[mbowser]

So I'm about to get my engine (Westerbeke w-22) running again after having it sit for 5 years. I added fuel stabilizer and winterized the engine before I put it to bed long ago, but I'm wondering what are the minimum things I need to do to get it started without ruining everything.

The things I suspect I need to do are:
1. Drain fuel tank and fuel lines to get rid of old/crappy fuel.
2. Replace raw water impeller.
3. ?????
4. ?????

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[christian.hess]

well first see if its not seized...does your engine have decomp levers? make sure it turns freely

then start dealing with the other things

I would suggest at the minimum, oil change and all fuel and oil filters, check fuel pump and diaphragms and use new fresh fuel with maybe an additive to "clean" injectors if you dont want to take them off initially

use a spearate tank for that while you clean your main take and lines...

if it wont start you have to start taking things apart and diagnosing but Ive seen some diesels look like crap start right up after being left to rot for decades...

of course before that a new air filter, make sure no mice or animals are inside the intake, exhaust isnt plugged, flange and elbow are clear

I would check the impeller(s)

all the usual suspects...

good luck

an important issue is was the boat dry docked or in the water...?

 

[deniseO30]

#1 = FEEL REALLY BAD, GUILTY, AND HUMILIATED FOR LEAVING IT SIT!!!

just saying... not that I really want you to feel bad Good luck!

 

[UnionPacific]

5 years, nothing. Start it up. make sure the seacock is open.

 

[mbowser]

#1 = FEEL REALLY BAD, GUILTY, AND HUMILIATED FOR LEAVING IT SIT!!!

just saying... not that I really want you to feel bad Good luck!

Oh, I do feel guilty... It is keeping me up nights thinking about how to tackle the project. Now that I have fixed the rest of the boat, I can't avoid it any longer...

 

[christian.hess]

did you at least close the intake and protect it from the air or was it left "exposed" and again was it in dry storage or oin the water

if in the water its very probable you have rusty cylinders...however diesels are so damn robust a quick spray of oil or wd 40 and a few turns over is enough...

just make sure you are not seized.

 

[deniseO30]

After a lifetime in the HVAC biz I used to tell clients to "check run" the AC BEFORE the start of hot weather... well it never really was worth the breath it took to tell them.
we all let things go...

 

[mbowser]

did you at least close the intake and protect it from the air or was it left "exposed" and again was it in dry storage or in the water

I didn't close the intake, but it has been in a dry shed for the entire time. I have turned the engine over by hand once or twice a month during that period just to make sure nothing seizes up, but I am not much of an engine guy (if I could I would throw the whole thing over and use it to anchor the boat, but I can't sail everywhere).

 

[christian.hess]

just spray the intake lightly....thats good you always turned it over

you know its free
diesels are robust...

do whats been said above by us and youll be back in business

 

[mbowser]

Thanks all,
I'll let everyone know how it turns out when I tackle it next week.

 

[mbowser]

Update on my westerbeke w-21 progress and more questions of course. I haven't gotten it running yet, but I think I'm pretty close.
I ended up doing the following:

*pumped all the fuel from the tank, rinsed it with fresh diesel and pumped it again before adding new, fresh fuel.

*replaced every hose in the cooling system, raw water impeller, zincs, and thermostat and gaskets. Several of the hoses were pretty soft and looked 'cracky', so I ordered $200 worth of hoses, thermostat for the motor and spent a good 6 hours getting everything installed. I can't imagine what that would have cost if I let a marina loose on that job.

*replaced both fuel filters

*changed engine oil twice

I finally finished putting everything back together yesterday afternoon and was excited to see what would happen. I hooked up the new battery in, turned the main power switch, and turned the key. It turned over readily and willingly so that is good, but I wasn't able to get it to catch and fire up.

I tried with and without glow plugs to no avail. I think I'm close but I have the following concerns that make me hesitant about continuing to crank on the thing:

1. Positive battery cable got HOT. Not warm, but if I had kept my finger on it, I would have been burned. This was after about 20-25 seconds of cranking. The last time I cranked it I saw a little wisp of smoke come from the positive side. I don't know what to make of it. Nothing has changed electrically on the boat, so maybe it always got hot before and I never noticed. Of course the engine rarely needed cranking more than a few seconds.

2. Raw water side not priming. I rerouted the raw water to a bucket just before the raw water strainer, and I'm not seeing it pull. I'm guessing that the impeller just needs to be re-primed, but I don't ever remember having to do that before.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[deniseO30]

Well you may have but, you make no mention of bleeding the air out of the diesel lines to the injectors and pump. Battery cable may be small for continuous cranking.
sometimes a pump needs to be wet before it will prime.
I don't think you want to be cranking and cranking until you are sure there is fuel to the injectors.
Good luck!

 

[mbowser]

Thanks denise,
I just gave it a go again, and I rechecked the connections and one was a bit loose, once I tightened it up it didn't get as hot (less resistance?).

The Westerbeke has an electric fuel pump and should be self priming, but I'm no expert on these matters. The operator's manual states to turn the ignition to on and leave for 15-25 seconds before cranking. When I do, I can hear the pump turn on, but I don't know that it's actually working...

I'm hoping the raw water side just needs to be primed a bit before starting to pump.

 

[Maine Sail]

Fuel tank valve open? RW pumps often won't self prime when just cranking if the lines have drained..

 

[UnionPacific]

spray some WD-40 into the intake, but not thru the air filter. Take it out.
Then it will run on the WD-40 and not the starter. The air will work its way out quickly if the engine is running at 1200rpm. Also make sure to open the throttle all the way.

 

[MarkSF]

It may be self priming, but it's not self bleeding! The smallest air bubble in the injection pump will stop the engine running. I take it that you bled each fuel filter when changing them, but did you bleed at the injection pump? This is a crucial step. I have never been able to change the filters, no matter how carefully I bleed them, without having to bleed at the injection pump. A little air always gets through.

 

[UnionPacific]

It may be self priming, but it's not self bleeding! The smallest air bubble in the injection pump will stop the engine running. I take it that you bled each fuel filter when changing them, but did you bleed at the injection pump? This is a crucial step. I have never been able to change the filters, no matter how carefully I bleed them, without having to bleed at the injection pump. A little air always gets through.

If the fuel lift pump is electric, and working, the injection pump will have fuel

 

[fryewe]

Providing raw water to a diesel engine on the hard (how I do it):

Collect these items in the cockpit:
- Charged garden hose with an adjustable valve for throttling flow (nozzle will work if careful)
- Five gallon bucket
- Temporary raw water supply hose of the proper ID to fit the raw water nipple on the pump and long enough to reach from the bucket sitting on the sole to the raw water nipple
- Tool to remove raw water hose from the nipple (screw driver or nut driver)

Remove the raw water hose from the pump nipple.
Fill the bucket in the cockpit with water from the garden hose.
Coil the temporary supply hose in the bucket making sure it fills with water.
Bring the working end of the hose below bucket level to start siphoning the water then put your finger over the outlet.
Carefully move the bucket and the hose onto the sole (make sure it is higher than the RW inlet...sit it on another bucket if necessary).
Attach the hose to the raw water pump inlet. Hose clamp probably not necessary.
Start the engine and check for flow.
Pull the garden hose into the boat and fill the bucket as necessary or adjust flow to match engine cooling flow.

Others may have other or modified methods.

Hope this helps.

Your failure to start is likely due to lack of prime since you had the fuel system open to replace filters. Your electric priming pump could be gummed up (but I doubt it). You can install a squeeze bulb in the line between tank and pump to assist in priming. I keep one permanently installed there...years ago before I installed it I had problems with priming but none since... it's SO much easier.

 

[TQA]

I would be cautious about continually cranking without being sure you were not filling the waterlock up and risking a backflow into the engine.

The resultant hydraulic lock can be expensive.

I might remove the raw water impeller until it starts. Allow it to run for 10 15 seconds max or you risk burning the exhaust hose.

Have you tried bleeding at the injector with the engine cranking. You should get a dribble of diesel.

 

[christian.hess]

you havent bled ths system properly

25 secs crank is a lot, waterlock or not thats hard on the starting system