Oil Journal Plug
Press Fit Type Lets go with time
Richard Kinard's Universal 5432, serial number 315042, on a 1980, 37 foot center cockpit O'Day suddenly filled the engine room full of oil and the oil pressure went down to zero. The center plug just plain popped out. I have heard of this happening to someone else, but I do not know what type of engine it was. Just a side note, see the mechanical fuel pump without any connections right above the red oil filter. My mechanical fuel pump's diaphram opened and oil is now able to leak out the fuel fitting. As a temporary measure I connected a hose from the fuel input fitting to the output fitting. The new mechanical pump is in the spare parts locker, electric is so so much easier to use when bleeding and a whole bunch of other things, but when the alternator goes I will be prepared. On Sankaty the electrical fuel pump failed and now there are two fule pumps in series. The electric still works when tapped a little so it could be used for priming and it does not interfere with the mechanical unit.
This page was last updated on: January 4, 2017
This page was created June 6, 2003
Richard Kinard repaired it by tapping the hole with a 1/4" NPT and screwed in an ordinary pipe plug as shown below. He probably added a Duch Pin too (center punch at thread interface).
Original press fit plugs and new square 1/4" NPT Pipe plug
Paul wrote a month later July 15th 03'
We just returned from a 14 day sail to Newport, RI and back to the Sassafras
River, Chesapeake Bay. Total hours logged on the engine were 135 WITHOUT A
SINGLE PROBLEM!
Looks like the Marvel Mystery Oil treatment and letting the Universal 5432
warm up before engaging the prop, worked "marvelously".
How do I post this on the web site?
Now I have to figure how to replace our two-lever engine control (throttle and
clutch) with the new Edson one-lever engine control. It would make docking a
lot easier for my wife and buds.
Have you heard of a way to modify the Universal 5432 so the diesel fuel can be
shut off separately from the throttle? If so, Edson says their one-lever
engine control should work just fine.
