PSC 34 Tricky Oil Dipstick

MC1 · #1 08-05-2009

My local yard mechanic says (A) is probably the right answer, do you agree?

Maybe due to the angle at which my Yanmar 3JH2E is mounted in my PSC 34, when I check the oil level, the reading shows half way between the low and high marks on one side of the dipstick, and if I flip it over, it shows a 1/2 Qt too full on the other side of the dipstick. It does this every reading. Which is the right answer:

(A) The indication between the low and high marks
(B) The indication showing 1/2 Qt to much oil

erps · #2 08-05-2009

That's interesting. On one of our previous boats, when you first pulled out the dipstick, it didn't show any oil on it until you put it back in and pulled it out a second time. It took me a little while to figure out was was happening. The dipstick was sealed well enough at the top, that the sealed tube wouldn't allow the oil level to travel back up the tube after running it until you vented it by pulling out the stick. Could that be part of your issue? Or maybe the stick is bent a certain way, so depending on which way you stick it in, it deflects to the high side or the low side.

Otherwise to know for sure, add the required amount of oil to the motor after and oil change and see where it hits the stick.

Norstar · #3 08-06-2009

I've got the 3HM model and the dip stick only shows the high/low mark. After completely draining oil after a recent oil change, I did what Ray suggested above and after adding the specified amount of new oil, the dip stick read between high/low mark. I would go with answer "A".

What type of oil do you use? I'm partial to the Shell Rotella brand 30 HD for diesels.

John S
PSC 34 # 201
"Norstar"

teejayevans · #4 08-06-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by erps

That's interesting. On one of our previous boats, when you first pulled out the dipstick, it didn't show any oil on it until you put it back in and pulled it out a second time. It took me a little while to figure out was was happening. The dipstick was sealed well enough at the top, that the sealed tube wouldn't allow the oil level to travel back up the tube after running it until you vented it by pulling out the stick.
.

I have that problem on my 31, thanks for the explanation.
Now if you can figure out why my fuel vent doesn't vent,
opening fuel cap lets air in, but overfilling causes fuel to
spill out of the vent and the vent seems clear, and there
doesn't seem to be any spots in the vent hose where it
forms a U-trap. I'm guessing this is related to the slow
fueling problem.
Tom

erps · #5 08-06-2009

Jeepers,

That's an interesting problem. Where are your fill and vent fittings on the tank in relationship to each other? If the tank is not level and the fill fitting is uphill a bit, I can see how that might cause a problem.

I ran a boat for a while that was always burping fuel. The fill fitting and the vent fitting were at one end of the tank. When the boat was in the water, the other end of the tank was high (towards the bow) As the tank filled, the aft end of the tank filled up and closed off an air pocket in the forward end. The air bubble created pressure. The only way to put anymore fuel in that tank was to move weight into the bow.

teejayevans · #6 08-06-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by erps

Jeepers,

That's an interesting problem. Where are your fill and vent fittings on the tank in relationship to each other? If the tank is not level and the fill fitting is uphill a bit, I can see how that might cause a problem.

This is a 31, so tank is in the middle, both fittings on on SB side, within
inches of each other, the vent slightly lower. Anybody ever seen the
insides of fuel tanks PSC uses? All hoses are run to the top of the tank,
I assume fuel out is pipe to the bottom and the rest are not.
Tom