Bleeding Yanmar

NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
If you keep trying to turn engine over it brings water in but does not have the force to expell it all. Called potential water lock.
What racor do you have?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
The manual does speak to excessive attempts. What's excessive?
Depends. Cooling water is pumped up through the cooling system and then into the exhaust system. The small pump is not strong enough to pump water up and out the exhaust so it backs up and may reach the exhaust valves. As the engine turns the exhaust valves open and water pours in, eventually filling the cylinder. Water does not compress, so the engine stops turning. This is called hydro locking. It can be quite destructive to the engine if it locks up while turning. To empty the cylinders, the injector (or spark plug in gas engines) is removed and the engine turned over. The water will exit the injector holes. If you are lucky and there is no other damage you put everything back together and go sailing.

The prevention is to close the seacock so the water pump can't get water. This can damage the impeller, so once the engine is running again, check the impeller. A $20 impeller is much less expensive than an engine rebuild.

Here's a link to the instructions for the filter: https://www.parker.com/Literature/Racor/Tech_Install/15332_500FG_Turbine_Series.pdf
 

Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
You have two fuel filters in that photo. A Racor 500 would be a custom install for that engine - you may be missing important fuel shut-off valves or they are not installed. Time to call a diesel mechanic.
 

NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
This is a simple issue.... not a problem assuming this is all you did and it was running fine before. Don’t over think. Start at the beginning, turn off your fuel feed and open racor again and make sure it is full of fuel and that filter is pushed and seated in position. One thing that is great about these is that you can pour fuel in and can watch as it primes the hoses. Once that is filled put the cap on making sure it seats. I assume you replaced the gaskets that came with the filter and coated them with fuel. After you have the cap back on snuggly open the fuel feed.
Regarding over cranking, I am paranoid and would not do more than 10 5 second in duration attempts to start. It really depends how your boat is set up, but if you have water off and it turns over and you scamper and open valve o wil bet your impeller will be just fine. My engine always starts the moment I turn the key.......
Have a few beers and try again!

Greg
 
May 18, 2017
66
Hunter 44 Changes
Thanks for all the help and suggestions. Spoke with two Yanmar mechanics and both believe air is in the injector pump. Seems a reasonably easy fix, but unfortunately, had to head home today to help family. It's time for the expert to help with the job.
 
May 18, 2017
66
Hunter 44 Changes
I would like to ask what actually needs to be inspected for trapped water? Do not believe I made too many attempts but feel it's worth it to inspect.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I would like to ask what actually needs to be inspected for trapped water? Do not believe I made too many attempts but feel it's worth it to inspect.
Check the water lift muffler, there maybe a drain plug on the bottom, open it and let the water drain out. That might be the easiest way. Or take remove the hose that goes in to the injection elbow. If that is full of water it may have backed up into the exhaust manifold. Try turning the flywheel. If it goes around twice it should be fine. Find the compression release and release the compression, that will make it easier to turn.
 

nfg2u

.
Feb 13, 2016
92
Hunter Legend 35.5 Fort Pierce
My experience is the primer pump works great and will pull fuel through quickly (as long as there is no restriction). I thought the same thing Gunni until I found out I was moving the lever up and down to get exercise.. LOL. If you don't push down all the way on the lever it will not pump fuel. The fuel pump primer lever needs to go all the way down, you can feel the mush of the pump when its actuated.. After I discovered this I could fill the Racor and the engine filter bowl pretty quickly. Bleeding has become much easier now that I can pump fuel from the tank. :)
I found I had a restriction at the tank and have since installed a vacuum gauge between the Racor and the engine filter.

Just my experience.

Using that little priming pump lever? About 3 days :tongue:
Does your Racor have the priming pump on it? That moves more fuel and will fill the filter body and move the fuel to the secondary filter bleeder. Once you have all fuel (no bubbles) there, you should be able to start it. If not you have to start loosening injector nuts. Generally the engine is self priming once you get all fuel to the engine filter.
 

weinie

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Sep 6, 2010
1,297
Jeanneau 349 port washington, ny
One trick I found with my yanmar (3ym20)...
It was very hard to prime the system after changing filters... there was just too much air in the primary that the little yanmar lever on the injection pump couldn't suck out no matter how many full pumps I gave it. And there was no easy way to add fuel to the system directly into the racor filter housing itself.
However, I figured out that if I started the engine after the changing the filters, the engine would do the job of priming the racor. The engine would soon die as the air reached the injectors, but now, it could be fully primed and bled in just a few pumps of the finger lever. I've done four filter changes like this and it works every time like a charm.
 

NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
One trick I found with my yanmar (3ym20)...
It was very hard to prime the system after changing filters... there was just too much air in the primary that the little yanmar lever on the injection pump couldn't suck out no matter how many full pumps I gave it. And there was no easy way to add fuel to the system directly into the racor filter housing itself.
However, I figured out that if I started the engine after the changing the filters, the engine would do the job of priming the racor. The engine would soon die as the air reached the injectors, but now, it could be fully primed and bled in just a few pumps of the finger lever. I've done four filter changes like this and it works every time like a charm.
You can also have someone do the starting part and you stay below with the bleed screw open with rags around it......
 
May 18, 2017
66
Hunter 44 Changes
The good news, the engine is running. The fuel solenoid was stuck so it was not air in the fuel injector as two mechanics suspected. Need your opinion though on the following....the Yanmar certified service tech said if there was water in the engine after some attempts to start it with the intake open, it would have flushed through while he ran the engine. Again, I'm not on board, but he said he ran it for quite a while and it would have stopped if there was an issue.

However, prior to leaving the matter in the hands of this Yanmar specialist to head home, a different mechanic said it would not push the water through. Thoughts?
 
May 17, 2004
5,028
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
The good news, the engine is running. The fuel solenoid was stuck so it was not air in the fuel injector as two mechanics suspected. Need your opinion though on the following....the Yanmar certified service tech said if there was water in the engine after some attempts to start it with the intake open, it would have flushed through while he ran the engine. Again, I'm not on board, but he said he ran it for quite a while and it would have stopped if there was an issue.

However, prior to leaving the matter in the hands of this Yanmar specialist to head home, a different mechanic said it would not push the water through. Thoughts?
I'm with the Yanmar tech. As I understand it the risk is that water will get into the cylinders and lock them. If the Pistons were able to make their full travel and combustion happened, I don't see how there could still be water there.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
If there was water in the cylinder and it was not of sufficient volume to hydro lock the engine, then the water will gone after the engine has run for a while. It will be forced out the exhaust valve. If for some reason there was still water in a cylinder then that cylinder would probably not fire and it would be immediately apparent that the engine wasn't running smoothly.

Do check your engine oil. If there was water in the cylinder some of it might have made its way down into the oil pan. That would not be good.
 
May 18, 2017
66
Hunter 44 Changes
We are back on board and the solenoid continues to get stuck. The mechanic said it is an electrical issue as the solenoid is getting power all the time the key is on. It got hot and likely burned up which is why it works sometimes and sometimes does not. He's recommending we change replace the solenoid shut off valve, not a cheap option. But, if needed, we will get it done and by a certified Yanmar tech. Has anyone heard of this and what would cause such a failure (simply asking to learn). Thanks.
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Bad pushbutton for the kill switch?? (as in pushbutton staying "closed" when the button is released) Not unusual because they are out in the weather..
 
May 18, 2017
66
Hunter 44 Changes
One mechanic checked the kill button on the engine panel and said it was fine. He then went to the shut off solenoid (cushy red button on the engine). It's that shut off solenoid he's suggesting needs to be replaced.