Hi all, Recently purchased an O'day 272 with the Westerbeke 10two engine. Included in the sale was 7/8 of a tank of 2year old diesel. The engine ran well for about a month then two and a half weeks ago the engine began stalling after it ran under load for aprox 20mins. It will start again but have very little power until it's rested for a while. The problem has persisted since. Here's what’s been done so far. Sloppy mechanic replaced the secondary fuel element about a month ago. He failed to replace the lift pump filter or the Groco primary. I changed the Groco and the lift pump filter last week and that helped but the problem still crops up. The lift pump filter was muddy. The tank is now about 3/8 full. Going to re replace the secondary fuel filter this weekend. If this doesn’t solve the problem what next? Replace the lift pump($234 from Torrensens ouch!). Drain, clean and refill the tank? Simply top it off? Also, would anyone recommend installing a bulb pump in the line incase of future pump failure? Thanks
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MUD
For my two cents I would at least drain and clean the tank. Mud isn't gonna go away. You may be able to filter the fuel that is pumped out. But, i don't think the problem will go away until you have clean tank and clean, new fuel.
For my two cents I would at least drain and clean the tank. Mud isn't gonna go away. You may be able to filter the fuel that is pumped out. But, i don't think the problem will go away until you have clean tank and clean, new fuel.
Clean the tank
I had the same problem with my 272. Drain the tank and clean with boiling hot water and bulge cleaner a couple of times. Each time you add the water and the bulge cleaner, also throw in a couple of hands full of pennies and shake the tank well. The pennies will not hurt the plastic tank but will break thru the sludge in the bottom. Do this several times till the tank is spotless. Let the tank dry outside in the sun. You will also need to clean the screens and lines that go inside the tank, they will be clogged. Did this years back, and no problem. With your diesel fuel mix in a microbicide and a water disperser every time you add diesel to your tank. It works.
I had the same problem with my 272. Drain the tank and clean with boiling hot water and bulge cleaner a couple of times. Each time you add the water and the bulge cleaner, also throw in a couple of hands full of pennies and shake the tank well. The pennies will not hurt the plastic tank but will break thru the sludge in the bottom. Do this several times till the tank is spotless. Let the tank dry outside in the sun. You will also need to clean the screens and lines that go inside the tank, they will be clogged. Did this years back, and no problem. With your diesel fuel mix in a microbicide and a water disperser every time you add diesel to your tank. It works.
Simpler solutions?
1. check the intake hose in the tank for a screen, if there, remove screen (recently discussed here) 2. run fuel pump and recycle fuel without starting engine, check filter(s); if clean after a while, your fuel is OK 3. assure that all fuel conections are tight, a little air getting into the system coudl eb causing your problems Jus basicially suggesting you do everything in your power to avoid dumping fuel until you convince yourself it's nothing else. Good luck, Stu
1. check the intake hose in the tank for a screen, if there, remove screen (recently discussed here) 2. run fuel pump and recycle fuel without starting engine, check filter(s); if clean after a while, your fuel is OK 3. assure that all fuel conections are tight, a little air getting into the system coudl eb causing your problems Jus basicially suggesting you do everything in your power to avoid dumping fuel until you convince yourself it's nothing else. Good luck, Stu
Take the intake line
off the tank and put it into a jerry can of clean fresh fuel and see what happens. I would do what others have said but this will tell you if its the tank or something on the engine, also if its a algea problem than you realy need to scrub the tank and replace all filters again cause it will continue to grow untill you clean it all and get a microbicide in fresh fuel.
off the tank and put it into a jerry can of clean fresh fuel and see what happens. I would do what others have said but this will tell you if its the tank or something on the engine, also if its a algea problem than you realy need to scrub the tank and replace all filters again cause it will continue to grow untill you clean it all and get a microbicide in fresh fuel.
Intake Line Removal?
Are there any tricks to removing the intake like from the tank? Can I just pull it out through the lazzerette? I have the a 15 gallon stern mounted aluminum tank. Rich PS any opinion on the bulb?
Are there any tricks to removing the intake like from the tank? Can I just pull it out through the lazzerette? I have the a 15 gallon stern mounted aluminum tank. Rich PS any opinion on the bulb?
Rich..
There should be a copper line attached to the tank that after you remove it you can attach a rubber line to it for inserting into a jerry can,on the tank the fitting that goes into the tank will be either screwed in or hose clamped and you should be able to pull or unscrew it so that it comes straight up and out then look at the pick up screen if you have one for a clog BTW when I pulled my screen it was not at the bottom of the pick up tube but at the top cause it got so clogged it got sucked right up to the top,for a second when I was exammining it I thought there was no screen but there it was at the top, I almost reinstalled it thinking there was none. After that I replaced my whole tank with a larger new one and I installed an electric fuel pump for priming,transfer and lift pump back up. I'll look for the link for the pump
There should be a copper line attached to the tank that after you remove it you can attach a rubber line to it for inserting into a jerry can,on the tank the fitting that goes into the tank will be either screwed in or hose clamped and you should be able to pull or unscrew it so that it comes straight up and out then look at the pick up screen if you have one for a clog BTW when I pulled my screen it was not at the bottom of the pick up tube but at the top cause it got so clogged it got sucked right up to the top,for a second when I was exammining it I thought there was no screen but there it was at the top, I almost reinstalled it thinking there was none. After that I replaced my whole tank with a larger new one and I installed an electric fuel pump for priming,transfer and lift pump back up. I'll look for the link for the pump
This Just Happened to Me
If the primary is muddy, you'd better believe the screen at the end of the pick-up tube shoved down in the bottom of your tank is just as dirty, as it never gets changed. As long as you have the supply line off the tank, don't bother with a small can of clean fuel, unless you want to go motoring around for half an hour on the day tank to see if it will stall. This procedure is simpler and will reveal more. Check the screen first: 1) Throw a vice-grip on the supply hose a couple inches from where it fits to the tank (prevents drip and a lot of air entering system) Pull off the supply hose from the tank, then spin out the fitting, and lift the pick-up tube out. 2) Gasp in shock at the clogged screen. 3) Tear it out & drop it into the trash: put everything back together. 4) Laugh louder than the engine when she roars to life as soon as the injector pump has time to re-pressurize the injector lines after having been starved by that clogged screen (a few seconds of cranking). 5) Fill up the tank to make your fuel sweeter, & add a stabilizer for insurance for this tankful.
If the primary is muddy, you'd better believe the screen at the end of the pick-up tube shoved down in the bottom of your tank is just as dirty, as it never gets changed. As long as you have the supply line off the tank, don't bother with a small can of clean fuel, unless you want to go motoring around for half an hour on the day tank to see if it will stall. This procedure is simpler and will reveal more. Check the screen first: 1) Throw a vice-grip on the supply hose a couple inches from where it fits to the tank (prevents drip and a lot of air entering system) Pull off the supply hose from the tank, then spin out the fitting, and lift the pick-up tube out. 2) Gasp in shock at the clogged screen. 3) Tear it out & drop it into the trash: put everything back together. 4) Laugh louder than the engine when she roars to life as soon as the injector pump has time to re-pressurize the injector lines after having been starved by that clogged screen (a few seconds of cranking). 5) Fill up the tank to make your fuel sweeter, & add a stabilizer for insurance for this tankful.
Minor Victory
What I've learned....no one in NYC sells siphons! So I tried to siphon my tank using the old suck method. Bad Idea. Also I wasn't able to remove the fuel pickup without pulling the instrument panel. Sailed down to the Fuel Dock in the Patchouge River. Borrowed a pump from the repairshop. Sucked out the brown rust colored fuel from my tank. Didn't know diesel was clear and yellowish. Then I removed the Groco Filter and sucked the container dry and wiped all the crap out. Then I removed the fuel line and attached the pump to male end. Added 1/2 gallon of fresh fuel to the tank, sucked it though and repeated. Finally I blew out the line with air in the hope of dislodging debris from the fuel pickup screen and filled the tank with fresh fuel. Got her started and motored back into the bay. The engine started stalling again so I set sail. Then, sailing close hauled in 20+mph wind, with a puking 19yo girl in the cabin I changed the primary element. No dice and the batteries were dying from all of the cranking. Back down below Pulled the secondary filter. Tried the enging and she finally fired. Motored for an hour last night in 35mph gusts and she ran flawlessly. Thanks you all for that! Rich
What I've learned....no one in NYC sells siphons! So I tried to siphon my tank using the old suck method. Bad Idea. Also I wasn't able to remove the fuel pickup without pulling the instrument panel. Sailed down to the Fuel Dock in the Patchouge River. Borrowed a pump from the repairshop. Sucked out the brown rust colored fuel from my tank. Didn't know diesel was clear and yellowish. Then I removed the Groco Filter and sucked the container dry and wiped all the crap out. Then I removed the fuel line and attached the pump to male end. Added 1/2 gallon of fresh fuel to the tank, sucked it though and repeated. Finally I blew out the line with air in the hope of dislodging debris from the fuel pickup screen and filled the tank with fresh fuel. Got her started and motored back into the bay. The engine started stalling again so I set sail. Then, sailing close hauled in 20+mph wind, with a puking 19yo girl in the cabin I changed the primary element. No dice and the batteries were dying from all of the cranking. Back down below Pulled the secondary filter. Tried the enging and she finally fired. Motored for an hour last night in 35mph gusts and she ran flawlessly. Thanks you all for that! Rich
Bellport
I live in NYC but dock the boat in Bellport. Thanks for the props. I'm going to tackle the belts and cooling system next. Crazy wind last night on out way back from Sailors Haven! R
I live in NYC but dock the boat in Bellport. Thanks for the props. I'm going to tackle the belts and cooling system next. Crazy wind last night on out way back from Sailors Haven! R
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