Visit our Popular Forums

Stu Jackson · 20-04-2014, 09:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Walsh

Thanks Stu. I'll go the Oberdorfer route.

Jim, best pricing is Depco Pump Company in FL.

**Lepke** · 22-04-2014, 16:00

Extending engine life...
I been around marine diesels since I was born, my father was a chief engineer and I'm 65. I have done my own mechanics my whole life. Proper oil changes make the most difference in engine life if an engine isn't abused. Some brands are better built or designed, but I have seen many marine engines go 20,000+ hours. What goes are the sleeves. They originally have cross hatched tiny grooves from honing in their surface. These grooves allow the rings to carry minute amounts of oil to the cylinder top to lubricate the rings and sleeves. When the grooves wear away the sleeve and rings fail quickly. In the days of cheap labor, big diesels were often disassembled in an off season and the sleeves rehoned if necessary. The rings were usually not replaced but the seals were. Sometimes the valves were done (if the engine had valves). The engines outlasted the ship and went on to some other duty.
On my boat I use a centrifuge to occasionally clean engine oil while it's hot. I don't expect to rebuild these engines again in my life. And whoever takes over this boat after I'm dead probably won't either.
Lepke

**a64pilot** · 22-04-2014, 16:46

What kind of Diesel engine doesn't have valves?

forsailbyowner · 22-04-2014, 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by natew

Thanks for the links to the catalina info. Looks like I have a lot of the problems listed there, the bad alternator bracket, the bad wiring connectors, the crummy glow plug and amp meter wiring. To top it all off I have a bunch of other wiring that I can't figure out, seems like PO's took the wiring from a micro perspective and just bolted on pieces they thought would be good to have now I have some pieces that work, other pieces that are not necessary, and yet some other pieces that aren't even connected to anything.

Half tempted to rip all the wiring out of the darn thing and start over.

When I started wiring Magic I pulled out a full 5 gallon bucket compressed of wire that wasnt being used just out of the pedestal. Seems everybody installs new stuff and just leaves the old wires hanging instead of reusing or uninstalling.

Cheechako · 22-04-2014, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lepke

Extending engine life...
I been around marine diesels since I was born, my father was a chief engineer and I'm 65. I have done my own mechanics my whole life. Proper oil changes make the most difference in engine life if an engine isn't abused. Some brands are better built or designed, but I have seen many marine engines go 20,000+ hours. What goes are the sleeves. They originally have cross hatched tiny grooves from honing in their surface. These grooves allow the rings to carry minute amounts of oil to the cylinder top to lubricate the rings and sleeves. When the grooves wear away the sleeve and rings fail quickly. In the days of cheap labor, big diesels were often disassembled in an off season and the sleeves rehoned if necessary. The rings were usually not replaced but the seals were. Sometimes the valves were done (if the engine had valves). The engines outlasted the ship and went on to some other duty.
On my boat I use a centrifuge to occasionally clean engine oil while it's hot. I don't expect to rebuild these engines again in my life. And whoever takes over this boat after I'm dead probably won't either.
Lepke

Sorry to disagree, but I just dont think this is entirely correct. The honed or original surface is a bit rough, which does allow oil to cling and the rings to seat on a new/rebuilt engine, but every engine I've had apart with as low as 400 hours, the bores are shiny like a mirror. Think about it, hardened steel rings with sharp eges on steel. it doesnt take long to become super smooth. They are this way for most of the engines life.

Ed-White · 20-07-2015, 13:13

I have a kubota 5432 also, in a Gulf 32. The boat I bought in Olympia Wa., four years ago. Since then because the PO thought he had serious algae growth in the 70 gal fuel tank, and was burning through filters at the rate of one a day! At any rate, I discovered a simple anomaly in the system, fixed it and have since changed the primary only once a year whether the racor gauge showed increased back pressure or not. The engine runs very well, though can be a bit hard starting ie: I need to use the glowplugs, or at least I do us them and usually use the electric prime pump to charge the fuel lines as well. Once started the engine always runs up to temp, which is 185. I put in the higher temp thermostat when I got the boat because they had a 145 in it, which I did not think was right, even with the FW cooling. The anodes in the heat exchanger were non existent and the exchanger plugged when I first got it. Now my concern is that after a run, which is always at least 90 minutes, I get quite a bit of sooty exhaust blow back when I am docking...not excessive but enough to get the spill police flustered at the marina. The engine diesels a bit as well, but still shuts down readily ( I don't have to air starve it) The engine doesn't leak or burn oil, or make any significant smoke during operation. I am thinking that I may need to pull the injectors for service. I am thinking that I may be getting excessive unburnt fuel in the exhaust. I am also considering pulling the engine apart over the winter (in the boat) and sleeving the cylinders etc. although the thought is daunting. Has anyone got some thoughts on this?

MarkSF · 20-07-2015, 13:31

It sounds like it is producing soot during the cruise, which for some reason is building up in the exhaust, to come out when you are running slowly again.

At what RPM do you cruise? I cruise at 2K, on my 5424, at which I get no smoke.

I just installed a new, higher capacity, heat exchanger, and 160F thermostat. I used to get some smoke at full throttle, but now I don't, with the engine running cooler.

NB : Your 5432 shipping with a 160F thermostat. Sounds like someone tried to fix overheating by fitting a cooler thermostat?

Terra Nova · 20-07-2015, 13:47

Pretty sure the higher temp thermostat is used with fresh water cooling. And the lower temp is used for raw water cooling.

Ed-White · 20-07-2015, 13:53

Right..I usually cruise at 2200. or higher if I am fighting the tide upriver, but in calm water I can do 6 Knts at 2200, 6.5 at 2500, and it will go nearly 8 knts wide open. I rarely do that, once in the Skookumchuk narrows I think. I think you are probably right about the soot build up. I will tear the cooling system apart this winter and also pull the injectors for service. There is no air filter on that model eh, just a grate. There may once have been a chunk of foam jammed in but I think it was so clogged with blowby that I discarded it for good.

MarkSF · 20-07-2015, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Pretty sure the higher temp thermostat is used with fresh water cooling. And the lower temp is used for raw water cooling.

The 160F is for fresh water cooling, and the 140F is for raw water cooling (for the 5411).

160F was the standard one shipped by Kubota for the tractor fitted with the 5424-equivalent, the L245. Here is the one I just bought on Ebay :

New Kubota L245 L245DT L245HC Thermostat Gasket | eBay

You do also see higher-temp thermostats for sale as an upgrade.

With the 160F installed, I see temps of 165 at idle, 170F at 2K rpm, and 175F at full throttle (by the gauge).

Ed-White · 20-07-2015, 14:04

The thermostat..I think the engines that were raw water cooled had lower temp opening to avoid crystallization in the block. Could not figure out why the engine had a 145 F thermostat. I first put in a 190 F thermostat and ran the boat back and forth across the Strait at speed to clean it up. Needless to say she was rattling pretty heavily after that. Since putting in the 185, I have run 300 or so hours on the engine, and there has never been an issue with overheating. Sometimes if I don't let the engine idle long enough after a run it will push a bunch of blue smoke on the next start up. I put this down to excessive fuel in the head. The engine is usually quite hard to start on these occasions also. This is leading me in the injector direction. Not being a diesel mechanic though makes it all speculation. However pulling the engine apart or worse...getting to the rebuild-replace point is something I am trying to avoid.

MarkSF · 20-07-2015, 14:11

Well, I have to say I think it's running a bit hot. That would explain the blue smoke on next start up, which is a little bit of burning oil (not fuel). Might also explain the black smoke, too.

With my old heat exchanger I would see temps of 185F to 190F, and saw some smoke at full power. In my case, the heat exchanger was the old 2" one, which is undersized, so the thermostat was not actually governing the temperature - it was wide open all the time. I upgraded to the 3" version, and now see lower temps.

In your case I would try a 160F, which is the default. If you see temps much above 175F still, there is a problem with heat removal - raw water flow, or heat exchanger capacity.

MarkSF · 20-07-2015, 14:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lepke

Extending engine life...
I been around marine diesels since I was born, my father was a chief engineer and I'm 65. I have done my own mechanics my whole life. Proper oil changes make the most difference in engine life if an engine isn't abused. Some brands are better built or designed, but I have seen many marine engines go 20,000+ hours. What goes are the sleeves. They originally have cross hatched tiny grooves from honing in their surface. These grooves allow the rings to carry minute amounts of oil to the cylinder top to lubricate the rings and sleeves. When the grooves wear away the sleeve and rings fail quickly. In the days of cheap labor, big diesels were often disassembled in an off season and the sleeves rehoned if necessary. The rings were usually not replaced but the seals were. Sometimes the valves were done (if the engine had valves). The engines outlasted the ship and went on to some other duty.
On my boat I use a centrifuge to occasionally clean engine oil while it's hot. I don't expect to rebuild these engines again in my life. And whoever takes over this boat after I'm dead probably won't either.
Lepke

It is my belief that the honing is there to assist the bed-in process. It allows the bore to become conditioned, while ensuring proper lubrication. After the bed-in process the honing has gone, to be replaced by a smooth, precisely-fitting surface.