I Think I Destroyed My Engine

[marc2012]

Knowing I am sure the way this is going I will also get my a&& chewed.As far as I know all small diesels are not marine but industrial engines.The only possible exception (if considered small might be gray marine(now detroit(which I believe were designed for landing craft in WWII.I think the w30 is a british leyland truck/taxi engine.I would investigate a used one.Westerbeke simply adds marine gear to numerous engines.marc

[meyermm]

Your not suggesting that marine diesels are not all that different after all? Surprise surprise !!!!

[sneuman]

Re: surveyors. They come in all shapes and sizes and the best are often the most expensive. They do not supercede the dictum caveat emptor, as many boat buyers seem to think.

Personally, I would not expect a surveyor to be there for any reason other than to check a box on the loan application. If he/she catches something you didn't, all the better. But I think it's foolish not to have had your head in the bilge, inspected the chainplates, looked over the engine, examined the sail inventory, bounced on the deck, tested the electronics, etc. yourself BEFORE laying down hard-earned cash and/or incurring a debt burden from the bank.

Too often I see people who want to blame the surveyor for not catching something. "It's their job!" Well, yeah, but they didn't do it. Now it's YOUR problem. This all goes along with the self-sufficiency ethos of cruising. Did I miss things that the surveyor caught? Nope. Did both the surveyor and me miss some things? Yep, but that's life.
Just my $0.2

[BubbleHeadMd]

Re: Engine failure

I like Don's idea about dismantling the engine and handing it up piece by piece. It may be possible to hoist the bare block out once it's been reduced to it's bare element.

The question is what to do after that- Do you dismantle and install a functional replacement engine? That just adds to the list of variables that could go wrong when you fire up the new engine. Still, the thought is interesting.

Hobie's biggest problem is his dislocation from where the boat is kept, his budget and his lack of facilities to work on the boat.

I too, nearly bought a sailboat and kept it on a mooring or rented slip while I lived in a townhouse a couple of years ago. I'm glad I resisted that temptation and waited until I bought a house in a water-accessable community. Quick, easy access to the boat, I can bring my entire tool arsenal to bear on the problems I encounter.

Re: Surveys

I'm not saying that surveys are useless, but in the short time I've been monitoring 3 sailing forums, I've heard a LOT of complaints about critical things missed in surveys. At first, I was all a-twitter that I didn't have one done to my boat, but I'm not sweating it now. I have a marine background so I checked all of the items common to any boat before I bought it. It's true that I learned about sail-specific things like chainplates after the fact but the boat wasn't expensive so I'll live with the risk. Bottom line: Conduct your own survey on the heels of your professionally paid surveyor. Don't just leave it up to him/her.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by BubbleHeadMd

Re: Surveys

I'm not saying that surveys are useless, but in the short time I've been monitoring 3 sailing forums, I've heard a LOT of complaints about critical things missed in surveys. At first, I was all a-twitter that I didn't have one done to my boat, but I'm not sweating it now. I have a marine background so I checked all of the items common to any boat before I bought it. It's true that I learned about sail-specific things like chainplates after the fact but the boat wasn't expensive so I'll live with the risk. Bottom line: Conduct your own survey on the heels of your professionally paid surveyor. Don't just leave it up to him/her.

My thoughts, exactly.

[meyermm]

The original post stated that the engine had been run for eighteen hours on a prior trip. The engine was then fired up to make a short trip to the fuel dock. Engine fails and then it is noted no oil registering on dip stick and oil in bilge. My guess based on information and a little knowledge is that the engine used (burnt) most of the oil on the trip. The leak may or may not have contributed but most engines do not leak much when not in use unless the sump is holed. With this in mind and I do feel the more likely no surveyor (Mechanic) can be blamed for the failure. It is up to the operator to check the water and oil level before operating machinery. We all make mistakes even experienced mechanics but this unfortunately is an operator error.

[marc2012]

Alarming!

[Philsboat]

A friend bought a Bayfield 29 2 years ago.The previous owner said it used one quart of oil per season.On the trip home with the boat the engine siezed when it ran out of oil after 10 hours of running and had to be replaced.What he didn't say was that he only ran it for ten minutes at a time during the 10 years he owned the boat.....

Phil

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Philsboat

A friend bought a Bayfield 29 2 years ago.The previous owner said it used one quart of oil per season.On the trip home with the boat the engine siezed when it ran out of oil after 10 hours of running and had to be replaced.What he didn't say was that he only ran it for ten minutes at a time during the 10 years he owned the boat.....

Phil

As Maxwell Smart would say, "Aha! The old correct numerator incorrect denominator trick."

Quick test: Oil consumption is measured in

a) quarts per calendar day
b) quarts per season
c) quarts per hour
d) fathoms per square furlong

[Solitude]

Originally Posted by CharlieCobra

Mine knocked and carried on for HOURS before it locked up.


That's what a sick Perkins/Westerbeke sounds like before it gives up the ghost...

That sounded like my Yanmar 1gm10 ! Whats the problem....

[Highlander40]

Quarts per X hours or quarts per X gallons of fuel burned.
Even quarts per X miles traveled (for a power boat).

What I really want to know, did he find the drain plug in the bilge?

[CharlieCobra]

The issue with my Perkins was that it liked to crack the filter and dump the oil into the bilge. There's no alarm on this engine so after this happened a couple of times, the damage was already done. This video was taken with a good filter and full crankcase but as you heard, the damage was done. It sounded great when we left the dock but after I fired it up (due to this nasty patch of current and rocks) it started hammering away. It later locked up completely at 3 AM when I had to fire it up once more when a dying wind left me in a narrow and busy shipping channel. This whole episode left me to appreciate Vessel Assist and U.S. Boat's $135.00 towing package. All told, I was towed three times that season for a total coast of some $3K and it didn't cost me a dime. A pretty good investment if ya ask me.

[Quads]

Why would you *not* check oil / fluids before starting the engine after sitting for >30 days? Sorry, but I don't understand that. Careless mistake that I'm sure or at least hope you'll change your SOP for the next engine.

[Boracay]

When I repowered Boracay the old Ford 2402E came out with (from memory) heat exchanger and alternator off.

The new John Deere 4045DFM/ZF63 went in sans heat exchanger and with the alternator pushed over to one side. My John Deere engineering rep even arranged for the engine to arrive with the heat exchanger off and with a new gasket. It was fairly straightforward to bolt the new heat exchanger on and to torque the bolts.

The big clue is to measure, measure, measure then make a few templates and measure, measure, measure again.

[pandora]

Two possible reasons for oil loss:
1. Corprosion through the oil sump pan (was witness on Atomic 4), Engine seized, oil pressure alarm was not working.
2. Small hole in the oli filter. It happened in the middle of Gulfstrea on the way to Grand Bahama on friend's Bayfield 29 (Yanmar 2gm 20F). Fortunately at the same time fuel pickup tube get clogged and the engine stopped, so oil leak was found. That saved the engine.