New Diesel Engine owner (sorry, it's a yanmar)

[Gary Marshall]

I just wanted to greet everyone.

I just bought my first Diesel. An Albin 28 2005 model flush deck powered with a 315 yanmar. I wish I could have gotten a cummins B series, but that just isn’t available in the flush deck design I wanted.

That said, I will be reading and researching as much as possible to keep this engine working well for as long as possible. It is the original engine, and had about 900 hours on it. It was in fresh water most of its life, and then it moved to Florida for a couple of years where it was flushed with fresh water after use.

Now….it is working commercially as a fishing boat, 10 – 12 hours per day, 6 – 7 days per week, going between idle and 7 knots, 98% of the time.

There are any boat projects on the go, as I learn the vessel, but one of the first is to reduce the pitch of the prop as I am just getting about 3600 rpm at WOT. I did get 3700 rpms measured on the tach when I sea trialed the boat, and the engine survey done the year in front showed the true rpms seemed about 150 more than the boat tach. Either way, the boat needs to be propped for its current sea conditions and additional weight with coolers and ice, etc.. I think a 2″ pitch drop should do it.

Additionally, looking at changing from the Racor 900 series fuel filter to one of the recommended multi filtrations setup from SBMAR. I don’t have any issues now, but want to prevent them down the road as will probably do 2500+ hours per year.

Topic

[Tony Athens]

You do realize that your “ALBIN” boat builder exhaust design is letting seawater back in to the turbo, correct?…………………………………………Not much else to say other than it needs to be de-designed……Until that is done, everything else means zero in my book.. Ask Cummins or Yanmar–They’ll tell you the same ….There is no if’s or maybe’s here.. It’s IPPSO FACTO………………………………………………………………….. RAW WATER and turbo’s do not mix..

Tony

[Gary Marshall]

Putting non engine relating posts over at albinowners.com

Everything AlbinTournament Express 26-35\Modifications to Wine Down

http://www.albinowners.com/aog/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10690

[Gary Marshall]

yanmar buzzer

In a previous post I noted that what I thought was a yanmar buzzer was no longer working. turns out, after I checked it out, it was not a $200 yanmar buzzer, but rather, a <$10 buzzer which I can get off of Amazon. I couldn’t find a 12 volt piezo buzzer locally so I ordered the 12 volt version from Amazon. I did note that a 24 volt version was what was installed.

[Gary Marshall]

More pics of turbo

These are from when I was removing the old elbow before Christmas.

Hardest part was probably removing the exhaust hose from the old mixer…..used a lot of screw drivers, and a lot of corrosion block spray (which was to hand)…
we used soapy water to reinstall the hose on the new mixer elbow.

[Gary Marshall]

Exhaust

We replaced the exhaust with a stainless steel dry elbow and mixing elbow. The replacements ended up being from HDI Marine as they provided the gaskets, and new bolts, as well as the heat blanket. I reused a bracket that was in good shape to bold the dry elbow onto the turbine.

I tried to get good pics, but it really isn’t too easy, due to the access.

[Gary Marshall]

burst coolant hose

The one issue I had when test running the boat on Thursday after launch is after running the boat at WOT to check the rpms, a very small hose which is attached to the coolant tank burst. I would imagine this is just due to age. It was an easy fix. Thankfully it was spraying coolant onto the hot engine, so the smell quickly alarmed us that something was up.

The 5/16 heater hose I replaced it with, seemed to be of a sturdier build.

[Gary Marshall]

Adjusting valves

My mechanic cousin came and adjusted the intake and exhaust valves. All of them were too tight, and he had to open them up slightly to the midpoints of the recommended clearances – 20mm and 40mm I believe.

The engine is running nice and quiet now.

He basically ended up loosening all of them, and tightened them as I rotated the flywheel, as they came into view. (I forget the jargon he used)

The only trouble was that I had ordered a toyota gasket, but yanmar seems to have modified the cover slightly by putting in 2 more bolts from the original toyota landcruiser engine, so we had to reuse the old gasket. I have got a new gasket in the mean time in case it leaks. FYI, the toyota gasket cost me USD $25, a yanmar gasket costs USD $80 in the US, but locally in Barbados from the yanmar agent cost me USD $230.
Hence why I try to get Toyota parts where possible.

[Gary Marshall]

engine temp

The acid wash with sulphonic acid seems to have worked well. That, and changing the impeller. The engine used to run at 180F maximum before, and now it is running a little cooler. The gauge looks to be about 170F.

I actually have a heat gun, but am not sure where to point it! Am happy to give it a try, if I can get a pointer on that.

[Gary Marshall]

propeller

I changed the prop from an 18×18 to an 18×17 (which was a 19″ prop I had repitched)

I now get 3920 rpms at full throttle measured with a strobe tachometer, with a full load of fuel.

I may still get the old prop repitched to a 16″, as the boat will lose rpms in time with build up of algae.

Used a home made prop puller consisting of 4 threaded rods, and 3 steel plates. 2 of the plates had in a “U” channelled in them to fit in front of the prop, in reverse directions over the shaft.

[Gary Marshall]

Boat launches and updates

I finally got the boat launched on Thursday.

[Gary Marshall]

“Water was Gushing !?!? You better move that to the top of the list! HURRY”

Since the boat is used daily….the seacock really is never shut off anyway. I also want to replace it properly with one I saw online which has a scoop pickup with fine holes rather than the “grate”. We have issues with seeds from the sargassum seaweed which get into the engine coolers and clog them up. Since I have a strainer that catches most of them, but still….

Will take some pics of the electronics install and post as you suggest.

I’ll get the buzzer online as you suggest. I did get one to use as a high water alarm which is working fine. Not sure if one would be available locally.

[Rob Schepis]

“Thanks! I had shut the seacock…but as it didn’t close all the way, it didn’t really matter as water still gushed out of it.”

Water was Gushing !?!? You better move that to the top of the list! HURRY

When you have a chance start a new topic regarding the electronics – autopilot, transducer, etc

As to the buzzer, you can’t just get a generic 12V piezo back there?

https://www.google.com/search?q=piezoelectric+buzzer&rlz=1C1LENP_enUS552US552&tbm=shop&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjH6OSKyZnYAhVlcd8KHbreCMgQ_AUICigB&biw=1745&bih=872&dpr=1.1

[Gary Marshall]

Rob Schepis wrote:

Oil galley “plug”…. I used the word plug in the photo description but forgot the word plug in the post… It is a PITA to deal with due to it’s location behind the inj pump.

An engine seacock that does not close all the way is actually perfect for freshwater flushing! But do put that high on the list for obvious safety reasons. The seacock is left open when using pressurized water to flush.

Thanks! I had shut the seacock…but as it didn’t close all the way, it didn’t really matter as water still gushed out of it.

It’s pretty nice to be able to have the boat alongside the house and do some work in it. I’m hoping to be able to get the major work (blister, timing belt change, exhaust elbow change, install autopilot, install transducer, fix bowthruster solenoid) out of the way…..and then still have some time for things like proper labeling of wires, and so on.

I have to get a new yanmar buzzer as well – it was working intermittnently, but now only the warning light comes on. Can’t believe a simple buzzer is US $200.

[Rob Schepis]

Oil galley “plug”…. I used the word plug in the photo description but forgot the word plug in the post… It is a PITA to deal with due to it’s location behind the inj pump.

An engine seacock that does not close all the way is actually perfect for freshwater flushing! But do put that high on the list for obvious safety reasons. The seacock is left open when using pressurized water to flush.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Gary Marshall

[Gary Marshall]

Rob Schepis wrote:

I’ve been around Albin boats over ten years and I only know of one other 28 that had blisters and interestingly enough it was a 2005 model.

That’s a lot of rust behind that pump. There is an oil galley right there behind the inj pump that is known to rust out so just an FYI if you start seeing any signs of oil in the engine room..

I see what looks like a freshwater flush attachment on your strainer. Do you or will you use it? I know you’re on a mooring but set it up to use the onboard fresh water tank?

hmmm….an oil galley rusting out…..that seems like that would be a pretty major repair!!! For now, I just cleaned up the area and sprayed with corrosion block. Will reinspect next time I have to pull the pump. May then degrease and spray with a zinc coating or similar.

I just use the freshwater flush attachment when I am hauled up. i.e. this will be the second time I am using it. The previous owner used it religiously when he returned to the dock. As the boat is at a mooring, and is used on a daily basis (longest time it sat unused was maybe 2 days), I am hoping it won’t have too much issues as a result. If it was just me using it on a weekend, I would do as you suggest with using the freshwater tank, or even just a 5 gallon bucket. My seacock does not completely shut off either….so the engine will still suck seawater. Will have that on the list to change next year.

Hey – when I am using the freshwater flush…..should the seacock be open or closed? Felt weird having it closed, and the hose on….but am thinking the water would be held back by the impeller….until the engine was started.

[Rob Schepis]

I’ve been around Albin boats over ten years and I only know of one other 28 that had blisters and interestingly enough it was a 2005 model.

That’s a lot of rust behind that pump. There is an oil galley right there behind the inj pump that is known to rust out so just an FYI if you start seeing any signs of oil in the engine room..

I see what looks like a freshwater flush attachment on your strainer. Do you or will you use it? I know you’re on a mooring but set it up to use the onboard fresh water tank?

[Gary Marshall]

Cleaning raw water lines/ coolers

I did the acid flush today. Attached one 1.5″ hose to the outlet just above the freshwater cooler, by disconnecting the hose going to the (currently removed) mixing elbow. Attached the other one to the fuel cooler (which is just after the seawater pump). I used a small Rule bilge pump, a 6″ piece of garden hose, and an adapter to go from 3/4″ to 1.5″.

I used sulphonic/sulfonic/sulphamic acid, which is specified for heat exchangers and boilers, and supposedly will clean the crud without harming gaskets. I mixed the solid acid powder in two 5 gallon buckets with hot water. I used one for an hour, and then the other one for another hour. Then I flushed the system out with the garden hose.

Pic 1 – Using a glove as a strainer on the exit hose
Pic 2 – Exit hose attached to elbow coming off of freshwater cooler
Pic 3 – Entrance hose attached to bottom of fuel cooler (bypassing the seawater pump)
Pic 4 – Showing the system in action
Pic 5 – Flushing with freshwater after 2 hours of acid cleaning

[Gary Marshall]

Water Pump

Got 2 new bolts to put the water pump back on with. Couldn’t get stainless steel unfortunately, but hopefully the grease will keep them ok. Realized there was quite a build up of rust behind where the water pump assembly goes. See the attached pic.

Between me and my boat captain, we got the assembly back on. The trick seems to be in rotating it slightly in position, so the gears mesh, and then one person holds it in position, and the other transforms into a monkey to put the 2 bolts back in.

[Gary Marshall]

Cleaning Alternator

The old v-belts were letting go some black dust and the alternator seemed a bit dirty. Is this something I should be removing and cleaning? Some others were saying that it should be washed out with fresh water? (sorry, no pic of the alternator)

[Gary Marshall]

I might have to reuse the old bracket which bolts the dry elbow onto the turbo. The replacement I ordered doesn’t seem to fit. My bad! The old bracket seems ok, just that I can’t get the bolt off, connecting it to the old dry elbow.

[Author]

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