I just today purchased a 1986 Hunter 34' which is currently located at Shell Point Marina in Ruskin, FL. This boat hasn't been used in several months and I need to get a mechanic to look at the engine before I attempt to take the boat back to Pensacola, FL. The engine is a 24 HP Yanmar 3GM3OF. I have been told that the impeller needs replacing and also that the fuel tank should be drained and new diesel fuel added since the fuel could possibly be six or eights months old and may contain algae. I don't know how accurate the information is regarding the impeller replacement and fuel replacement but and don't want to do unnecessary repairs but also don't want to risk damaging the engine. Needless to say, I know very little about diesel engines. ( I have been quoted $75 for the impeller replacement). My dilemma is that I don't know the reputation of any of the marina's or diesel mechanics in the Bradenton/St Pete/Tampa area and would like someone to recommend a mechanic who would service a boat in Ruskin. My other option is to have Seatow move the boat to another marina for service. I need to return to Ruskin early next week to bring the boat back home and any suggestions/recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks
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Andy
An idea or two.
First, $75 for an impeller replacement may be a little high, but if he shows you how I would consider it a deal (considering your self admitted lack of mechanical apptitude) Just kidding. I'm sure you will catch right on. When you were a kid and the chain came off your Honda, could you put it back on? heehee Second-for the trip, consider carrying fresh fuel in a seperate container that can be plumbed to the engine or filter in lieu of the old tank. (Kind of like a reserve tank on the motorcycle you wrecked when the chain came off! oopsy
First, $75 for an impeller replacement may be a little high, but if he shows you how I would consider it a deal (considering your self admitted lack of mechanical apptitude) Just kidding. I'm sure you will catch right on. When you were a kid and the chain came off your Honda, could you put it back on? heehee Second-for the trip, consider carrying fresh fuel in a seperate container that can be plumbed to the engine or filter in lieu of the old tank. (Kind of like a reserve tank on the motorcycle you wrecked when the chain came off! oopsy
Has any one ever been in business for themself?
John: I have to disagree with the cost of having someone do something for $75. Now let me tell you if you have ever been in business for yourself you would have to agreee. You are paying someone $15/hr. They have a vehicle to drive around, they have an inventory of parts that needs to be paid for before you load that truck up...... They pay for workmans comp that is probably 50-75% of their hourly wage. When someone bitches about putting the wrong oil, paint, part on your boat they need to eat it. If they do not make a profit, they are not going to be around to take care of you next week, next month or next year. Now on the other hand if you have them service the engine and pay them for 2 hours of labor, you are going to get a lot more for your money. Andy is absolutely correct in saying that $75 is too much for an impeller replacement, but you do need to consider the circumstances. Have him do the engine service and the price will be reasonalbe. As far as the fuel is concerned. You may want consider pumping all the old fuel into some type of tanks and dispose of it in an manner that is in accordance with local laws. Then you can just refill your tank. Be sure that you use a biocide in accordance with the instructions.
John: I have to disagree with the cost of having someone do something for $75. Now let me tell you if you have ever been in business for yourself you would have to agreee. You are paying someone $15/hr. They have a vehicle to drive around, they have an inventory of parts that needs to be paid for before you load that truck up...... They pay for workmans comp that is probably 50-75% of their hourly wage. When someone bitches about putting the wrong oil, paint, part on your boat they need to eat it. If they do not make a profit, they are not going to be around to take care of you next week, next month or next year. Now on the other hand if you have them service the engine and pay them for 2 hours of labor, you are going to get a lot more for your money. Andy is absolutely correct in saying that $75 is too much for an impeller replacement, but you do need to consider the circumstances. Have him do the engine service and the price will be reasonalbe. As far as the fuel is concerned. You may want consider pumping all the old fuel into some type of tanks and dispose of it in an manner that is in accordance with local laws. Then you can just refill your tank. Be sure that you use a biocide in accordance with the instructions.
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Pete
cost of impeller replacement
It might seam like a lot to pay $75 dollar for replacing the impeller however the impeler it self is over $20 ($22 with tax if I remember correctly)Using Steves employer cost $50 labor does not seam bad. It is only a 15 minute job but most mechanis start the clock when they leave the shop (or service truck)with a 1/2 hour or 1 hour minimun labor charge.Labor charges here in New England are in the $55 to $65 per hour range. More importantly if you learn how to do it youself it wiil be cheap in the long run. As long as your mechanic is there have him should you how to change fuel filters and blead the fuel system.Before I would drain the tank I would see what the filter looks like and make a decision based a sample or you might want to look into haveing the fuel "polished" and tank cleaned. Good Luck and welcome to boat ownership!
It might seam like a lot to pay $75 dollar for replacing the impeller however the impeler it self is over $20 ($22 with tax if I remember correctly)Using Steves employer cost $50 labor does not seam bad. It is only a 15 minute job but most mechanis start the clock when they leave the shop (or service truck)with a 1/2 hour or 1 hour minimun labor charge.Labor charges here in New England are in the $55 to $65 per hour range. More importantly if you learn how to do it youself it wiil be cheap in the long run. As long as your mechanic is there have him should you how to change fuel filters and blead the fuel system.Before I would drain the tank I would see what the filter looks like and make a decision based a sample or you might want to look into haveing the fuel "polished" and tank cleaned. Good Luck and welcome to boat ownership!
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Ed Schenck
Which impeller?
That $75. is probably money well spent as was pointed out. Especially if they replace the right one because there should be two. And since the mechanic is already there it should not cost much more to have them both done. How much fuel is in your tank? It can be very expensive and probably unnecessary to dump it or filter it. Fill the tank, use the biocide, and learn how to clean the Racor filter and bleed the engine. Chances are you will need to do that whether you change out the fuel or not. The suggestion to carry a spare tank is a good one. I carry a Tempo with three or four gallons of diesel for emergency use. That's good for over six hours of motoring at 5 knots. Cut the outboard motor fitting off and clamp to the Racor. Two or three squeezes of the bulb and you won't even need to bleed, the old Yanmar will start right up. Good luck with your trip.
That $75. is probably money well spent as was pointed out. Especially if they replace the right one because there should be two. And since the mechanic is already there it should not cost much more to have them both done. How much fuel is in your tank? It can be very expensive and probably unnecessary to dump it or filter it. Fill the tank, use the biocide, and learn how to clean the Racor filter and bleed the engine. Chances are you will need to do that whether you change out the fuel or not. The suggestion to carry a spare tank is a good one. I carry a Tempo with three or four gallons of diesel for emergency use. That's good for over six hours of motoring at 5 knots. Cut the outboard motor fitting off and clamp to the Racor. Two or three squeezes of the bulb and you won't even need to bleed, the old Yanmar will start right up. Good luck with your trip.
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Marj
Where is the boat going
Where are you going to be keeping the boat when you get it back to P'cola? I have a H27 that is kept in Grande Lagoon. Mark
Where are you going to be keeping the boat when you get it back to P'cola? I have a H27 that is kept in Grande Lagoon. Mark
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John Horton
Cost of doing business
Thanks guys for the information. Regarding the travel time, parts,etc for the mechanic, he is already on site where the boat is located so some of the cost issues mentioned would not apply. He does not have the part in stock and would have to order it so no inventory investment is involved. I am not as concerned about the impeller replacement as the fuel issue. What specific type of pump would you recommend to pump out the tank? Also, someone had commented " It can be very expensive and probably unnecessary to dump it or filter it. Fill the tank, use the biocide, and learn how to clean the Racor filter and bleed the engine" This seems to be the simplist solution. Is there a consensus that this solution is safe? Thanks again. John
Thanks guys for the information. Regarding the travel time, parts,etc for the mechanic, he is already on site where the boat is located so some of the cost issues mentioned would not apply. He does not have the part in stock and would have to order it so no inventory investment is involved. I am not as concerned about the impeller replacement as the fuel issue. What specific type of pump would you recommend to pump out the tank? Also, someone had commented " It can be very expensive and probably unnecessary to dump it or filter it. Fill the tank, use the biocide, and learn how to clean the Racor filter and bleed the engine" This seems to be the simplist solution. Is there a consensus that this solution is safe? Thanks again. John
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Ed Schenck
Pumping it.
If you decide to pump it one of those cheap pumps that you chuck in your 3/8" drill will work. I had to fill the inlet hose with oil first to prime it. But I was pumping from the top of the tank, through the gauge hole, not from the main hose. This was necessary because the main fuel line was clogged at the pickup(and there was/is no screen). I pumped into a 6 gal. yellow diesel can and then transferred to a 50 gal. drum. This was very old diesel fuel and looked fine to the naked eye. The marina took the drum and used the diesel in the yard tractor. Then I cut two large cleanout ports. All I found was a little goop at the pickup, the tank was clean. No algae and no moisture in a 1979 fuel tank!
If you decide to pump it one of those cheap pumps that you chuck in your 3/8" drill will work. I had to fill the inlet hose with oil first to prime it. But I was pumping from the top of the tank, through the gauge hole, not from the main hose. This was necessary because the main fuel line was clogged at the pickup(and there was/is no screen). I pumped into a 6 gal. yellow diesel can and then transferred to a 50 gal. drum. This was very old diesel fuel and looked fine to the naked eye. The marina took the drum and used the diesel in the yard tractor. Then I cut two large cleanout ports. All I found was a little goop at the pickup, the tank was clean. No algae and no moisture in a 1979 fuel tank!
Check with your local land fill.
John: Before you look at dumping the fuel, you should check with the local land fills. In our area, we can take paint, oil etc. and they have a way to dispose of it. You can also take it to a gas station that do oil changes (if you can find one). Diesel is NOT like gasoline. You should be able to use any pump that was OKAY for gasoline or something that is specific for diesel fuel for pumping the fuel into another container/s. Do you have any idea how much fuel you are dealing with?
John: Before you look at dumping the fuel, you should check with the local land fills. In our area, we can take paint, oil etc. and they have a way to dispose of it. You can also take it to a gas station that do oil changes (if you can find one). Diesel is NOT like gasoline. You should be able to use any pump that was OKAY for gasoline or something that is specific for diesel fuel for pumping the fuel into another container/s. Do you have any idea how much fuel you are dealing with?
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John Horton
Where is the boat going
I will not be far from Grand Lagoon. I have a slip on "Ole River". If you turn west at buoy 43 on the ICW, I am about threee miles up the river. When I think of Grand Lagoon, I think of the Rod & Reel and Southwinds marinas. Am I close? John
I will not be far from Grand Lagoon. I have a slip on "Ole River". If you turn west at buoy 43 on the ICW, I am about threee miles up the river. When I think of Grand Lagoon, I think of the Rod & Reel and Southwinds marinas. Am I close? John
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John Horton
Check with your local landfill
Good question. The tank is 30 gallons and I failed to check the gas guage when I was at the marina. That is one of the first thinga I intend to do when I return. John
Good question. The tank is 30 gallons and I failed to check the gas guage when I was at the marina. That is one of the first thinga I intend to do when I return. John
one other idea.
John: One other idea is for you to get a Baja Filter. You can pour the fuel thru this filter to remove any & all impurities. The biggest problem would be getting enough vessels (containers) to pour ALL the fuel into. I think that most of the gas/fuel cans are 6 gal. If the tank is full that would be 5 of them..... Good luck. You may be worrying about something that is really not a problem.
John: One other idea is for you to get a Baja Filter. You can pour the fuel thru this filter to remove any & all impurities. The biggest problem would be getting enough vessels (containers) to pour ALL the fuel into. I think that most of the gas/fuel cans are 6 gal. If the tank is full that would be 5 of them..... Good luck. You may be worrying about something that is really not a problem.
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Tom Hadoulias
More Thought...
I've been through this scenario on several different boats and occassions. First of all, if the tank is contaminated and has been neglected for a long time, you have an inevitable "garden" of algae on the bottom of the tank and simply pumping it out will not solve your problem. As soon as you refill and put in the algaecide, you kill everything in the tank and end up with a sludge of dead algae which will then make you very profiecient at changing fuel filters as they clog and your engine quits at the most inopportune time. I would recommend that you have the tank filtered and the fuel cleaned. There is a guy in Tampa that does this and although I don't recall his name he is probably the only one in the yellow pages that does this service. He comes over to the east coast to do a lot of boats in our marina and my recollection is that he charges a couple hundred bucks to do this over here and that includes travel expenses. You should be looking at a hundred dollar bill to get it done there. He agitates, filters and removes all the contaminants in the tank and fuel leaving you with a very serviceable fuel system that just needs new filters and algaecide to prevent re-occurence. Much easier that draining, disposing and cleaning it yourself. Have your mechanic do the filters at the same time he is doing the impellers after the fuel is filtered and you're done. Watch what he does and you won't need him again for those problems! Don't be fooled into thinking that replacing fuel will take care of the problem. If your fuel is black and contaminated, the bottom of your tank is full of crud and deposits. Ed's suggestion of a seperate tank is the only way to go if you don't follow through with the cleaning. By the way, deisel fuel doesn't go bad like gasoline does, it just get's contaminated do to absorbing water and other impurites which cause algae. Filtering will return it to "like new" condition. Enjoy your trip! Tom Hadoulias H37C, Lite Chop
I've been through this scenario on several different boats and occassions. First of all, if the tank is contaminated and has been neglected for a long time, you have an inevitable "garden" of algae on the bottom of the tank and simply pumping it out will not solve your problem. As soon as you refill and put in the algaecide, you kill everything in the tank and end up with a sludge of dead algae which will then make you very profiecient at changing fuel filters as they clog and your engine quits at the most inopportune time. I would recommend that you have the tank filtered and the fuel cleaned. There is a guy in Tampa that does this and although I don't recall his name he is probably the only one in the yellow pages that does this service. He comes over to the east coast to do a lot of boats in our marina and my recollection is that he charges a couple hundred bucks to do this over here and that includes travel expenses. You should be looking at a hundred dollar bill to get it done there. He agitates, filters and removes all the contaminants in the tank and fuel leaving you with a very serviceable fuel system that just needs new filters and algaecide to prevent re-occurence. Much easier that draining, disposing and cleaning it yourself. Have your mechanic do the filters at the same time he is doing the impellers after the fuel is filtered and you're done. Watch what he does and you won't need him again for those problems! Don't be fooled into thinking that replacing fuel will take care of the problem. If your fuel is black and contaminated, the bottom of your tank is full of crud and deposits. Ed's suggestion of a seperate tank is the only way to go if you don't follow through with the cleaning. By the way, deisel fuel doesn't go bad like gasoline does, it just get's contaminated do to absorbing water and other impurites which cause algae. Filtering will return it to "like new" condition. Enjoy your trip! Tom Hadoulias H37C, Lite Chop
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John Horton
more thoughts from Tom Hadoulias
Tom, Sounds like sound advise (no pun intended). Do you think you can find the phone number for me for the guy who does the filtering and cleaning in Tampa. I am in Pensacola and do not have the Tampa yellow pages.I would like for hime to come to Shell Point Marina which is located at the mouth of the Little Manatee River and Tampa Bay. Chart coordanites 27 43 099N and 82 28 758W. For anyone interested, my email is jhorton89@cox.net Thanks
Tom, Sounds like sound advise (no pun intended). Do you think you can find the phone number for me for the guy who does the filtering and cleaning in Tampa. I am in Pensacola and do not have the Tampa yellow pages.I would like for hime to come to Shell Point Marina which is located at the mouth of the Little Manatee River and Tampa Bay. Chart coordanites 27 43 099N and 82 28 758W. For anyone interested, my email is jhorton89@cox.net Thanks
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Chuck
Concerned about Algae
A few years ago I used an outfit called Longhose out of Tampa or St Pete to clean a fuel tank in Ruskin. They usually advertise in the Mariner bi-weekly Magazine. They did a good job.
A few years ago I used an outfit called Longhose out of Tampa or St Pete to clean a fuel tank in Ruskin. They usually advertise in the Mariner bi-weekly Magazine. They did a good job.
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