Zen and the art of sailboat maintenance

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Comment by h on April 3, 2009 at 5:48pm

Lola,

A big bill. But it is essential that you have a reliable engine.

While you are still talking with the engine mechanics, please try to obtain the knowledge from them on the best way to look after your engine, to suit your boat usage pattern.

They may suggest ways and may be improvements to avoid similar thing happening again in the future.

Comment by LOLA on April 2, 2009 at 11:38pm

Up date, we agreed engine will be rebuilt, on the ares needing.,Valve job, good injectors..turns out one was not installed properly in the past.Pitting on cylinders, repaired..hoses all tune up ...It is decided the boat was never used much and left sitting by last owner.

Comment by PCarrico on April 2, 2009 at 9:29am

Lola,
Ouch!
The water in the cylinders might be from over cranking in attempts to get the engine started. The exhaust system then gets filled with seawater and not blown out by the running engine exhaust to a level that is above the height of the exhaust manifold and the water migrates into a cylinder with an open exhaust valve. Usually at this point the engine won't turn over as the water won't compress, or if you do get it to turn over, it's because the head gasket has given way form the incredible pressure. Having drain plugs in the exhaust muffler is a solution to prevent this situation with hard to start engines. After cranking for a minute, open the drain plug and let the water out. A little water and exhaust gas in the boat won't hurt much. Shutting off the thru hull fitting or at least partially shutting it off will prevent exhaust system flooding.
Both the repair or replacement solution is expensive. The main bearings for the crank shaft should also be replaced, and crank checked for pitting from water being in the engine oil.
Question: was the engine oil milky? That would be from water mixing with the engine lube oil.
You'll be an engine expert after this ordeal.
Good luck,
Pete

Comment by LOLA on April 1, 2009 at 9:16pm

Update April 1 / Rust engine damage to cly walls..rust pitting water sitting in engine..fowl injectors, cyl head blow by,.Take engine out bore out the cly out, and rebuild engine or replace the engine.,transmission and head is bad..

Comment by PCarrico on March 31, 2009 at 7:53am

Lola,
Do those prices reflect the core replacement value?
Your old engine is worth $ to the engine remanufacturer.
You could also get a rebuilt short block and put on all the old but good accessories.
Good luck.

Comment by LOLA on March 31, 2009 at 5:07am

my current update on engine from the best in area..3rd opinion..the fuel tank has been taken out and cleaned and replaced:

engine has low compression and very thick oil in base. We will remove the head and evaluate the engine condition. Have not yet determined the cause of failure. Options if the engine is severely damaged include rebuild for about $3500, replace with new 14HP for about $8200, replace with 21 HP for about $9000. I will have a better idea on how much damage we have tomorrow. This is worst case guess. This does not include remove and install, freight, etc. Also, the new include new gear, probably NOT needed.

George

Comment by h on March 22, 2009 at 5:26pm

Lola,

Is your current engine also a Yanmar?

Diesel Engine suppose to last a long time, when properly maintained.

But these days maintenance is so expensive, that sometime it is better to go for the totally new engine, rather than an old engine with repairs. Then you know it will be good for a while.

Comment by LOLA on March 22, 2009 at 12:19pm

Thanks to all...great feedback for me....I will take the boat to a boatyard 3 hours from me by water, w another sailor...May use my Tow membership if loose power...using ICW...A Yanmar dealership and Boatyard.

Comment by LOLA on March 21, 2009 at 2:52pm

Pete all to be done..working w a yanmar dist and boat yard now.

Comment by PCarrico on March 20, 2009 at 8:35pm

Lola, did "they" do a compression test?
Does the engine loose or burn oil?
It sounds like you have some carbon build up issues.
Does the black smoke only come out when the propeller is turning?
Another question would be do you have the right propeller. Too big a prop can also cause black smoke.
Sounds like a big project, and the boat will be out of commission for a while.
We just did an overhaul on that Farr 40 engine. We spent about 1/2 the engine's replacement value in new parts. Probably good. The damage was done by sailing frequently in very wet conditions. I'm modifying the engine box to keep more seawater out. The companionway is right above the engine, and unfortunately the engine gets wet too often. Keel went on nice. Rudder was missing a bearing race, so we're fabricating one. Harken doesn't make them anymore, so no support from Harken.
Monday is going to be crazy... 7 boats, with crew, all needing more preparation before sailing.
Good luck with the engine & fuel tanks. 99$ of all boats only have one racor, so you should be fine with the single system. Locating the filter in an accessible location could make life better. Sometimes an inch difference in location can make a huge difference in ease of maintenance.
Or better coping skills... :)

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