Engine seems to start but rolls to a stop

[JustinT]

Originally Posted by jamhass

Interesting photo. The nut looks like It might be a compression fitting. If so, at least that end is easily DIY. What's the other end?

Been quoted £80 for the pipe!

[skipperpete]

Damn, that’s an expensive little pipe. In the first photo it looks like copper but in the most recent pic it looks more like steel, regardless of the material, I doubt that its fixable so the best course might be to un solder the banjo and whatever is on the other end and get a bit of copper tube then re solder the end fittings to that…….or take a deep breath and buy the whole new one.

[JustinT]

Originally Posted by JustinT

There is gauze on the holes under the head, do I need to replace that? I can't find anything in the manual about it.

Well, watching youtube of the chap refitting his cylinder head, there is no gauze on those holes. I guess I'll remove the gauze and clean up.

UPDATE: OK, SILLY ME! It's just gasket stuck on the head!

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by JustinT

Well, watching youtube of the chap refitting his cylinder head, there is no gauze on those holes. I guess I'll remove the gauze and clean up.

UPDATE: OK, SILLY ME! It's just gasket stuck on the head!

That's what I thought, too but you figured it out before I could reply.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by JustinT

Been quoted £80 for the pipe!

The nut looks like an ordinary compression nut or maybe a flare nut. I believe you can repair the pipe yourself. The end of the pipe up inside the nut... is it flared, or is there a beveled compression ring around the pipe end? Also is the tubing steel, or copper? Is the tubing threaded into the banjo fitting? Or swaged? Maybe you could take some sandpaper and polish it up a little. You could cut the tubing and replace the squashed part, then terminate the end as per original. That would save you some money, but there is something to be said for buying the one that you found, even though the price seems high to you.

So far, you are doing good. If you had simply straightened the push rod and replaced the valve, your engine would still be ready to self destruct again at any moment due to lack of oil to the valve assembly. At every turn, further investigation has found things that needed to be found. You had a very sick engine but the patient has a good prognosis.

[JustinT]

I think the pipe is copper. There is a sort of nozzle under the nut. I couldn't work out how the banjo was fitted. The people who quoted me for the part then said the part is no longer available but they could fabricate one for me. I am tempted just to cut off the squashed bit and add a bit of pipe of my own.

Thanks for the encouragement, certainly I'm glad to be fixing the engine properly. I've no idea how it was even running before.

On lapping the valves I find the seized side inlet valve has a broken spring. Now on order.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by JustinT

I think the pipe is copper. There is a sort of nozzle under the nut. I couldn't work out how the banjo was fitted. The people who quoted me for the part then said the part is no longer available but they could fabricate one for me. I am tempted just to cut off the squashed bit and add a bit of pipe of my own.

Thanks for the encouragement, certainly I'm glad to be fixing the engine properly. I've no idea how it was even running before.

On lapping the valves I find the seized side inlet valve has a broken spring. Now on order.

The nozzle, is that just a flared out end, like a rocket engine? Looks like the pics in the following link? https://www.1tomplumber.com/what-is-a-flare-fitting/
Nothing special there. You can re-use the nut. If you can figure out how to remove the pipe from the banjo fitting then you can simply replace it with copper tubing, or stainless though it is harder to work with. Then buy or borrow a flaring kit, make the flare, bend carefully to fit, and install. Look on youtube for how to bend tubing without kinking or crimping it, and how to flare the tubing end.

If removing the pipe from the banjo fitting to reuse the banjo is not practical, you can always cut the pipe and make an extension. If it is threaded into the banjo, it will probably want a soak in Kroil or Liquid Wrench (WD-40 or PB Blaster probably won't work.) before it will let go.

If you are going to keep the boat indefinitely, you might want to buy an engine for parts, or to rebuild and have a complete rebuilt spare, either/or. I have seen these going for a couple hundred bucks in rescue condition, under $1k running but "needs work".

[JustinT]

I'll have a look at the pipe in detail tomorrow. Thanks for the ideas.

Progress of engine video: https://youtu.be/OX885cwy1J4?si=vF1PrutDj-59zFiX

[jamhass]

Justin

My bet is the pipe is soldered into the banjo fitting, and can be removed by heating with a torch. You won't hurt anything by trying, just be careful.

If so, it should be easy to solder a new one in place.

A good photo of the inside of the nut and one of the bit it attaches to would be good so we can properly identify the type of fitting.

[JustinT]

I've had a close look at the pipe, and yes, the banjo and the nozzle are both soldered on. There is an actual nozzle inside the nut. I think this is too tricky for me and have asked an engine place nearby to look at it. The pipe is steel, not copper.

[jamhass]

By the way, repairing this part is not a "marine" or diesel specialty. Any decent auto mechanic, including a good shade-tree mechanic can do this or walk you through it for the price of a pint or two.

[JustinT]

Originally Posted by jamhass

By the way, repairing this part is not a "marine" or diesel specialty. Any decent auto mechanic, including a good shade-tree mechanic can do this or walk you through it for the price of a pint or two.

Yeah, thanks. There is an engine place not too far away. As I have the parts, and most of the pipe, but for the squashed bit, I hope they'll be reasonable.

[JustinT]

I did a dry run of re-fitting the head today.

There is a collar on the rods front and back of the block:



When you place the gasket on it looks like this:



(the hole is too small in the gasket)

Please note: the pictures are from this video (not my engine!)

https://youtu.be/PmTjwYOAT-8?si=ioodIwTBCSP9Xhr3&t=251

But it is exactly like my engine. I guess it's right? I guess I just tighten up over it like he did in the video?

[Wotname]

FWIW, any half decent refrigeration tech, gas fitter and (some) plumbers could also make the pipe.

[skipperpete]

I’d be looking a little closer at whatever’s going on with that head stud and gasket conflict, have you tried all the possible ways that gasket will fit or entertained the possibility that the head stud is in the wrong location..... from your photos the other holes in the gasket look bigger. I’d need to think carefully before pulling that head down with that gasket sitting like that.