bertram31.com

I am putting the boat back in next week with the new 315 Yanmars. will be doing the testing early next week to check everything out. Can't wait has been awhile since I have been on the water. Question for you guys. What kind of spare parts should I get? any suggestions would be great

Thanks

Captain Bill McKinnon
Charleston SC

i carry extra belts, fuel filters, oil engine, tranny, coolent, hoses of different size, in case one blows, and lets not forget duct tape.

i recommend "gorilla" tape....duct tape on steroids.

Cummins had a parts kit all boxed up in a plastic small suitcase with spare impellers, gaskets, belt, filters, etc that you could buy. Perhps Yanmar might have a similar thing. A belt, set of filters, impeller, oil, tranny oil, coolant are musts, plus a decent set of on board tools and rags. I'd also suggest a flexible funnel. Walter

walter
you are correct yanmar does have a package

If you are traveling to a foreign port, make your living from the boat thus a fast turnaround is important and most important having a mechanic on standby to do the work or can do it yourself, a bunch of spare parts is a waste of money.

Primary fuel filters to me are the most important as you can't control the fuel you get but you can control the engine care.

Never has one of my regular maintenance boats ever had a breakdown where spare parts would have solved the problem. This is due to proper care and maintenance of said engines.

Most always when spare parts are offered to me as replacements they are well past their usefull life as in dry rotted or cracked rubber.

How many carry spare parts in their cars?

I find it kinda funny on those who carry spare oil and filters on board and are day trippers. Unless you get bored out fishing and decide to change the oil, whats the point?

If your impellers are more than a year old your using parts just as crappy as whats in the engine.

If your having to repalce broken belts then your pulleys are rusted, to tight, or your to cheap to replace them at regular intervals along with the impellers.

yanmar does have a package

So does most all marine engine makers and unless you use the parts within the year, every rubber part has been compromised. Its a money maker for the engine companies.


Pat ran one of my regulars boats 3 days a week for years and never had a breakdown. Water in the fuel don't count.
Its possible.

my son and i were out a ways when one engine quit. no spark. so i came in on one engine (a spare engine is the best spare part) and because i am not a mechanic it took a few hours of swapping parts from one engine to the other to determine it was the ignition module. so i go buy another.....actually i bought two. two years later im on the backside of gardiners island and when i try to start one engine wont........that "spare" module came in pretty handy and since i had done it before took about five minutes to install. now i have two more new ones on the boat. when i bought em i asked the parts guy how long they should last. he replied "anywhere from ten seconds to ten years".

On my gassers, I carry spare distributor parts (cap, rotor, sensor asbly), coil, couple of spare hoses, belts, fuel filter, hose clamps, fuses, duck tape. Looking into buying some rescue tape http://www.rescuetape.com/?gclid=CMmCgZ ... xgod3HiTTw.

Best spare part is "the other engine". I have saved a trip when one of the electrical components failed and I had the spare handy. 5 min fix even on the water. However, as a rule, I don't try to fix anything in the bilge when I'm 30 miles out... too much to deal with.

Did blow a head gasket as we came into port at West End, Bahamas. Call back to state-side for new gasket set which was flown in the next day. Was able to do a quickie fix to salvage the trip followed by thorough valve job after we returned.

As Bruce says, if you maintain them, then you shouldn't have a problem.

Bruce your right to a point,

For Diesels I'd carry fuel filters, few hose clamps of various sizes, belts and hoses and impellors, some oil and tranny fluid.

For gassers I would add distibutor cap, plugs, a few plugs wires, regulator (mine goes often for whatever reason) I keep a heat exchanger rubber end cap and some assorted items that most likey are not needed nor would I ever get around to checking on the water, but found there way in anyway.


I say to a point because:
- I have had new belts go for apparently no reason.

-I replaced my old rusted Heat exchanger end caps with new ones only to have them fail on more then one occasion.

-I can't recall having a bad plug since I went to NGK's but I used to and had fairly new plug wires go (Fairly New as changed in the beginning of the season new)

Impellor, I have never had to change when underway, but almost had to when I sucked a bag up into the intake.

Sr had to change on his diesel when he went across a tugs wash and the pump became airbound.

I carry an oil filter and lots of oil because the last owner used to have an issue with the the filters blowing out, never had an issue, and could remove from the boat, but I use the oil and filter everytime I do an oil change and replace the backup plus really would use the space for anythign else important anyway.

I used to carry spare push rods when the ethanol problem was around...and yes I did change them out on the water, although not recommended but it was better then going back to the dock and doing it, especially going back on one engine.

I remember hearing that about the impellars because I asked along time ago about having a spare. I was told they dry rot like Bruce said and they can separate from the core probably another result of dry rot. I just carry coolant and basic tools. I do have wood plugs for damage control but that is not maintenance I suppose. I am going to put my spare fuel filters on the boat although I have never had a problem with local fuel.
On several occasions thought about putting a spare prop on the boat along with some spare nuts and pins but the reality is with out a puller a prop swap underwater sucks even in calm chest deep water......forget it offshore when the boat is rollin. Deisels are nice cause you do not need all the ignition stuff. I often thought a spare fuel pump would be a good one to have since system is self priming and the pump looks easy to swap.

If you don't have a serpentine belt system, the removable link belts work well. Just buy it by the foot to match your longest belt.

Don't forget the JB weld......Done some pretty amazing "get home" repairs with that material in my dirt biking days.

With your engines being so new....you shouldn't need it, but you never know.

Gas engines are different and since the OP has diesels I didn't address the problem. But the plain fact still remains on a two engine boat the chances on a day trip of having both go down on a non fuel issue is slim to none on well maintained engines.

And with Pats rudders a 1 engine 31 is easy to drive. The last 31 I did with Yanmar 315's and Pats rudders got up on plane with one engine and steered fine.

A better investment is a sea tow membership and do the repairs at the dock.

Spare hose clamps are a given to some extent for repairing other problems.

Summer of 07 I was up doing some engine work on Island Girl. On sea trial a steering hose sprung a leak. With Tommy driving I used the non slotted part of a hose clamp to seal the leak till we docked and replaced the hoses.

Thats an example of a on site repair.

On all my boats over the years the only out to sea repair needed was a fuel pump gone bad. But it was my fault as it had given me clues it was going and I ignored them.


On any engine, but Yanmars specific I replace every hose clamp with the ABA type clamps as the factory ideal clamps fail on a regular basis. They are pure garbage.

Cover the weak points when new lowers the % of failures.

Spare parts for many reduces the incentive to do regular maintenance.

Spare parts for many reduces the incentive to do regular maintenance.

i like that saying