Installing Electronic Engine Controls
Posted: Nov 3rd, '20, 16:46
I will add some photos to the thread when I can get back to the boat next week but for now, I'll pass along my experience with installing Glendinning Engine controls on my B31.
First the folks at Glendinning were very helpful although I did run into a few snags along the way and still have a Tach sensor issue we are trying to solve. More on that shortly.
My 31 had the flybridge modified to have a pop up chartplotter house and extended the wheel house so that I could install Palm Beach throttle/shift controls. I also have a tower station which I used the standard Glendinning control head.
I also have a couple of old Volvo Penta TAMD 60B engines. I stripped out all the old instrumentation which is another thread as I'm going to install Analog to Digital Engine monitoring at some point in the near future. The throttle and shifters on the engines are strictly mechanical which required me to use the Smart Actuators II. Some newer engines are already set up to accept the Glendinning controls without the Smart Actuators so check with them.
Installing the system was pretty easy. It comes from the factory literally plug and play and system calibration took about 1 hour for both engines. It took about 1/2 day to install the flybridge and tower stations and control heads and to pull the control wires and mount the smart Actuators II units once that is all set then you measure the length needed for the push pull cables, call Glendinning and they ship the cables.
Installing the push/pull cables and calibrating the system was about an hour. Now for the snags which will show up in the photos.
1. I installed the side shifters at a height that worked for me standing up. They interfere with the mechanical tachs under the steering wheel. I could have avoided this by lowering the sidemount shifters. but it would have been slightly uncomfortable to operate the controls backwards. I'm going to resolve this problem by adding a 2" thick piece of teak under the wheel.
2. The second issue is the tach sensors. The Glendinning sensors for a mechanical engine is designed to fit on the front of the crankshaft and need approximately 6" of clearance between the front of the engine and the bulkhead. I have about 3/4". We are still working on this problem but I hope to be able to piggy back a signal from the new digital engine instrumentation.
I'm including a photo of the helm with the temp control station I installed just to see if the engines would run. I have about 25 hours on the engines since we put it in the water after being on the hard for 8 years. The engines are running well enough that I felt comfortable ponying up the bucks for the Glendinning Controls which was about $7K.
I'm extremely pleased with how the controls function and they certainly make the boat easier to maneuver.
First the folks at Glendinning were very helpful although I did run into a few snags along the way and still have a Tach sensor issue we are trying to solve. More on that shortly.
My 31 had the flybridge modified to have a pop up chartplotter house and extended the wheel house so that I could install Palm Beach throttle/shift controls. I also have a tower station which I used the standard Glendinning control head.
I also have a couple of old Volvo Penta TAMD 60B engines. I stripped out all the old instrumentation which is another thread as I'm going to install Analog to Digital Engine monitoring at some point in the near future. The throttle and shifters on the engines are strictly mechanical which required me to use the Smart Actuators II. Some newer engines are already set up to accept the Glendinning controls without the Smart Actuators so check with them.
Installing the system was pretty easy. It comes from the factory literally plug and play and system calibration took about 1 hour for both engines. It took about 1/2 day to install the flybridge and tower stations and control heads and to pull the control wires and mount the smart Actuators II units once that is all set then you measure the length needed for the push pull cables, call Glendinning and they ship the cables.
Installing the push/pull cables and calibrating the system was about an hour. Now for the snags which will show up in the photos.
1. I installed the side shifters at a height that worked for me standing up. They interfere with the mechanical tachs under the steering wheel. I could have avoided this by lowering the sidemount shifters. but it would have been slightly uncomfortable to operate the controls backwards. I'm going to resolve this problem by adding a 2" thick piece of teak under the wheel.
2. The second issue is the tach sensors. The Glendinning sensors for a mechanical engine is designed to fit on the front of the crankshaft and need approximately 6" of clearance between the front of the engine and the bulkhead. I have about 3/4". We are still working on this problem but I hope to be able to piggy back a signal from the new digital engine instrumentation.
I'm including a photo of the helm with the temp control station I installed just to see if the engines would run. I have about 25 hours on the engines since we put it in the water after being on the hard for 8 years. The engines are running well enough that I felt comfortable ponying up the bucks for the Glendinning Controls which was about $7K.
I'm extremely pleased with how the controls function and they certainly make the boat easier to maneuver.
