GOING ELECTRIC PART 13: Motor on!

At this point the diesel has been removed, the area cleared out of any unnecessary items, the stringers have been extended and cut, brackets and motor mounts have been installed. It almost is anti climatic how easy it was to install the motor. But, here it is:

Below is an overhead view. You can see the tabs where the wires will be connected and also the stuffing box through which the prop shaft travels. Speaking of the prop shaft....

Below is a photo of the original V drive transmission setup from the diesel days. The prop shaft ran under the transmission and engine. This made for some difficult maintenance issues of the stuffing box.

Below is a photo of what it looked like underneath the transmission. There was not a lot of room underneath to try and loosen the stuffing box nut. This made changing the packing in the stuffing box very difficult. It was also out of sight. You can also see the corrosion on the transmission flange from salt water that dripped on it over the years . The conversion to electric propulsion has made changing the packing a much easier procedure.

With the electric motor installed (below) the stuffing box is out in the open and much easier to get to compared to the photo above. This will make adjustment very easy. But, there is no free lunch. I will have to remove the Stafford coupling that connects the motor shaft to the prop shaft to replace the packing but, since it too is easily accessible and removable it is a much better setup from a maintenance standpoint.

I am very pleased with the installation. But, it is useless without some of the other components. Most importantly the batteries. So it's time to move on to the next phase which is installing the batteries, controller other components.

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