reply [Albin Vega Group] Batteries:

Gazuum · Aug 20, 2018

As low and centered is correct but in the bilge where water may
short the terminals is questionable IMHO.
Gordon

On 8/20/2018 1:43 AM, ?????????
????????? crazy4setters@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

btfag0s · Aug 20, 2018

12 volts too low to short? I've had a 3 volt hand held diving torch short underwater following a leak and that was spectacular, I have no wish to repeat that with a couple of hundred AH.

Vega1447 · Aug 20, 2018

I have an old (still holds a charge) small car
battery (about 40 Ah, 12V).
I'm tempted to rig up a block and tackle & slowly drop the
battery into a large tub of salt water (in the garden, when my
wife is out).
But I won't....

On 20/08/18 20:35, ????????? ?????????
crazy4setters@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

btfag0s · Aug 20, 2018

Why not? It would be fun watching the positive terminal rapidly disappear, then the boom when a spark ignites the hydrogen (that is, if the the chlorine gas doesn't get you first).

Vega1447 · Aug 20, 2018

Nah. But I'd like to see the video...Sent from
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gene_neill · Aug 20, 2018

I am in the process of creating a new battery compartment in the V berth, where the holding tank used to be. (Installing a MSD porta potty negated the need for the holding tank). I would have kept the batteries where they were, but the space in the keel is too small for the bank I need. I will be installing two group 31's.

Gazuum · Aug 20, 2018

I'm thinking Peter was designing an economical, safe racing craft,
not a family (small family) cruising boat where the loss of all boat
electrical power could be disastrous.
No power to start the engine (engine will die with no power to the
fuel solenoid), no electronics, no running lights, no radio, yada
yada.
And I have no clue what you mean about too low to short. Go out to
your car and lay a screw driver across the battery terminals. Maybe
you'll change your mind.
But, of course, we all know AV's don't get water in the bilge, and
,of course, that wonderful bilge pump made by Rule will take care of
any that does arrive.
Gordon

On 8/20/2018 9:23 AM, ?????????
????????? crazy4setters@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

n4lbl · Aug 20, 2018

The MD-6 engine has a hand crank for starting. No,,, I haven't tried it, even though I am a crank.Alan

Vega1447 · Aug 20, 2018

When I was having difficulty with my starter solenoid recently I tried hand cranking my MD6, decompressed of course.

Even in ideal conditions (high air temperature, warm engine) while it was easy to spin the flywheel with the engine decompressed it was very difficult to release the decompression lever with my left hand while cranking the handle with my right
once the flywheel was spinning.Dangerous too as my left hand had to pass over the spinning alternator.I've seen suggestions of a line attached to the decompression lever and led through a turning blocking stbd side of engine compartment (avoiding the alternator) to (???) the cranking sailor's leg (??) to recompress the engine while still cranking
with two hands.But how to attach a line to the decompression lever?Didn't a French ocean racer gybe the main and use the mainsheet to spin his flywheel? (Not a Vega.) Clever man.I'm going to keep a spare starter solenoid on board and of course the screwdriver to jump the positive poles on the faulty solenoid worked fine. (As did simply pushing the spring loaded contact on the faulty solenoid firmly closed for a few
seconds.)All much easier than hand cranking...John V1447 BreakawaySent from
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dougpol1 · Aug 21, 2018

I am an 84 year old Vega sailor 5' 6" 155 lbs. The first thing
is in warm or hot weather I can easily crank to start the engine
without using the compression lever. Cold weather is another story
in this case I must use decompression lever when cranking. I have
an MD6B She is blowing a small amount of blue smoke so maybe the
compression is down a tad? I see no danger in using the
compression lever but at the same time I am a machinist and very
accustomed to working around running machinery may that is the
difference?

On 08/21/2018 02:04 AM, John.Kinsella
John.Kinsella@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

Vega1447 · Aug 22, 2018

Hat off Doug, you are a stronger man than I am.
Without decompressing I can't crank the engine by hand at all.
Decompressed is easy of course but dropping the lever while
cranking is anxiety-inducing, at least for a wimp like me.
This just proves that mathematics is of very little use when
starting an old diesel...

On 21/08/18 19:40, Douglas Pollard
dougpol2@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

Gazuum · Aug 22, 2018

Diesels need two things to run , air and fuel. To stop a diesel,
you either cut off the air manually or shut off a fuel solenoid
electrically.
Being not familiar with this engine and having a shorted battery
and still able to run, I assume it has a manual air shutoff?
Gordon

On 8/22/2018 3:07 AM, John Kinsella
John.Kinsella@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

Vega1447 · Aug 22, 2018

The fuel shut-off on my old MD6A is manual (a
pull handle) not a solenoid.

John

On 22/08/18 14:58, Gordon
gazuum@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

btfag0s · Aug 22, 2018

A diesel engine can be started and will run without electricity.Diesels are compression ignition (rather than spark ignition), so all you need to do is stop the compression happening for it to cease running.Decompression levers typically simply hold the exhaust valve(s) open so that the fuel/air mix isn't compressed and so doesn't combust.It has nothing to do with cutting off air. Indeed, don't try to cut the air off to a running diesel by putting anything in the intake.Alisdair

pelagicasd · Aug 22, 2018

#ygrps-yiv-2031652761 P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}

I remember being told that one way to stop a diesel is to cut off the oxygen. Putting you hand over the intake will do it as all the little pieces of bone, tissue and blood will clog the filter. Kind of like stopping a jet engine by having a mechanic get sucked
into it. Then we made a heavy plywood disc to cover it with if need be. Walt
From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com on behalf of John John.Kinsella@... [AlbinVega] AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2018 7:35 AM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: ????: [AlbinVega] reply [Albin Vega Group] Batteries:

The fuel shut-off on my old MD6A is manual (a pull handle) not a solenoid.

John

On 22/08/18 14:58, Gordon

gazuum@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

sailshiva · Aug 22, 2018

The handle shuts of the fuel flow to the injector pump.Sent from my iPad