Hi everybody. I have a 1982 Catalina that I am refurbishing. One of the problems is a strong smell which appears to be a diesel smell. Any thoughts on how to get rid of a diesel smell? I had a oday 28 with a diesel and I had no diesel smell whatsoever. I had the boat detailed and it is spotless. Yet the smell remains! I'm thinking that maybe the ventilation on the Catalina 30 of this year is insufficient. If I open up the cabin hatches the smell dissipates but even then it is never completely gone.
Diesel smell woes
- Thread starter rgj592015
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Find source, eliminate leak, clean with www.pureayre.com
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ol-the-diesel-smell-in-your-cabin-135442.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ol-the-diesel-smell-in-your-cabin-135442.html
First of all I would want to know the source of the diesel smell. We also have a '82 Cat 30 and had a similar problem until I replaced the fuel tank. The bottom was weeping very small amounts of fuel without a telltale wetting of the hull. After having the tank welded, putting gasoline in it (as suggested by welder as it is thinner than diesel) and seeing more minute leaks when placed upon a newspaper, we just bought another tank from Catalina. Fit perfectly. No diesel smell now.
In my boat we had a small slow drip when a hose wiggled when the engine was running at a higher rpm causing a major stench. I removed all the oil gathering pads under the engine and replaced them. Of course stopped the drip and cleaned up any residual on the engine. I'd start with the engine room and continue outward from there. In our case it was probably a teaspoon at most that reeked after sitting on the hot engine.
SC
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you must first find out where the smell is coming from, and what i mean is, find out where its leaking. contained diesel does not emit a smell, but diesel that is leaking to atmosphere will.
is it coming from the engine area?... there are a few spots on the engine that could leak fuel, and if the fuel is getting to a warm surface, it will create a much stronger smell than diesel that is dripping onto a cool surface.
also dont rule out engine blow-by... it should be directed back into the intake, but if the hose has deteriorated or has came unhooked, it will create a smell in the boat.
to check for diesel leaks, start the engine cold and let it run for 45-60 seconds and then shut it off.
you want the fuel pressure to maximize to show itself at the source of the leak, but you dont want the engine warm as it will vaporize the fuel from the area.
then after 2 or 3 minutes start looking.
dont look for a drip, but look for slight dampness on line or fitting. when you find a suspect area, use a square of toilet paper to gently touch the area at the bottom... and if there is any perceptable sign of dampness, clean/wipe the area well and then start the engine again and retest.
But first,
very closely inspect the whole fuel system first and then clean all the areas so you can reinspect all at the same time, this way you only have to restart the engine once or twice for the entire inspection and repair
also to check, what condition is the fuel tank in, any corrosion/leaks? and the vent hose?.. and how about the sending unit gauge gasket?... the filler hose and clamps?... filter base gaskets and fittings?... these can all create a smell if there is any slight sign of dampness.
when i first got my 34, because it was neglected for a few years, it had a strong smell whenever the engine got warmed up... and it did have an oil leak at the mechanical tach connection, (which is not being used)... i repaired the leak but still had the smell.
after a couple of months i finally decided to spray the entire engine and engine compartment with a degreaser (i used whitewall cleaner for tires, its strongest degreaser you can get that is readily available for consumer use) i let it set 5 minutes and used a hose with a good sprayer end to wash it down...
then i did it again... it took three times to get the engine red and the compartment white, but now it looks great and without any smells coming from it since the bath....
this wash down did make a mess in the bilge, and the bilge sump in my keel is only 8 inches wide, 5 ft long and the bottom is 4ft below salon level so it took some time to figure out how to get the gunk out because it was a mess and i couldnt reach it....
but i pumped out what i could, then used a fan to dry out the water (took a couple weeks)...
then once it was all dry I used a grabber tool (like the handicapped use to pick things up when they cant bend over) to pick out years of accumulated tools, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, zip ties, clumps of old sealer, trash and other unknown debris from the recess.
then on top of the two inches of gunk, I dumped some kitty litter.
i let it set a couple days and stirred it around to pick up any dampness and/or oil mess, then vacuumed it out. now the bilge is as clean and dry as the engine compartment.
is it coming from the engine area?... there are a few spots on the engine that could leak fuel, and if the fuel is getting to a warm surface, it will create a much stronger smell than diesel that is dripping onto a cool surface.
also dont rule out engine blow-by... it should be directed back into the intake, but if the hose has deteriorated or has came unhooked, it will create a smell in the boat.
to check for diesel leaks, start the engine cold and let it run for 45-60 seconds and then shut it off.
you want the fuel pressure to maximize to show itself at the source of the leak, but you dont want the engine warm as it will vaporize the fuel from the area.
then after 2 or 3 minutes start looking.
dont look for a drip, but look for slight dampness on line or fitting. when you find a suspect area, use a square of toilet paper to gently touch the area at the bottom... and if there is any perceptable sign of dampness, clean/wipe the area well and then start the engine again and retest.
But first,
very closely inspect the whole fuel system first and then clean all the areas so you can reinspect all at the same time, this way you only have to restart the engine once or twice for the entire inspection and repair
also to check, what condition is the fuel tank in, any corrosion/leaks? and the vent hose?.. and how about the sending unit gauge gasket?... the filler hose and clamps?... filter base gaskets and fittings?... these can all create a smell if there is any slight sign of dampness.
when i first got my 34, because it was neglected for a few years, it had a strong smell whenever the engine got warmed up... and it did have an oil leak at the mechanical tach connection, (which is not being used)... i repaired the leak but still had the smell.
after a couple of months i finally decided to spray the entire engine and engine compartment with a degreaser (i used whitewall cleaner for tires, its strongest degreaser you can get that is readily available for consumer use) i let it set 5 minutes and used a hose with a good sprayer end to wash it down...
then i did it again... it took three times to get the engine red and the compartment white, but now it looks great and without any smells coming from it since the bath....
this wash down did make a mess in the bilge, and the bilge sump in my keel is only 8 inches wide, 5 ft long and the bottom is 4ft below salon level so it took some time to figure out how to get the gunk out because it was a mess and i couldnt reach it....
but i pumped out what i could, then used a fan to dry out the water (took a couple weeks)...
then once it was all dry I used a grabber tool (like the handicapped use to pick things up when they cant bend over) to pick out years of accumulated tools, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, zip ties, clumps of old sealer, trash and other unknown debris from the recess.
then on top of the two inches of gunk, I dumped some kitty litter.
i let it set a couple days and stirred it around to pick up any dampness and/or oil mess, then vacuumed it out. now the bilge is as clean and dry as the engine compartment.
Check this...
We had the same issue...determined that the hose that went from the fuel fill to the tank was the original (circa 1987) and was cracked (dry rot) and was leaking fuel. We ordered new hose from http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...and no more smell.
Hope this was helpful.
We had the same issue...determined that the hose that went from the fuel fill to the tank was the original (circa 1987) and was cracked (dry rot) and was leaking fuel. We ordered new hose from http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...and no more smell.
Hope this was helpful.
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Re: Check this...
you might also consider blowby from the crankcase breather tube. there are many posts that make a modification that runs the crankcase breather tube back into the air intake, just as on 70's and 80's automobiles. I did this on my M25, and it cured my cabin smell issue, which had a faint exhaust smell, NOT a raw diesel smell. I used an air/oil separator between the crankcase and air cleaner unit to evacuate any oil in the air, so it wouldn't wind up back in the air intake.
you might also consider blowby from the crankcase breather tube. there are many posts that make a modification that runs the crankcase breather tube back into the air intake, just as on 70's and 80's automobiles. I did this on my M25, and it cured my cabin smell issue, which had a faint exhaust smell, NOT a raw diesel smell. I used an air/oil separator between the crankcase and air cleaner unit to evacuate any oil in the air, so it wouldn't wind up back in the air intake.