Transmission

[autoacademy]

1986 Albin 27 w/Nissan LD28. I need information. Can someone tell me the make and model of transmission I have and it's ratio, just in case I have to re-power. I bought the boat in September, engine seems fine but I am reading that it's next to impossible to find parts for it. If it quits on me, I want to be ready to replace it quickly. The boating season here only last 3 to 4 months and at my venerable age I don't want to loose a season searching for parts.

[tego]

HOWDY ACADEMY, Welcome aboard. The Nissan is a great engine. I doubt you'll have to go looking for parts for it if it was running well when you bought it. Mine ('87 27FC) is going strong since I bought her in '13 and the parts ARE available but you have to look for them. I haven't had to do anything except oil changes and a coolant change. The tranny is a Hurth HBW250-3R, 2.74 ratio, part number 18-17508. It uses standard ATF-A fluid. If you need a specific part for either, just ask on this site and one of us will probably have a part number and a previously used supplier for same. I originally had the same concerns as you about the engine, but I've grown to like it. It's a good match to the boat. I boat year-round down here (Tennessee River) and put about 100-120 hours on her each season. Ben

[autoacademy]

Thanks for your reply Ben. It re-assures me about that Nissan diesel. I am more like a Cummins or Yanmar believer but your comment helps me.

Can you also tell me what is the RPM to speed ratio of your boat, like what's the RPM at 6 knots and at 8 knots? Reason for asking us that I bought this boat without a sea trial. The boat was in a boathouse 500 miles away from my home, I got the engine running, shifted the tranny forward and reverse and everything us working just fine. When I received the boat (on a trailer) I found a handwritten chart on board where it states that at 8 knots the rpm is 3600 which doesn't seem to make sense for me on a diesel engine and it was too late in the season for a sea trial. I think it should be about 2500 rpm for 8 knots. I also see that the RPM indicator has been replaced and based on my previous experience it may be that the RPM gauge is set for a 4 cyl instead of a 6 cyl which would explain.

Thanks again and Happy New Year to you and yours. Robert

[tego]

Robert, I run a four blade prop of 18x14 with a 1 1/2" shaft. What size prop and pitch do you have? I don't have my log book handy (it's on the boat) but as best I can remember, I do about 6 knots @ 1900 RPM and 7 @ about 2300 RPM. I get about 1GPH average running at those speeds. If I up it to 8 Kts, I'll turn about 2900 RPM and get about 1 1/2 GPH. If I crank her all the way up to about 3500 RPM, I'll only get 9.8 Kts. I never run that fast though. I generally cruise about 6.5 max and average about 3/4 GPH. If you want to go faster than that, you bought the wrong boat! You might be a little under-propped too, based on your reputed chart figures. I'll be on the boat tomorrow and check those figures and let you know if I was off on my recollection. These boats are VERY thrifty at hull speed (6.5 kts). Mine has twin 50 gal tanks under the cockpit settees and I only fill up once a year, usually with about 20 gal remaining in the tanks. Ben

[autoacademy]

Hi Ben, according to a recent survey, I am running a 3 blades prop 18x14. I have no intention of cruising any faster than 7 to 8 knots. I am 72, this is the 25th boat I own in my life so far of which 20 were sailboats ranging from 15 to 38 ft. So you now inderstand that speed is not on my priority list I would still own a saiboat but light arthritis issues with my hands (obviously due to age) makes it uncomfortable for me to pull on genoa and mainsail lines so wife and I decided that we would try a small trawler and see how we like the idea of a powerboat. We are both excited about the idea and our plan for the coming season is to first do a small loop going from Montreal, Canada to Ottawa then down the Rideau Canal to Kingston, Ontario then going East on the StLawrence seaway through the Thousand Island and back to Montreal. This should take us three weeks to a month. After that our plan is to go East on the St Lawrence River to the Richelieu river then South to Lake Champlain and Lake George N.Y. Then the Hudson River all the way to Manhattan, then back to Montreal. Another month gone by and the 2017 season will be over. If we like this, then we would consider leaving early in 2018 (May is early for us up here) and go for the Great Loop with no time frame. All this as long as we both stay healthy. Your input is much appreciated. Based on what you are tellng me, it confirms that the RPM gauge is set for a 4 cylinder engine, so it's showing a RPM that is 50% faster than the actual engine speed. I am quite familiar with this since I am a retired automobile and truck dealer (Ford and Chrysler) and in my young adult years I was a mechanic and involved in race cars tuning. I may replace the prop for a 4 blades if it helps. Looking forward to your next report. Thanks again. Robert

[tego]

Robert, You sound a lot like me. Next birthday is 75 and a sailor for over 50 years. My hands got gimped up a bit so crossed over to the dark side of stinkpotters. We lived aboard our last sailboat (Pearson 424 ketch) for about 12 years, then to a 50 foot trawler for 4 more before we swallowed the anchor and moved to Tennessee. Couldn't live happily without a boat though so we got this 27FC and I love it! Inland water cruising is great- no salt water corrosion, tides, reefs, hurricanes etc. If you do the big loop, keep us in mind and stop by. A lot of the loopers come up the Tennessee River to Knoxville for a spell. Lots of history and beautiful river scenery along the way, and it's a good stopover for the winter. It's very mild here. As far as the tach goes, since our tach is fed from the alternator, it could just be tapped into the winding at the wrong point for your newer tach, or maybe your tach is adjustable? Ben

[autoacademy]

Hi Ben, the last time I was in Knoxville was in June 1971. It was nice then, certainly just got better ! We never lived aboard except for a couple of weeks at the time. Must have been nice! For many years we owned an oceanfront condo in Pompano Beach FL that we just sold this past August due to an unfortunate health problem (breast cancer) with our daughter-in-law age 34 with 3 young boys, so were now here to help with the grandchildren. We have 6 of them all together, all boys. If you look at a map, you will see our address in Florida was 133 N. Pompano Beach Blvd, 33062, so we were right on the beach and 300ft West of us was the marina where we kept our small center console boat right on the Intracoastal. We did not do much Ocean going and I am not a fisherman, mostly the canals going from one restaurant to the other between Boca Raton and Miami. This is now history. Back to the Albin, I bought it from an older couple in their nineties who were not using it anymore. They owned the boat for 15 years on Lake Huron (freshwater) and they had bought her from another older couple in 2001 who had owned her for 10 years on Lake Ontario (freshwater again). No records before that. As for the newer Tach that was on the boat, since I did not like it, it wasn't a circular gauge but an arc type, I bought a new one that we will install in the spring. I'll keep you posted. Cheers, Robert

[autoacademy]

Hi Ben, Hope you're enjoying the boating season. As for me, finally we should launch the Albin next week if everything goes according to the plan. We've had a terrible Spring season here so we're like a month late. I have 2 questions for you.
1): As you know my Albin sports the Nissan LD28 and on the ont upper part of the engine there is a tank with a radiator cap on it and this tank is empty. Is that OK or should I see some anti-freeze or liquid of some kind in there ?
2): In front of the engine on the Port side of the firewall there is what looks like a nylon overflow container that is not connected to anything. There's a rubber hose coming out of it's bottom and this hose loops back to the top cover of the container. To me (due to my experience with cars) it should be connected to an overflow tube just below the rad cap but there's none of that to be seen. Please tell me how yours is installed.

Thabnks and enjoy the summer.

Robert

[autoacademy]

Please disregard my second question as I found the overflow tube that had been taped over when the engine was removed and painted after a minor overhaul. So the questions is: should there be anti-freeze in the tank when removing the rad cap? Thanks for your help

[tego]

Robert, The tank is your heat exchanger and yes, you should see antifreeze in it! I just got back from a short run today. We took a two week cruise at the beginning of this month, down river, and had a great time. I love this boat more each time I go out or just tinker on it. By the way, mine didn't have an overflow tank when I got her so I installed one and it works as it should. I hope your empty exchanger doesn't indicate a problem somewhere. The exchanger is located forward of the valve cover, above the timing chain cover on the front of the engine. Let us know how everything turns out. Good luck. Ben

[autoacademy]

Hi Ben

Big relief, the Nissan LD28 is perfectly healthy. Low engine coolant was due to replacement of hot water heater when a few quarts of coolant were lost and not refilled. All is ok now and the diesel purrs like a kitten. The mechanic found that the cutlass bearing needs replacement, which should be done this week. He will also install a raw water strainer and a secondary racor fuel filter with a see thru bottle.

[tego]

Robert, Glad to hear about the coolant non-problem. The cutlass bearing is an easy one most of the time. It should be getting a little warmer up there by now, so you will be able to see how great these boats are. Good luck. Ben