Leaving The Boat For 6 Months

[theway]

Engine fired right up as if I never left. 3 days short of being gone a year and 6 months.

I checked the diesel that was still in the tank (~4gal) then just turned it over with a little bit of throttle and it cranked. (Not sure I even needed the throttle) No smoke at all. It's a 1997 Yanmar 3gm30 if I remember correctly.

I ran it for about 5 mins to warm up the oil, next stop west marine for some 15w-40.

Thanks again for the advice and input.

[susanna reiter]

Originally Posted by theway

Engine fired right up as if I never left. 3 days short of being gone a year and 6 months.

I checked the diesel that was still in the tank (~4gal) then just turned it over with a little bit of throttle and it cranked. (Not sure I even needed the throttle) No smoke at all. It's a 1997 Yanmar 3gm30 if I remember correctly.

I ran it for about 5 mins to warm up the oil, next stop west marine for some 15w-40.

Thanks again for the advice and input.

I don't want to burst your bubble here but short runs w/o difficulty is just an inducement to disaster. Old diesel left sitting in a tank grows junk and it drifts to the bottom of the tank..
Once your under way awhile it very often starts to slosh around and gets in your fuel line
This spells disaster! Get rid of the old fuel and polish your fuel tank. You'll be glad you did.
Believe me.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by susanna reiter

I don't want to burst your bubble here but short runs w/o difficulty is just an inducement to disaster. Old diesel left sitting in a tank grows junk and it drifts to the bottom of the tank..
Once your under way awhile it very often starts to slosh around and gets in your fuel line
This spells disaster! Get rid of the old fuel and polish your fuel tank. You'll be glad you did.
Believe me.

Definately polish the fuel. No harm in doing it and could save you much trouble. No need to dump it, but polishing after long-term storage is a good idea. I shock treat mine w/ BioBor before storage.

[theway]

Yup, I'm already seeing problems when I let it run after changing the oil. I will clean the tanks and change what I believe to be (now) clog filters. I already pumped out the old fuel, I don't think I'll use it even though it looks clean.

I also jumped in the water and started cleaning the prop and shaft. I think it's clean enough to get to the boat yard for a haul out, but still has some mussel shell stains and residue on it.

[theway]

Well I got the tanks cleaned and changed the racor filter. But the engine still won't start. I've bled the primary screw until the bubbles were gone and cracked open the injectors but nothing.

How much fuel should I see coming out of the injectors and how far do I need to unscrew them? I'm not seeing enough to convince me that fuel is reaching the injectors sufficiently. I read something about decompression levers and I'm guessing it's the three levers above the injectors. I tried that but still nothing.

Any ideas for the 3gm30?

Is there a secondary bleed screw, I saw a little but about this but can find the exact position.

And yes there is fuel... I can see it spurt out the bleed screw when open, and yes the engine cut off is in the run position

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by RyanC

I second Napa. You'll probably save money on their storage fees even w/ the haul compared to what you'll pay in the Bay. Else find a place up in the Delta; cheaper, less wind and fresh water, though greater likelihood of freezing temps.

Knowing my boat is on the hard until March across the country in North Carolina is much less stress on me if she was in the water.

Entrance to the Napa Valley Marina (some miles south of Napa) at near high tide:

[theway]

I got the engine started. I think it was the secondary bleed screw that needed opening. It's in the worst spot on my setup but I got to it with a 10mm. Part of the problem could ave been that the engine cut off lever (on the engine) wasn't returning to the on position.