Possible engine driven watermaker or washdown option?

[MikeTC]

SV. What possible problems might I encounter with a non engine mounted WM on 3YM30 attaching the belt only when using WM? I had to replace an engine mount after 8 years.

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by SailingFan

I have a Hunter 27 with a Yanmar YSE8 inboard..........the water pump is driven internally on my engine.

I own a YSE8 Yanmar and both my engine and any parts or workshop manual I own shows only a belt driven water pump">raw water pump (Jabsco) on this model. Are you sure you have a YSE8 salt water cooled engine. I don't believe it was ever available as a fresh water cooled engine.

ps - it will cost you less to buy a 12 volt wash down pump than to cobble one up that is engine driven.

[SailingFan]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

I own a YSE8 Yanmar and both my engine and any parts or workshop manual I own shows only a belt driven raw water pump (Jabsco) on this model. Are you sure you have a YSE8 salt water cooled engine. I don't believe it was ever available as a fresh water cooled engine.

ps - it will cost you less to buy a 12 volt wash down pump than to cobble one up that is engine driven.

Well, the engine has an internal impeller that leaks when I attempted to turn the engine over (which is why I bought its replacement and gasket), it has the gasket plate, and the holes line up between the plate and the gasket. In addition, the crankshaft pulley has two belt slots, one runs to the alternator (which is on the port side), the other is minus a belt and goes to nothing whatsoever. There is no additional pulley on the engine anywhere and all items appear to be where they were originally installed.

There are what appears to be two water lines on the starboard side, one has the Kingston (sp?) valve on it, under the galley cabinet/sink/cooler/stove unit, with a yellow handle installed on it, and the other is aft and within the engine compartment, but does not have a handle on it, though there is a square block coming off it, perhaps for a spanner of some sort. I am assuming it is set up that way to always drain when the vessel is out of water, but so that one could close it off afloat to change a hose or work on the engine on the water. These are a large reason I am pulling the engine while on dry ground rather than attempting it afloat.

Of note is that the line departing the engine aft is far larger than the inlet with the Kingston valve (possibly double in diameter).

I think you are correct on the washdown issue though, because looking at things, the pump rigged to the engine would cost more than the portable units I have seen. I was just trying to make the greatest use possible for the engine. Who knows, maybe I will never do anything with the extra slot, but I also may be able to mount a second alternator or something at some point on opposite side of the existing one. Or just do nothing with it all...

I am not sure what other engine type this one could be, as there is no radiator, and it all looks original. Even the patina of rust scale on its exterior looks old (another reason I am tearing it out and rebuilding). I know when things start coming out, I will be able to access a plate that should tell me for sure what I am dealing with in this one... This one has a vertical valve set, horizontal shaft, and I am unsure how the piston is arranged. I was told by the prior owner that it was the YSE, but he may have been insane or just incorrect too. I did not know at the time what sort of differences in the three series of these engines were. I will definitely have to look more closely! I would hate to order parts for the wrong engine, and the starter and alternator are the same for all three of them! I can assure you, however, there is no belt driven water pump on this engine. At least, not one I can see.

[Cheechako]

I think there is a 12 or 13 Hp version that looks similar...?


"... does not have a handle on it, though there is a square block coming off it,...."
That sounds like a seacock with the handle missing. Possibly the handle wouldnt fully turn due to adjacent stuff in the way?

[mitiempo]

Sailingfan

The YSE8 is a low engine due to its horizontal cylinder. In tyhe pic below you can see the water-pump - belt driven - on the left.

If it doesn't have a horizontal cylinder it's not a YSE8

[tmason]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I converted an AC watermaker unit to use on my Yanmar as an engine drive unit. It worked great. You need an electric clutch for your pump so it's not running all the time. You need a pressure relief valve so you can set it at max psi....just in case! A quality hand needle valve is nice to creep up on your pressure. A good quality gauge.

Cheechako, I am in the process of doing such an installation but I cannot find an electric clutch - need one for 24mm shaft - ideas?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by tmason

Cheechako, I am in the process of doing such an installation but I cannot find an electric clutch - need one for 24mm shaft - ideas?

Hmmm... it's been a while. IIRC mine was metric also, is yours tapered or straight shaft? Cat pump or other? Mine was a Cat Pump, maybe I'm wrong about the metric, but it seems I remember it was. I was in Florida at the time without internet, trying to remember but I think there was a watermaker repair parts store there and that is likely where I found it. Maybe in Dania near Ft L?When I bought my cat it had a Northern lights Gen Set and that huge AC water maker in the starboard hull. The 1.5 hp water maker motor must have weighed 100# alone! I sold the gen set and modified the WM to the stbd engine.... less all the bells and whistles. It continually showed errors on the many warning lights on the WM before modification. (The PO warned me) I eliminated all that.

[SailingFan]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

Sailingfan

The YSE8 is a low engine due to its horizontal cylinder. In tyhe pic below you can see the water-pump - belt driven - on the left.

If it doesn't have a horizontal cylinder it's not a YSE8

Well, that is decidedly NOT what I am looking at in my hull.. There is only one belt, but room for two on the pulley, and no external water pump. Huh.... So I wonder what I have...
Good thing I have not ordered those valve springs yet...

Is it possible I got the newer design or a better motor??? Time to locate some pictures online... Anyone have shots of the YSE, B, and M engines?

[SailingFan]

It is odd, the engine has a vertical cylinder (if the valves are at the top of the cylinder like they are on a car), and it has a water pump in the same area as the one in the Mitiempo photo, but it is internal, and not externally mounted, and does not take a belt. There is room for two on the crankshaft pulley, but only one can be used as there are no other pulleys on the engine. The single belt runs the alternator. There is a hand crank starting handle that can be used to start the engine without a battery connected (or the starter itself, for that matter).

The engine has an oil pan, if that helps. There is one cylinder. The engine has an injector mounted on top of the unit. There is a square valve cover over the valves. The pushrods are on the starboard side of the boat, valves to port, centered over the crankshaft center of the engine. I wonder what the heck I have... I wish I had a picture to show you guys/gals handy...

There appears to be four motor mounts. There is a large hose aimed forward from the top center of the engine as an intake line, but there is no filter on it, nor does there appear to be any provision for adding a filter unit. It is just a black smooth hose. The starter and alternator are both on the port side, alternator at top, starter halfway down. The starter for the YS series engine (bought it on eBay) fit perfectly, bolts lined up as did the teeth, and it turns the engine smoothly with no gnashing of teeth in the bendix. The alternator is not very big, maybe 35 amps?? Then again, I bought the alternator based on it being the engine I was told it was. It fit fine, but the back of it is slightly different than the original, which if I recall was an Hitachi (assuming that rusty POS was original).

I am not sure what else I can offer, as I did not read a plate on it, though I believe one is there. I will know this weekend however, when I pull the sucker out of the boat!

[SailingFan]

Also, the pulley on the crankshaft has two valleys in it, both identical in radius and depth/pitch. The more I look at things, the more I think that the seller was mistaken, and that this is a 1 GM after all, though I don't know if that is possible in the 1978 Hunter (without a repower, of course). I am so confused...

[Cheechako]

You are in luck, it's not the YSE engine! Maybe do a search for 1 cyl yanmar engine images.
I think this is an SB-8?:

[SailingFan]

Cheechako, you are CORRECT!

I looked today when we pulled her from the water, located a name plate, and she has an SB8 clearly labeled on the plate on the starboard side of the engine block. No doubt. The photo you listed is also exactly the engine, internal water pump and odd hose on the front of the thing and all. Thanks!

By the way, I have many photos of the haulout, and will post them on another thread where they are more appropriate.

[phorvati]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

The engine belt driven water maker is known in the water maker industry as the Siren Song of DIY Water Makers. The sweet song of "free water" while motoring has sucked in many cruisers to only have their hopes smashed on the rocks of reality. Now we do sell engine/pulley driven water makers, but ONLY after I do my best to try and talk the person out of it.....why.

reason # 10,001... blown piston cups. this is on a Cat 290. Noticed it right away as brine flow dropped by 1/3. Engine driven DIY watermaker is definitely not for everyone, and I can see how if you are in the industry and have to deal with ignorant owners, its a no no. But after many painstaking revisions, i can say kinks are all but gone and I went from freaking out every time watermaker runs, to enjoying making 40 gal/hour while motor sailing. But this is over a course of 6-7 years since converting to engine drive.

[Lepke]

I recently made a setup that uses a 4108 Perkins that runs a 14kw generator @ 1800. When I charge the house batteries, I make water. I have a quick connect and either plug in the watermaker or a pressure washer hose. If I had it to do over, I would use a 240v motor/pump. Because I solo, usually the water needs are met long before the batteries are fully charged. Even when I have shore power, I'm running a 4 cylinder generator engine just to do a pressure wash down. A sailboat would be running their main at cruising rpm. Light loads on a diesel leads to glazed sleeves. I had to rebuild both my generators because of that and the po.
If I had it to do over, I would buy one of the self-installed systems. In the long run, it would have been cheaper. My rush to avoid the $10,000 watermakers, led me to overlook the few $1000 ones.