I posted my problem on this board a while ago and I have just solved it! Problem: Can only get up to 2000 rpm in gear. Lots of white smoke. What didn't work: Changed fuel filters, bled fuel system everywhere. Checked and cleared exhaust riser (not much gunk in there anyway). Water line at the vented loop to the riser was nearly completely clogged - cleaned and replaced. Thermostat was looking ugly - cleaned it up, tested it (the hot water bath test), and reinstalled it. After doing each of those things above, I tested the engine and it would never get above 2000 rpm in gear. I should note that with 2 kids ages 3 and 1.5, I could only get away for a couple of hours on Sundays to do all this work, so it has been about 2 months of working on the boat! What did work: As you may have guessed - it was the most obvious - I had a 1/2 inch poly line wrapped around my prop. My good pal Jim volunteered to jump in and check it out. He unwrapped the line and scraped the barnacles and muscles off the prop and shaft. No dive gear - just a mask. He was in the cold water for about 20 minutes! Needless to say I am extremely happy to have found the problem. But all this work over the last couple of months has taught me a lot about this engine that I'm sure will come in handy for future problems. What happens now: A lot more wash. Surprisingly it didn't go over 2300 rpm in forward and 2400 rpm in reverse. I think I will get more rpms if I'm moving through the water and not doing a static push at the dock...is that correct? Thanks to all who posted suggestions before! -Rob
A diesel engine mystery...solved
- Thread starter Rob 1981 Cat 3019642
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Thanks Ross
It would make sense to me that pushing at the dock is like driving a car uphill - creates a lot of resistance. Cheers -Rob
It would make sense to me that pushing at the dock is like driving a car uphill - creates a lot of resistance. Cheers -Rob
Thanks for the Feedback
Anybody who had a friend stay in that water for 20 minutes has a really good friend. That water is c-o-o-o-l-d ! Brrrrr! What kind of engine do you have?
Anybody who had a friend stay in that water for 20 minutes has a really good friend. That water is c-o-o-o-l-d ! Brrrrr! What kind of engine do you have?
the real question is
why didn't you notice any difference the moment the line fouled the shaft? The solution would have been evident.
why didn't you notice any difference the moment the line fouled the shaft? The solution would have been evident.
Tom, I hope it never happens to you.
You probably wouldn't even notice when a small amount of line wrapped around the shaft/prop. No big rattles or shakes. But when it tries to spin fast, the line will be causing a lot of drag. Hind sight is always 20-20, but may not be when it is happening. I guess that is why we love boating, eh?
You probably wouldn't even notice when a small amount of line wrapped around the shaft/prop. No big rattles or shakes. But when it tries to spin fast, the line will be causing a lot of drag. Hind sight is always 20-20, but may not be when it is happening. I guess that is why we love boating, eh?
great idea...
I'm going to ask for an anticipator for Fathers Day! The engine is a little Universal 11hp raw water cooled 5411. Good question - why didn't I notice it? Everything was fine when I last pulled into my slip last September. Over the winter, I changed the filters. I guess that when I was warming up the engine in gear, this chunk of line introduced itself to my prop! We get a lot of debris and wash (and once, a ferry!)moving through the marina with BC Ferries being the next docks over. I had spun the shaft by hand, and it felt fine. There was no vibration in gear, just low rpms. That's why I had thought it an engine problem. Now, I finally get to go out on the boat. I'm going over to Bowen Island with my 3 year old daughter tomorrow. My wife and son will meet us on the island on Sunday. What a fathers day gift! Cheers -Rob
I'm going to ask for an anticipator for Fathers Day! The engine is a little Universal 11hp raw water cooled 5411. Good question - why didn't I notice it? Everything was fine when I last pulled into my slip last September. Over the winter, I changed the filters. I guess that when I was warming up the engine in gear, this chunk of line introduced itself to my prop! We get a lot of debris and wash (and once, a ferry!)moving through the marina with BC Ferries being the next docks over. I had spun the shaft by hand, and it felt fine. There was no vibration in gear, just low rpms. That's why I had thought it an engine problem. Now, I finally get to go out on the boat. I'm going over to Bowen Island with my 3 year old daughter tomorrow. My wife and son will meet us on the island on Sunday. What a fathers day gift! Cheers -Rob
Rob, where you a near victim of that BC ferry
that relocated those docks and the boats moored to them?
that relocated those docks and the boats moored to them?
Even better...
Those Problem Anticipators are nice, but even better is the Time Backer-Upper. It looks sort of like a wrist watch, but with a larger face and hands, and the hands have small knobs attached. When something bad happens, you just reach down and back up the appropriate hand - hours, minutes, or seconds - and you are where you were before the bad stuff happened and can make the appropriate changes to avoid it. The only difficulty is that they are pretty hard to find - every place I check has just sold the last one before I got there. Sort of like a lost-and-found in a border town, askin' 'bout a diamond ring...
Those Problem Anticipators are nice, but even better is the Time Backer-Upper. It looks sort of like a wrist watch, but with a larger face and hands, and the hands have small knobs attached. When something bad happens, you just reach down and back up the appropriate hand - hours, minutes, or seconds - and you are where you were before the bad stuff happened and can make the appropriate changes to avoid it. The only difficulty is that they are pretty hard to find - every place I check has just sold the last one before I got there. Sort of like a lost-and-found in a border town, askin' 'bout a diamond ring...
Bob, I had one of those once
and in an idle moment I set it to the time before I bought it and it disapeared. I haven't seen it since. I went back to find the shop where I had gotten it and there was a vacant lot with large trees growing on it.
and in an idle moment I set it to the time before I bought it and it disapeared. I haven't seen it since. I went back to find the shop where I had gotten it and there was a vacant lot with large trees growing on it.
Similiar Problem
I have a neighbor that has a 387 that has been overheating when motoring for over a year. Catalina thinks that he has the wrong prop on it. However, the marina says that it is the correct prop that came with the boat. They have been looking at everything, but can find nothing wrong. So he motors at a slower speed to keep the temp down.
I have a neighbor that has a 387 that has been overheating when motoring for over a year. Catalina thinks that he has the wrong prop on it. However, the marina says that it is the correct prop that came with the boat. They have been looking at everything, but can find nothing wrong. So he motors at a slower speed to keep the temp down.
in desparate need of a time backerupper
So now the boat will do 2500 rpm full out. The knotmeter still doesn't work and I didn't bring my GPS out with me this past weekend so I couldn't check speed. I could swear I was able to get to higher rpms before, but I can't remember. We had a great weekend away. My daughter loved the boat! Fred: No I wasn't a victim of the BC Ferry accident just under a year ago. The Ferry just barely brushed up against the floating breakwater. I'm just on the other side of that. It was close - about 20 feet away. My friend was behind the wheel of that ferry, and he called me from the wheelhouse to tell me he missed my boat. Cheers -Rob
So now the boat will do 2500 rpm full out. The knotmeter still doesn't work and I didn't bring my GPS out with me this past weekend so I couldn't check speed. I could swear I was able to get to higher rpms before, but I can't remember. We had a great weekend away. My daughter loved the boat! Fred: No I wasn't a victim of the BC Ferry accident just under a year ago. The Ferry just barely brushed up against the floating breakwater. I'm just on the other side of that. It was close - about 20 feet away. My friend was behind the wheel of that ferry, and he called me from the wheelhouse to tell me he missed my boat. Cheers -Rob
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