Chrysler Royal M8

[BETTY-B]

I've been busy working on BETTY-B's main'gine. I had the oriental carpet out of the pilothouse most of the two and a half years I spent on the hull restoration. Which ended up letting tons of crap and watever liquids around to be spilled down on top of the plugs. I usually touch up the engine every couple of years anyway, but this time I went at it pretty good. Plus she got new wires, points, condenser and plugs. And I got rid of the electric fuel pump and installed a brand new OEM Chrysler Marine pump.

I still have more touch up painting and the whole engine room could use a fresh coat of white. But she's running better now than I have ever seen. Zero smoke. Just absolutely purrs. I think the fuel consumption was even better than before too. We burned close to three gallons in almost two hours. Of course I wasnt pushing it at all, but still, we were running the whole time. The engineer she had during the war would be proud!

That outboard tank was temp. There's a brand new tank under the aft deck that I still have to hook up to the bronze fill that I need to install in the new deck. Next week...

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/Chrysler%20Royal%20M8/P1010182.jpg

Purring like a....well, dragster really. She sounds real mean:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/Chrysler%20Royal%20M8/th_0220091604.jpg (http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/Chrysler%20Royal%20M8/?action=view&current=0220091604.flv)

First time heading out on her own in three years!

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/First%20run%202009/P1010186.jpg

[BETTY-B]

A nice put around and outside of Port Townsend Bay.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/First%20run%202009/P1010199.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/First%20run%202009/P1010215.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/First%20run%202009/th_P1010204.jpg (http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/First%20run%202009/?action=view&current=P1010204.flv)

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/First%20run%202009/P1010193.jpg

[C. Ross]

Congratulations! You must have had a great day.

She sounds smooooth. (Do you have a muffler on that engine, or does it really run that quietly?)

[Michael Beckman]

Nice. I'll have to watch for you out there now.

[pcford]

That's terrific, Dan, congratulations!!!

[David G]

Good on ya! She looks very pretty out on the water. Thanks for showing her off.

[BETTY-B]

Thanks guys.

No muffler, Cris. At idle it's pretty quiet. But still, there's no sneaking in to any marinas. Or out. Specially when you give it some throttle. The good news is that all my sailboat neighbors came over to say how cool it sounds!:D

I'll try to get some good throttle recordings next time I run it.

Right there in the lower left is where the old muffler was. The baffles were long when I got it. So when I re-did that through hull, and all the hose, I chose to leave it off. I also had a fabricator friend cut the rusted exhaust pipe off at the seawater cooling area and weld new on. And of course gave it some nice wrap with stainless wire:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/Chrysler%20Royal%20M8/P1010175.jpg

[BETTY-B]

Nice. I'll have to watch for you out there now.


Like wise.

[P.L.Lenihan]

Man oh man, she looks grand out there on the water...I'm truly jealous! Just gives me more motivation to hurry on up and get my boat launched! Safe voyages on her!


Cheers,
Peter

[Bob Adams]

Man does that bring back memories. I had a WWII surplus one in a 1919 Rochester I once owned. Enjoy!

[Gary E]

Nice job on the engines...
And those 8 cyl engines had torque to pull a house

Reminds me of a fellow I knew years ago, he owned a chain of restaurants in Philly and kept his 50 some ft double cabin boat in the same marina as I did. Ever coupe years he would have one of the engines pulled so he could take it home for the winter and paint it. Brought it back in the spring and had the yard re install it... then the other engine the following yr.

[Lew Barrett]

Royals run well, but parts are a bit harder than they are for Crowns. Still, a straight eight is nice. Rita originally had Royals, and made 14 knots with them, just like she does now. I understand the Coast Guard plum wore them out. It must have taken some doing.

Congrats, Dan. A proud day. You earned it. I suppose I'm one of the people who can actually hear that mill in the flesh. You ought to invite me down to hear her one of these days. Better yet, we should get out together and take some shots of each other underway. Let's hope for a good summer!

When you get ready for that muffler, let me know. I have a friend at AquaLift.

[BETTY-B]

I wonder if the Coast Guard wore one out before this one? This one is July, 1944. Almost at the end of her term with them. War Department. Bureau of Ships. And I have know idea what was originally installed in 1933.

I'm planning a winter/spring South Sound run, Lew. I'll let you know when I know when I'll be in the Seattle area. In the meantime, if you come by PT, dont hesitate to call.

Believe it or not, I just may pull her out again. I forgot a couple little things on top of a pretty bad leak/river that doesnt want to close up. It's right where the whole stern was torn out and hence dried out the most. I guess you would call it the seem where the keelson meets the keel. It was so dried out I could see the shaft running through there. The pumps had slowed to just a couple times a day back to every fifteen minutes or so since I ran it. I've looked at all my pictures and gone over in my head every square inch. It has to be that joint. I friend says he can dive on it for me. Was thinking if doing some sort of dye program to pinpoint it wouldnt be a good idea or not. Also, I have a free haulout coupon that needs to get used. For now I need that chord to be plugged in to the umbilicus for my sanity.

Roll on Columbia roll on...

Hey Lew, Thanks for taking it easy on the Luddite.:D

[Bob Triggs]

Once I saw Dan's red truck in the lot I walked down the docks to stop bye Betty B and see how things were going. Once I arrived at the numbered slip it was appearant that there was a huge hole in the water where Betty B had been tied up for the past winter months. This is one truly cool boat. What a great day for Dan and Betty B. It was amazing, heroic, to see her out on the bay after all of the work and time Dan has put into her. And she'll only get better and better now that Dan has a nose full of exhaust fumes and salty spray filled air. Ooofdah!!!

[BETTY-B]

Hehe! Thanks,Bob. You should give me a call not too early Saturday if you arnt busy. I'm planning on running her some more. If they make it that long, we'll be eating Alaskan spotted shrimp.:)

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

Yep, the Ace, the Crown, and The Royal. The Crown was probably the best of them, but they were all just about indestructible. The Crown was rated at 125 hp at 330 RPM in it's late incarnations... but as some have said, high torque figures. Those engines were all used in stationary engine applications... generators, pumps, etc. Very heavy bearings and castings, and dead simple.

Nice boat... great pics:)

[Noah]

Dan, great thread!

A plastic bottle of milk with a few holes pricked in it is a really good tool for finding and tracing leaks. Have someone squeeze out the milk on the outside of the boat and see where it comes in on the inside. It's pretty easy to see, and there are no environmental concerns.

[C. Ross]

Hey Dan. Did you have to buy replacement parts for your Crowns and if so where did you buy?

I am always happy with Marysville, but I need new or rebuilt fuel pumps for my 1967 Chrysler 318s and they don't have them.

[BETTY-B]

Thanks Noah. I'll have to give that a shot.

Cris, there's only one engine in BETTY-B. It's the Royal. Which is a strait eight in the same configuration as the strait six Crown. I have two spares and tons of fuel pumps, water pumps, carberators, oil pumps and whatever else. One engine came with and the other I went to Idaho to get from a guy who got it from Westport, Washington. I know, weird huh? One was stolen and sold on Craigslist actually. I saw it listed and contacted San Juan Island cops and everything. The problem was that it was stolen by the hot headed, drug addict son of the sheriff! So I never got that one back....:rolleyes::mad:

Does the newer style 1967 pump have the screws all around it that you could theorhetically take it apart and cut your own diaphram? Or just buy that diaphram for a regular non marine 318? Or the whole non marine pump would be fine too i'd bet.

[L.W. Baxter]

Very cool.

I notice there is nobody doing calisthenics on the aft deck while underway. Forgive my ignorance, as maybe a clear deck is the working arrangement, but will you eventually have bulwarks or railing back there?

[C. Ross]

Cris, there's only one engine in BETTY-B. It's the Royal. Which is a strait eight in the same configuration as the strait six Crown. I have two spares and tons of fuel pumps, water pumps, carberators, oil pumps and whatever else. One engine came with and the other I went to Idaho to get from a guy who got it from Westport, Washington. I know, weird huh? One was stolen and sold on Craigslist actually. I saw it listed and contacted San Juan Island cops and everything. The problem was that it was stolen by the hot headed, drug addict son of the sheriff! So I never got that one back....:rolleyes::mad:.

Does the newer style 1967 pump have the screws all around it that you could theorhetically take it apart and cut your own diaphram? Or just buy that diaphram for a regular non marine 318? Or the whole non marine pump would be fine too i'd bet.


Doh. Royal, of course. Talk about a "hot" engine, though I envy what spares you have.

So...I have twins, and one fuel pump is automotive and unsafe. Gotta go, because it has a vent which is designed to drip rather than recirculate to the carb. I thought I'd replace both if the price was right. There is a local shop that MIGHT rebuild the marine one if they can find parts, but I'm out of luck without a replacement for the automotive one. So I'm looking for a supplier that might have a stock of either OEM replacement, or old pumps that I can rebuild.

I am a lousy machinist, so this is definitely not do-it-yourself.

[BETTY-B]

Very cool.

Will you eventually have bulwarks or railing back there?

The short answer is, yes.

The long answer is that I was going to fill a couple holes in the cap of the bulwarks when it kinda pushed through. Which led to the realization that most of it was built out of crappy plywood that was soaked. Which then led to the deck inside the bulwarks being rotten and not original anyways. So with the deck gone I was able to see place previously unaccessable. Which showed a new horn timber would be good. While I was there, eight new steam bent frames and half a dozen sawn frames were in order. Since I was going all the way, I decided a whole new rim log wouldnt be so bad, so in went all new lifts too. Since I decided to go with a traditional laid 1 15/16"x 1 7/8" yellow cedar deck, I had to seriously strengthen it up with fat beams and carlins as well as a huge beam at the aft bulkhead. All tied well together with the rest of the boat. What I ended up with is a stern that feels as stout as any sidewalk. and since it's nice and sealed off, I thought it was a good place to take a break. I actually have to go pick up some sweet waist high stantions from a shipwright that promised them to me. I'll put them up temp with white canvas around them following the original lines. Then, when I get a chance, I'll rebuild the true bulwarks, including the short stantions on top with a hand rail and light wood/canvas overhead cover. Pheww!

Here's an old pic from the early sixties. She was old then, but I'm pretty sure that was the original lines.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/BETTY-B/OLDBETTYPic.jpg

[Michael Beckman]

Sweet. Thats an awesome shot. The stern looks like a great place to spend an afternoon.

[Bill Thompson]

Dan,
Is the Royal raw water cooled or is there a heat exchanger?
Bill

[BETTY-B]

Dan,
Is the Royal raw water cooled or is there a heat exchanger?
Bill

Neither. It has a keel cooler. But the exhaust is raw water pumped by a pully at the front of the engine attached to a Jabsco raw water pump.

[ron ll]

Dan: Sorry I'm late to this thread and to offer my hearty congratulations! Certainly hope we can meet up in an anchorage or two this year. We do South Sound a lot, but maybe not as early this year as you are planning.

Snoose just returned to her slip yesterday from a month at Bakatun and Thomas having a couple of planks replaced. While she was there, they were willing to tackle cutting out the old fuel tanks so she now sports new aluminum tanks. I have a LOT of cleaning up and putting back together to do now but sure feels great to be rid of those rusty old tanks. (And again, much thanks to you and Orion for taking the time to look at those for me. Sorry it didn't go that direction.)

Hope to see you on the water soon.

[BETTY-B]

Dan: Sorry I'm late to this thread and to offer my hearty congratulations! Certainly hope we can meet up in an anchorage or two this year. We do South Sound a lot, but maybe not as early this year as you are planning.

Snoose just returned to her slip yesterday from a month at Bakatun and Thomas having a couple of planks replaced. While she was there, they were willing to tackle cutting out the old fuel tanks so she now sports new aluminum tanks. I have a LOT of cleaning up and putting back together to do now but sure feels great to be rid of those rusty old tanks. (And again, much thanks to you and Orion for taking the time to look at those for me. Sorry it didn't go that direction.)

Hope to see you on the water soon.

Thanks Ron. SHe's not ready to go anywhere just yet though. I've decided to re-do the whole house bank and the running charging system. Using the original built-in Chrysler generator(That was never used on my watch) for one bank and trying to figure out why the old alternator isnt working for the other bank. Also putting in four big 6volts that will give me a little over 800 amp hours at 12V. When the time comes it would be an honor, besides looking real cool, to run with Snoose a bit or at anchor.

Holey Karap! You one the lottery and didnt tell anyone?!?! Hehe. You went the other direction, Ron. Well, that's good. Snoose is sure a beautiful piece of PNW, wooden boat history.

Another fabricator friend got Orion a job in Colorado right after that. I hear he's making money and happy. Things were geting pretty bleak around here for him, so that's good.

Hey, dont we get a plank/tank thread for Snoose then? Or am I missing an already in progress thread?

DAN