Stupid Things I Have Done #1,653

Rick D

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,138
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
So, working on the boat, I changed the fuel filters, engine filter and oil. Probably two dozen times I have done this since buying this boat. I got to the point of starting it and hardly any cranking amps. Battery went south. OK, it is a red top Optima group 34. Pulled the battery. Purchased in April 2004. Got my use out of it! Ordered and replaced. Now time to start it. Cranks great, but no start. Oh oh. Air in the line. Crack the bleed screw in the primary and clear any air. Crack the bleed screw on the secondary and crank it until I'm sure there is no air. Crank again. No fire. (Doing all this with the raw water intake closed of course.)
OK, I have never had to go through this before. This engine is supposed to be self-bleeding and I have always had it start and run fine after maybe a hiccup or two. Meanwhile, my boat neighbor with a twin Volvo-powered motor yacht can't get his starboard engine started after having a mechanic service it. He asks me if I have ever bled a diesel. I said I was going through this now. He asked If I would help him. I said "sure" but reminded him I had not yet been successful. Anyhow, I showed him where the bleed screw was on his secondary filter. We bled it several times and then the engine started right up.
So, that night, I pull out my service manual and read the information on bleeding the Yanmar. Of course, the illustrations are of a different engine despite the manual being for my model. While having a cocktail, I start reading the injector pump section since I figure I'm going to have to crack the injectors. As I am reading it, I notice the fuel shut off arm. What??!! I check the fuel shut off and it's up. How the hell did that happen? I push it down and she fires right up. Two wasted days, and now I wonder about the impeller. The only way to feel good about that is replace it. Hope I can do that without screwing up something. Geesh.
 
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kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
9,892
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
I have the one about cranking without pulling the water pump intake hose ! "What the %$# is that gurgling noise and how come water is coming out of the air cleaner?" Yeah.. fortunately, I had stopped using the starter and was hand cranking it by that time.. Got that cleared then after cracking the injectors, it fired right up..
 
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kappykaplan

kappykaplan

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May 1, 2011
4,244
Pearson 37 Lusby MD
Yeah, I did that once, but I was sailing with two reefs in. Missed enjoying the first 20 minutes of a beautiful sail while trying to figure it out.
 
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Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,775
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
But the boat wouldn't start forgot to push stop and all down. Been there done that.
 
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DaveJ

DaveJ

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Apr 2, 2013
451
Catalina 310 Niagara-on-the-Lake
Took a 3 week vacation a couple of years ago and sailed to the Thousand Islands. We took our new dinghy and new 4 HP 4 stroke Merc. Everything was great for about a week and a half, the dinghy and engine were flawless. One morning we hopped in and I pulled until my arm fell off, almost. Finally I pulled the engine and put it up on the bracket I made on the pushpit. I took the cowling off, checked the plugs/wires, vent was open on the tank. So I placed a bucket of water under the engine and pulled some more.....nothing. We then rowed to were we needed to go. Later that day I was sitting in the cockpit with a cold one, ruminating about what could be wrong with a new engine, I looked up at it and staring me in the face was the fuel shut-off! Yep, off. Put the bucket under it again, first pull it fired up.
I guess it could happen once to anyone......twice...not there yet...

Cheers
 
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Kings Gambit

Kings Gambit

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Jul 27, 2011
5,002
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I once nearly ran down the battery trying to start a new electric-start outboard with the kill switch lanyard in my pocket. The black clip is supposed to be snapped onto the inboard side of the kill switch button.:doh: Of course, there were a bunch of people watching.:oops:

 
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kimelmore

kimelmore

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Dec 28, 2010
462
Catalina 380 san pedro
I once spent the better part of the morning changing fuel filters, bleeding the self bleeding system, pulling the sender out of the top of the fuel tank to check if there really was any fuel in the tank....yup...had the kill handle pulled...:banghead:
 
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shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,074
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Well, I didn't do that but I'll see you with my outboard problem. Early AM bass fishing sortie and the motor won't start. Never happens. I do all the simple stuff - no start. It's oil injected and I assume there a shut off for low oil condition. There isn't, and after waiting for NAPA to open, I learn that. It's light by now and fishing slot has closed. Another hour or so of trying everything I can think of. Finally I'm looking for a loose wire in the ignition area and What?? I've never seen this switch before (It's the overboard kill switch and black on black background). Uhmmmm! Let's try the other position. Varooooom! {Engine says} What are you waiting for, Boss. Let's go fishing.
Oh, and you're only up to #1563? How old are you?
 
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Terry Cox

Terry Cox

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Dec 25, 2000
5,732
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Kings Gambit said:
I once nearly ran down the battery trying to start a new electric-start outboard with the kill switch lanyard in my pocket. The black clip is supposed to be snapped onto the inboard side of the kill switch button.:doh: Of course, there were a bunch of people watching.:oops:

Click to expand
Huh! Never done that before and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
 
WayneH

WayneH

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Jan 22, 2008
1,039
Tartan 37 287 Pensacola, FL
Motored out of the marina after having a lot of work done to my boat including adjusting the timing on the injection pump and changing the fuel filter. Turned downwind for a 12nm run and was thinking about unfurling the genoa when the engine died. Hey, no problemo! Rolled out the genoa and we sailed down the bay until we could exit the channel downwind of a spit of land and calm water. I figured we had air in the lines so I got all my tools ready while we were sailing.

Out of the channel and into calm water, rolled up the genoa and when the forward momentum died, we dropped the anchor. I open the hatch to the engine compartment. Thinking I wanted to check the fuel filter first, I opened the cover to the fuel tank and there was the fuel cutoff valve in the "off" position. Turned it on and asked the Admiral to start the engine which fired right up and away we went.
 
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Kermit

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
I discovered that you can't start the outboard no matter how hard you push the kill switch. And it doesn't really matter which battery you use. Or the condition thereof.
 
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D

danm1

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Oct 5, 2013
169
Hunter 356 Mamaroneck, NY
I have never spent more than a half hour pulling a cord with the kill switch in.
Which raises the question: Is there anyone on the planet who uses the kill switch the way they were intended to be used? I can't imagine how or why I would attach myself to the motor with a lanyard before going forward to release my mooring.
 
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J

jeepbluetj

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Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
Got the wife and in-laws on the boat. Picture perfect leaving the slip. Get out to the main channel and the motor dies. No biggie, we calmly raise some sail and sail out of the marina. Couple hours later dear wife asks me "what we going to do about the engine?" -- I go down below and realize that I never opened up the fuel valve.

Worst part is I've forgotten to open that fuel valve 4 times or so. That makes it far worse than the 3 times I've tried to get out of the slip with the shore power connected.
 
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Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
3,938
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I refuse to bare my soul and incriminate myself like all of you are doing. But I will admit to running aground twice in one day. And within minutes of each time. BTW, reading all of these posts, I have two suggestions: First- take the USPS Engine Maintenance course. Second- forget boating and take up gardening.
 
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Kings Gambit

Kings Gambit

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Jul 27, 2011
5,002
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Rich Stidger said:
I refuse to bare my soul and incriminate myself like all of you are doing. But I will admit to running aground twice in one day. And within minutes of each time. BTW, reading all of these posts, I have two suggestions: First- take the USPS Engine Maintenance course. Second- forget boating and take up gardening.
Click to expand
That which does not kill us makes us stronger(?)
 
DaveJ

DaveJ

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Apr 2, 2013
451
Catalina 310 Niagara-on-the-Lake
That which does not kill us makes us stronger(?)

Then this will be me in a couple more months.....if the water will recede a couple of feet so I can put my boat in....
upload_2017-5-17_14-14-5.png
 
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J

Jongleur

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Feb 15, 2014
180
Catalina 30 Bremerton, WA
Not that I haven't done similar stuff, but on my
M25XP, the kill switch has a spring on it, so you
hold it to shut the engine off and then let it go and
it springs back. Isn't this common?
 
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