Another milestone

[Navatech]

I achieved another milestone today. Primed the engines and they started up real easy (after a 4 year hiatus). No smoke or leaks of any kind. Two gauges don't function. Burned out resistors. Easy peasy to fix IF I can lay my hands on two 2.7K ohm (5 watt) resistors here In PR.

Gears engage and disengage smoothly (forward and reverse).

Warmed up the engines. Had them all the way up to WOT (no load) at 2.6K RPM.

Taking her out for a sea trial tomorrow.

AC's are ice cold and staying on the boat is no hardship. Just need to work out some small gremlins. For example, why do the ER blowers keep running even after I switch them off (I suspect the switch is stuck in the closed position). Right now the only way to turn them off is to flip the FB main breaker. That works. Short term.

Last two major projects (for now) are getting the new generator installed and getting the fresh water system operational.

[Tony Meola]

Nav

I have trouble keeping up with you. I thought the boat was over seas. It is in Puerto Rico?

[Navatech]

i have trouble keeping up with you.

You're not the only one with that problem... <grin>

I thought the boat was over seas.

It is literally "over seas" for me... Regardless of whether I'm in FL or Israel...

It is in Puerto Rico?

Yep... In Fajardo (northeast side of the island)... That's where I bought her (government auction)...

[Navatech]

Sea trial was NOT a success... Engines wouldn't go above 1,800 RPM (16 knots), lots of black smoke... Air coolers may be clogged up, turbos may need work, injectors may need work or, a combination of the above...

I'm not a happy camper but it could be worse...

P.S. Wheels were done when she was out of the water and the hull should be clean enough after only 3 months in the water... Boat is also lightly loaded with half water and less then half fuel...

[Tony Meola]

Nav

Bottom may not be as clean as you think. The running gear might have a lot of growth. For some reason those little suckers love metal.

I had to pull the boat once after 3 weeks of laying idle. Took 45 minutes to clean the props off.

[mike ohlstein]

the hull should be clean enough after only 3 months in the water...

Three months idle in warm water?

Definitely a jungle on the bottom. Pull it and clean it.

[Navatech]

My son dove under the boat and even took some pics... It's not smooth but it's far from being a jungle... In any case, it's not enough to knock 500 RPM off my top end...

[Carl]

Start simple and work you way in.

Doesn't take so much growth to burden down a boat. Air Filters are quick...

[JP Dalik]

Detroits right?

Maybe go over all the hoses as well. A few loose air hoses and you can loose allot of boost. Hope it's something simple

[Navatech]

Detroits right?

Yep... 8V92TI's...

Maybe go over all the hoses as well. A few loose air hoses and you can loose allot of boost. Hope it's something simple

These are TI's (Turbo Intercoolers)... There's only one air hose per bank... And it's not really so much a air hose as a connector between the turbo air side outlet and the inlet of the air intercooler... Think two pipes about 1/8-1-4 inch apart with a connecting sleeve... I didn't think that would be the issue but I thought Whiskey Tango Hotel, I'll start up the engines (they start up practically immediately, no noticeable cranking, touch the switch and they go rumbling) and see if there's any air escaping from those connections...

There wasn't... HOWEVER, while doing that I suddenly realized that one of the K&N conical air filters was sucked out of shape... It's now about 1/3 less of its original volume...

Mea culpa: I now realize that I may have given the impression that both engines smoked... The truth is that only the port engine was belching thick black smoke... The starboard engine was producing only very little smoke... The sort of smoke you'd expect from a well used DD... If both engines produced smoke like that I'd be reasonably happy... That leaves the issue of neither engine going past 1800 RPM... I'm now thinking that possibly the OEM Glendinning synchronizer (which I believed to be inoperable) may be functioning after all...

Managed to find somebody who has 2 used sets of Walker Airseps for sale... Should get them later this coming week... I'll install them and fill the tanks with new diesel (the current fuel has been on the boat for several years) and take her out for a second sea trial... We'll see whether engine breathing has improved and whether the synchronizer is operable...

[Kevin]

Nav,
You may want to inspect your fuel filters for algae while your going through things. I let my boat sit for a few months and the filter bowls looked like they had coffee grinds in them. Started using Stanadynes fuel additive and never had that problem again.

[Navatech]

Nav,
You may want to inspect your fuel filters for algae while your going through things. I let my boat sit for a few months and the filter bowls looked like they had coffee grinds in them. Started using Stanadynes fuel additive and never had that problem again.

Thanks for the tip... However, I have RCI filters installed as pre-filters to the venerable Racor 900's... The Racor's have 10 micron filters in them... However, the RCI's catch the vast majority of the crud... I also have a T valve plus a check valve upstream from a second T connection on the return line of each engine... There's a small 12 volt pump between the T's... This allows me to polish the fuel with the RCI's...