[Kraig Kilger]

I removed the condensation drains on both AC’s.  These are the check valve versions that close with a few lbs of pressure.  The drain on the engine with the offending oil sample was clogged and the AC was holding a small amount of fresh water (it has been a few weeks since I ran the boat and I presume there was more water at shut down).  The drain on the other AC worked fine.  I suspect that the AC has been holding water after each run for some time and that this may have caused a bit of aluminum surface corrosion on the inside of the housing, thus resulting in the odd oil sample results.  I cleaned the drains to remove debris, oil, etc… so they move freely and reinstalled.  Will test oil after 15-20 hours and see what we get.  Either way, it’s a good reminder that these valves can get junked up and stop working so occasional inspection and cleaning is prudent.  

[Kraig Kilger]

Tony – I removed the air filters to provide pics for both engines as requests (attached).  Port is the one we have been discussing.  

One data point I neglected to mention because the mechanic said it would not be related to the elevated aluminum readings is that I have recently experienced a small loss of coolant in this same engine when running.  As an example, on a recent 80+ nautical mile weekend the overflow bottle was down about an inch.  No evidence of a coolant leak on the engine or in the bilge that I can find.  I am going to have the system pressure tested.  HX is a possibility or perhaps a turbo-to-manifold gasket (??).  No coolant in the oil per test results.  Could these issues be related?  The timing of overlaps – coincidence?   

Assuming nothing else jumps out, it seems like I may be dealing with aluminum sluffing off of the AC casing.  If so, is this something that I can take care of in the ordinary course over then next 6-9 months while still using the boat given that the AC is not leaking (Na was zero), or would you put it at the top of the to-do list?  

Thank you as always!

[Kraig Kilger]

Hey Tony.

• I have owned the boat for almost 7 years.  Prior owner put almost 2000 hrs on the boat.  Rest of the hours are mine.
• GPH at 2000 rpm on this engine is mid-high 13 gph although I never cruise there.  I run around 2200.  At 2200 this engine burns under 17gph.  Typically in the mid/high 16’s depending on load and conditions.  At 80% throttle it is under 65% load.  The other engine (starboard) burns approx. 3% more.  Been that way since I bought the boat regardless of prop adjustments.     
• Mechanic removed aftercoolers, sent to a shop for disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly.  Reinstalled by mechanic.  I did not see them when they were off.  They were purchased new as preventative maintenance a little less than 5 years ago (one from your shop as I recall).  I was thinking this could be from housing corrosion inside the AC (mechanic doesn’t think so).
• FYI, I fresh water flush after each run.    

[Kraig Kilger]

Thank you.  Sourcing a new sensor was easy and inexpensive so I swapped it out.  Ran it a couple of times for about 30 minutes each with the new sensor and seems fine but will be on the boat for 3 days/nights this weekend so will find out for sure whether the sensor was the issue.  Given that when it shut down with the low oil pressure fault it had been running for well over an hour to me suggests that oil pressure is fine.  Of course, if the issue persists then a more in depth troubleshooting effort is warranted.  At that point, I will change the oil and filter, and test the old oil for fuel dilution, etc…  One step at a time.  Fingers crossed that the simplest answer is the correct one! 

[Kraig Kilger]

Big shout out to Tony! I ordered the fuel control actuator on Monday and they had it at my front door yesterday afternoon. Just installed it and ran the boat and it’s back to running as God had intended. Thank you!

[Kraig Kilger]

Tony – Thank you as always for your insights. I’ll place the order for the actuator. May I ask a few follow up questions:

– My QSC’s are 24 volt. Is the actuator voltage specific, and does the actuator I purchase depend on which model QSC I have?

– It looks like a very straightforward replacement (3 bolts and a wire harness). Do I need to worry about the fuel being under pressure when I remove it, and will I need to bleed the system after I install the new one?

– Your website pics reference that the bolts need to be torqued twice. I found something on line for a QSB actuator stating that the first torqueing is at 27 in/lbs, and the second torqueing is at 62 in/lbs. Is that correct for this unit?

[Kraig Kilger]

I installed 250w Wolverines low on the side of the oil pan of my QSC’s, and I used a Dremel with flap wheel sander to make quick work of the paint. If you have shore power there is no reason not do use these as they do a great job of keeping your ER dry and free of rust with relatively low power usage.

[Kraig Kilger]

Posted these last year when I did this. Hoses are fed to my cockpit bait tank which I fill with fresh water and a little dish soap. I close the seacocks and draw non-pressurized fresh water from the bait tank. When I see suds out the back I know I’ve got 100% fresh water in the system and I’m done.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Justin Riege, Corey Schmidt, Scotth

[Kraig Kilger]

I recently replaced my PSS as I noticed that one of the bellows was developing cracks. They were installed new only 3 1/2 years ago. I have had them on prior boats as well and this is the first time I have experienced this issue. My boat yard of choice said they have seen problems recently with the quality/durability of the bellows on the PSS units and suggested switching to Tides seals which I did. So far so good with the Tides, but it’s only been a few months. That being said, as noted above you can’t have surface imperfections where the the Tides seal (or any other lip seal system) meets the shaft which might be a concern in this case based on the picture that was posted. You did well to get almost 20 years out of them. If you stick with PSS, don’t rebuild anything at this point, just replace the units with new.

[Kraig Kilger]

Correct, you would cut each hose at an appropriate location and tap in. I ran a 3/4″ hose from each tee to a single 3-way ball valve that I mounted on a bulkhead in a location that was easy to reach. I then ran the third hose from the ball valve to a large cooler full of fresh water. Each engine would draw from the cooler when I selected that side from the valve. It does require closing of the seacocks to ensure a flush of solely fresh water and then reopening when finished.

[Kraig Kilger]

If those hoses are either 1.75″ or 2″, consider using the bronze hose tee fittings that Seaboard sells to tap into the hose after the seacock and before the raw water hose. I used these on my last boat and it worked well.

[Kraig Kilger]

Mike – 2008 Riviera 41 flybridge located in Dana Point.

[Kraig Kilger]

Thanks Tony. That let’s me relax a little. Props have been balanced and should be in good shape. Regarding the cooling side, I replaced my aftercoolers this spring (one purchased from your shop) as the originals were 10 years old and despite periodic service (including removal 2 years prior by my mechanic) they were starting to show the beginning signs of deterioration. Better safe than sorry. Coincidentally, I’m in the process of installing a fresh water flush system on the boat now. Should be up and running in a week or so.

[Kraig Kilger]

At the risk of being redundant, I wanted to follow up with a few more specifics regarding current performance as I try to assess next steps, if any, for my props. As a reminder, my question pertains to the extent of required adjustments given that my fuel burn at higher RPMs is well below target, but at my cruising RPM range of around 2200-2230ish, I am typically at around 70% load (+/-) and little over the stated fuel curve at least on my starboard motor (around ½ a GPH). In running the boat this weekend I captured a few additional data points to demonstrate the performance at high RPMs.

– First, both motors easily spin up to 2670+.

– At 2400 rpms, port burned 20.7 gph, and starboard burned 21.7 gph. Fuel curve benchmark is 22.6 gph.

– At 2600 rpms, port burned 24.9 gph at 85% load and 96% throttle, and starboard burned 26.1 gph at 90% load and 96% throttle. Fuel curve benchmark is 28.9 gph.

I know that this is the same question I posed in July, but based on this additional information is there any sense of whether further adjustment is warranted and if so how to approach this with the prop shop? I have no aversion to pulling the props again, but I don’t want to take more out of the props and further reduce performance if it is not warranted. If a “little more” is appropriate, how should I make the request to the prop shop (Wilmington Propellers) so they make the proper adjustment and don’t overdo it? I may have removed all of the pitch than can be removed at this point which may leave me with further reduction of diameter as my only option. I would, for obvious reason$$$$, prefer not to purchase a new set of props.

Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks again!

[Kraig Kilger]

Thanks for the response Rob. When the boat is fully loaded I’m either (i) fishing and therefore running 2 bait tanks (one in the cockpit and one in the transom) which adds about 1,000 lbs of weight, or (ii) towing a 12 foot rib with the outboard down which adds drag. Either way, I think the boat works a little harder to keep its rear end up on plane and burns a little more fuel.

Wilmington Propeller is the shop in our area that everyone seems to use and I understand they are knowledgeable (I’m sure Tony can weigh in if he has a different recommendation). You mention diameter. Yes, diameter was reduced by .75″ and I may not want to take more off. As for further reduction of pitch, I understand the Nibral has a “memory” and that there may only be so much that can be taken out reliably. It does seem like some cup would be helpful but I guess it depends on how much more pitch can be removed to compensate and still end up with a little less fuel burn.

As a threshold question, how far off of target am I now? Seems I may want to make a modest adjustment, but I’m just not sure how to approach it at this point.

Thanks!

[Author]

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