bertram31.com

I'm still unable to find the leak in my system and am going to the flourescent dye route. I need to make a filler for the dye that will screw into the filler cap hole. Anyone know what thread that is? I have a plastic fitting with a vinyl hose that screws into the hole, but of course its on the boat. It looks like maybe a 3/8 NPT?

I'd like to make up a fitting separate from the one on the boat to keep from contaminating it with the dye.

Thanks Faithful.

UV

Vic- You're not using the red hydraulic fluid? Run your hand down the underside of the ram. If it comes back oily, put a paper towel underneath it in the bilge to verify. There's a small venting weep hole there you can only see with a mirror, and if your ram needs rebuilding, fluid passes the internal O rings and based on the angle you leave your rudders in, drips a little, drips a lot, or not at all. Drove me nuts for two seasons before I found it. Walter

Walter - I've been thru the paper towel deal and yep, I'm using the red. Can't find a spot of drip at the ram or at the helm pump, or the autopilot pump....got me stumped. The Prof. suggested the ultravilot route. I've done some online research and found an auto parts place that sells the flourescent fluid and a LED flashlight to lite it up. Probbly in the range of 30 bucks to get the light and 6 one oz. vials of fluid.

Not much of a leak, but drains down over 5 or 6 weeks to where the wheel just spins...takes about 3 or 4 oz to fill it up.

I also have a very minor oil leak in one of my ZF gears and am getting enough fluid to do it too.

UV

Did some Google work and the thread for the filler cap is 1/4" NPT. Make your own filler with a 1/4" NPT plastic fitting with a hose barb on the other end, some clear vinyl hose to fit the barb, and a small funnel on the end of the hose. Much better than the SeaStar filler kit that uses a nozzle cap that screws on the stock quart fluid bottle.

Great to be retired so I can find neat crap on the internet.

UV

Another thing I found handy is to add a small valve just behind the 1/4" fitting so that you can control how much of a mess you might need to clean up. Don't ask me how I know...

Damn good idea....I'ze knows hows you'ze knows.....

Got a couple of little 1/4" valves in the junk box right over there in that pile....

UV

Patrick thats a great idea!! I know why also.

I strongly suspect that everyone who's topped off a Sea Star helm knows exactly the drill...

UV,

If you can't see the red fluid, how you gonna see where the dye IN the red fluid is?

I very seldom used dye in refrigerant systems cause where theres a leak, there will be oil. If I can't find the oil how am I ever gonna find the oil with the dye in it.

All that oil has to be accumulating somewhere.

Following the lines. About the only place you won't be able to see them is down the pilaster and if they are run on the outside stb stringer to the stern.

ya in refrigeration i have tried die once on a little cooler to try and find leak, didnt work And i have spent many hours replacing TXVs and other parts were people have put die and stop leak in systems, I am of the opinion the stuff dont work.. snake oil like Bruce said theres gonna be oil were the leak is. you maybe could try and pressure the system up with like nitrogen or something, but i dont konw what kinda pressure those seals can handle

Roger that Bruce. Ole UV's eyes ain't too good and the red stuff has not replaced the clear oil yet. I'm hoping that I can see the glow from the dye at night and find the leak. I'm starting to suspect a union leaking in the 3/8 nylon hose behind the side panel, in the attic, or as you say, in the pilaster. Anyway, I'm gonna give the dye a shot I'm also gonna try it in the ZF gear where I'm losing a little 30W motor oil.

And if you have hi-hour mechanical Cummins 6BTAs like mine, oil in the bilge is sort of a way of life.....not as bad as a 2 stroke DD, but the crankcase vent hose puts a good bit in there. Keeps everything from rusting real well....

UV

Vic
How many hours does AJ have on her?

hb

She has about 2,500, so not really "high hour" as diesels go. I'm not positive about her hours for two reasons: (1) I changed out the tachs which included hour meters at about 1,000 hours, but forgot to write the exact hours down, and (2) have had both ignition switches go bad over the years with the ignitions being "on" for up to a few weeks, thus running the hour meters.

The engines (6BTA 250s) were built in November, 1989 and installed new in 1991. They had just a few hundred hours when I became her steward in the early 90s. They have been virtually flawless, best motors I've ever had, bar none. The weak point was the Sherwood raw water pumps and that problem was solved by rebuilding them with Tony Athen's aftermarket internals. The 6BTAs up to and including the 270s use the 15000 series pump and the higher hp ones use the 17000 - Tony makes a whole aftermarket pump replacement for the 17000, but not for the 15000, just the cam, wear plate, and impeller last time I looked.

The crankcase vent is just a half inch heater hose that goes down the port side of the engine and spits into the bilge. A quart oil bottle stuck under the end of the hose is effective, but not as good as Tony's CCV system, but I've stuck with the puke bottle. Mine unse virtually zero oil (Shell rotella-T 15W40) between changes up to about 100-125 hours, then begin to use some after that. The manual says the engines have a 250 hour oil change interval, but I've always changed at about 100 or so.

UV