PT-658 is the last remaining operable PT boat from World War II. For 18 years, PT boat veterans and volunteers with Save the PT Boat, Inc. have worked to restore the torpedo motor boat with full armament and three 1,850 horsepower Packard V-12 engines.
Albina Pipe Bending donated bent 5” OD x .120” wall stainless steel exhaust tubing for the Packard Diesel engines and ½” OD x .065” wall T304 stainless steel bends (coils) around the 5” OD stainless material to cool the extremely hot exhaust tubes. These cooling coils in conjunction with the protective rubber insulation dropped the temperature of the exhaust pipes from approx. 1,500 degrees down to less than 100 degrees!
In addition, Albina bent and donated ¾” Sch40 Bare pipe bends to form a protective railing for the deck mounted guns.
The work to restore the PT boat was honored this week when the boat earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. PT-658 docked this week in Portland, Oregon and President and CEO, Brian Smith was there to talk with the veterans and other companies that donated funds or materials to the cause.