Delayed 19th - 27th July 2011
Well after a truly lovely first leg we anchored outside the Marina at Scarborough for a nights rest before heading up to Fraser island. Next morning spent on deck doing little jobs and getting used to everything. Wind picked up perfectly but unfortunately the engine didn't. Neil went through everything methodically and I helped by scouring the forums and engine manuals looking for extra clues. We narrowed it down to the fuel injector pump - a mysterious beastie that if broken can not be repaired by mere cruising mortals. It was broken. I blogged the checklist (Part 1) of how we found out it was broken if anyone is interested... So we needed a tow in, and lucky we had signed up to Coast Guard Rescue!
Long story short they towed us in the next day when it was blowing an absolute hooley and we spent the next week immobile whilst the Diesel Injection specialists did their stuff refurbishing the injector pump. We had the 4 injectors overhauled at the same time for good measure and so now they, along with the almost new pump are all set for the next 20+ years. They better be, the dent in our cruising budget was humongous.
Prop is covered in weed from the Manly stay but we've no incentive to swim, sea temperature is 16C. Brrrrrrrrr
Showing posts with label diesel engine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diesel engine. Show all posts
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Fuel System diagnostic checks we did on our Perkins 4.236 diesel engine - Part I
When it won't fire up here's the drill.
Check the stop valve (engine cut-off) is in the off position and open the throttle to full.
Check the fuel supply in the tank - like have you got any and is it clean?
Before we go pulling everything apart, check the belt is turning the Fuel Injector Pump (IP).
Use the electric pump to check the input to and output from the primary filter is clean and air-free by disconnecting & reconnecting each point.
Working along the fuel line, switch to manual pump and push through to the secondary filter and again check in and out is clean and air-free.
Now we're at the IP.
Disconnect supply at entrance and check as above to ensure it is not blocked.
Bleed (loosen them open until they drip) IP at the valves and let them run to ensure clean fuel. This is the Low Pressure section of the IP.
Crack (same as bleeding, different name..) the injector nuts -fuel should run clean and air free. This is from the High Pressure area of the IP.
Check the internal "spline" is turning (ie able to create the pressure) by removing the plate cover and watching as you turn the engine over.
Try turn it over again and if still no good then you will need to return at another time for Part II. Good luck and please keep us posted on the outcome! As for us, we're stuck at the injector nuts as no fuel is coming through. Good news is the spline does turn.
Coast Guard are towing us into the Marina where we'll get a professional second opinion and probably end up having the IP bench tested. We suspect the stop valve mechanism inside the IP has failed somehow.
We'll keep you posted.
Check the stop valve (engine cut-off) is in the off position and open the throttle to full.
Check the fuel supply in the tank - like have you got any and is it clean?
Before we go pulling everything apart, check the belt is turning the Fuel Injector Pump (IP).
Use the electric pump to check the input to and output from the primary filter is clean and air-free by disconnecting & reconnecting each point.
Working along the fuel line, switch to manual pump and push through to the secondary filter and again check in and out is clean and air-free.
Now we're at the IP.
Disconnect supply at entrance and check as above to ensure it is not blocked.
Bleed (loosen them open until they drip) IP at the valves and let them run to ensure clean fuel. This is the Low Pressure section of the IP.
Crack (same as bleeding, different name..) the injector nuts -fuel should run clean and air free. This is from the High Pressure area of the IP.
Check the internal "spline" is turning (ie able to create the pressure) by removing the plate cover and watching as you turn the engine over.
Try turn it over again and if still no good then you will need to return at another time for Part II. Good luck and please keep us posted on the outcome! As for us, we're stuck at the injector nuts as no fuel is coming through. Good news is the spline does turn.
Coast Guard are towing us into the Marina where we'll get a professional second opinion and probably end up having the IP bench tested. We suspect the stop valve mechanism inside the IP has failed somehow.
We'll keep you posted.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Scawfell Island Sanctuary anchorage - more Tiki-leaks
We arose at 0530 to up anchor from what was a calm and relaxing nights anchorage at Goldsmith Island. The engine ran for a while and then engine stopped. There was no fuel and we sailed south as I finally figured out that the starbord fuel tank was empty. What happened to the 150L that has disappeared? It would transpire that it has leaked from somewhere and emptied to the bilge. I changed tanks, bled the system and off the engine went.
We planned to go direct to Percy overnight if all went well. Weather fair, overcast and wind moving around to the east for the journey. Contra to every forecast there was monsoon rain for about five hours from 10am until 4pm. Also no wind. We motored down and then decided we did not fancy doing this all night and so detoured to an anchorage.
We anchored at Scawfell Island in Sanctuary Bay and to little wind, flat sea along with two other boats. Tiki is drenched outside and little better inside, we found some more horrendous leaks over the galley. The biggest problem was the main hatch that was leaking and then when you open it to go below huge amounts of water pour in off the boom. There was no way to stop it so the main cabin is soaked, maps got drenched, seats damp.
Glad to be anchored up and trying to dry out. Even here we had the great experience of enjoying another motor boats' loud rock music (they were 200m away at least) and then the joy of them helping us see in our cabin all night with their special spotlight ranging around the bay and into the yacht portholes for no apparent reason. Beyond that a very special anchorage to return to.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Dramas Sailing to Goldsmith Island
What a day! Setting off this morning at 0545 was simple, a calm quiet and warm morning for us to slip the lines and start heading south. The sails were soon up and and pushing us along in the WSW breeze. Despite having checked and rechecked the rigging,lines and sails several times it was a relief nothing broke or fell down during the morning. We headed along to clear water and tacked around to travel south along long island, just making a bearing close to the wind as we could go.
Dramas unfolded on the starboard tac as the bilge line was not taken high enough above the water line and so began syphoning water in, then i found the fresh water tank breather pipe had been cut off short somewhere in her past life and drained to the bilge on a tac. Good for easing the tepid bilge smells at least. No worries these are easily fixed and I set to it with plenty of spares and materials on board. Of course the wind died and so we began to motor a while which made my repairs much easier until the engine died as well as an attempt to keep me on my toes.
For the first day at sea this was getting interesting so it was moving swiftly onto diesel repairs after a session of pipe fixing. We were drifting over some sandbanks, at low tide, that theoretically gave us less than 1m of water under the keel. Well, the tide would come in if we bump them.
I suspected the diesel system needed a good clean through so I started at the tank to check fuel input, then the electric pump, then checking each seal and changing the primary filter, testing for good fuel, to the mechanical pump and check again, then the second filter change and then to the injectors. She had not been used for a while and this set up the engine to work again so I put it down to the filthy fuel filters from tanks that had just been wired brushed free of years of sediment and rust build up.
At last we settled down and got on with sailing south again as the wind picked up.
Our first evening we anchored at goldsmith island. Arriving at about 1730 we used the guide to place ourselves in a good position. Unfortunately we got too close in and ended up in 2m of water. Tracking around it was obvious the bay shelved steeply in places down to 16m in a long channel just off the beach and not noted in the guide. We moved out beyond this channel and anchored in about 6m. We had 15kn of wind and yacht was sitting good in the bay. I will make a sketch of the bay from my soundings and add them to the guide for future. We are the only yacht here and the island is uninhabited. The difference between this coast and Brittany or UK is stark as we sit in the cockpit. There is no one to go ashore for!
Dave loves creating food from our fridge full of pasta, meats and wine so we soon settle down for a relaxing evening with a glass of wine and then a session of bleeding the steering hydraulics out to clear the air that is in them. It is making steering harder work than it needs to be and I have a feeling we will need a complete service to eliminate this.
Plan to leave at 0530 in the morning as light gets up and I go to sleep with the anchor alarm set on the iPad. Life's good.
Dramas unfolded on the starboard tac as the bilge line was not taken high enough above the water line and so began syphoning water in, then i found the fresh water tank breather pipe had been cut off short somewhere in her past life and drained to the bilge on a tac. Good for easing the tepid bilge smells at least. No worries these are easily fixed and I set to it with plenty of spares and materials on board. Of course the wind died and so we began to motor a while which made my repairs much easier until the engine died as well as an attempt to keep me on my toes.
For the first day at sea this was getting interesting so it was moving swiftly onto diesel repairs after a session of pipe fixing. We were drifting over some sandbanks, at low tide, that theoretically gave us less than 1m of water under the keel. Well, the tide would come in if we bump them.
I suspected the diesel system needed a good clean through so I started at the tank to check fuel input, then the electric pump, then checking each seal and changing the primary filter, testing for good fuel, to the mechanical pump and check again, then the second filter change and then to the injectors. She had not been used for a while and this set up the engine to work again so I put it down to the filthy fuel filters from tanks that had just been wired brushed free of years of sediment and rust build up.
At last we settled down and got on with sailing south again as the wind picked up.
Our first evening we anchored at goldsmith island. Arriving at about 1730 we used the guide to place ourselves in a good position. Unfortunately we got too close in and ended up in 2m of water. Tracking around it was obvious the bay shelved steeply in places down to 16m in a long channel just off the beach and not noted in the guide. We moved out beyond this channel and anchored in about 6m. We had 15kn of wind and yacht was sitting good in the bay. I will make a sketch of the bay from my soundings and add them to the guide for future. We are the only yacht here and the island is uninhabited. The difference between this coast and Brittany or UK is stark as we sit in the cockpit. There is no one to go ashore for!
Dave loves creating food from our fridge full of pasta, meats and wine so we soon settle down for a relaxing evening with a glass of wine and then a session of bleeding the steering hydraulics out to clear the air that is in them. It is making steering harder work than it needs to be and I have a feeling we will need a complete service to eliminate this.
Plan to leave at 0530 in the morning as light gets up and I go to sleep with the anchor alarm set on the iPad. Life's good.
Whitsundays sailing - departing Airlie Beach
We are underway and great sailing. Engine broke down once already, now fixed by inboard mechanic at 1300.
Left Airlie at 0545 in light wind, dry and SSE winds 10-15 knots, dry and sunny.
Wind gone to SEE and 15knots. Great sailing at 1530, planning to anchor on Goldsmith Island at 1745 ish.
Short first day, sailing really well at 4.5 knots beating to wind and very comfy on deck and inside cabin.
Steering is difficult and system needs bleeding again. Engine problem was fuel filter and mucky fuel. Will keep an eye on and poss filter tanks overnight to clean remaining crap out of them.
More updates later.
Sent from my iPad
Left Airlie at 0545 in light wind, dry and SSE winds 10-15 knots, dry and sunny.
Wind gone to SEE and 15knots. Great sailing at 1530, planning to anchor on Goldsmith Island at 1745 ish.
Short first day, sailing really well at 4.5 knots beating to wind and very comfy on deck and inside cabin.
Steering is difficult and system needs bleeding again. Engine problem was fuel filter and mucky fuel. Will keep an eye on and poss filter tanks overnight to clean remaining crap out of them.
More updates later.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Finally ready to get sailing
After what has been a huge amount of effort over the last month the boat is finally in a decent enough condition to get ready to depart for Brisbane. Over the last week in the Marina the engine has moved to a state where it can be sea trialled. This afternoon we went out in the bay and ran the engine for an hour to make sure it works okay. All seems well and Brett left with advice for further work and maintenance over the coming weeks. It will take some more attention on my part to make sure the Perkins becomes reliable after a long period of neglect.
We are back at the Marina for the evening and planning to leave at first light in the morning. This is the culmination of a lot of sweat and effort. I have lost at least 8kg in the last month, that was definitely needed, we have reinvested at least 12k in Tiki, that was also needed and I have learnt huge amounts about yachts which was also needed. Next step is to start the 600nm journey to Brisbane and find out how she handles at sea.
We are back at the Marina for the evening and planning to leave at first light in the morning. This is the culmination of a lot of sweat and effort. I have lost at least 8kg in the last month, that was definitely needed, we have reinvested at least 12k in Tiki, that was also needed and I have learnt huge amounts about yachts which was also needed. Next step is to start the 600nm journey to Brisbane and find out how she handles at sea.
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