Injector inspection??

[Wmiii]

My dilemma is that the Yanmar mechanic in the area wants about $350 to pull, inspect and replace the injectors. Maybe I'm just getting cheap, but for $100-200, I would be more receptive.
All seems fine and I hate to pay $350 to be told that??????

Wm Mayberry
OPTIMYSTIQUE
Getting ready to leave Titusville, FL

[Lynx]

Have you had water in your fuel seperator to any degree?

Yes, you should have them checked out. But shop around if you do not have a man already.

If you have not done so already - Empty the fuel tanks, clean and put in new fuel if leaving for some time.

[AnchorageGuy]

Wm, If you don't feel comfortable about doing this than by all means hire a mechanic. But like with most Doctors today get a second or third opinion (or in this case, estimate) unless this is the only game in town. This is a maintenance item you might want to learn to do yourself if you intend to do any serious cruising so I encourage you to give it a try. There isn't much that you can mess up if you take your time and follow the advise given here. $350.00 sounds a lot but not really if you have the boat in Florida. As a boat owner there you are expected to be extremely wealthy or, if not, move out of state.

[never monday]

Wm,
There are no authorized Yanmar dealers in Tn.
I sent you a PM regarding gettting this accomplished.

[Boracay]

And I thought the proverb was...
"If it ain't broke dont fix it."
Seriously, you want to have a mechanic pull three injectors that work fine just because you feel a bit nervous?
In a similar situation I upgraded my fuel hose and primary filter (to a Racor water separator), and I should replace my secondary filters.The alternator and water pump belts were also replaced, as was the impeller. (You do have a spare water pump impeller?)
I paid to have an oil change on my engine and gearbox and to have the oil filter replaced and air filter installed (I have found it to be wise to check that there is oil in both the engine and the gearbox before starting - Ford diesels are as tough as they say).
Better still buy one of those gadgety pumps and do it yourself.
I replaced the lift pump and I know I should clean out my fuel tanks.
My engine now starts when I want.
If you really want to be obsessive buy extra oil, filters, belts and impellers, keep a log book and change everything every 300 hours (except for the injectors).

[AnchorageGuy]

Chris, Pulling injectors and testing them is a regular maintenance item to be done at certain intervals. They may appear to work fine and still need some work so they won't fail later when you can't get replacement parts or a mechanic. Do you not change your oil because the engine is running fine or replace fuel filters only when they clog and the engine fails? Just as adjusting valves and a multitude of other items need to be done on a regular basis. This is the sign of a caring contentious boat owners that plans to own his boat and keep it operating at maximum proficiency and pass it on to the next owner in excellent condition. Yes you can run it till it dies then fix it. The cost to do this is many more times that of the cost of regular maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer.

[Alan Wheeler]

Seriously, you want to have a mechanic pull three injectors that work fine just because you feel a bit nervous?

There is a reason for a regular service. Whether the engine is running sweet or not, whether the fuel has had water or not. Injectors have to be thought of like a spark plug in a Gasoline engine, or even better, the timing belt that needs replacement on a Gas engine at ruffly 100,000Kms.
Back to injectors....Several things are taking place. Leaving water out of it, although that situation can cause big damage, the fuel is still being squirted through a very fine highly polish hole with a very high precision tolerance needle valve closing off that hole. Millions of cycles of fuel under pressure with maybe the odd very fine particle suspended in it, will cause some wear. Millions of cycles of the needle opening and closing against the seat will cause some wear. Gum and carbon build up also has an affect. The enigne may start fine, may run fine and may remain efficient, so you think. But a very sinister event maybe taking place. Let me explain.
It is imperitive that the atomised fuel is shot to just the right place in the cylinder. This ensures proper and efficient combustion, a good burn period and a good power stroke. This is what makes you engine efficient. But one other extremely crucial aspect is the fuel must NOT detonate directly on a metal part, or that metal part will eventually be damaged. It could also be super heated and cause a combustion pattern change. If the injector is very bad and the fule is a squirt not a spray, then the sguirt could and often is directed onto valve heads. These get super hot and becuase the "squirt" doesn't ignite efficiently, the super hot valve head can actually ignite the fuel. Because the valve ignited the fuel not the intial spray, the timing is now out. Some diesels will go into detonation and it sounds like someone is smacking the block with a large hammer. Eventually the valve is burn't out.
So hence the rule of thumb being determind that your injectors should be cleaned and checked every 700hrs. The 700hrs is why the yanmar book has suggested 600-1000hrs. If it was a road vehicle, it would be normaly 70,000-100,000Kms.
As for $350.00 for three injectors, if the guy is on site, that is what I would consider a little over the top. Although here in NZ, you should expect $80.00 for clean and inspection of each injector. $150 if it requires a new a new nozzle. And that is taking the injector to the service person. So coming to your boat, removing, servicing and replacement, yeah I could see that at $100'ish a pop. But not having it done could be costing you fuel, robbing you of power and could be causing damage to your engine.

[hellosailor]

Wm, I'd agree with you that $350 is a lot of money, no doubt you are buying the "Authorized" sign on the wall of someone's shop. I don't know what you're paying for though.

To come to a boat, pull the injectors, take them back to the shop, put them on a proper test jig and observe the spray patterns and measure the flow, then adjust/clean and bring them back and reinstall, it could be a bargain.

To simply come to a boat, pull them and eyeball them, or eyeball the spray in a jar, it could be a lot.

Injectors will take a lot of abuse and work "forever", they just won't work optimally that way. A friend once asked me to tune up a car with an old Chrysler Slant Six engine in it, and two of the spark plug tips had literally been consumed by the engine. With six new plugs it ran a whole lot better than it had been running on four.<G>

So by all means shop around, and as long as the engine is humming don't feel an URGENT need to jam money into it...but I think you can see there are options, and you can probably pick one that compromises with your budget and scheduling.

This is also why I suggested getting a set of replacements to swap in--which can be Gen-You-Whine New Yanmar, or often rebuilt injectors can be purchased for 1/2 the price of new OEM ones. Then you don't need to wait, don't need the mechanic visits, you just need to check the procedure, do a swap, and send the old ones out at your leisure for a rebuild, if it takes two weeks who cares? You'll still be running on the "new" set. And, if you do pull the injectors every 1000 hours for whatever reason, again, you'll always be able to swap and check at your leisure rather than lay up or be forced to use whatever talent is at hand. A set of injectors, pickled and sealed up whichever way you choose aren't going to corrode on the shelf, either. (Like anything else on a boat, you've got to keep the salt air away.)

[Boracay]

If your battery is not near new I'd be tempted to check that before the injectors.