REPAIRS ON OUR BOATS

[LOLA]

POST PICTURES TOO IF CAN.

[LOLA]

WELL ITS AN ONGOING STORY, the repair of my Yanmar

After the RPM check...my gauge if running higher 124 than real...he said I can just know this and run it at 2900...It tested at 3176 high and 3176 low load..

Now it needs a Fuel lift pump. They think I will be able to sail by week end.

[Rebeccaburg]

OUTBOARD REPAIRS:
Hey boaters, does anyone out there have experience tinkering with outboards? If so, please share you're experiences. I'm a marine electrician but am starting to branch out into outboard repair as people are really wanting help in this field, but am still learning when it comes to the trickier things like cracking a crankcase or total rebuilds. fuel and electrical are the easy stuff, but when there's little or poor compression, I start getting lost. Anybody have ideas on the things that would cause extremely little compression in a small 2-stroke? I'm thinking sticking rings or a blown head gasket, but are there other things that could cause this? Would a leaking crankcase seal cause it? Can I tell if a headgasket's really blown without having to take the head off? Think I better take some motor classes at the local college! This is falling out of my territory here...
R

[Melissa Renee]

I used to tinker a long long time ago in a far away galaxy with those pesky engines. Ok, let me see if I can recall some knowledge here. If the engine is working poorly, one can usually tell what is wrong with it by the color of the exhaust: White(water getting in to the engine via blown head gasket or crack head) Black (oil problem caused by rings, cracked case or head), blue ( fuel mixture not right, ignition problem, or spark plug). If the rings are blown there will be froth in the oil also.
A compression test using compressed air from an outside source is one of the best test to see what is going on inside an engine. Hook up an air link using the spark plug opening. Put that cylinder were both valves are closed (important, can use timing mark). Set air coming into the cylinder at rated compression for that engine. If there is a leak one should be able to hear it; If water through head gasket, air will be leak out of water intake/exhaust outlet, oil through the dipstick/oil cap, valves bad through their respective receivers, rings in the crankcase.

[Christine Popadentschuk]

Two stroke engines have a lot not like valves or oil sump...
Ok that is not totaly true they have valves.
Air enters the little engines through the crankcase. there is a valve at that entrance, so the air can't leave that same way again. It's most times a metal plate, that could bend or brake. Similar setup like the fuel pump on a two stroke engine.

Christine

[Suky]

These are South Carolina Marinas that carry Valtec Marine Diesel and yes, it's pricey but my customers happily paid the price and I wasn't even wearing a bikini...ohhhh... maybe that why... ? Lots of other folks feel the diesel from the gas station works. If you do use this you can probably forgo the filter at the pump. But I'll get you that info as well.
Downtown Marina Beaufort, SC
Charleston Maritime Center Charleston, SC
Skull Creek Marina Hilton Head Island, SC
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Mount Pleasant, SC
Barefoot Resort Club North Myrtle Beach, SC
Port Royal Landing Marina Port Royal, SC

[Suky]

http://www.valvtect.com/marine_fules.asp

Read this about Valtec Marine Diesel --- it contains BioGuard.

[Suky]

OK... I probably should have posted this first. It's a must read.
http://www.practical-sailor.com/sample/Fuelfilter.html

"On the clean-fuel issue, this report deals with the very first filter in the defensive array. It's the rudimentary fuel oil filler funnel. Most have a seemingly crude screen or two to catch the bad stuff; some are considerably more involved. The question is: Are they worth the effort?

Of course, they slow down the refueling, and the guy on the dock will be pecking away: "Hey, you don't need that filter. We've got the cleanest fuel in town." And your answer can be: "Well, we're about to find out, aren't we?"

A half-dozen specks in the filter aren't of much concern; but as you pay the bill, the dirt is good stuff to show to that loudmouth. If the funnel starts showing sludge (and there's that telltale odor of sulfur), stop immediately, cast off your lines, utter as many epithets as you can remember from your days as a muleskinner, and seek another fuel dock.

As Nick Nicholson, our editor-at-large, reported recently after completing a sailing trip around the world: "You can't really tell much about diesel fuel unless you decant some in a clean jar and let it settle. We've bought water-clear fuel in New Zealand, ugly brown in Tonga, cloudy yellow in the Galapagos, and blue in Trinidad. Before any of it goes in Calypso's tank, it goes through a Baja fuel filter. It's a bit of a pain to disassemble and clean every time, but it beats purging a fuel system underway."

Nick Nicholson's trusty Baja filter saw his
Perkins happily around the world.

Practical Sailor collected 10 filter funnels for a test to see which removed what. How much better is Nick's $200 Baja filter than a $6 red plastic funnel with a simple bronze screen about the size of a quarter?"

http://www.practical-sailor.com/sample/Fuelfilter.html

[Suky]

When I was in Puerto Rico last winter, I met a couple that had restored a Westsail 32. I was at anchor on Can-Drac with Andrea and Franc. At twilight, this beauty of a vessel arrives in the mooring field and Franc says to me.. hey, that looks like a possible boat for you Suky. Experienced and resourceful sailors, the owners were a couple who had restored this Westsail 32 and been sailing the Caribean for at least 5 years from Venezula to Florida. A classic heavy displacement vessel, we went aboard for a tour. Discovered they had an electric motor. Pretty amazing for a heavy displacement boat, but if they could do, I suspect any vessel of comparable weight or less could.
I also just read about a sailor who made a marine engine using hydrogen.
I'll be really happy when they figure out how use vinegar as fuel.

[LOLA]

I am at the end of my wits...had the whole upper part of engine rebuilt.

Rpms still not up.

So they were to alter my 3 blade prop...now this.

They have had my boat for going on 4 months.

latest report now::
Lola, The blades are not going to bend to allow for the pitch change. We can cut down the diameter instead, but that will decrease power, not really what we want. We need to find a prop sized 13 x 9 x 1 right hand, 3 blade in a sailboat configuration. I'll have a quote on new while I look for a used one. Thanks, George

Need advice Please.

Anyone have the one I need?

Thank you

Lola SV SUVAROV Freedom 30

[LOLA]

The plot thickens:

Lola,
The prop has deteriorated so that the blades will break off if we try to bend them to reduce pitch. We are going to cut the down.
This will allow the engine to reach the desired RPM. We will try to be ready for a final test on Monday.
Thanks,
George

[LOLA]

UPDATE on Prop
Ok Hi all, I went to look at my 3 blade, and he showed me where there were cracks, near the base, indicating sooner or later that could cause a blade to break off.I have pictures of it..but I can't figure out how to load pictures on either site...I can email them to anyone who wants a look let me know..it had been cleaned w the prop guys marks on it.

Boartyard had quoted me $200 as he knows I'm at my end wits here...that would be to repitch/cut whatever and put back on boat...that was the direction we were going.

Sailor friend I was with ,thinks I should replace it w a 3 blade used or new.

boatyard said they can get a used out of Fla..(I believe a Larry) a 12.5 x 12..1.5 too big.for $325 a Dino Jet,---he feels we need a 13 x 9 1 in bore R hand 3 blade sailor.

From Mich we can get a 3 MP Machine Pitch.

If I don't just have them put the old one on, I'm looking at $600.00

RPM's when tested on dock and out in ICW with what I have is 3113 and 3160 at load

Ok therein is my update...need advice. He is willing on me finding a prop and having it sent to him...if you can guide me there/ Or should I just have him put he old one on.? The crack I saw was a hairline about 1/4 inch..

[LOLA]

ok will do Thank you...I have decided to spend the $600 and go for new...its only $ I don't have