Testing Yanmar diesel on the hard?

[sailingchiro]

Could you hand crank your engine with wrench on crankshaft to make sure it isn't hydrolocked or needs to be broke free.

[Moody46CC]

While A64Pilot has good advice, I have a 4JH2-TE in my boat and like one or two others have said, 5 gallons is likely not enough. When I winterize mine, it takes 3 gallons just to see some pink running out the exhaust. A $14 plastic yard trash can at a place like Lowe's, which is maybe 35 gallons, would do the trick. Something like that, but you will suck out 5 gallons faster than you'd think. Or, be sure you are standing by your 5 gallon bucket with a garden hose running.

[Hoodsail]

When I winterize my westerbeke w30 I do as you propose, put the raw water intake hose in a 5 gal bucket. Would suggest you prime the hose and then quickly insert into bucket of water. My 30hp goes thru 5 gal in about 1 minute at 1100 rpm, so would have a person at the helm and one down below refilling bucket.
Roverhi - good to know I could run my diesel for a while w/o raw water before over heating.
Sorry to hear of your weather mishap, hope all turns out well.

[Rdubs]

Thank you all very much for the input. Some great ideas. Never thought about using the on-board fresh water to supply the motor suction water - what a great idea. The hard has zero electricity and water so no way to run a hose.

The yard just got the boat set upright today so it's back level and on stands. Hope the side the boat was lying on for months still has its shape and isn't deformed. But now I can actually get the boat ready for the trip. By the way it cost me $4,600 to have the crane get it upright ($100/foot; that's negotiated down from $150/foot).

The thing I'm trying to figure out now is, to access the engine and set up the hose/bucket I need to raise up the companionway step door. But then I have no way to climb up into the cockpit to start/turn off the engine. Maybe I'll just try to set it up below then climb up and run it for only 30 seconds to be safe since wouldn't be able to check the water level in the bucket.

I like the idea of running a garden hose (probably from the sink faucet into the strainer but I doubt it could keep up with how much water the engine would use.

[Rdubs]

Originally Posted by sailingchiro

Could you hand crank your engine with wrench on crankshaft to make sure it isn't hydrolocked or needs to be broke free.

Brilliant. Was trying to figure out how to test for hydrolock without taking out the injectors and such.
Plan A was to pull the dipstick and check the oil - if there is only oil up to the normal level, I imagine that means the chances of hydrolock would be low.

[drapem1]

If easier to access your engine sea strainer, instead of disconnecting pick up hose, have a fresh water hose with adjustable nozzle and keep water filled in strainer while running engine. This is a two person job usually as you’ll want someone at the engine controls while you are keeping water going in strainer. If all runs ok and water is moving through and out exhaust, consider replacing the impeller (along with all other fluids service) since its been dry and still for five months.

[StoneCrab]

If you want to do more than just start it, I'd use much more than a 5 gallon pail. I did this with my engine and used a plastic 55 gallon drum. It went through the water pretty quickly.

If you want to be conservative about engine damage from sitting and the storm, I would change the oil and filter before startup and then pull the injectors to inspect them for corrosion. Change your fuel filter while you're in there and while all the injectors are out, put a few drops of oil in each cylinder and spin the engine to spread the oil. Reinstall the injectors with new copper crush gaskets, bleed the fuel system if necessary and then fire it up on the drum water cooling.

If you did all of that, it should fire right up. The oil in the cylinder gives you good compression and prevents the damage from trying a dry start (which rarely works). Don't forget to check your transmission oil. At that angle, the oil may have escaped out a breather hole.

Best of luck.

[doublewide]

Run a garden hose to the engine room. Unscrew the cap from the seawater strainer. Start engine while keeping strainer full with hose.

[NYSail]

Get a larger bucket and have a hose feeding it as you run engine. You’ll be fine. I winterize my engine on stands every year and run fresh water through the system for at least half and hour. Also by putting it in gear for a moment won’t hurt the cutlas but if you have a sail drive it’s a different setup. I would let the boat sit in it’s natural position to regain hull shape. Look at all interior raving on bulkheads and grid in bilge.

Good luck!

[Boatwright]

Keep it simple:

Follow suggestions to make sure you don't have water in the cylinders. Change the oil looking for water in the crankcase and saildrive transmission. Check for water in your fuel tank.

Remove raw water impeller so you don't run it dry and overheat the rubber. Fire it up and run it for a minute.

Assuming all goes well, launch her and give all systems a good test before you head for Fla. Perhaps it would be a good idea to cross the Gulfstream partnered with another boat?

We have been winter visitors to the Abacos for many years and are saddened by the tragedies suffered. How is the recovery going? I heard that Maxwells managed to reopen last month, but that rebuilding is very slow. Good luck.

[Rdubs]

Again everyone thank you SO much for the input.

I'm nervous about removing the injectors to spin the engine to test for hydrolock, mainly because given where the boat is there is zero support if something goes wrong reinstalling the injectors. I've worked on engines a bunch but never pulled injectors. So is there another way to test for hydrolock without pulling the injectors? What about rotating the crankshaft with a wrench? Would there be too much compression without the injectors removed to actually get it to rotate during the compression stroke? I'd think the air would bleed slowly past the piston rings and make it easier to turn but not sure.

[NYSail]

As was stated, change the oil and see if there is any water.... it will be very obvious.

Good Luck.

Greg

[Rdubs]

Greg thank you, checking the oil will be the #1 thing I do. If the oil looks normal and the level is right about where it should be, is that a good indicator that there is no water up above in the pistons? Or it is possible that water came in through the exhaust and is in the compression space but the o-rings are preventing any water from leaking into the crankcase?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Rdubs

Again everyone thank you SO much for the input.

I'm nervous about removing the injectors to spin the engine to test for hydrolock, mainly because given where the boat is there is zero support if something goes wrong reinstalling the injectors. I've worked on engines a bunch but never pulled injectors. So is there another way to test for hydrolock without pulling the injectors? What about rotating the crankshaft with a wrench? Would there be too much compression without the injectors removed to actually get it to rotate during the compression stroke? I'd think the air would bleed slowly past the piston rings and make it easier to turn but not sure.

No, your right it will work, the air will slowly bleed by.
If you get even just a tiny amount of movement it means your rings are not rusted to the cylinders and that means almost certainly that you don’t have a cylinder with water in it, cause if you did and it sat for months, then almost certainly it’s rusted seized.
I concur with not doing much tear down as if you break anything, your stuck most likely.
Correct oil level will pretty much rule out any water in the pan as any water will of course raise oil level.
I would take a breaker bar and socket and turn the crank just a little, then bump it with the starter.

When are you going down, when will you be there? I ask as I will be in the area starting tomorrow and I am decently supplied with hand tools, no special machining tools or anything but most any hand tools you can think of.
I also have a Honda to charge your bank if you don’t have shore power.

[Boatwright]

You do not have to remove the injectors. Yanmars have compression release levers that work by opening the exhaust valves. Look for L-shaped levers with a small hole in the end. These go over-center and should stay in the open position on their own. On one of our old Yanmars one of the levers wouldn't stay open -- I used the hole to tie it open with safety wire. You also should have a hand crank in your tool kit that fits into a socket in the center of the flywheel.

In addition to removing any water that may be in the cylinders, it is also a good idea, considering your situation to give the engine a good spin with compression released to prime your oil pump, fuel pumps, and get some oil into the bearings before you attempt a start.

It looks like you are on your own with Marsh Harbor depopulated. Have you tried DND Marine Service on Man o War Cay? They are a Yanmar dealer.