How to recommission diesel engine (boat on the hard)

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:03 pm

Hi folks,

I'm posting this for a friend of mine, who checked out the forum after I recommended it. Incidentally, his boat is the Westsail 32 of which I posted moving photos in the "Ramblings" section last week. He's in the process of signing up to be a member, but was hoping to get some information over the weekend, so I offered to post on his behalf. I imagine he'll introduce himself after his registration is activated. Meantime, can anyone give him a hand with some information? Here's his query:

******************

My boat is on the hard, due to be splashed on Tuesday, for a (fairly short) trip to her new slip. I'd like to make sure that the engine is going to work, as she's been out of the water for 2 years; so I'd like to run it a little if possible, make sure the transmission isn't seized, etc. It's a freshwater-cooled Yanmar [3QM] with a water lift, and I figure that if I just jam a hose into the sea intake, the water lift will fill up, then the engine...

Ideas?

Cheers!

Ian

A30_John · Post by **A30_John** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:06 pm

I unhook the intake to the water pump, attach one end of a 3' length of hose to the intake, put the other end in a bucket, and run the water hose into the bucket. While the hose is filling the bucket the engine draws the water off.

George ( C&C 40 ) · Post by **George ( C&C 40 )** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:14 pm

Hi Rachel,

I have a freshwater cooled 3QM30 on my C&C 40. I also run it a bit the day before a launch just to make sure everything is working.

Make sure the starting batteries are fully charged and you have a charger on the batteries. ( it's cold out there these days ) Check oil and coolant levels. Make sure there is diesel in the tank and the control valves are all open. Check the air intake for obstructions. Make sure the exhaust seacock is open if the boat has one.

Use a hose into a 5 gallon bucket with the engine intake also in the bucket. A regular garden hose can't keep up with the 3QM30's water requirements much above 1500 rpm and the suction will collapse the hose and starve the engine. Using a bucket will allow you to see the water intake and you can balance the rpms against the amount of water used.

If you run the prop at all make sure that the cutless bearing, stern tube, packing gland, etc. is well lubricated with water before you engage the gears. Keep spraying water on the cutless bearing as the shaft is turning. Even then, only engage the prop shaft for a few seconds to make sure it's turning. Running the prop shaft out of the water is generally a bad idea and I don't do it myself at all.

The biggest problem you are likely to have is electrical. The 3QM30 has a fused starting circut under a plastic cap on the upper back side of the engine as well as a few wires monitoring things like oil temp, water temp, etc. They all use slide-on connectors that have a nasty habit of getting loose or corroded over time. If you don't hear the engine alarm when the key is first turned or if the alarm won't shut off -- check the sensors. If the engine won't even attempt to turn over check the fused starting circut on the engine first. ( this one has got me a few times over the years too )

To make things even more interesting the original wiring harness used stranded copper wire that was not tinned. By this point it's probably pretty green and can cause a whole host of problems. I replaced every wire that had anything to do with the starting circut or the starter motor with new Anchor Marine tinned copper wire. Starters pull a lot of amps and green copper wire doesn't like lots of amps.

If there are still problems, pull the engine control panel. Once again, it was all originally done in un-tinned copper and connections could have corroded to the point that the wires have fallen off the attachment terminals.

Good Luck,

George

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 4:50 pm

Thanks John - why didn't I ever think of the both-hoses-in-one-bucket idea?

Thanks to you too, George. Ian's engine is also a 3QM30, so your specific tips will serve him well, I'm sure. I imagine he'll check in later today to see the thread.

--- Rachel

Post by **Tim** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 6:43 pm

It's hard to improve upon George's post, but I will add that it's often easier to just get a separate length of engine hose the same diameter as the intake hose and simply disconnect the intake hose at the pump and replace it with the spare length, which is run to the bucket. Sometimes the hose that's in place is an awkward length (too short) that doesn't work well, so the spare length is much easier. This also avoids the need to remove the hose from the through hull barb, which can be difficult. It's typically much easier to remove the hose from the smooth nipple found on most pumps.

Mark.Wilme · Post by **Mark.Wilme** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:57 pm

Also check the impeller is in place before you start (I remove mine for the winter) and if you don't have water coming out shut off immediately.

Der Alte · Post by **Der Alte** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 2:07 pm

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the responses! Sorry for the slow reply, but internet time has been cut into by annoying distractions like work, flu, and that darned hunk of plastic in Svendsen's boatyard... ;-)

Right now I've got the yard looking into the tranny... :-(

Ian

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 2:39 pm

Welcome to the forum, Ian! :-)

Good to see you here. I'm guessing you might be a bit wordier when you're well again. And just let me mention that everyone loves to see photos posted into the forum. Even (or especially) ones of gnarly transmissions.

--- Rachel
(not harping)