How Often to Start a Diesel Engine?

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"spinning up the flywheel with a crash gybe"
i was going to ask, hth you manually crank an engine that size. Mount JATO bottles on the flywheel, turn it into a St. Catherine's Wheel? <G>

Well, you don't with that particular engine. But I recall that Yves Parlier pulled it off in one of the 1990s Volvo Round the World races to what I believe was a Yanmar.

Of course, he's the guy who beached his 60 footer on a speck of an island in the Southern Ocean and cooked a carbon fibre repair to his mast using lightbulbs, so he's a pretty resourceful guy.

In the meantime, it pays to keep an open mind: Spring starters Simms, Lucas, CAV mechanical starter motors from Kineteco Home Page

[sartorst]

My statement about running up the rpm on shut down should NEVER be done to a turbocharged engine!

[GaryMayo]

This thread is a hoot. Oil threads always are.

I have a Volvo straight truck I sometimes don't start for years. I have a V8 motorcycle that also never gets used. The amount of damage to engines that sit is different for everyone.

If you use quality oil, that is half the battle. Other half is change it before it needs it. Clean oil protects engines.

To get added life from an engine, read the owners manual.

To get more life, use engine oil additives.

My additive of choice is X1R. Hard to find

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

This thread is a hoot. Oil threads always are.

I have a Volvo straight truck I sometimes don't start for years. I have a V8 motorcycle that also never gets used. The amount of damage to engines that sit is different for everyone.

It's a problem comparing trucks and motorcycles ion Nebraska to an engine in a tropical climate with salt water sitting mere inches away from the exhaust valves. There are a few extra steps that need to be taken other than oil to ensure a worry free storage.

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

It's a problem comparing trucks and motorcycles ion Nebraska to an engine in a tropical climate with salt water sitting mere inches away from the exhaust valves. There are a few extra steps that need to be taken other than oil to ensure a worry free storage.

You left out the parts in my post that do apply.

The thread is about frequency of starting, not about storage.

Owners manual should give the correct procedure for starting and operating the engine.

I own a marine diesel purchased in LA. Engine is 36 years old. Still going strong.

[carstenb]

Well I just do happen to have a motormans certificate on diesel engines, so perhaps I'm competent to comment.

Depending on the diesel, you don't need t start it all that often. I start mine here in DK once a month or so.

The big issue is you must run it until it is hot. Which means running it under load. Idling won't do it. Run it while moored - fine. Just make sure you get the oil and the engine hot.

If you DON'T have a turbocharger, drop the engine back to idle, once it is hot. let it idle for a moment and shut it dow.

If you do have a turbo, you will need to let the turbo cool down before shutting off the engine.


Best thing you can do for your engine is change the oil and the filter every year (even if you haven't used it much)

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by sushirama

Whats missing here is not the running but your pre underway prep. From working with large auxiliary diesels on submarines. We didnt necessarily run them once a week. We did however just turn them over for about 20 seconds. Ive seen videos of old perkins and other diesels that have been sitting for 20 plus years start and run. But, its the preparation to run that makes that happen. If your engine has not been run in while. replace the oil, clean your fuel systems and injectors. etc.. Have a more thorough prestart checklist than if youre running every day. And always have a pre-start check list. Some friends of mine recently replace their Perkins 108 with a new unit. The failed to have a working check list they went against for every start. Like check oil, check fuel system. etc.. On a 500 hundred foot move they just started and ran an oil dry engine, at 100 feet it was gone. Now they have to pull and rebuild their brand new engine. All for lack of pre-start discipline. All that submarine training has taught me that you live and die on your pre-underway check list. No matter how many times you think you know its done you will forget that one item that sinks you at some point.

What boat were you on? FT on the Toledo, here. Based out of Groton.

[wolfenzee]

Some things can be best answered on a forum...where you have to weed through the people that know what they are talking about and discard the suggestions from the people that don't......but in this case it is easy to find a diesel mechanic, ask the manufacturer or consult the book on diesel maintenance you really should have on board (Nigel Calder's books are good examples) to find the appropriate answer.