Engine spares for remote cruising.

[hpeer]

I am looking to build a list of engine spares, enough to get somewhere with facilities. I am cruising the Eastern Carib and find that Yanmar parts are not widely available. St Martin has a good supplier but elsewhere you are looking at importation from SMX or Miami. Besides expense there is the time. Even in Antigua my mechanic had me bring parts from SMX to do a heat exchanger flush. That surprised me, I expected him to source those parts, but no. And he is a good well respected mechanic.

So I was curious what others would recommend as a good “get home” spare parts kit.

Starter
Alternator
“Start” and “Stop” solenoids
Fuel filters galore

A Fuel Injector Pump seems a bit excessive.

There are various formed hoses that should one leak would he a problem to source.

What would you carry in general?
What would you carry for a Yanmar 4JH series motor?

[Dockhead]

I faced this getting ready for our trip to the Arctic a few years ago. We also have a Yannie 4JH.

From memory:

Starter
Alternator
Complete set of belts and hoses including plenty of fuel hose

water pump">Raw water pump, complete


Fresh water pump, complete
Spare injectors and injector pipes
Ton of fuel and oil filters
Complete gasket set
Thermostat
Coolant cap & spare gasket
Gasket material and gasket compound

You might consider an exhaust elbow.


Injection pump is overkill

[rslifkin]

My basic list of spares would be as follows:

• Impeller and pump gasket
• Supplies for at least 1 complete oil and filter change
• Coolant
• Trans fluid
• Starter (and solenoid if relevant)
• Stop solenoid
• Fuel filters
• Spare set of belts

Spares beyond that would depend on your mechanical skills, tools available, etc. There's only so much point in carrying spares you can't actually make use of without outside assistance compared to getting something shipped in (assuming the space can be used to carry a more useful spare part). If you're going somewhere that you can't get a part shipped to readily, then you may want to go further and start carrying spare raw water and coolant pumps, spare injectors, etc.

[Kettlewell]

You can never have too many spares, but I found it relatively easy to get starters and alternators rebuilt even in fairly remote areas. Of course, that could mean you still have to sail a few hundred miles to get someplace with repair facilities. Obvious stuff includes oil filters, fuel filters, oil, coolant, belts, impellors, all different sizes of hose clamps, Here's the thing someone once told me. Carrying lots of spares just means that something else will break that you don't have a spare for. I have found that to often be true, but luckily there is almost always another cruiser around with the right spare and/or the skill to come up with a jury rigged solution. Carry tons of tools--you almost can't carry too many. They will allow you to work with whatever you do have. For example, I had a fuel return line fitting crack, spraying hot diesel in a fine mist all over the place. I didn't have a replacement for the specific compression fitting, but I was able to clamp the part together using a very small vice grip. That jury rig kept me going all the way from the Bahamas back to New England where I could order the part. Similarly, I've used silicone tape to heavily wrap leaking hoses and fittings, including a leaking fuel pump complete with a small hose clamp holding it in place. Carry various sizes of hose and various PVC elbows and you can almost always make some replacement hose, even for the molded ones. Auto parts stores also carry molded radiator hoses, and you can often find one that will work if the store will let you hunt around.

[mvweebles]

Belts and hose clamps
Specially formed coolant hoses
Raw water pump (often not much more than rebuild kit)
Head gasket
Gasket material
Assortment of gasket cement
Copper crush gaskets for injectors
I carry a set of injectors but not sure that's needed
High pressure line set
Damper plate (recent add to my list)
Replace mixing elbow before you leave if it's more than about 5-years old

I've found starts and alternators are relatively easy to have rewound so carrying a full spare is a judgement call

Hope this helps.