Moody 376 Inspection and brief sail...

[Tim Smith]

Spent a couple of hours on a 376, followed by a brief 2-3 knot sail. Very little motoring involved. It checked out well on first glance, odd things like plastic panels for the headliner as all the wiring had been replaced, requiring headliner removal. Seem to be engine issues, will overheat if run at full clip, but "will run all day at 5 knots" This is with a brand new Bowman heat exchanger and engine "refit" with a water pump replaced along the way. Owner said he was considering a muriatic acid flush, but my understanding is the T80 Thornycroft engines are prone to corrosion through the wet liners, hence any acid flush to me is risky. And not one dealer outside of the UK. So my question is what other engines "drop in" without major refitting of engine supports and realignment of shaft or re-propping? Lots of fan belt fluff over the engine, an aftermarket Leece alternator in place, both belts chafing it seems. Otherwise, items such as electronics are minimal and poor when new much less a decade later. But that's minor compared to swapping out an engine. Caulking around chain plate covers still pliable and deck nearby flat. Like the layout overall, we're in a cooler climate, east coast of Canada, so the cozy cockpit isn't a bad feature. Found the V berth/cabin to be a bit snug too. But the engine alone is enough to put me off, so any advice regarding replacement would be appreciated. Tim

 

[Micky Barnes]

Tim, With my original Thornycroft T108 I had overheating problems if run at higher revs for more than about 5 minutes. I eventually found a Jabsco instruction not to have any sharp bends in the seawater pipe on the suction side of the pump, that is between the seacock to the pump. Mine had one right angled copper fitting and another sharpish bend. I managed to reroute the pipe on the suction side so that there were only gentle large radius bends. Result was a noticeable improvement in water flow from the exhaust and end of overheating. Worth a look?
Obvious alternator belt wear, which also runs the water pump, is not a good sign and must be resolved by new belt and correct tension. Also check alignment of all pulleys.
Some softness in the sealant round the chainplates is not an issue provided that there is no gap round the edges of the sealant.

 

[Tim Smith]

Tim, With my original Thornycroft T108 I had overheating problems if run at higher revs for more than about 5 minutes. I eventually found a Jabsco instruction not to have any sharp bends in the seawater pipe on the suction side of the pump....

Many thanks for advice, have passed on the boat. Too much upgrading of nav gear, engine issues required for the price. Listed as a 376, transom was that of a 37, no opening ports nor sugar scoop. Lovely boat, will keep looking. Tx all.

 

[Marc Smith]

no sugar scoop, not a 376. a perkins 4108 will fit in the same engine bay, and I'm sure Beta has a solution as well. with any new engine, you'll have to worry about alignment, prop size, and plumbing.

I had to do some rewire work on my 376 and the nice thing the ceiling panels come dow easy enough and are manageable and proved great access to the wires. V-berth is cozy, but the aft cabin has a lot of space, and if you are willing to do some modification, you can fit near a king size mattress back there.

it likley would not be difficult to add a couple of portlights to the 37 transom to get some better ventilation.

 

[Giles Ford-Crush]

Many thanks for advice, have passed on the boat. Too much upgrading of nav gear, engine issues required for the price. Listed as a 376, transom was that of a 37, no opening ports nor sugar scoop. Lovely boat, will keep looking. Tx all.

What was the asking price?