I still had visions of the old engine being in our garage all winter, stubbornly refusing to sell. In the end, we need not have worried, we had several people interested, and it came down to who could get a deposit to us first. That was Mark, from Worcester. I'd ensured everyone was clear that we felt the engine underpowered for our boat. Mark wanted it for a 24fter, so I was happy.
We picked the worst possible day to remove it, very heavy rain, and we were all soaked by the end of it, covered in diesel and oil too. The day before, I'd disconected all the electric cables and diesel and water pipes. Finally I loosened the flywheel and removed that - must have weighed a good 30kg!
My father and Mark started undoing the engine mountings and I disconnected the throttle and gear cables, and undid the bolts holding the gearbox flange to the prop shaft.
We inserted two longish 6x2" planks and eased the engine up onto them, using them as levers.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="240" caption="Heave"]
[/caption]My father and Mark then pulled on a rope around the engine whilst I pushed from behind, in the engine compartment. Heavy, dirty, oily and wet, but gradually she slid forward into the saloon.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="320" caption="Easy does it"]
[/caption]Just in time for us, our mate, Allan turned up. With strong ropes secured all around the engine, the four of us managed to lift it out of the boat, and onto a pallet alongside, in the torrential rain. Mark then set about securing it as we lifted it into the trailer. It was late afternoon, just as the rain stopped that I waved him off.
Job done.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Gone!"]
[/caption]You couldn't recognise the engine room a few days later, once Louise had been in there with her cleaning fluids, potions, unguents and paint!
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="240" caption="Shiny"]
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