Challenge: Engine Diagnosis

[Celestialsailor]

Interesting about the additive theory. It might have been. The prior owner past away, so we'll never know. Even though the engine is running, I'm still changing things around like the crappy water exhaust set-up, leaking water pump">raw water pump...etc...etc

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Interesting about the additive theory. It might have been. The prior owner past away, so we'll never know. Even though the engine is running, I'm still changing things around like the crappy water exhaust set-up, leaking raw water pump...etc...etc

Oh, so you thought you were special didja?
We're all in that club. But at least we don't charge membership dues.

[Wishinforwind]

Talked to a buddy of mine about additives. He says he is betting a case of beer ( this is serious bet). The fella did the 3 cardinal rule screw up on that motor. A used an additive. B ran is gently only a few times a year and C never drained the fuel tank in the fall when putting it away for the winter. Most People feel that adding a additive is a good thing right? The main killer is Marine formula STA-BIL. yea it works. does whats it's supposed to nope. here is Bills reasoning. Your get good fuel from your marina. ASK THEM do you put in any additives? Most marina's already add in a little stabilizer and fuel filters to keep garbage outta their fuels. So you add them in your tank also and you have double dosed your tank. He also recomends you add a water seperator to your system 90% of the problems is water/gunk in your fuel you add a good filter and water separator and life is much better. Lastly but not least drain your tanks for winter put up. if your a snow bunny it sucks but you really should drain your tanks to dry and clean them out and oil/fog your motor for end of season. In the spring you add fresh fuel prime and fire her up and for the FIRST run of the year he says to warm her up and then run her HARD to burn off the oil and junk that built up from your end of the year fogging and sitting. He does this for about 40 boats at our marina and he says 95% start right away in the spring. only 1 may be 2 give him any troubles and usllay it is weak battery.

[Celestialsailor]

Snow???...Whats that...

[Wishinforwind]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Snow???...Whats that...

yea yea some of us are still burning the company candle til we get the house paid off ( 5 years left) and then can sail FULL TIME

[Celestialsailor]

Ok...Here it is being finalized in the garage before going to the boat and in the boat, finished. It was an adventure for sure...

[Ironhorse74]

The differences between your Westerbeke and mine are interesting. My injectors and fuel pump are on the engines right side. Coolant and exhaust are opposite yours. My raw water pump is belt driven not gear driven. Although located in the same place.

Brad

[Celestialsailor]

Sounds like you have the 4-107

[captainbri]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I thought this would be a fun post and brain teaser. So here is the scenario...

I bought this boat recently for a very attractive price. It originally came from an Estate sale 2 years ago and was purchased by an individual who lived too far away and decided to sell it...hence my involvement.
Reportedly, the engine was seized. It's a Westerbeke W46 which is Mitsubishi based if I'm not mistaken. The bottom zincs had been long gone and there was damage to the thru-hulls. In another post under maintenance, I show the pictures. It is dry docked now and the last few weeks I have been tinkering around with some of the issues of the boat. One was no steering. It was hydraulic and out of fluid. I filled it and voila...steering. I looked for leaks and never found any...strange! Later while buying parts at a local chandlery, I happened upon a gentleman who knew the boat and the owner who had passed away. He told me that there was a bit of a feud between the diseaseds' friends who wanted the boat. Apparently they all parted with ill feelings. Also I learned they were trying to buy the boat from the executor for really cheap. This got me thinking...
There was no hydraulic oil in the bilge and no leaks...hmmm. Sure would be easy to buy a boat for cheap if the steering didn't work or a "seized engine"! So I charged a battery, replaced electrical cables and tried to turn the engine over. Sure enough....clunk...won't budge. So I got a socket for the crank nut and lo and behold it would rotate almost 180 degrees backwards where it clunked again and back forward with a clunk once more. I pulled the valve cover and the valve train looks good and moves as much as it should in 180 degrees. The engine is spotless as it should be with 450 hours on it. I feel there is a chance it could have been tampered with to look like a seized engine but who knows...maybe something internally let go.
It is a center cockpit boat and the sole hinges up, making engine removal a breeze. However, working on the sides or pan would take Houdini to dismantle anything. So I will pull the engine and take it to my Machine shop at home (lucky dog uh?). First I will remove the transmission to see if the flywheel is doing anything, then anything which drives off the engine.
So here we are looking for your speculations. Let’s have fun with this one...

I would guess it is a nut onto of a piston, that would let the engine rotate 180 each way and it could be pulled out with a magnet. The starter could be rigged to only kick out the starter gets and not rotate the engine that would cause a clunking sound. If I were to make an engine seem locked up

[Celestialsailor]

Well...to wrap this thread up with a "Happily ever after", I fixed all related items to the engine such as exhaust, raw water, coolant pump...on and on. This weekend was the test. 60 miles to the slip with 25 kts on the nose. She did great. 2/3 throttle against the wind and at times a 2.7 kt current running and we still averaged over 5 kts over water. There was a slight oil leak, I think in the oil cooler fittings which I did not replace. I will have to get a mirror and see what I can see. I'm sure its the crimp collar around one of the banjo fittings. but she ran 175-180 degrees with 48-65 lbs. of oil pressure. I'm a happy camper. Thanx for all the support...Martin

[Ex-Calif]

Most excellent news. Here's to many years of trouble free service.

[Cheechako]

Cool. Nice job. That engine should last you a long time...

[Target9000]

Feels good huh?

[Celestialsailor]

I hope the engine does last a long time. I know one thing...I will not let it idle in the slip with no load on it. Also I will at run it up at least once a month when I'm not using the boat. When I first set off 60 miles to the slip. I kept wondering if i fixed everything. The last 4 miles, my buddy looked over at me and said..."Good job on the engine". It was a sigh of relief...believe me.

[Saltyhog]

I know the thread is old, but I thought I'd add something that I hope will help you (and other Westebeke owners) in the future. I noticed in the pics of your W46, you have the older 3 piece exhaust manifold. This was an idea they had to permit using an extrusion for the manifold that could be cut to different lengths depending on the engine / number of cylinders. The caps on the end, along with their seal, keep the coolant in the jacket separate from exhaust. The problem is if that seal begins to leak, you'll get coolant into the exhaust, and eventually in the cylinder. This usually occurs in number 4 cylinder, as the engine tilts that way. Westerbeke corrected this with a later version of the manifold that is a one piece casting. You may want to keep an eye on that manifold / seal. The only way to check is to remove the end piece and at that point, you might as well replace the gasket. I learned of all this from a diesel mechanic in Annapolis who taught the marine diesel class I took. BTW, I guess you figured out what a PITA is is to drain the block of coolant. You have to remove the starter to get to the block drain plug. I keep hoping someone will enlighten me with an easier way, but so far nothing.