Yanmar- near disasters

[hellosailor]

Ryan, what you can get away with depends on what you've got, and the only real way to evaluate that is to look/test inside. You can pull the head to examine the cylinders and do a leak-down test, or buy (rent? borrow?) a borescope to look inside them after you pull the injectors, and so on.

Or, ask around and try to find a respected local diesel machanic and pay him to come out and look at it. If he says "first, I'll have to take off the head" you might be able to do some of the prep for him, to save some of the price. Depends on who you get and what they're willing to do with you.

Diesels can almost always be rebuilt--if there's just routine wear, if there are parts available, and IF the local labor rates are right. Last summer my friend needed to rebuild a head and have injectors serviced, and the local quotes were all sky high. It was half the cost to ship it out UPS (to an authorized shop in a lower-rent state) including the UPS charges, and he got lucky because UPS "ground" also promised next day delivery, more than 200 miles away. The same shipping charge/time that it would have taken to send it out locally! (But at twice the price--that wasn't going to happen. 10%, 20%, maybe, but not twice the price.)

[Chief Engineer]

Stuck fuel rack...is the first thing I would think of...Engine runaway due to lube oil is possible, but you would have seen a lot of "oil" smoke (blue).
2 cycle Detroits can do this easily due to failed seals. I have seen two "take off" in a Tugboat Maintenance Shop I worked in........scary......thank god we were prepared to shut off the air supply.

[Alan Wheeler]

but you would have seen a lot of "oil" smoke (blue).

Not always. I have had one that burn't lube oil and it was black/brown colour and enough smoke to hide a convoy in. The engine will make a hammering noise when it happens.

[High Cotton]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Two possibles. You have had engine sump oil make it's way into the intake and the engine has tried to run on engine oil. This can be due to a badly worn engine or stuck rings that have maybe corroded to the piston due to salt water getting back into the engine cylinder. That may have been why the starter could nto turn the engine over.
The other possible is the injector pump. But that will not be related to the starter not turning the engine. Plus they tend to allow an engine to "runaway" picking up revs till you think the thing will explode. Umm, and they can just about. They can do a lot of internal damage.

I agree with you, Allen...........
I've been next to a 1500KW generator when it "ran-away" sucking up the oil and breaking the RPM needle off the gauge, fortunetly I had a DETROIT DIESEL mechanic in the room, cutting off the fuel, "ESTOP" didn't work, which normally cuts off air supply, but in this case the pressure actually collapsed the gasket in the air-box so it allowed the engine to breath, which is the only thing to do before it blows (the TURBOS finally exploded and shut down the engine).......
BIG-TIME repair bill!............

and I REALLY did not like being next to that monster while it rev'd up 2000rpm OVER redline............ ....after that, I left for HAPPY HOUR!

[Dnewl57]

If you pull out the old engine, is there room for a taller/larger one? What's the cost versus hanging an outboard on the stern?