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hewebb
Admiral

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USA
761 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/23/2012 : 03:54:21

Yesterday I finally got the boat back in the water. I had it home to do some up grades and service the engine with new oil & filters etc. Backed up the trailer and the little diesel started and ran normal. I let it warm up some and backed off the trailer. Said thanks and good by to the folks that helped get it launched and headed out of the harbor to cross the lake to my marina. All was well motor was purring and the new cutlass bearing took all the vibration out that I had been experiencing during the last few times I had the boat out.
About 300 yards from the harbor the engine quit-oh sh***. I was close to the sea wall and the strong wind was going to blow me into it. I went forward got the anchor out and over the side. It finally grabbed and held-I stopped drifting about 25 feet from the sea wall. When I went to restart the engine it started and ran smoothly. I ran up the RPM's to make sure it was OK, temps were good and all seamed well. I locked the tiller put her in forward with a little throttle and went forward to retrieve the anchor. As I started pulling the anchor up the engine quit again. I them ran the batteries down trying to get a restart. Got on the phone called my good friend who was driving my truck and trailer to my home marina to pick me up. He turned around went back to the marina where we launched and found help with a power boat. I was towed across the lake and slid into my slip without any further issues. I left the boat in a mess so will go back today to straighten up and see if I can find the problem with the engine. My guess is the fuel system has a problem-probably water in the diesel. I just topped off the tank with about 2 gallons of fuel from the same batch as the fuel in the tank. Thank goodness for good folks willing to help.

1988 WK/SR w/inboard diesel Joe Pool Lake
Hobie 18 Lake Worth

Life is not a dress rehearsal. You will not get another chance.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2012 : 07:08:56

Is that the sea wall in the background of your signature pic?

Thank goodness for good friends.

Paul

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5308 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2012 : 08:16:18

Wow! Isn't life a b**ch?!? Just when you got everything else worked out and you were all happy and stuff, the engine has to crap out. Good thing you were quick footed enough to prevent disaster. I'm no diesel mechanic but aside from fuel and compression, there is little else that can cause it to quit.
If you have water in the bottom of the tank, do you have a tube and pump doohickey to suck it out?
Or would you have to pump the tank clean out to fix it?
Is there a fuel line canister? May be water in there or an air leak in the supply?
Some diesels have a compression release to allow you to rotate the engine manually.
Do you have one, and could it be malfunctioning?

Like I said, amateur mechanic. Hope it's an easy fix.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2012 : 08:28:53

Wish Tom Potter would chirp in here.

Paul

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9044 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2012 : 11:08:21

It restarted after a period of not running, but then wouldn't restart immediately after quitting... I'm suspicious of crud (dead algae) from your fuel tank clogging the filter, allowing sufficient fuel through to start the engine only when it hasn't been running for a while. It may have been stirred up by hauling the boat on the trailer, launching it on a ramp, or whatever... Has the tank ever been cleaned out? Do you use an algaecide in your fuel?

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2012 : 11:32:20

We cruisers deal with clogged filters and water a lot. That's what it is. It will run at low throttle, but as soon as the fuel flow gets higher than that, the filter blocks the fuel and it dies.

Sten
Ps... Racor...

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2012 : 12:44:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by britinusa
 Is that the sea wall in the background of your signature pic?

Thank goodness for good friends.

Paul
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

That's the dam on Eagle Mountain Lake....I took that pic of Howard one day he was blasting all over the lake....

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4009 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2012 : 17:50:29

Does this engine have a spin on fuel filter? If it does did you fill the filter with fuel before you screwed it on? This has to be done on Diesel engines. If not you might have air in the injector lines. Air won't open an injector. The engine will run for a short while using the fuel in the lines until the air pocket gets to the injector then the engine will shut down. You will have to crack the injector lines at the injectors and turn the key on to start the fuel pump to purge the air out of the lines. This is just another possibility as to the problem.

Edited by - on

hewebb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 12/24/2012 : 04:54:57

Dead engine update.

Spent yesterday working on the boat. Fuel system checked out. Decided to check the oil and the stick came out dry. Looked in the bilge and it was black oil. Got the oil cleaned up and took things apart to check for the leak. Filter was dry all around. Oil seemed to come from the drain fitting on the bottom of the oil pan. Where the drain plug is there is a fitting for a hose. The hose leaked. I picked up a new hose and gaskets and will install today. I am hoping that there is an oil pressure sensor that shut the engine down so I didn't damage bearings. I plan to run a short time and if it seems to be OK I'll have an oil analysis done to look for indications of excess wear. ( We do that on the airplane engines and it has saved us $$$ and possible engine failure over the years) The Marina has shut off the water so I could not clean up the mud mess from the anchor. Hopefully it will rain some and maybe clean it off.

Edited by - hewebb on 12/24/2012 04:59:01

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 12/24/2012 : 05:21:56

Where does the other end of the hose go?

Paul

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 12/24/2012 : 12:24:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by hewebb
 The Marina has shut off the water so I could not clean up the mud mess from the anchor. Hopefully it will rain some and maybe clean it off.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I was out there last night checking on the boat and wondered about that.....

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 12/24/2012 : 14:06:54

Bucket and lake water for the mud?

Edited by - on

hewebb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 12/26/2012 : 04:19:03

Engine update II

I got the new drain hose and installed it, filled the crankcase and crossed my fingers. The engine started but not as quickly as normal. I let it run for a couple of minutes, shut it down and went below to check for any leaks and found none. Checked the oil and found it OK. Re started the engine and let it run for 45 minutes at various RPM's . I went below to look for problems and all seemed OK. I will go through that process again with a longer run, probably an hour or more. I am guessing that when the oil pressure died there was a method to stop fuel flow causing the engine to quit. It did quit suddenly as if it were a gas engine and the key was turned off. I think I got real lucky.

David

Need to but a bucket on my list of things to take to the boat.

Howard

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4298 Posts

Response Posted - 12/26/2012 : 19:19:35

The small engine in your boat is very similar in design to the engines used in construction equipment. Most small diesel engines used in construction equipment have a low oil pressure shutdown to prevent damage. Many of those engines are left on unattended job-sites all night long running light towers, highway sign boards, etc.. If they didn't have the low oil pressure shut down switches there would be many engines replaced on a regular basis because the workers are not real big on checking the oil daily. These shut down switches are relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of replacing an engine so it behooves the manufacturer to make them standard equipment.

If the hose Howard referred to is attached to a valve in the oil pan it's used to drain the oil into a container instead of the bilge. The free end of the hose goes in the container.

When these small engines are installed in construction equipment the engine compartments are generally small and there is no room to put a container so the hose is normally run to a drain hole in the bottom of the cabinet that contains the engine. Reach in, open the valve, and drain the oil into a container under the machine.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2013 : 08:15:41

"Need to but a bucket on my list of things to take to the boat."

Now there's a bucketlist!

Edited by - on

PCP777
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1225 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2013 : 09:53:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by hewebb
 Engine update II

I got the new drain hose and installed it, filled the crankcase and crossed my fingers. The engine started but not as quickly as normal. I let it run for a couple of minutes, shut it down and went below to check for any leaks and found none. Checked the oil and found it OK. Re started the engine and let it run for 45 minutes at various RPM's . I went below to look for problems and all seemed OK. I will go through that process again with a longer run, probably an hour or more. I am guessing that when the oil pressure died there was a method to stop fuel flow causing the engine to quit. It did quit suddenly as if it were a gas engine and the key was turned off. I think I got real lucky.

David

Need to but a bucket on my list of things to take to the boat.

Howard

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It's good you got things sorted out. Yes, they turn off the water at my marina as well for the winter season. They might have it on up by an office like they do with ours.

So in your first situation, did you not have the option of unfurling or raising a sail? My Merc outboard is notorious for not starting so I've learned to have an alternate plan, like knowing an empty slip to sail into if I can't reach mine. ( On LRH the prevailing wind is from the south, ad to get to my slip it's a narrow fairway that is due south) I even used a paddle one quiet night to get out of the fairway.

Just curious as I personally will not let a finicky engine keep me from sailing.

Edited by - on

hewebb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2013 : 04:13:06

Actually I was contemplating unfurling the jib and probably should have to get further away from the sea wall. Sailing into my marina was not doable with the wind direction and velocity of about 20 knots. I do not have a paddle on board-guess I need to get one, although in a strong wind not sure it would help.

Good news is the engine seems to be OK. I have run it for almost two hours now with no issues. It starts normal and purrs like a kitten. Should be out sailing this Friday.

Edited by - on

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