Yanmar 1GM Sitting 5 years

[larman]

I have a 1983 yanmar diesel 1GM that has been sitting for 5+ years. Could you tell me the sequence in which you would try to get this thing running. I'm assuming I will remove the fuel from the tank clean it out as best I can replace with fresh fuel. change the engine oil and all fuel filters. Other than that what else should I be doing before I turn the key?

Thanks,

Larry

[Lepke]

If there is a lot of fuel, you may want to clean it instead of disposing. Also there are additives that will take care of the any water in the fuel. Your tank may have a tap for draining the bottom of the tank - where any water would be.
I would drain a small amount of oil from the bottom of the oil pan. If no water, then I would use that oil for the first warm up and later change the oil and filter.
My boat was sitting for 5 years in Western Canada when I bought it. 2 mains, 2 generators. I cleaned the diesel by pumping fuel thru the existing racors with 30 micron filters and after a period of time changed the filters to 10 and later 2 microns. I also installed a algae-x fuel conditioner. The fuel went from dark amber to clear and when I entered the tanks years later, the tanks were clean. The engine oil showed no sign of water so I used that for start up. Later when changing the oil, I opened the filters looking for metal and also found no water.
Check Make sure the fuel system has no air. Go thru the bleeding process. Have spare fuel filters.
If the engine has a block heater, run it until the engine feels warm. If no block heater, try to find a way to heat the engine compartment. Engines sitting for long periods in cold climates often have their rings contract. Expect some smoke until the engine warms. Open the thru hull valves.
Make sure the cables to the starter and ground are making good contact.
Check the intake air path. Know how to stop the engine before you start it.
The engine should start. Try to avoid using ether. Ether greatly raises compression and when using too much can break rings.
Make sure your salt water pump is moving water. Plumbing going to and from the pump should be noticeably colder. Check your discharge. Look for leaks. Your rubber hoses probably should be changed.
The seals in your water pumps may fail. The rubber parts get hard with age. I had two fail on my engines and replaced the others.
When I was much younger I was part of an operation that took mothballed ships and boats and returned them to service. We never disposed of fuel, even bunker oil mothballed for 20 years. It was rare to find one with all liquids completely drained. Usually just the water.

[larman]

Thank you for the reply. Tank is in the very back of the engine compartment, I do not know if I can even reach it. I do have a water separator does that require any servicing?

[a64pilot]

Might want to consider changing the raw water impeller as it may have hardened due to age and break apart soon, then you get to hunt for the pieces if it does.
I'd pull the injector and squirt a little oil into the cylinder, leave the injector out and spin the motor with the starter until it gets oil pressure, that way everything is pre-lubed before you start it.
I'd have a way to choke the engine out just in case of a run away too, a piece of wood to go over the intake will do it.

[larman]

I ordered most of the parts today but need to get the impeller and gasket. Can that be purchased at West Marine?

[DougR]

Hopefully the engine will fire right up, but that isn't always the case. I have seen several engines that have been stored three or four years with normal fuel in the injection pump that would turn over with the starter motor but not pump fuel to the injectors. What happens is that the fuel in the high pressure injection pump gums up around the barrel and plunger, and when the engine is cranked over, the injection pump cam is able to push the plunger up once. Unfortunately there is too much gummy friction for the plunger return spring to push the plunger back down against the cam. So the injection pump drive shaft and cam rotate, but the plungers are stuck in their upper position and can't pump any fuel.

This can be resolved by removing the high pressure fuel pipe, removing the delivery valve and carefully soaking the plunger in acetone while tapping the top of the plunger down with a soft drift and rotating the crankshaft. However, this process isn't for the uninitiated.

If you have fuel to the injection pump, but can't get anything out to the injector, and the stop lever is not pulled, best remove the pump and have it looked at by a fuel injection shop.

DougR

[sparrowhawk1]

I'm not a mechanic and I can't quote where I've learned this but it makes sense to me. When you initially try and start it press the kill button and turn the engine over for 15 seconds then wait a little bit to let the starter cooldown and try and start it this pre lubes the engine.