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How many pistons do you own?

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by CTdave, Jul 12, 2012.

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  1. CTdave

    CTdave Senior Member

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    Location:
    Greenwich CT/ Stuart FL
    So with all the fixing I need to do lately, I started counting the number of internal combustion pistons I have to maintain.

    How many do you own?
    My count:

    Hatteras, 12v183's 24
    Onan gen 4
    Boston Whaler 2
    Chris Craft Riviera 6
    Sea Fox 6
    Sea Way 6
    New Holland backhoe loader 4
    John Deere lawn tractor 2
    2 antique Bantam tractors. Total 2
    59 El Camino 8
    Ford Excursion 10
    Lexus GX470 8
    Chevy cobalt 4
    Caddy 8
    two chain saws 2
    leaf blower 1
    weed wacker 1
    leaf rake 1
    Antique Farmall tractor 4
    Home generator 2
    portable gen 1
    probably a few more that I can't think of but TOTAL: 106 freekin cylinders
  2. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Satsuma, FL
    2 12x71TIs 24
    Gen set #1 4
    Gen set #2 3
    Burb 8
    Aquasport 3 soon 4
    RIB 2
    Van 8
    Air compressor #1 2
    Air compressor #2 2
    Portable air compressor 1
    Rubber water pump diaphram/pistons should not count
    Shouldn't count other boats you manage, That's another headache.

    Were live-a-boards, NO lawn equipment.

    57 on line. You got me.. That's allot of pistons to keep up with. This is suppose to be relaxing?
  3. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    I have 78 and normally just use 5 of them...
  4. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    2 cars= 8
    1 Harley= 2
    1 tractor= 2
    1 portable gen= 1
    1 chain saw= 1
    Wouldn't own a boat :cool:

    Ah the simple life. :D
  5. CaptEvan

    CaptEvan Senior Member

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    Great Lakes
    79, but it's less painful if you count the number of engines, and my son made me do that.
  6. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    What if one of your engines doesn't have pistons?

    I'm at 30, not including a squirrel cage with an igniter and I'm trying to lower that number. I'm not sure why it took me so long to understand a simple dynamic... you never really own anything. It owns you.

    My list...

    1. I'm a bonafide, skoal-spittin', rebel flag flyin', Winchester cockin' owner of a diesel pickem-up truck. Piston count: 8

    2. The polar opposite competitor for garage space is what some call the 'thinking mans Ferrari'; a Honda that sent Enzo's disciples back to school. On the way-to-rare Sunday morning drive, it turns back my biological clock for fleeting moments. I'm not really a thinking man. I'm just a wannabe. Have to get banners rates up! Piston count: 6

    3. Originally shown as a concept, about the same time Florida repealed it's skull preservation law; a monstrous V-Twin, packing a walloping 1800 cc's found it's way to Honda showrooms and I was first in line to raise my middle finger to Milwaukee. Piston count: 2

    4. I'm a 12 time recipient of the Mercury Guinni pig award program, with at least 24 contributions to Fond du Lak's economy. Currently have 2 old school, 3.0 litre motors that I can strip to a bare block in less than a day, given a cherry picker and a six-pack. Piston count: 12

    5. In another life, I flew helicopters with my feet firmly planted on the ground. Although it's been years, I've always had trouble squeezing into them. Piston count: too frickin' tiny to be included.

    6. In yet another life, right out of an episode of the X-Files, I have another helicopter. It doesn't have a piston, but the sound will make your heart thump. Especially if you bury it!

    I'm 30 pistons away from lithium and magnets. :D
  7. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    You really only rent pistons. You never really own them. 'cause I got a couple a boxs of pistons, well sometimes only a half of one, if you really want to start counting!
  8. Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

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    Come on CTdave, I have so much sympathy for your predicament with the boat at the moment, but, Mate, to start comparing pistons when you know you are so far ahead of us is just ..... unkind!!!
    Anyway it's not how many you have, it's the length of the STROKE!:D
  9. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I wish I was that smart. I'd be rich and famous by now.
  10. travler

    travler Senior Member

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    roche harbor wa
    i don't have time to count it all up at this time, but it is a lot...

    2 d398's
    3 d399's
    10 3412's
    1 3508
    1 3512
    2 3516's
    8 3406's
    3 3408's
    14 c 9's
    3 4clynders
    1 merlin v 12
    1 cont io 540
    1 yanmar in line 6
    1 yanmar 4 cly
    2 sea doo's
    15 truck's with v 8's gas and diesel
    2 3306's
    1 jd 5 cly
    1 c 18

    this is all i can think of off the top of my head, plus personal cars.
    it give's me a headache just thinking about my fuel bill

    travler
  11. chesapeake46

    chesapeake46 Senior Member

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    If you are gonna count chain saws and weed whackers, I'm up to 116.
    Then add the " ones in a box" thats another 6 I can think of...

    When it comes to maintanence,you don't own things, things own YOU.
  12. CTdave

    CTdave Senior Member

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    HAH! I don't think of it as being ahead of anyone. It's absolute mysery trying to keep up with things as I do most everything myself.
    Most are down for the count, some are from my parent's estate & need to be sold etc.
    Now that you brought it up, I really hope you guys are not viewing this in any other way than a silly subject. No bragging here. & I'm sure there are plenty of others who are way over me.
    Now, who has the least amount of money in the bank? I bet I'd win that one!
  13. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    On third boating wife now. Second wife bankrupted me (really). As far back as I can remember, never saw a plus sing at the end of any year.

    But I love the smell of diesel in the morning....
  14. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Hey Traveler
    Is that a navy you have? Need someone for the windows?

    See below, need the extra work.
  15. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
    I'll pass on this exercise.

    Don't feel like counting the ashtrays, too.
  16. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    Reading between the lines, are you using pistons for ashtrays? I have a piston from a Merlin that I've used for an ashtray during parties. Great conversation piece! I've gotten good mileage out of that piston. Convinced one chick it came out of a rotory engine. :D
  17. CaptTom

    CaptTom Senior Member

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    Maybe the question should not be how many pistons you own, but what kind of condition they're in. Hope not like this one.

    Attached Files:

  18. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Maybe not how many do you own, but lost?
    12v71TIs x 10, scored w/liners. Ran from Miami to Jax on 2. Smoke was visible for miles.
    3 cly outboard x 1
    Air compressor x 1. Good ashtray also
    Burb x 1, dropped valve, destroyed block. Had a good sb 400 crank & 6 rods.

    lost 13.

    Happy Friday 13.
    ,rc
  19. CTdave

    CTdave Senior Member

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    Somewhere in my posession I have one with a fun story.

    Deerfield Beach 2001.
    While out in front on the second to last lap in my offshore powerboat racing days, we heard/felt a very serious big bang. We limped back to the docks on one engine.

    With the spectators on the docks all around us, eagerly awaiting word on what caused the "favorite" boat to just loose the national championship position, I popped the hatch & crawled into the engine compartment. After a few seconds, I held up a what was left of a piston with a little connecting rod attached & said to our crew on the dock, "is this thingy-ma-jiggie supposed to be in the bilge?
    Everyone got a good laugh....except our sponsor....
  20. Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

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    Mate, never looked at it as a brag, just having a laugh with you as I wanted to write a sympathy post to your other thread regarding engine problems. I think at sometime many of us wonder "what the hell am I doing this for?"
    To which I have no answer.
    G