Engine Up and Running

Zee spent the entire day installing the new muffler and hose, putting the finishing touches on the engine, replacing the big batteries in their normal position, and thereby completing the SABB diesel repair work.

After lunch he bled the fuel line and started the engine for a one-hour run mostly under load with the gear in reverse. We tested the limits of the engine and got it to 1800 rpm in neutral gear and 1750 rpm under load. Before the repairs it could not reach 1200 rpm.

The engine runs amazingly cool. After an hour of running most of the engine was at about 35C. The exhaust manifold was hotter but one could still put a hand on it for a second or two. The exhaust did not contain any steam as before and the water was at blood temperature. Zee says that the steam that I had been getting out of the exhaust was probably caused by the ingestion of minute amounts of sea water into the forward cylinder, not to mention the muffler problems.

While Zee was away getting some more materials I went over the entire system while the engine was running and it was a joy to see all hosing and clamps in good order and not a hint of leak of fuel, water, oil, exhaust gas, etc anywhere. Zee agreed that the engine sounded great.

Zee did a couple of other improvements during the repair. He moved the anti siphon fitting from its position inside the engine compartment to a higher position behind the aft bulkhead between the quarter berths. The fitting had been too near the waterline and there was risk that if the boat heeled enough, water would invade the cylinders and ruin the engine. (And by the way, the hoses on the fitting had been too large, which explained why one of them had dropped off causing the engine seizure.) He also did some last-minute wood work to make sure that the four rear batteries do not shift in a rollover. And Zee being the professional that he is, finished up by neatening his hosing and cabling work with cable ties.

The top photo shows Zee making adjustments to the running engine.

The middle photo shows the new muffler in place. (Look! No more leaks! YAY!!!)

The bottom photo is of something that is a thing of beauty only to a boat owner: a healthy pulse of cooling water returning to the sea.