Transmission Day Three

Yesterday Gary got the transmission off the engine and shaft and formulated a plan but we had to wait for our truck key to be over nighted from Naples so he could get lumber to build his 'contraption'.

( When one doesn't understand the process it becomes a contraption) .

Anyway, this morning he dove in head first .....well actually feet first, but that just doesn't sound right....

Gary has spent most of his life in engine rooms ( mostly inaccessible holes in the floor)
ours is bigger than most but unless you are a midget still  pretty close quarters.

Breaking it loose late yesterday.  Of course the bolts were rusted and took some
patience to get off, but Gary is a 'get 'er done' kind of guy and I really can't remember him ever
giving up. Sooner or later it becomes a challenge and he always wins.....Man Over Machine!

Chained to a 2x4 lifted one shim at a time.  (I got to put in the shims....you go girl!)

The objective here was to get it out of the "hole" so it could be hoisted
out of the engine room. Building slowly to the crescendo.


Out of the depths of the bilge and into semi daylight ready for the final lift to the saloon floor
and out the door!

After many offers of help extracting a 157 pound mass of iron (I was not one of the those stepping up to the plate, shims...yes, weight lifting..not so much)  it came down to a somewhat frenzied group effort.  Gary had called friend Brian to help him get it out but to do that we had to move the boat back about 12 feet.  

Next we found out that the yard had 2 boats going in the water and we wouldn't be able to move the boat back as we are on a very short dock that they use for boats being launched and hauled. BUT the owner of the yard, Brady is not only a great guy but much younger :-).  He came aboard, checked out the situation, got Smitty his yard man and before we even knew what was happening had the transmission out of the bilge, out of the boat and up the dock.  I think Gary was a little nostalgic, thinking 20 years ago that would have been him.  

But actually as I left it 2 days ago the dismantling in the tight quarters WAS the hard part....the rest was just brawn.  I think we can both say....."we are very thankful for all who are so willing to help out in the boating world."  

My only downside was it all happened so fast, (there were five guys in the saloon) I didn't get pictures of the process.  Oh well....go with the flow!

Tomorrow morning we will drive across the state to Stuart where the "transmission hospital" is awaiting the transplant.....

We shall see....and we are praying  "it's not a terminal" prognosis!!!