Engine went Kaput seven days into a three-week cruise.

Apr 5, 2009
3,327
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Hopefully you can avoid the major overhaul & get by with a “tuneup.” While you’re addressing the fuel system, may as well have the fuel polished or preferably drain & clean the tank before replacing fuel & fuel treatments.
I have an inspection port and can visually see that the tank is clean.
 
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Feb 26, 2004
23,485
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
I can't explain that either, but I disagree that the exhaust hose has anything to do with it. I replaced my exhaust hose over ten years ago (<3,000 engine hours) only because it was leaking air, not any water. There were exhaust gas residue marks (blackish grunge) in my cockpit locker. But NO water. Don't let that distract you.

Go to Page 3, reply #35 for pictures, text from me is in all pages:

Exhaust Hose Replacement 101 with Pictures: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6760.0.html February 2016 Tech Notes

I also seem to have much greater cooling water coming out which I cannot explain at all. I will probably plan to replace the exhaust hose from the muffler to the transom.
 
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Apr 5, 2009
3,327
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
I can't explain that either, but I disagree that the exhaust hose has anything to do with it. I replaced my exhaust hose over ten years ago (<3,000 engine hours) only because it was leaking air, not any water. There were exhaust gas residue marks (blackish grunge) in my cockpit locker. But NO water. Don't let that distract you.

Go to Page 3, reply #35 for pictures, text from me is in all pages:

Exhaust Hose Replacement 101 with Pictures: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6760.0.html February 2016 Tech Notes
Thanks Stu. I am not looking forward to the exhaust hose replacement. I am not sure what it is like on the C34 but the C30 is a real bear. It goes through a tiny wedge-shaped void between the oven recess and the hull and then takes a blind 90º vertical turn to the cockpit. From the writeups I have, it takes at least two people and three is better. You also need to cut an access hole through the liner behind the over to pull from.
 
Sep 24, 2018
4,682
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
Thanks Stu. I am not looking forward to the exhaust hose replacement. I am not sure what it is like on the C34 but the C30 is a real bear. It goes through a tiny wedge-shaped void between the oven recess and the hull and then takes a blind 90º vertical turn to the cockpit. From the writeups I have, it takes at least two people and three is better. You also need to cut an access hole through the liner behind the over to pull from.
On my 38 mile maiden voyage we kept smelling diesel fumes that went away when the sail locker was open. Very determined to find the source, I started the engine and climbed in the locker. What I found shocked me. The exhaust hose was leaking due to a hole/crack right at the sharpest bend. I'm amazed it held up for our 5.5 hour trip

I can access this through three different parts on my MKIII. There's a panel in the aft berth primarily to service the transom through hulls that provides very good access; Removing the propane "locker"; and the hole I cut in the aft bulkhead of the sail locker because I was unfamiliar with the boat.

I spliced the aft portion of hose with galvanized pipe. It only took 45 minutes to replace. I used corroguated, high flex hose in an effort to prevent future failures due to the sharp bend. An elbow would be the best choice IMO. After seeing more parts of the boat's innards, I don't think it'll be that difficult to replace the rest. The new hose can take a different route as well. I'd definitely consider putting an access port in back of the stove if needed, and assuming it doesnt get too hot.

For that hole I cut, I didn't feel like cutting out a perfect circle for the inspection port. Instead I printed a surface mount adapter. I'm happy to send you the file and model number it's designed for
 
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Jan 30, 2012
1,155
Nor'Sea 27 "Kiwanda" Portland/ Anacortes
280 psi is a symptom - probably the key. Either way that cylinder is leaking - no way to say exactly why but that has to be fixed no matter what else. Oil overboard suggests head gasket failure (which would also produce coincident compression loss) but since you have fresh water cooling oil leaking due to head gasket failure would not send oil overboard. Maybe oil overboard came from pumping oil fouled bilge water overboard. Also at 280 psi fuel will not ignite and you will get fuel overboard. Rather you would expect oil in freshwater coolant reservoir. Of course there are ways for oil to get overboard: (1) you have a sea water cooled oil cooler that has given up or (2) you have a heat exchanger that has given up so that oil fouled coolant mixes with sea water and thus overboard. If you are not having coolant loss (2) is unlikely. But if you have oil inside the boat and horrid compression the bet is you have a head gasket failure.

It is also possible some symptom is missing in this discussion. If we were there we could maybe better identify this problem in about 30 min. Open the fresh water cooling system cap. See if there are bubbles in the coolant when engine running. Pressurize the weak cylinder - piston full up. See if there is an audible leak out the air (intake) side, or out the exhaust, or out the crankcase vent, or maybe along the perimeter of the head/block joint. That will give you a big clue maybe even the clincher.
 
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