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My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Albin's "power cruisers"
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hetek
Gold Member
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Posts: 719
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:42 pm
Home Port: Southold, NY
Location: Eastern Long Island, NY

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by hetek »

Hello all. Ulf is correct - I should give an update. And yes, I am still alive and well.

Two things: Evidenty, my workplace is now imposing restrictions to certain web pages. Behold, for some unknown reason, the Albin 25/27 forum is now blocked on my iPhone. I believe it is web filtering because the other sub forums are open to me and I can't think of a reason why.

...Unlike my coworker who kept trying to access web sites to purchase "Hooker Headers" for his classic Mustang.

Second, I have fallen into the seemingly endless "one step forward, two steps back" loop. Actually, more like "one step forward one step back" but still...

I was commissioning the mighty Vetus this Spring when I saw the engine temps creep above the 180 degrees high temp it usually settled at. Long story short: a brand new heat exchanger and thermostat were installed.

Next, on the next test run all went well and not a degree above 180, but then I see a drip from the sea water pump. Another long story short: new pump arrives from the U.K. tomorrow.

Plus, as usual, I have been working like a dog. Never enough time in the day.

Other than that, she is ready for launch. Bottom is painted, new trailer tires, new trailer winch, VHF installed, new running lights... All systems go.

So there you have it. I am a typical boater with typical boater luck!

Last, regarding the workplace imposed website restricted messages... I owned a Ferrari once and frequently visited the FerrariChat forum. I heard of other saying the site was blocked for them too so they created a mirror site. Its address?

http://thebestemployee.com. Still works too!

John?... :)
Jon B.
Former owner of...
"Bunkie" - a 1984 A27FC
New owner of...
1977 A25 deLuxe - a work in progress
tribologist
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Posts: 1038
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:53 pm
Home Port: Groton. Ct

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by tribologist »

Good to hear from you!! Driftless got some serious miles a few weeks ago. Is the pump not rebuildable? You know you have a friend across the LIS with a full machine shop. Its not good for engines sitting around for long times. Very easy to get crevice corrosion etc. Hopefully you got it all sorted out.
Driftless
A25 1971 #737
South Windsor, Ct
WillieC
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Home Port: Hood Canal, WA

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by WillieC »

Agree! Good to hear from you Jon! Sorry about the setbacks, but much better to find out before you get too far away from home.
hetek
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Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:42 pm
Home Port: Southold, NY
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Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by hetek »

Yup. Still alive and well.

But then again, no boater is ever really "well", are they?

To answer Ulf - You guessed it. I had a complete rebuild kit in my hand - two bearings, two seals, new impeller and cover gasket with new screws. Then, after I disassembled the pump, I see what looked like pitting on the shaft, right where the water seal rides. But it wasn't just pitting, it was epoxy-filled pitting. Seems someone was in there before and that was their fix.

So, I ordered a new shaft.

I pressed the new bearings onto the shaft - like butter! I cleaned up the housing with some Scotchbrite and...

...A chunk of the 1/2 cam broke off! WTF! And the cam is alone is NLA. I can fabricate a new 1/2 cam, but I was done with it (for now).

"Hello, Vitesse Ltd? Is that you Paul? I'd like to order a new seawater pump for my mighty Vetus diesel"...

Shipping from UK to NY only takes 2 days!

The new pump is an upgrade over the old so it's not a bad thing. It arrives today, I'll paint it the beautiful shade of Vetus yellow and install it tomorrow.

I can still rebuild the original pump, but not now. I'll keep it as a spare.

Hmmm... Maybe I should just buy a Nordic 26?
Jon B.
Former owner of...
"Bunkie" - a 1984 A27FC
New owner of...
1977 A25 deLuxe - a work in progress
tribologist
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Posts: 1038
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:53 pm
Home Port: Groton. Ct

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by tribologist »

That suck! Hopefully no more engine surprised.

Take some pictures and i will let you know if they are parts I can make reasonably easy
Driftless
A25 1971 #737
South Windsor, Ct
WillieC
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Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by WillieC »

"Hmmm... Maybe I should just buy a Nordic 26?"

Whoa, there, fella. The jury is still out on this one even though the fix is already in. (The Starfleet Commander loves the new boat.) I am deep into the NT. Everything I touch needs boat love, and I can't ignore it. I'm trying to do in one year what took me ten with the WillieC. Waiting on Sounddown insulation so I keep busting stuff. Rather finding busted stuff. Yikes.
DesertAlbin736
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Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by DesertAlbin736 »

Plus, as usual, I have been working like a dog. Never enough time in the day.
The solution to that problem is taking early retirement. :D

Seriously, good luck with your projects. Hope you do eventually get a chance to meet up with Ulf, (aka tribologist). He's a great guy. Ditto his wife Elizabeth.
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La Dolce Vita
1971 Albin 25 #736
Yanmar 3GM30F
Gig Harbor Boatworks Nisqually 8 dinghy
Residence: Peoria, AZ
Homeport: Lake Pleasant, AZ & beyond
hetek
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Home Port: Southold, NY
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Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by hetek »

Update time.

And... Wait for it... Wait for it....

DONE!

Well, a boat is never really "done" but it is ready for the water and good to go!

VHF? Check.
Running lights? Check.
Any drips from the new water pump? Nope. Check.
Any other drips, from like say... the new temp sending unit? Nope (not anymore). Check.
Bilge pumps? Check and check.
Fuel? 1/4 tank. Enough for a shake down cruise to the dock. Check.

Well, maybe I'll add more fuel.

I asked the boatyard to give her a wash and wax for me (Still spending too much time at work, no time for me to do that).

Aft cabin is still a shell but I wanted to leave it that way for now so I can monitor the exhaust system and the rudder stuffing box for leaks. Ditto, the head. More room to get to the instruments, wiring, fuses, cables, etc.

Cockpit and main cabin are done though and I'm very happy with that.

I'll take a few short trips around Peconic Bay and Orient Harbor 'til I get comfortable knowing nothing is gonna blow up on me. I've already run the mighty Vetus on land for about 45 minutes total this year (3 x 15 minutes each) and have gone through it each time so, fingers crossed, she will be fine now, considering all that new "bling" I bought her. And, she runs like a top! As long as a top sounds like a yellow 3 cylinder 25hp diesel assembled in Holland.

OMG!!! Almost forgot... Garboard Plug!!!
Jon B.
Former owner of...
"Bunkie" - a 1984 A27FC
New owner of...
1977 A25 deLuxe - a work in progress
DesertAlbin736
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Home Port: Peoria, AZ USA

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by DesertAlbin736 »

Awesome! Congrats! Still plenty of days left in the season to get out there on the water before cold weather sets in. From Orient Harbor you're a day's run across the Sound to Thames River & New London. Or run up the Pawcatuck River to Westerly for an overnight in a marina guest slip, then run out to Block Island, then back to Lake Montauk for a night on the hook & finally back to home port. If you can get that many days off in a row it would make a nice little vacation & shakedown cruise.
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La Dolce Vita
1971 Albin 25 #736
Yanmar 3GM30F
Gig Harbor Boatworks Nisqually 8 dinghy
Residence: Peoria, AZ
Homeport: Lake Pleasant, AZ & beyond
hetek
Gold Member
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Posts: 719
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:42 pm
Home Port: Southold, NY
Location: Eastern Long Island, NY

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by hetek »

You are correct, DA.

I've traveled the Orient Point, NY to New London, CT route many, many times. ... on the Cross Sound ferry.

As you head up the Thames, New London is to port and Groton is to starboard (where the Electric Boat submarine docks are).

Hmmm... Do I know anyone in Groton?

:)
Jon B.
Former owner of...
"Bunkie" - a 1984 A27FC
New owner of...
1977 A25 deLuxe - a work in progress
WillieC
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Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by WillieC »

FENDERS!
LINES!
CELL PHONE!
TOWING INSURANCE!
M&MS! THE BIG JAR!
HAZY IPAS

Oh, wait. That's my list. Sorry

Nice work! Now retire!
DesertAlbin736
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Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by DesertAlbin736 »

Hmmm... Do I know anyone in Groton?
I graduated from Navy sub school in New London back in June, 1971 & thereafter served in nuke attack sub USS Gato SSN615, rafted up to sub tender USS Fulton docked at State Pier in "Rotten Groton" & later went down to Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, MS for overhaul.

For the 2015 Albin cruise one of the members of our Lake Pleasant Sailing Club out here in AZ is from Weekapaug, RI. He and his two brothers share ownership of an inherited summer rental beach house there in an exclusive neighborhood a short walk from a private beach in Weekapaug. We and 10 other club members were invited out to spend a week there for free in early June, 2015. We decided to trailer our boat out there, with 5 day side trip on Erie Canal along the way and afterwards drove down to DE & MD for 2 weeks cruising Chesapeake Bay. I made a couple YouTube Videos on that trip. At that point in time we had owned our La Dolce Vita for just one year.

East Coast Part 1, Erie Canal : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lVa-nfq4bI&t=6s

East Coast Parts 2 & 3, New England & Chesapeake Bay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67QqvVgwgz8&t=15s


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La Dolce Vita
1971 Albin 25 #736
Yanmar 3GM30F
Gig Harbor Boatworks Nisqually 8 dinghy
Residence: Peoria, AZ
Homeport: Lake Pleasant, AZ & beyond
tribologist
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 1038
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:53 pm
Home Port: Groton. Ct

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by tribologist »

hetek wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2023 1:08 pm


OMG!!! Almost forgot... Garboard Plug!!!
NICE!!!!! Get it tested and come up to NYS canals next weekend!

M15x1... I have extra if you need and I can make more. It is the only M15x1 thread I seen in my life and as professional tribologist, I get to see as many threads as my rectal surgeon sees... whatever...
Driftless
A25 1971 #737
South Windsor, Ct
tribologist
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Posts: 1038
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:53 pm
Home Port: Groton. Ct

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by tribologist »

tribologist wrote: Sat Aug 05, 2023 12:20 am
hetek wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2023 1:08 pm


OMG!!! Almost forgot... Garboard Plug!!!
NICE!!!!! Get it tested and come up to NYS canals next weekend!

M15x1... I have extra if you need and I can make more. It is the only M15x1 thread I seen in my life and as professional tribologist, I get to see as many threads as my rectal surgeon sees... whatever...

Correction 1/4 NPT... I read through the thread again. You must have created the fines and best documented A25 ever. So looking forward to see it.
Driftless
A25 1971 #737
South Windsor, Ct
tribologist
Gold Member
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Posts: 1038
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:53 pm
Home Port: Groton. Ct

Re: My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

Post by tribologist »

WillieC wrote: Fri Aug 04, 2023 10:46 am FENDERS!
LINES!
CELL PHONE!
TOWING INSURANCE!
M&MS! THE BIG JAR!
HAZY IPAS

Oh, wait. That's my list. Sorry

Nice work! Now retire!

wait,, M&M ??? you mean Twizzlers.. We always have Twizzlers. (Some Riesen too)
Driftless
A25 1971 #737
South Windsor, Ct
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