engine drags {sometimes} when starting

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Jan 26, 2007
308
Norsea 27 Cleveland
Different perspective

It sounds as though your exhaust is filling with water and the engine struggles to blow it out before it cranks over. You said it 'sometimes' has this problem. Are there any conditions common to the times when you have trouble? By the way, my C27 M-18 had similar symptoms.
 
May 24, 2004
7,164
CC 30 South Florida
Check starter alingment. There has been excellent

advice given for possible elctrical problems. I'll try to address some of the mechanical ones. When the starter spins the gear is pushed back to engage the flywheel. The starter gear and the flywheel teeth need to be aligned so that the gear slides in and out effortlessly an allows the starter to rotate freely. What could cause misalingment, 1) starter not seated properly (inspect the base,some starters require shims), 2)Rusted or dirty flywheel ring (an inspection and a dab of grease will not hurt. 3) an out of round or warped flywheel (sometimes overheating can warp a flywheel) 4) worn starter bearings (may not apply in your case as you have replaced it) 5) damaged flywheel teeth (usually creates intermitent problem). 6) Check that the engine itself turns freely (shafts, clutches, transmission). Being the fact that your problem seems to be intermitent I would check for a warped flywheel or damaged teeth. The problem may occur when the damaged section of the flywheel happens to stop where the starter engages it. Chances are your problems are electrical in nature, but if everything fails check the mechanics. Let us know the outcome.
 
J

Jack

The only other thing I can add is.....

...when it decides to act up and the starter has a hard time turning the engine over I change the battery selector switch to "both" and it seems to help. I know it sounds like bad batteries but I have had them tested several {many} times. I even tired to return them to West Marine under the 12 month warrentee but W/Marine wouldn't do the exchange because they test fine. Actually, I replaced the old batteries because the starter/engine was doing the same thing. I don't know,.. maybe putting the selector switch on both provides extra power to overcome a bad ground. Thoughts?? Its late and I am going to bed. Thanks for the help, Jack
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Changing the battery switch won't help with a bad ground.

Take your volt meter and check for voltage drops across all of the connections and here you are checking from cable end to cable end, You will find any connections that are less than perfect. The proceedure is this: start at the battery and apply one lead of the meter to the battery post and the other to the cable, have someone push the starter button. The reading should be zero. trace the cable to the next connection and repeat, checking from cable end to cable end . NOT FROM SCREW HEAD TO SCREW HEAD! Repeat this all the way to the starter and then back along the ground circuit to the battery. This will at the least prove the electrical connections and at best will find a fault.
 

Norton

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Mar 30, 2004
93
Allied Seabreeze New Orleans
See if the Co. will make this right

Jack After reading your last post. If the problem you describe was the reason you hired this Co. I would not trust anything they did. A. That they tested anything they said they tested. B. That it was necessary to replace the parts they say they replaced. C. Even that they replaced the parts that they say they replaced. I hope you have checked behind them or saw some of the work. They made you pay a grand and did not solve your problem. After you pay your bargaining power is diminished, but have you complained that the work they did could have been largely unnecessary and that they should make it right and get your problem solved?
 
May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
100% Ross

You are 100% right. This should go back on whoever did the work. But don't know what recourse he would have it they want to jerk him around. I have a friend who had the 50 hour service done on a new Yanmar. This man is never unwilling to pay the tab, and in this case did so. To the tune of over 500 bucks. First time he took the boat out it over heated. The so called mechanic, had left the belt so loose on the raw water pump, it could be removed by hand. He raised enough hell that they finally made it right, but it took going to the owner of the co.
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
I don't know about the coast guard and boats but with cars

and safety related work in Maryland, the State Police will come down on the shop that did the work if it turns into a hazard and you complain.
 
Aug 31, 2007
296
Catalina 30 Petoskey, Mich.
Water? I think Phil is on track

Does it start real good sometimes? Think about this, when the wind blows from behind while sitting at the dock some water may come in the exhaust if not routed properly your muffler may be filling up. You may just be lucky it starts befor you totally fill up the muffler and enging, then you have to draini the engine. VOICE OF EXPERIENCE, or your heat exchanger may be leaking. Have you ever had to drain the muffler? Does everything else electrical work just fine? OTHERWISE contact the repair guys and have them come back and keep checking, or go to another marina and discuss all these responses with someone who knows. Trial and error seems to be my middle name, 85 C30, lots of experience in the last 7 years of ownership. Good Luck Dean www.blowinganddrifting@yahoo.com
 
Aug 31, 2007
296
Catalina 30 Petoskey, Mich.
Another thing to check

Before you do anything next time you get to the dock, check the muffler drain first. Also you may have a bad head gasket. Does it smoke alot or steam.? Dean
 
J

Jack

from Jack {orignal post}

My, My. Oh what a long story. I would complain back to the company that sent the mechanics but we parted on unhappy terms. Actually, I was unhappy, they still got there money. You see, Mechanic # 1 visits and checks it out. He says its a loose ground and leaves. After 6 or so times starting the engine it does the same thing. {starter drags as if the batteries are low} Mechanic one comes back to the boat an hour later, spends a couple of hours checking and cleaning wires and ground, alternator and such. He decides that the batteries are low and they are not getting a charge, He tells me to order a new amp meter. [some of you may know that the amp meters are prone to failure} A few days later the new meter arrives. It is the updated volt meter. I call mechanic # 1 give him the upgrade volt kit including instructions on the install. He ignores the instructions and installs the new meter. Starts the engine and the meter doesn't work. I come from the house to see how it's going and find him puzzled. I go over the instructions with him and find that it was wired incorrectly. He still has the alternator power running thru the new voltmeter and not from the starter post {or something like that per the instructions}. The two of us go over the step by step instructions and install the new upgraded voltmeter. He leaves stating that it is installed correctly. I go to the boat and find part of the new upgrade kit not installed {the new engine wire harness}. I was B/S and called the company. I told them what had happened and not to send mechanic #1 back. Mechanic Two arrives a few days later. He installs the new engine wire harness, starts the engine and with in a minutes finds that the alternator isn't putting out. I told him Mechanic # 1 installed the new amp/volt upgrade kit incorrectly and he must have fried the new alternator. [I had replaced the alternator as well as the starter}. Mechanic # one denies it. The company says they will install a new rebuilt alternator at cost with no labor. What choice do I have, i now need a new alternator. Mechanic # 2 comes back in a few days with a new alternator, installs it and I am charging batteries again. I week later I get a letter along with the bill stating how they went out of there way to replace the alternator at little cost to me. Oh, of coarse i still have the same problem of the starter sometimes turning the engine over slowly as if the batteries were weak. It has been months and it was such a strain that i only now feel as if i can revisit the issue. And that, my friends is why i will not call those idiots back to repair the boat. thanks for all the good advice, jack
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Jack , It is time for you to invest in some books and tools

There is a broad assortment of good ones out there. The 12 volt doctor comes to mind and the others here can add their favorites. I got my electrical training almost fifty years ago and have kept it current. I guess Nigel Calder has a few good ones also.
 

Norton

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Mar 30, 2004
93
Allied Seabreeze New Orleans
Kindly

FFFFFFF that shop. Make them make it right, they suck. What is their name, so I am sure I will NEVER USE THEM. We pay top dollar already, for anything related to boats, at least we should have some recourse amoungst ourselves.
 
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