one time and he told me the history of the power in AJ....she ca...

In Memory of Vicroy

Nice work Mikey.....same as mine with a couple of differences. My caps extend all the way from the front tower to the rear one, and mine have a huge aluminum angle bolted between the inboard stringers and passing under the companionway deck, in effect tying both engine beds together. Was done in a c...

In Memory of Vicroy

Tony, before you glass over them and cap, figure out where the new engines will sit so you don't have to maybe cut out new glass...I think Mikey has a template for 6BTA Cummins that has been passed around to several here for bedding Cummins. Guess the point is to build the bed caps and towers to the...

In Memory of Vicroy

Tony - keep em, cap em, and build alum. tower mounts for the Cummins off the caps. Mine were done like that in 1991 and never a hitch. I have some pic somewhere, and I think Mikey did his like mine and probably has pic too.

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In Memory of Vicroy

I owned a 40' Concorde once in my foolish youth....make a Searay look real good, maybe just a hair above a Blubliner. Pass the rosary....

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In Memory of Vicroy

Ric - I thought you shocked dem fish, what's all this crap about hauling 'em up?

Got room for you in Panama next June, you a pussy or what?

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In Memory of Vicroy

Giff - tachs on a diesel that are not driven by a speedo cable are all electric....either off the alternator or a magnetic pickup. Either way they count pulses...you have to set the DIP switches on the back of the tach to the application...for example, a 6B Cummins has 159 teeth on the flywheel and ...

In Memory of Vicroy

Mikey - try: Marine Transmission Center (part of Mack Boring) 800 709 0673, www.marinetransmission.com There is a place in Lake Charles, La. that stocks a ton of ZF stuff but they did not have an ad in this week's B&H. I threw my old B&Hs away today cleaning up the shop, but usually there are a half...

In Memory of Vicroy

Carl, its a grounding problem in the sounder cable to the ducer. That cable is coax, meaning one hot wire in a sheath of braided ground wire. The ground sheath is not grounded to the 12v negative, simple as that.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Andre' - thanks, sure could use a hand...Friday would be great.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Thanks, Rick....I just looked online and there are a bunch of places that sell the dye for oil and fuel systems and the lights too for short money. I'll order a little kit and give it a whirl.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Mikey - look on the ZF site, www.zf.com and go to 'marine' then 'transmissions single speed' then 'pleasure duty' and click on the 220A and there are some downloads and a real good pix of the rear of the gear where you can see the two little tubes and the clamp allen screw.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Cooler leak is possible, but don't see any oil in the exhaust water. Leave removing and testing the cooler for last.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Way to go Mikey!!! The tubes are not a big deal to change....they have o-rings too. They are held in place with a clamp and one allen head screw. They are high carbon steel and will rust out quickly if not kept painted and CX-ed. But it may just be an o-ring. I have manuals for the 220As on the boat...

In Memory of Vicroy

In my view they are simply not needed on a B31, especially one with diesels. In a head sea just slow down to the 'rocking chair' speed and enjoy the ride. If you get a list, just holler at the fat guys to move around some.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Thanks, Bruce. I need to just logically approach the leak by first cleaning up the area (copious amounts of CX have been applied to the gear over the years), clean the bilge under it, wait for the weather to cool off some, then just lay on the deck, stick my head under there and watch what's going o...

In Memory of Vicroy

Thanks, Walter. My senders are screwed directly into the gears (3/8" MPT) and are electric to the single FB station. I need to get a real good light under the deck and check it at night since its very hard to see the back of the gear in the daylight with all the glare. Anyone ever used the flouresce...

In Memory of Vicroy

Hey Faithful - Since my Katrinia layup I'm losing a little oil out of the port gear and can't see anything obvious...the gear uses 30W motor oil. The yard that fixed AJ told me when they started her up after 11 months on the hard the port gear was out of oil, and they found and fixed a broken fittin...

In Memory of Vicroy

Ted - check with Lauderdale Speedometer in FLL.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Yeah, hear ya....you became a craftsman and I a human torpedo.

Happy Birthday, Ole Fart....

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In Memory of Vicroy

Damn Ole Fart, where did you go wrong?

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In Memory of Vicroy

Mikey, a pro job for sure. Shoot some of that new CX you just got on the battery terminals while they are nice and clean.

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In Memory of Vicroy

Wayne, looks to me like plain ole diesel algae crud. I'd put some biocide in the tank, maybe kick it up a notch with a gallon or 2 of Gum Out. This time of year with the hot weather the bugs in the diesel go nuts.....I had two partially clogged Racor 500s with only 17 hours on them and they had the ...

In Memory of Vicroy

Nic - no, I got some old Lee outrigger pole parts and crafted together about an 18 foot pole and just stuck it in one of the 6 rocket launchers that are welded to my aft FB rail, just happened to find the one on the centerline. It sticks up at about a 45 degree angle, about like JP's does in his pix...

In Memory of Vicroy

Bob, there lies the myth....that the center rigger has to be bent over sort of horizonal with the top of the tower. Pure myth...the Japs developed the "green stick" trolling rig for their commercail tuna boats years ago, basically a high mast, say 80' that they towed a long line from, with the first...

In Memory of Vicroy

John - Shooting CX in the cylinders would be a good idea, but will require pulling the injectors and putting them back in. If it were me, I'd do the CX since they have been sitting so long and the rings might tend to stick on start up. You fixin' to have a real fast boat my fren'.

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CX is back

Trans. oil leak, ZF IRM 220A behind Cummins 6BTA 250s