Need A Diesel Mechanic !!

[Tortuga331]

Help,
I have a Beneteau 331 with a YANMAR 3GM30F engine.
After winterizing it in Wilson, Ny on Lake Ontario, It would not start at Launch time last weekend. I pulled up on the dipstick and water, oil and antifreeze shot out like a fountain. I removed all oil,water, antifreeze that I could and tried to turn the flywheel with a breaker bar and was able to turn it clockwise a couple turns.
I am afraid to refill it with oil and start it . I can not find a Diesel mechanic as all are busy. I hope my engine doesn't rust by just sitting there. I was told I should try to get the water out of the glow plugs but I have no idea on where they are. PLEASE, if anyone could shed some light on this problem and something I could do would be GREATLY appreciated.BTW it was properly winterized like I always do with 3 gallons of antifreeze poured in through the strainer.
Thank you all for your anticipated help!

Yours Truly,
Bill Panek
TORTUGA

[MikeHoncho]

Don't turn it over again until you can confirm there aren't liquids in the cylinders, although it's probably too late if there were. I'm not a diesel mechanic but I have slept in a Holiday Inn. Google hydrolock.....

[NYSail]

Drain and pickle….. some use mmo (marvel mystery oil) and let sit while you figure things out.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Bill.


YANMAR Service Manual: 1GM10(C), 2GM20(F)(C), 3GM30(F)(C), 3HM35(F)(C)
➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...?do=file&id=45

Or ➥ https://www.jeanneau-owners.com/Manu...e%20Manual.pdf

Or ➥ https://fdocuments.in/document/yanma...al.html?page=3

[bil56]

the main question is: how suddenly oil, water, antifreeze entered into the engine down to the crankcase ?
what happened between wintering and restarting? engine block freezing?

./.

[t588143]

It looks like your heat exchanger has been frozen and is leaking. No use to try to refill and start without a thorough check/ pressure test of the cooling system.

[Howler]

You probably know this but try RCR Yachts in Buffalo/Youngstown. They are the main Beneteau/Yanmar dealers in Western New York.

By the way, if you put antifreeze in the raw water system from the strainer, it will fill downstream through to the exhaust through-hull. However, it won’t fill upstream from the intake through-hull to the strainer. You either need to suck antifreeze in from the through-hull while turning the engineer, or pump it in via the hose on the upstream side of the impeller. Alternatively, I believe some blow it “dry” with an air compressor.

Also, I’m pretty sure this engine doesn’t have glow plugs.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Howler

... Also, I’m pretty sure this engine (Yanmar 3GM30F) doesn’t have glow plugs.

Indeed.


FWIW: In colder weather, try spraying a little WD-40, directly into the air intake, as you are turning it over. WD40 will not hurt the engine, like starting fluid (ether) will.
If your compression and timing is good, it will start with WD-40, regardless of bad injectors, fuel pump, or glow plugs.
If it stops, when the WD-40 is stopped, then likely your fuel system is at fault. This could be injectors, injector pump, fuel pump, bad fuel lines, or bad fuel.
If it does not start with WD-40 Then you have other problems.

[bgallinger]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Indeed.


FWIW: In colder weather, try spraying a little WD-40, directly into the air intake, as you are turning it over. WD40 will not hurt the engine, like starting fluid (ether) will.
If your compression and timing is good, it will start with WD-40, regardless of bad injectors, fuel pump, or glow plugs.
If it stops, when the WD-40 is stopped, then likely your fuel system is at fault. This could be injectors, injector pump, fuel pump, bad fuel lines, or bad fuel.
If it does not start with WD-40 Then you have other problems.

Every once in a while, many of us are faced with what appears to be a terrible and unsurmountable problem. The key to troubleshooting is to reduce the number of variables and your advice does that! Thanks Gord!

[Dave Lochner]

With water, AF, and oil coming out of your dipstick tube, the problem could be frozen and split internal tubes in the heat exchanger or it could be much more serious like a cracked block.

More concerning is the water and AF in the oil. The oil and cooling passages should be isolated from each other. When they are mixing it is serious. Could be a cracked block or could be a failed head gasket. A bad head gasket is not fatal, if you have a cracked block, then it is time to start looking for a Beta dealer for the repower.

Start by removing the heat exchanger, it is a simple DIY process. Take it to a radiator shop and have it cleaned and tested.

PM me if you would like a copy of the shop manual for your engine.

[ScottandGrace]

If all marine diesel mechanics are busy, see if you can talk a farm equipment mechanic into helping. I wasted months trying to get a competent marine diesel mechanic out of my boat last summer before “discovering” a Kubota dealership nearby. They had a great mechanic who was readily available.

Best wishes!

[Tortuga331]

Thank you all for your responses!
I will take your advice and try all the above.
I looked at the engine block and could not see any kind of a crack. That doesn't mean there is not one internal. How could you know without taking it apart ? Pressure test it? If I do start it with WD40, can I cause more damage?
I have called RCR Youngtown. They are very busy at this time. Every mechanic is busy ,retired or backlogged. I like the farm equipment idea.
Any idea of cost of a new Yanmar? I don't know where I go from here.
I will keep knocking until I can get someone.
In the meantime,
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
BILL
TORTUGA

[GRIT]

I am a diesel mechanic, and not just a backyard guy.

You will not harm the engine by turning it slowly by hand. If you can turn it several rotations by hand, you're likely fine as far as fluid in the cylinders.

Do not try to start it with wd40 or any other aid until you've managed to give it at least four full turns. Each turn should feel the same, and there shouldn't be one spot substantially harder than the rest. Each turn will have two spot that will be harder to turn as you're on the compression stroke, but it will feel as a gradual build of pressure, not as if you've hit a wall. If it feels you've hit a wall, then you've likely got liquid in the cylinder. We'll get to that later, if you find you've hit a wall.

I believe you have a compression release on the 3gm30, flip all three levers, and turn it over with the starter (assuming you didn't hit a wall when turning it by hand) for 30 seconds.

If you did hit a wall while turning it over by hand, flip the compression releases, and turn it over by hand for a full eight revolutions, to help expell the fluids. Then turn it over with the starter, while the compression releases are actuated, hopefully expelling the remainder of the fluids.

Assuming you've made 4 full turns (360 degrees times four, not four goes at the bar). Then add oil, and try to start it up. Don't worry about coolant yet, just add oil to the proper level.

If it won't start after 10 seconds of turning it over, you may then try to give it a whiff of wd40. Don't spray it heavily into the intake, you want the mist to go in, not the fluid.

If it starts, let it run for a full minute at idle, and shut it down. Empty the oil, and replace with new (filter too).

Now fill the coolant too, and check closely for leaks, and check the oil for coolant leaks too. If after an hour, there are no leaks, run the engine again for a minute. Shut it down and check the oil for coolant.

If it's ok, then run it until it gets to operating temperature, then shut it down and check the oil again.

Let us know how it went.

It's difficult to explain this to someone who doesn't know, as I may assume you know some things that I think are naturally known by all, but are not. So take your time, and don't rush. Be sure you don't have fluid in the cylinders, that's your main concern. Everything else is gravy.

Cheers.
Paul.

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Tortuga331

Thank you all for your responses!
I will take your advice and try all the above.
I looked at the engine block and could not see any kind of a crack. That doesn't mean there is not one internal. How could you know without taking it apart ? Pressure test it? If I do start it with WD40, can I cause more damage?
I have called RCR Youngtown. They are very busy at this time. Every mechanic is busy ,retired or backlogged. I like the farm equipment idea.
Any idea of cost of a new Yanmar? I don't know where I go from here.
I will keep knocking until I can get someone.
In the meantime,
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
BILL
TORTUGA

We got a rough price on a new Yanmar 3JH5 last summer, it was in the neighborhood of $25K to remove the old and install the new. Beta's are less expensive and do not hide their farm tractor pedigree as Yanmar does.

[genki]

My engine did the same thing, Westerbroke. Heat exchanger was okay but the manifold was not.

I would start by taking off the heat exchanger and bringing it to a radiator place to have it pressure tested.

WD-40 is your friend here. You must try to displace as much of that water as you can and replace it with oil.

I bought a Beta Marine and replaced the engine...a major learning experience and almost certainly not needed. I could have just got a new manifold... but Westerbork prices were such a rip off and I already had took off the head (thinking it was a gasket problem)

8K for the engine and about god knows how much for replacing every hose. fuel tank and exhaust, custom muffler etc....