Side-note: I published an update to the Miscellany page that I’m using to document my lawsuits against my former employer. If you’re interested, just scroll down that page to the July 16, 2022, Update.
On the Roamer refit, when I made the new exhaust risers for my Cummins 6CTA engines, in addition to the 1-1/2″ raw water supply fitting, I also welded on a 5/8″ hose barb at the top of the showerhead. The idea was that water flowing out that fitting could be routed to a thru-hull, diverting some of the water that would otherwise have to go through the waterlift muffler. It could also act as a tell-tale of good raw water flow: if I can see water flowing from the outlet on each side of the hull, it means the showerhead is getting a good supply. Getting the raw water system done is essential before I can splash the boat, so this is a high priority.
I haven’t been able to find 316 stainless steel thru-hull outlets that are sized for 5/8″ hose, so I bought something close and made them work.
My custom showerhead with 1-1/2″ raw water inlet and 5/8″ outlet
Getting ready to weld 5/8″ tubing to 316 stainless mushroom thru-hulls
The clear tubing supplies argon inside the part
When welding stainless, you have to keep the weld area shielded with argon or the alloy breaks down and you end up with easily rusted weld joints. It’s easy enough to get shield gas on the outside, since the TIG gun releases argon while you weld. But keeping the inside of a tube shielded requires sealing the far end (I used masking tape) and then let the argon run to fill the tube with argon and purge air from inside.
My dual regulator argon rig supplies the TIG gun and the purge line
First one didn’t turn out too bad
It’s water-tight, and that’s what counts. But for the second one, I stuffed the thru-hull with copper wire to hold the 5/8″ tubing firmly in place and to act as a heat sink, drawing heat away from the weld area.
That’s a nice fit
This time, the tube will stay centered on the thruhull
Attach the argon purge line and get to welding
Nice!
A few dabs of Gasoila teflon thread sealant and the thru-hulls are ready to install
I’ve seen situations with threaded stainless steel parts galling, almost like a cold weld, making it really difficult to unscrew the parts if they’re not lubricated. Gasoila teflon thread sealant seems to solve that problem.
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping up the Raw Water Showerhead Plumbing
1969chriscraftroamer46 