Online instruction on marine diesel maintenance and repair?

[Jdege]

I've never owned a boat with an inboard diesel, and I know jack about how to keep one running.

I'm hoping that by the time I splash in the spring I'll have learned something, and I'm looking for recommendations.

There are the YouTube videos, of course, but the quality varies, the coverage is spotty, and the completeness is questionable.

I went looking around and found a 5-hour course on SkillShare, on diesel engine fundamentals. Which from the reviews has great content, but doesn't cover the specific oddities of marine engines.

Does anyone know of a good resource? Or, as best as one can do online? (The local technical colleges seem to offer courses only as a part of a mechanic certification program. I'm willing to spend some money, but I'm not spending thousands or signing up for a multi-year program. And they still don't cover marine diesel.)

[tkeithlu]

I recommend that you start with Nigel Calder's Marine Diesel Engines.

https://www.amazon.com/Marine-Diesel...2875526&sr=8-1

[grantmc]

OP Jdege it might assist responses if you say a little more about your needs. For example where on the earth are you, and what sort of marine diesel are you talking? For example are you thinking a little yacht auxiliary, perhaps 15hp or twin V8s rated at 2,200 hp for a planning launch? New or second hand? Stuff like that.

[Jdege]

I'm in Minneapolis, with a used 27 hp Yanmar 3GM30.

But I'm not looking for help with this engine, I'm looking for a source of online instruction.

Which wouldn't depend much upon where I am.

[dougweibel]

Engine type is important, though not the specific engine. Getting training to work on modern automotive common-rail diesel engines is probably not the most helpful if you will be working on small marine diesel's with mechanical injection pumps.

+1 on Calder's book. I don't have an online course to recommend. Hopefully someone else has a recommendation.

[GreenWave]

Look up 'Spelunkerd' on Youtube. He has a few engine videos.


Otherwise your next best bet is in-person classes from Mack Boring or similar.

[paralog]

Originally Posted by Jdege

I'm in Minneapolis, with a used 27 hp Yanmar 3GM30.

But I'm not looking for help with this engine, I'm looking for a source of online instruction.

Which wouldn't depend much upon where I am.

Buy the manual for the engine, Yanmar have them available. They are fairly simple engines.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by paralog

Buy the manual for the engine, Yanmar have them available. They are fairly simple engines.

Free on-line Yanmar 3GM30 Manuals:
Workshop/Service ➥ https://www.jeanneau-owners.com/Manu...e%20Manual.pdf
Workshop/Service ➥ https://c320.org/filemgmt/index.php?id=164
Owner/Operation ➥ http://www.marinesurveyorontario.com/YanmarManual.pdf

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Free on-line Yanmar 3GM30 Manuals:
Workshop/Service ➥ https://www.jeanneau-owners.com/Manu...e%20Manual.pdf
Workshop/Service ➥ https://c320.org/filemgmt/index.php?id=164
Owner/Operation ➥ http://www.marinesurveyorontario.com/YanmarManual.pdf

Thanks. I actually have the original owner's manual, but it's not in very good shape.

I don't have the service hahaha, and I actually prefer ebooks, these days.

[sepharad]

https://www.boatersuniversity.com/co...roubleshooting

[TrentePieds]

Jdege:

Well, you've told us what specific engine concerns you. You've told us you have a tatty copy of the users manual. You've told us that you are concerned about "keeping it running", specifically you said "...and I know jack about how to keep one running."

So why, precisely, do you think it won't keep running? Once it fires up, this beast, like every other small marine diesel, requires you to do something quite specific and quite drastic to MAKE IT STOP!!.

Like interrupt its fuel supply. Every small marine diesel has a little lever, that when you pull it, does just that. Additionally there is a switch or button on your instrument panel that does the same thing by quite pedestrian electro-mechanical means.

But you probably meant "how do I prevent it from wearing out" or some such. The answer is that you can't. Just perform the maintenance that is specified in the user's manual. If you do that, the beastie should be good for at least 5K "engine hours", and the number of hours it has already run should be indicated by an "hour meter" that is either a separate instrument on your instrument panel or a component of your tachometer.

Do the math: If you run the beast 40 hours a week, which would be exceptionally high usage, 5K hours equates to 125 weeks or more than 2 years. If your usage is a more typical 10 hours a week you may expect about 10 years of use of the beast.

For Sunday sailors that only use their engines to push the boat in and out of their marinas and put maybe 50 hours on the engine in a year. the beast's life expectancy is a hundred years!

So just do your maintenance according to the tatty manual in which there will be a maintenance schedule set out in table form. It even specifies what grades of oil to use and what the ID numbers of the fuel and oil filters are.

The "sore spot" with little diesels in boats is usually the cooling system because saltwater is corrosive. But your manual will tell you about that also.

So there you have it. It's that simple. Just follow the manual.

All the best.

TrentePieds

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Jdege:

Well, you've told us what specific engine concerns you. You've told us you have a tatty copy of the users manual. You've told us that you are concerned about "keeping it running", specifically you said "...and I know jack about how to keep one running."

So why, precisely, do you think it won't keep running?

Nothing mechanical keeps running without periodic maintenance and occasional repair.

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by sepharad

https://www.boatersuniversity.com/co...roubleshooting

Thanks.

[Howler]

Another vote for Nigel Calder’s book. Online, there are some good TouTube videos for individual procedures such as oil change, fuel filter change, bleeding, etc, and many are specific to your generation of Yanmar. Jim Zima has a half dozen webinars on diesel maintenance too:

https://www.glccschool.com/content/g...lakes-cruisers

Most classes are recorded and available to members and non-members.

[sail34]

Hi
You could try the USPower Squadron in your area. They offer an engine maintenance course.We have run the course in Canada online a few times. Also Charlie Wing's book How Boat Things Work or Nigel Calders books.
Cheers