Get Me Started

[Joe]

I have a Yanmar 18 HP 2GM20F (1999). While going over the engine in search of the source of an oil drip, I ran it for about 15 minutes. Then shut it down, tightened a couple of bolts. Started it up for 5 more minutes. Shut her down, checked for more leaks. Fired it up omce more and everything looked good. But after abiut 5 minutes it slowed from 1500 RPM and finally stalled. It now won't start. In the process of working on it I bumped the decompression levers on the top of the engine, but I have returned them to the drive position. Is this my problem? Or is there something else I may have moved, bumped, pulled???

 

[Steve Dion]

Be very careful.

Joe:If you engine will not start do not keep cranking it. Be sure that your raw water intake is turned off. The water pump will continue to pull in raw water and can flood your cylinders.Then you should make sure that there is not an air leak in the fuel system (bleed the fuel line). If your decompression levers are open then engine will just spin. If you have one open the engine will try to start and will probably fire. If sounds like you have air in your fuel system (but who knows).If you get then engine to fire be sure to open your raw water intake.

 

[Eric Lorgus]

What bolts were you tightening?

Joe:Crankcase oil pan or elsewhere? When you bumped the decompression levers, was the engine running at the time?

 

[Joe]

Eric

The engine was not running when the decompression levers were bumped.I also have half a tank of fuel.

 

[red coles]

sectionalize

Hi Joe You need to find out if your problem is fuel or other. An easy way to check for fuel trb.is to spray a small amout of WD40 in intake, if engine fires start troubleshooting from fuel tank on. Good luck red

 

[Patrick Ewing]

If she won't start with a squirt of WD-40,

and you have fuel coming out of the injectors when you bleed them, check the exhaust riser. It is not often mentioned but it can easily become blocked with soot, oil, and rust and can cause the symptoms you describe. Let us know what you find.

 

[Gordon Torresen]

Bumping

I doubt if bumping the decompression levers would cause them to move to the actuated position. If you "reset" the levers, you probably are trying to start the engine with the exhaust valves open, which is what those levers do. Bump them the other way and try again.