What should I learn?

[joe90]

I have booked a day's training with an experienced engineer and want to put together the objective list for the day. I know the basics such as filter replacement, oil change, impeller change, fan belt, minor cooling system blockages etc so would like to focus on a level up. One thing on my list is the ability to hot wire the engine, so if I ever have a control panel failure or severed cable I can still get the engine running. (I hope this is possible). What else would you suggest I put on the list? - Thanks – Mike

[somedayy]

DAMAGE CONTROL !! flooding, fire, loss of power. man overboard, and preparing for these things beforehand.

[Stu Jackson]

Rebuilding water pump">raw water pump. Replacing coolant circulating pump. Alternator replacement and wiring. HX removal and servicing. Bleeding.

[RedHerring]

How about removing and installing fuel injectors, checking compression, adjusting valve clearances on the diesel? Checking and replacing cooling system's thermostat? Checking and replacing an alternator? Checking, cleaning and replacing a starter motor? These are all routine tasks that you can easily do yourself. You could even go as far as taking the cylinder heads apart, checking push rods and replacing/regrinding valves - none of these are rocket science, either - but that would probably be more than one day can cover.

Also, you can ask him to show you how your killswitch works (what exactly does it do, and what to do when it fails). Other possible topics are "how my gearbox and throttle handles operate", "what to do if throttle or gear cable breaks", "how to check and grease the joint between engine and shaft", "how to check stuffing box", "what to do if the stuffing box leaks", "how to check hoses and seacocks".

And then, there's also the electrical system, which is simple in theory, but can be one hell of a mystery in practice