Well, I had a minor engine problem this week. My son and I went for an overnight trip to a local island. We anchored for the evening. Played cards for a couple hours and replaced the port and starboard lights. Needless to say the interior lights were on for a couple hours at least. Woke up and set off for the island to explore. The engine (Yanmar SB8) was hard to start and when it turned over ran for only about 2 minutes and died. I tried starting it a few times, no luck. Then checked the fuel which was ok. The starter was working fine. I got it to start a few minutes later but again it run for only about 1 minute. I have an old switch with no functioning volt meter. We abandoned the idea of going ashore a sailed back to the marina. After cleaning and getting ready to leave I gave it another try. It turned over and run at full throttle for 10 minutes. There is a solar panel that I use to trickle charge the battery but ........ I have only one battery which is 2 years old......... Should I install another battery and if so, is it a difficult thing to do? I notice that my power switch has a 1, 2 and ALL indicating that perhaps I can install another battery. Can anyone offer any advice. Is this a battery problem or something else? If so is the installation job of a second battery a job for an electrician? Thanks Steve
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How about...
some more information!!! Make and size of boat would be a nice start. I wouldn't own a sailboat with an inboard WITHOUT at least 2 batteries. The engine stopping on you would have nothing to do with the battery, so you probably have other issues going on. We'll need a lot more info to get you some help. No, it's NOT hard to install another battery
some more information!!! Make and size of boat would be a nice start. I wouldn't own a sailboat with an inboard WITHOUT at least 2 batteries. The engine stopping on you would have nothing to do with the battery, so you probably have other issues going on. We'll need a lot more info to get you some help. No, it's NOT hard to install another battery
There is something else going on
I agree with honeyman, that there is something else involved here. If you were able to start it at all, it is not the battery. Although the battery could've been a bit low. As for the switch showing 1, 2, and all, it does not only mean 2 batteries. It does mean 2 battery banks, and each bank could have 1 or more batteries. It sounds more like a fuel related issue. Could be fuel filter, water separator fuel filter, fuel pump, or many other possibilities. So, yes, please give us some more info if you can. We will be glad to help.
I agree with honeyman, that there is something else involved here. If you were able to start it at all, it is not the battery. Although the battery could've been a bit low. As for the switch showing 1, 2, and all, it does not only mean 2 batteries. It does mean 2 battery banks, and each bank could have 1 or more batteries. It sounds more like a fuel related issue. Could be fuel filter, water separator fuel filter, fuel pump, or many other possibilities. So, yes, please give us some more info if you can. We will be glad to help.
I have the same engine and boat with two
deep cycle batteries. There is nothing like a new battery with lots of power to start those sb8s. I don't think you have a battery problem. I can actually hand crank start mine. I think you have something else going on here. Fuel to the injector? Clogged injector? I rebuilt the entire top end of my sb8 over last winter....put it together and still had a very hard time starting it. After some very long talks with Mack boring, I discovered by hard starting problem was the difficult adjustment on my high pressure pump and govenor. It took me many tries to get it just right...once I did, the engine starts right up every time! I also added a $7 solonoid to the yanmar key system. I found the directions on this site. It made all the difference on starting the starter every time! You in effect move the key switch wire to a solonoid from an auto parts store. This sends all the elect from the battery to the yanmar starter directly. Lots of yanmar people have had difficulty with this...just getting clicks. It works now every time!
deep cycle batteries. There is nothing like a new battery with lots of power to start those sb8s. I don't think you have a battery problem. I can actually hand crank start mine. I think you have something else going on here. Fuel to the injector? Clogged injector? I rebuilt the entire top end of my sb8 over last winter....put it together and still had a very hard time starting it. After some very long talks with Mack boring, I discovered by hard starting problem was the difficult adjustment on my high pressure pump and govenor. It took me many tries to get it just right...once I did, the engine starts right up every time! I also added a $7 solonoid to the yanmar key system. I found the directions on this site. It made all the difference on starting the starter every time! You in effect move the key switch wire to a solonoid from an auto parts store. This sends all the elect from the battery to the yanmar starter directly. Lots of yanmar people have had difficulty with this...just getting clicks. It works now every time!
btw...I forgot...the electricity has nothing to
do with the yanmar diesel running once it starts! You can run this engine without any elect. at all!
do with the yanmar diesel running once it starts! You can run this engine without any elect. at all!
another idea
You start your little engine with a very low battery, it runs for a few seconds then the alternator kicks up to charge the battery. the engine idle is so low the drop in rpm stalls the engine? start it at run it faster and it will stay going because it can carry the load of the alternator at a higher rpm/ Hows that for an idea. Fix it by increase in idle speed.
You start your little engine with a very low battery, it runs for a few seconds then the alternator kicks up to charge the battery. the engine idle is so low the drop in rpm stalls the engine? start it at run it faster and it will stay going because it can carry the load of the alternator at a higher rpm/ Hows that for an idea. Fix it by increase in idle speed.
More info
Thank you all for your responses. The boat is a 1978 Hunter 27 footer. The fuel filters were changed two years ago and the oil is changed every year. It only runs about 8 - 10 hours per year. The fuel however is old. The last time I added fuel was two years ago. Maybe some deisel fuel stabilizer or injector cleaner should be tried? When the engine first starts the smoke is blue-grey but goes darker after running for 20 seconds. What other info can I provide? Steve
Thank you all for your responses. The boat is a 1978 Hunter 27 footer. The fuel filters were changed two years ago and the oil is changed every year. It only runs about 8 - 10 hours per year. The fuel however is old. The last time I added fuel was two years ago. Maybe some deisel fuel stabilizer or injector cleaner should be tried? When the engine first starts the smoke is blue-grey but goes darker after running for 20 seconds. What other info can I provide? Steve
When was the last time you checked
the mixing elbow? If you only use the engine a few minutes at a time, the elbow will plug up very quickly. Black smoke and the inability of the engine to reach higher speed is a further indication of this. Black smoke indicates to me that you have sufficient fuel being supplied for the engine to run so I would look at the exhaust first. Mine did this one time and it was a few days, several "mechanics", and one complete boat unit ($) to figure it out. It should be part of your annual maintenance to clean it. It is fairly easy to clean out. Pull the hose off first. Loosen the bolts to the engine flange connection. Give her a twist to free the gasket (you may be able to reuse it if you remove it carefully). Then pull the bolts and check the inside passage for coke deposits. Chip it out with a cold chisel or an old screwdriver. Look carefully for cracks in the casting. Assembly is the reverse process. Use lots of high temperature non teflon antisieze on the bolts. If the problem is not the elbow, the intake fuel line may be (almost completely) plugged somewhere. The lift pump will not be able to supply enough suction to keep the engine running but will pull enough in a few seconds to start. Check filters and the pickup tube. My old boat had a filter screen at the end of the pickup tube which was bent and plugged up enough to cause this problem. You could use another fuel supply to test or at least help isolate the cause of the problem. I used a five gallon fuel can and a length of fuel line to connect it to the lift pump. There are a lot of other possible causes in the fuel system but I would suspect and would eliminate the elbow first then the lift pump and associated plumbing and filters before you remove the injectors and injector pump as I did. Please let us know what you do and what you find.
the mixing elbow? If you only use the engine a few minutes at a time, the elbow will plug up very quickly. Black smoke and the inability of the engine to reach higher speed is a further indication of this. Black smoke indicates to me that you have sufficient fuel being supplied for the engine to run so I would look at the exhaust first. Mine did this one time and it was a few days, several "mechanics", and one complete boat unit ($) to figure it out. It should be part of your annual maintenance to clean it. It is fairly easy to clean out. Pull the hose off first. Loosen the bolts to the engine flange connection. Give her a twist to free the gasket (you may be able to reuse it if you remove it carefully). Then pull the bolts and check the inside passage for coke deposits. Chip it out with a cold chisel or an old screwdriver. Look carefully for cracks in the casting. Assembly is the reverse process. Use lots of high temperature non teflon antisieze on the bolts. If the problem is not the elbow, the intake fuel line may be (almost completely) plugged somewhere. The lift pump will not be able to supply enough suction to keep the engine running but will pull enough in a few seconds to start. Check filters and the pickup tube. My old boat had a filter screen at the end of the pickup tube which was bent and plugged up enough to cause this problem. You could use another fuel supply to test or at least help isolate the cause of the problem. I used a five gallon fuel can and a length of fuel line to connect it to the lift pump. There are a lot of other possible causes in the fuel system but I would suspect and would eliminate the elbow first then the lift pump and associated plumbing and filters before you remove the injectors and injector pump as I did. Please let us know what you do and what you find.
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