Engine Hours and RPMs

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klemsaba

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Sep 12, 2010
66
S2 8.0c Ninnescah Sailing Association
I bought my first boat last summer. I have a Yanmar YSM8 on my 1978 S2 8.0c. The engine starting panel does not have an hour meter or RPM gauge. This seems odd to me but my panel matches the panel in my Yanmar manual.

I see comments from others like "my engine rattles at XXX rpms" or "I loose power at XXX rpms" or "My engine runs smooth at XXX rpms". I also see people often mention how many hours is on the engine when selling their boat or diagnosing a problem.

Needless to say I have no idea how many hours are on my engine or what RPM I should run it at. I've been going on 'feel' listening to the engine. For all I know I might think my little Yanmar sounds fine but it could be suffering from my abuse. It doesn't sputter, smoke, and starts up like a champ when it's warm outside. It didn't like starting up in October as it got cooler. But once it did start up it ran fine and even started up quickly after several hours of sailing.

From my discussions with the previous owner the boat was re-powered before he bought it but wasn't sure when... so at least 12 years ago. This boat has always been sailed on a small inland lake and I could probably guesstimate the hours on the Yanmar by calculating an average use each weekend motoring out and motoring back in (2 hours). Multiply that by 20 weekends (per year) and finally multiply by at least 12 years and I get... 480 hours... yea probably more than that. Figure in the standard deviation... okay not really. Ha!

I could add an RPM gauge but an hour meter now seems pointless since it wouldn't be accurate anyway. I guess I could say "I've put XXX hours on the Yanmar since I've owned the boat". I suppose that would be useful info.

Sorry for rambling. My mind wonders during the cold January temperatures of Kansas dreaming of launching in April.

Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks.

Doug
 

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Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,030
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
install the hour meter and use it to monitor service intervals.... when it's time to sell, actual total hours isn't as impressive as showing detailed records of scheculed maintenance and repairs.
 
Don12364

Don12364

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Dec 2, 2003
1,637
Hunter 376 Warsash, England --
Do you have a log of the fuel it has used. Quite often this is more revealing than engine hours.
FWIW I always log the date and quantity of fuel purchased (and engine hours) and this practice stood me in good stead when the display on my hours meter suddenly went blank and I 'lost' 450 engine hours.
 
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alexco38

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Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,805
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
I agree with Joe and Donalex. Your engine hours compared to fuel used is very often more telling than a fuel gauge.

Doing it by feel is a very good way to run your engine, but a tach wouldn't hurt.
 
Jalepeno

Jalepeno

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Mar 2, 2008
406
Cal 25 mk II T-Bird Marina, West Vancouver
Also remember that if you are using a hand tack to calibrate an alternator pulse type of tachometer on a YSM8/12, the PTO (front cover pulley shaft) rotates at 85% of the actual motor speed and in the reverse direction (look in your Yanmar manual). No such problem with a "tiny tach".
 
K

klemsaba

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Sep 12, 2010
66
S2 8.0c Ninnescah Sailing Association
Great insight to some things I hadn't thought of. I've been chewing on this for a while. Glad I asked.

About my fuel usage... that would require a fuel gauge. I have a stick with marks on it. Does that count? Last summer I went from 8 1/2 marks to 8 marks. What is a mark? I haven't a clue. The previous owner didn't either.

I didn't pump out the fuel this winter. Perhaps I should in the Spring? That would give me an idea on quantity and also check the quality of the fuel (if even there's a way to determine that).

Thanks!
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,805
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
klemsaba said:
About my fuel usage... that would require a fuel gauge. I have a stick with marks on it. Does that count? Last summer I went from 8 1/2 marks to 8 marks. What is a mark? I haven't a clue. The previous owner didn't either.
Click to expand

Do you know the number of gallons that is supposed to be in your tank?

Even if you don't, BUT if you have an hour meter, you can determine your fuel use, without the danged stick!:) by keeping track of your fuel when you fill up for the next few times. It may even take a year if you don't use your boat a lot!

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3841.0.html

I've never missed my fuel gauge.

The hour meter is an easy install, I'd do it before a tach.

Then find out how big your tank really is.

And use the stick for kindling. :)
 
N

navigator97

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May 24, 2004
470
Hunter 33.5 Portsmouth, RI
My Engine Hour meter (original with boat that has a Yanmar 2GM20F Diesel) I replaced it with a Faria MH009E hour meter from Ships Store (shipsstore.com) their P/N FAR12824. It cost about $46 in 2006. Connect - to ground, and the + to the ignition switch. When ignition switch is on, the hour meter runs. Being a little anal, I always log in Eng. Hr. meter reading at start of the day and when I secure for the day I measured the fuel tank dims, subtracted wall thickness and got inside dimenions. This gave me cubic feet and then converted to gallons. Since the tank is plastic and semitransparent I can sight fuel level. I also took one of my wife's sewing tape measures and glued it on to the side of the tank. I could then determine by dimension, the mark for each gallon, and marked that on the tank with a permanent marker. I always log the fuel at the start of the season, and how much added when and at what Eng. Hr. reading. This gives me accurate GPH average for the season. When it creeps up the mixing elbow needs replacing.
 
T

Tim C350 April IV

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Dec 2, 2003
392
Catalina 350 Seattle
Doug - I think you're seriously overthinking the situation. Go sailing! Don't worry about whether there's 500 hours on the engine or 1000 - it's a 34 year old boat that starts right up and runs smoothly - and I bet you keep it clean too. When it comes to selling the boat - which is about the only time the engine hours might come into play - its condition and how well it starts and runs are going to be all that matters.

If you start cobbeling up tach's and engine hour meters, you'll be back on the forum troubleshooting electrical problems and worrying where and how to cut holes in your boat.

Simple is better - and boats are for sailing. Sounds like yours does both pretty well.

Good Luck!
Tim Brogan
April IV C350 #68
Seattle
 
shipwreck66

shipwreck66

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Apr 5, 2010
565
Catalina 27- 1984 Grapevine
Change your oil annually like the rest of us. A diesel will run for 1500-2000 hours if maintained so doing the math it will probably outlive you. Diesels run slow. (That's a period) You are only going to do about 5 kts max so and 2600 rpm. You may have a governor on yours you can set that will prevent overrevving, I have mine set at 2800 max. Tachs are pretty easy to add to your engine.
 
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