Diesel Book for Rookie

Jul 6, 2017
6
Cal 2-29 Alameda
Hi all,
My last post was on having too many Captains on board. Your comments were great.
I'm One & One Half years into owning my first boat with two friends.
1975 Cal2-29 We are Sailing the S.F. Bay and one of my goals is to start doing some Coastal Sailing. Not yet though. I know we need more sea hours for sure.
In order to venture beyond the Bay I need to know our engine. Yanmar 2GM20F
I'm not a mechanic, I've changed oil, plugs, etc. on my car.

What Book would you recommend to me? I'm thinking of purchasing one of these three. Is there a better one?
Yanmar Inboards, 1975-98 (Seloc Marine Manuals)
Marine Diesel Engines: Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repair by Nigel Calder
Troubleshooting Marine Diesels by Peter Compton

thanks, Jeff
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
The ultimate combination is Yanmar Inboards, 1975-98 (Seloc Marine Manuals) as you've said, and the Yanmar shop manual (over $100.00 by now) but worth its weight in gold.

Yanmar Shop Manual.JPG
 
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Likes: Don Crowther
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Last edited:
Nov 6, 2006
9,885
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
All above are good.. Nigel's book is pretty good.. The cheap way to go would be to click on "Owner Resources" in the Sailboat Owners front page, then click on "General Downloads" then scroll down to the Yanmar GM shop manual.. you can put that onto a flash drive for reference, or take that drive to someone like Kinko's and have them print the thing for ya. ? I dunno..
The thing that ya don't want to neglect is setting the valve clearance.. Probably has not been done in a while on that engine .. I don't know your engine, but that is a piece of maintenance that is normally overlooked on the old Yanmars..
Lots of other great info on that page:
https://sbo.sailboatowners.com/dl/downloads.php
 
May 12, 2004
1,502
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
This. I posted this sometime back, Yachting Monthly in the UK published a lengthy extract of the excellent Adlard Coles Book of Diesel Engines, focusing how how to diagnose and fix diesel problems at sea. I gathered up all the pages and created a PDF. Its great.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0xb41kzrh0jukdb/From the Adlard Coles Book of Diesel Engines.pdf?dl=0
Thanks, JD. If I need to do much maintenance besides what was written there, I'm probably going to have to call in the cavalry.
 
Jul 6, 2017
6
Cal 2-29 Alameda
Thanks for the great advice everyone. Keep it coming!! :) I had downloaded the Yanmar Operation Manual, Yanmar Workshop Manual perviously !! Thanks for the tips the books. Thanks Jack, I've saved it!! Looks great. I have a general Mantainance Set Up for Feb. Replaceing the Mixing Elbow/riser. I will ask about the "Setting the Valve Clearance".
 
Jun 1, 2007
265
O'Day 322 Mt.Sinai
Agree with what's been said, and I have most of them (I have an O'Day 322 w/Yanmar 2GM20F). But Good Old Boat recommended Marine Diesel Basics, by Dennison Berwick. This is one of the best boat books I've ever had. Give it a look...
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
I'm not so sure about Calder. When he bought a new boat some years back, he decided to install all the electronics himself in order to avoid a commissioning fee. When he was done, he hit "start" on his panel and promptly fried all his new electronics, probably due to reversed polarity. But unlike us, the manufactures of all his equipment sent him new components for free. I'll stick with the Service Manual per Ralph's comments above....
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I'm not so sure about Calder. When he bought a new boat some years back, he decided to install all the electronics himself in order to avoid a commissioning fee. When he was done, he hit "start" on his panel and promptly fried all his new electronics, probably due to reversed polarity. But unlike us, the manufactures of all his equipment sent him new components for free. I'll stick with the Service Manual per Ralph's comments above....
Well, that's one way to learn. One that I have used too many (expensive) times. :cuss:
 
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Likes: justsomeguy
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
I'm not so sure about Calder.
There is NO ONE who can explain a subject better that Nigel and I think he is excellent for explaining how an engine works. I have heard him lecture in person and he makes brain surgery sound like a walk in the park.
However, when it comes to tools on the engine, the manufacturer's manual is still best.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Thinking about this some more....

The answer is probably at least 2 books. One specific to your diesel, i.e., a shop manual and one generic diesel book. The shop manual will tell you how to take it apart and put it back together again, but won't say much about the theory of diesels. The generic book, like Calder's or Cole's won't tell you much about your diesel but will give a good overview of diesels in general.

So, to the OP, get both.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,990
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
There is NO ONE who can explain a subject better that Nigel and I think he is excellent for explaining how an engine works. I have heard him lecture in person and he makes brain surgery sound like a walk in the park.
I agree; he is an excellent writer.:thumbup: