We have a Morgan 32 with an Universal M25 diesel engine. In the warm months (May - September), the engine will start to make a sqealing sound that gets louder and louder until the prop shaft stops rotating and the engine dies. It sounds like the prop shaft is slowly getting hotter and hotter until it can't move at all. After the engine stalls, we check the temperature of the shaft and it is not even hot. We have been unable to figure out the cause of this problem. The cutlass bearing was replaced but the old one was not worn. We have adjusted the engine mounts multiple times, but that has not fixed the problem. We have also replaced the water pump impeller. It only happens in the summer months and runs perfectly all fall and winter. Could this be a problem of overheating? Our temperature guage doesn't work so we don't really know if it is overheating. It seems to happen more often if there is trash in the water. Could the engine be clogged? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We don't have a yard or a good mechanic in our area and have been trying to figure this problem out for two years. Thanks!
Prop shaft stops rotation / engine stops
- Thread starter slomotion21538
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Slomotion, Does the squeal stop if you
throttle back and shift into neutral? Does it stop if you just throttle back while in gear? When is the last time you serviced the stuffing box? This has been a long term problem. How long after the engines dies before you can restart? When was the last time you cleaned the raw water filter? Could the squeal be caused by a restricted water flow?
throttle back and shift into neutral? Does it stop if you just throttle back while in gear? When is the last time you serviced the stuffing box? This has been a long term problem. How long after the engines dies before you can restart? When was the last time you cleaned the raw water filter? Could the squeal be caused by a restricted water flow?
Is it that hard...
to get the temp gauge working? Then you would know a lot more about what is going on.
to get the temp gauge working? Then you would know a lot more about what is going on.
stuffing box is too tight.
Check the stuffing box. it should drip every few seconds. if it doesnt then touch it you should be able to hold your hand on it. Probably whats happening its that its too tight. it gets hot expands and stops the shaft completly. loosent he outer nut then back off the inner nut about 1/2 a turn. then start the engine and put ;it in gear and watch. water should leak in. then shut it down tighten about a quarter turn. try it again. then repeat the process. when its right it should not be hot to the touch and should drip every little while. You may have to change the packing. this can be done in the water. It think the procedure is in the archives. but its not hard. cut the new packing fist. back off the nuts and pull out the old and put in the new. Then just tighten till it stops leaking and run it. then check it again. till you got it right.
Check the stuffing box. it should drip every few seconds. if it doesnt then touch it you should be able to hold your hand on it. Probably whats happening its that its too tight. it gets hot expands and stops the shaft completly. loosent he outer nut then back off the inner nut about 1/2 a turn. then start the engine and put ;it in gear and watch. water should leak in. then shut it down tighten about a quarter turn. try it again. then repeat the process. when its right it should not be hot to the touch and should drip every little while. You may have to change the packing. this can be done in the water. It think the procedure is in the archives. but its not hard. cut the new packing fist. back off the nuts and pull out the old and put in the new. Then just tighten till it stops leaking and run it. then check it again. till you got it right.
Oh and to run a nice little motor like that
without a temp indicator is not good. you need to get that going too!
without a temp indicator is not good. you need to get that going too!
Water pump
Check your water pump (not the impeller pump). It is belt driven. I just replaced mine. The bearings were shot and within 10 minutes of starting the engine it would start squeeling. When it stops turning, the engine will stall.
Check your water pump (not the impeller pump). It is belt driven. I just replaced mine. The bearings were shot and within 10 minutes of starting the engine it would start squeeling. When it stops turning, the engine will stall.
A Peachy Answer
I have this engine, and just seized the belt-driven, engine coolant circulating pump Peach mentions. I fried mine because of an over-tensioned belt (leave them a bit looser than spec., fellas). Boy, did it sing soprano when it went out! Easy to check: loosen the belt, then try to turn the water pump pulley (facing the engine, crankshaft is on bottom, alternator to your right, waterpump is on top) with your hand. If you can't, or feel any resistance or metal-on-metal (like out-of-round bearings scraping around in there) it's junk. This is just the kind of situation that would present itself after things heat up. The pump starts to seize, the 22:1 compresion keeps driving that crankshaft and causes the belt to slip over the pulley that doesn't want to keep up, it starts to sing. The resistance increases with the temperature, so the squealing increases, until the water pump seizes completely. The engine just can't overcome the resistance anymore and stalls. The bad news is the pump is about $250, retail (I was lying to anchor in a transient anchorage in an out-of town marina: I was on foot and had to have the part tomorrow to continue the trip, so the boatyard had me by the short hairs: you might be able to shop around and beat that price). The good news is it's a bolt-on piece that anyone can do who has enough mechanical know-how to adjust a fan belt and figure out how to use the thumb lever on a rachet handle to switch from tighten to loosen. I'm a complete idiot, and it took me less than an hour, out-and-in, and all hoses back on. I hear there are a couple of versions of this pump (number of hose fittings for water heater), so setting the removed part on the counter will help ensure you get the right one. I have a suspicion this is it. Good Luck. Jeff P.S.— And Dude, Ed's right: while you're part shopping, get that engine water temp. gauge working, too. Whether it's the gauge, the sender, or the wiring that needs the treatment. This is a vital piece of equipment.
I have this engine, and just seized the belt-driven, engine coolant circulating pump Peach mentions. I fried mine because of an over-tensioned belt (leave them a bit looser than spec., fellas). Boy, did it sing soprano when it went out! Easy to check: loosen the belt, then try to turn the water pump pulley (facing the engine, crankshaft is on bottom, alternator to your right, waterpump is on top) with your hand. If you can't, or feel any resistance or metal-on-metal (like out-of-round bearings scraping around in there) it's junk. This is just the kind of situation that would present itself after things heat up. The pump starts to seize, the 22:1 compresion keeps driving that crankshaft and causes the belt to slip over the pulley that doesn't want to keep up, it starts to sing. The resistance increases with the temperature, so the squealing increases, until the water pump seizes completely. The engine just can't overcome the resistance anymore and stalls. The bad news is the pump is about $250, retail (I was lying to anchor in a transient anchorage in an out-of town marina: I was on foot and had to have the part tomorrow to continue the trip, so the boatyard had me by the short hairs: you might be able to shop around and beat that price). The good news is it's a bolt-on piece that anyone can do who has enough mechanical know-how to adjust a fan belt and figure out how to use the thumb lever on a rachet handle to switch from tighten to loosen. I'm a complete idiot, and it took me less than an hour, out-and-in, and all hoses back on. I hear there are a couple of versions of this pump (number of hose fittings for water heater), so setting the removed part on the counter will help ensure you get the right one. I have a suspicion this is it. Good Luck. Jeff P.S.— And Dude, Ed's right: while you're part shopping, get that engine water temp. gauge working, too. Whether it's the gauge, the sender, or the wiring that needs the treatment. This is a vital piece of equipment.
Man, have I got one for you guys! Picture this.
My budding and I are bring my boat home from Trinidad via the eastern Caribbean of course. The whole boat is on its last legs. We've just left Great Harbor in the Bahamas bound for Freeport. The belt starts squealing. Shutdown at sea is not cool. Seas are six feet and the wind is wrong. And with no engine there is no way to enter Freeport harbor. (it's up a long, dredged channel) Well, it's the freshwater pump. But somewhere aboard the boat, in the bilges that have been flooded several times, is a rebuild kit that I assembled ten years prior. It consists of the shaft and bearings plus a separate face seal. I located it. Flew from bulkhead to bulkhead because of the high, confused seas, but I found it. Then I read the shop manual description;! 'Warning, rebuilding this pump is extremely difficult and requires specialized tools. It should only be attempted in a EMERGENCY! Replace with a new one instead.' Then it had a few drawings showing the parts and one word descriptions in Japlish. The only specialized tool I had was a prop/gear puller and a 3/8" socket set that had to serve as part of a makeshift bench press, plus a galley sink to hold everything and a galley to keep me from flying around. And my buddie helped hold stuff. That was invaluable. Two hours later, the rebuilt pump was re-installed and worked perfectly. After I rebuilt the engine I reused the pump, but alas, it died two years ago. I gave it a sentimental burial at sea.
My budding and I are bring my boat home from Trinidad via the eastern Caribbean of course. The whole boat is on its last legs. We've just left Great Harbor in the Bahamas bound for Freeport. The belt starts squealing. Shutdown at sea is not cool. Seas are six feet and the wind is wrong. And with no engine there is no way to enter Freeport harbor. (it's up a long, dredged channel) Well, it's the freshwater pump. But somewhere aboard the boat, in the bilges that have been flooded several times, is a rebuild kit that I assembled ten years prior. It consists of the shaft and bearings plus a separate face seal. I located it. Flew from bulkhead to bulkhead because of the high, confused seas, but I found it. Then I read the shop manual description;! 'Warning, rebuilding this pump is extremely difficult and requires specialized tools. It should only be attempted in a EMERGENCY! Replace with a new one instead.' Then it had a few drawings showing the parts and one word descriptions in Japlish. The only specialized tool I had was a prop/gear puller and a 3/8" socket set that had to serve as part of a makeshift bench press, plus a galley sink to hold everything and a galley to keep me from flying around. And my buddie helped hold stuff. That was invaluable. Two hours later, the rebuilt pump was re-installed and worked perfectly. After I rebuilt the engine I reused the pump, but alas, it died two years ago. I gave it a sentimental burial at sea.
Water pump
As Anchor Down says, watch that belt tension. When I got my boat 3 years ago, I thought the belt was tighter than I would have run it. I'm sure it contributed to my pump failure. My marina gave me a better price than that for the pump, but I could have saved more by searching for the Kubota equivalent. I think the Kubota pump goes for around $100. Make sure you order a new gasket. I forgot and ended up using liquid gasket. These little things turn a 2 hour job into several evenings. That, and a few snapped off alternator bolts.
As Anchor Down says, watch that belt tension. When I got my boat 3 years ago, I thought the belt was tighter than I would have run it. I'm sure it contributed to my pump failure. My marina gave me a better price than that for the pump, but I could have saved more by searching for the Kubota equivalent. I think the Kubota pump goes for around $100. Make sure you order a new gasket. I forgot and ended up using liquid gasket. These little things turn a 2 hour job into several evenings. That, and a few snapped off alternator bolts.
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