Westerbeke 55 starting issues

[Mickeyrouse]

Okay, so here’s the engine issue du jour.
About two months ago we blew a head gasket on our Westerbeke(Isuzu) 55C4.
Pulled the engine, got it to a shop where they replaced the head gasket and put in new rings and bearings. Seems like it’s eternity working on the thing, but we finally got the engine re-installed, lined up, bolted down, hoses and linkages re-connected, added oil and coolant, and attempted to crank her. No dice. I don’t mean to say she was tight- she was TIGHT. So I removed the glow plugs to relived the compression and with a cheater on a socket on the main front pulley, began turning by hand. Stiff, but she began to move gradually. After about an hour of this, she began to free up. It finally got to the point the starter motor would turn it over. Replaced the glow plugs, and after a couple of mis-adventures began to bleed the air from the injectors. Solved a couple more air issues, and the engine started.
We ran it for about 55 minutes, noticed the temp gauge was pegged out. Shut her down, and let her cool over night.
The next morning, she started the easiest she ever has in our 16 years of ownership. Upon shutting down after an hour’s run time, she would not re-start, with the starter really laboring. Water Temp did not exceed 130 degrees F. Let her cool for about an hour, and she started very easily, then shut her down.
Today, in trying to find the run time before starting difficulty, I started and ran for about 20 minutes. She would not re-start in that time. Let her cool for an hour, and she started easily.
The pattern seems to be this: easy cool start, run for short time, shut down, than an effort to quickly start yields no results, with the starter straining. When cooled, she very easily re-starts.
Thinking we may have stressed the starter on the labored start efforts, I exchanged the starter for my spare. Same results: good cool start, but apparently the engine gets too hot to re-start until she cools, then it’s duck soup.
Obviously I’m wondering about break-in. The shop manual doesn’t say anything about break in- or much else, for that matter. Should I run in short spurts, then shut down and let her cool, then repeat? Or should I run until the temp meter says it near the danger zone (an hour or so?) then shut down, let it cool, then try it again when it cools enough?
We’ve been out of action for almost two months. I’m ready to go sailing.

[skipperpete]

This sounds like it’s the responsibility of the shop that did the overhaul but why didn’t they run it in the workshop before handing it over. The symptoms you describe could indicate ring gaps that are too small (or pistons too tight in the bores if they installed new pistons) or a remote second possibility that a bearing cap went on badly or ass about but there are numerous other contenders. A recently rebuilt engine that tightens up when run for a short time and then cools off and loosens up to the point where it will start easily is very worrying. I really hope it’s a tight or loaded up accessory like an alternator, water pump or gearbox and NOT the rings or bearings.

[skipperpete]

It also may have a link to your previous engine flooding, was the cause of that ( and the starter motor damage) ever resolved?. How did water get into the cylinders on the original occasion?

[tkeithlu]

I don't think that there is a way for you to break this in. It's not a matter of seating the rings nicely with a tiny bit of wear, it's in all likelihood, as Skipperpete describes, too tight a fit by the pistons/rings to the cylinder walls. The fit is staying tight and up goes your temperature. The likely outcome is damage, not fitting.

But, do eliminate the hoped-for alternatives. When it heats up, loosen the alternator belt and pull the pump impeller, put it in neutral, and see if it turns freely with everything disconnected. If it is tight then, it is very likely the pistons.

I'm sorry. This is a total bummer when you need to be on the water.

[Mickeyrouse]

The resolution has been not nearly as dire as forecast. I (finally) got the re-build mechanics to the boat. They were satisfied there were no ring or bearing problems based on the time (2 1/2 hrs) it had run, and began to focus on battery-starter issues. 4 volts appeared at the starter ( really warm) with the brand-new battery reading 13.7 volts. They diagnosed starter issues. The starter had been installed just the week before, though it had been in the spares for 2 years. They speculated that though new, the pinion gear was stiff and stuck engaged while the engine was running, thus frying the starter. I called our family starter-alternator guru who said “ come on down” and he’d fix it while I watched. After looking, dis-assembling and testing, he pronounced it good as new, which it was. “Your problem is either battery or wiring.” He theorizes that supply chain issues have bottle-necked batteries like everything else, and batteries in containers on ships get re-labeled for date when received by stores. Could be.
So I focused on the cable running from the dis-connect switch to the hot side of the starter. I recalled that when I re-installed the engine, that cable had been switched with an almost identical cable- same 1/0 gage, red color and similar length as one that’s normally on the alternator output. I took it out, cut away the heat-shrink at the terminals, and though they looked okay, decided the soldered lugs could be better. I crimped both ends with my hydraulic crimper, applied new heat-shrink on the ends, and re-installed the starter. Just to be sure, I re-seated the ground on the engine block.
Hit the start button and easily fired right up. Have run about an hour now with several stops and re-starts with no hiccups, grinds or laboring. Engine temp running at idle has not exceeded 140 deg F. Let cool overnight, fired right up, at least as easily as it ever has. I plan to run at least another hour at idle before I put a load on it.
It’s amazing what calamity you can convince yourself of when really it’s an under-performing starter cable.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

How did water get into the cylinders on the original occasion?

When the head gasket blew, the cooling of the cylinders created low pressure that pulled coolant in from the water jacket. I could see the path on the old head gasket when the head was removed.

[skipperpete]

Well I’m glad you had a happy ending and the engine runs again