Catalina 400 Aqua Lift Muffler location

Dec 9, 2021
4
Catalina 400 Shilshole Bay Marina
Hi All,
I recently tried to start my Catalina 400 in Seattle today, however it wouldn't start after cranking for 30 seconds. It says to drain the Aqua Lift, however I am unable to locate it. All I was able to find while following the exhaust line was an Ultimate Silencer. Is that the same thing? Should I drain the Ultimate Silencer? The boat has been sitting for a few months, in cold weather.

Thanks for any help!
 
Jan 7, 2011
5,695
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Hi All,
I recently tried to start my Catalina 400 in Seattle today, however it wouldn't start after cranking for 30 seconds. It says to drain the Aqua Lift, however I am unable to locate it. All I was able to find while following the exhaust line was an Ultimate Silencer. Is that the same thing? Should I drain the Ultimate Silencer? The boat has been sitting for a few months, in cold weather.

Thanks for any help!
Was the engine winterized? If so, and assuming antifreeze was Run through the engine and through the muffler…it should not need to be drained. I have an Aqualift muffler that has been on the hard for each of the past 6 yrs in Chicago area without issue. I just run 2 gallons of the pink AF through the engine, through the muffler and out the exhaust.

Greg
 
Dec 9, 2021
4
Catalina 400 Shilshole Bay Marina
It hasn't been winterized. The last time I ran it was in late September.
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Hi All,
I recently tried to start my Catalina 400 in Seattle today, however it wouldn't start after cranking for 30 seconds. It says to drain the Aqua Lift, however I am unable to locate it. All I was able to find while following the exhaust line was an Ultimate Silencer. Is that the same thing? Should I drain the Ultimate Silencer? The boat has been sitting for a few months, in cold weather.

Thanks for any help!
My C310 has the same warnings about start up. The issue is that if you crank the engine too long, there will be excess water in the exhaust system that could migrate into the cylinders. Catalina specifies to drain the muffler in the case of excess cranking, but I have good luck with closing the raw water through hull seacock after excess cranking, then open the seacock on engine start up.
 
Jan 7, 2011
5,695
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
It hasn't been winterized. The last time I ran it was in late September.
Sorry, I thought you were talking about draining it for the winter freeze…

I think the warning about cranking the engine too long is that it could cause the engine to hydro lock water backs up into the cylinders because there is no exhaust gas to blow it out the muffler and exhaust.

If it was me, I would pull the impeller or close the thruhull while cranking and trouble shooting the problem.

if it did hydro lock, that can be pretty catastrophic.


Greg
 
Dec 9, 2021
4
Catalina 400 Shilshole Bay Marina
Ok. I will try it with the seacock closed. I recently replaced some raw water hoses from the seacock to the impeller, would that cause it to not start?
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Ok. I will try it with the seacock closed. I recently replaced some raw water hoses from the seacock to the impeller, would that cause it to not start?
That wouldn't be part of the starting issue. Assuming your engine is getting enough air, the other issue in a diesel not starting is fuel.
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
I just remembered something. The only time I had a hard time starting my diesel, it was because I had forgotten to push the stop cable back to the run position. Now I check it before I hit the start button.
 
Dec 9, 2021
4
Catalina 400 Shilshole Bay Marina
Sorry, I thought you were talking about draining it for the winter freeze…

I think the warning about cranking the engine too long is that it could cause the engine to hydro lock water backs up into the cylinders because there is no exhaust gas to blow it out the muffler and exhaust.

If it was me, I would pull the impeller or close the thruhull while cranking and trouble shooting the problem.

if it did hydro lock, that can be pretty catastrophic.


Greg
Thanks for the help Tom and Greg! I closed the seacock and it started right away. I will keep that in mind for next time!

Happy Holidays
 
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Likes: Tom J
Jan 7, 2011
5,695
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Thanks for the help Tom and Greg! I closed the seacock and it started right away. I will keep that in mind for next time!

Happy Holidays
Closing the sea clock shouldn’t have any bearing on it starting, but it can prevent a hydro lock issue if the engine doesn’t start and you keep cranking on it.

As @Tom J mentioned, make sure you push down the fuel cut-off cable (or whatever puts it in “run” mode…if it is up, it could starve the engine of fuel (which is what stops the engine when you pull the cable).

My old 2GM20F starts harder when it is cold, and when I don’t use it for a while. I play around with the throttle lever and usually need it at 1/2 throttle to get it to fire when cold. I read some advice recently that said give it NO FUEL when you first hit the starter button, let it crank a few times, then introduce fuel. Not sure exactly what that is supposed to do, but I have tried it and the motor started Ok (but I have never not had it start…just may take an extra 30 seconds of cranking). I have also heard that introducing some heat at the air intake can significantly improve starting on a cold engine. Even a hair dryer to warm the air at the intake before cranking should help. There is some sort of add-on device I saw recently that drips a few drops of diesel fuel in the mouth of the air intake and ignites it before starting.


My 2GM20F doesn’t have glow plugs…what engine do you have? Universals were common in Catalina’s I think. Does it use glow plugs? If so, do they work? That should improve starting a cold engine.

Greg