How would you go about recommissioning a diesel that has been idle for eight years?

[IslandTractor]

I have a Yanmar 3GM diesel (3 cylinder, 28hp) that has been in storage for about eight years. It can be turned over manually when compression release valves are opened by rotating the generator belt pulley wheel. It has a Racor fuel filter which I will change. I will also remove existing fuel in the tank,clean and put in fresh fuel. I'll also change oil and coolant before starting. New battery ready to go. Any other thoughts? What about the fuel that has been sitting in the lines between the Racor and the injectors? Should I bleed that fuel out too? BTW, the engine is in a boat (very tractor like boat though and it is parked next to my tractor:thumbsup.

 

[jenkinsph]

Your plan sounds reasonable to me, just verify you have oil pressure right away. Is this a liquid cooled with closed loop or raw water cooling? Make sure you check your cooling system at any rate.

 

[IslandTractor]

Your plan sounds reasonable to me, just verify you have oil pressure right away. Is this a liquid cooled with closed loop or raw water cooling? Make sure you check your cooling system at any rate.

Closed loop liquid cooled.

Boat is out of the water so I am going to rig some sort of garden hose into the raw water side of the equation so I can run the thing on land for a while before launching.

You reminded me that it is probably a good idea to replace the raw water pump impeller. I'll have to figure out how it's rigged. I presume there might be one on the fresh water/coolant side too but I've not yet checked.

 

[Sparks45]

Closed loop liquid cooled.

Boat is out of the water so I am going to rig some sort of garden hose into the raw water side of the equation so I can run the thing on land for a while before launching.

You reminded me that it is probably a good idea to replace the raw water pump impeller. I'll have to figure out how it's rigged. I presume there might be one on the fresh water/coolant side too but I've not yet checked.

I got rid of my boat (twin gasoline 350 V-8s) about 18 months ago - getting ready to move inland. It was too large to trailer and I figured the slip fees, haulout & launch every year would be a waste of money for the amount of use of it I'd get. It had the same cooling setup as you have. I changed the raw water impellers every other season but didn't bother with the coolant pumps and they never caused a problem. The PO had installed marine bronze hose bibs on the intake of the sea strainers so it was easy to hook up a water hose and I could run the engines as long as I had fuel (200 gallon tank and if I kept it below 10 knots I'd get about 1 mile/gallon) while on the hard. I ran it in the Chesapeake Bay (brackish/salt water) so I also had to change the exhaust manifolds, risers and elbows every 5 years - last time, the parts were $1,200+ and I did the work myself. Those things are heavy! Tight working space, too. I'm getting too old to stand on my head to work on boat engines ;-)
If you haven't done it before, just check which direction the impeller vanes are bent over and make sure you put the new one(s) in the same. Squeeze them down by hand and put a zip tie on to keep them bent over. After you get them started in the pump slip the zip tie off and push them home.
Good Luck.
Charlie

 

[IslandTractor]

I got rid of my boat (twin gasoline 350 V-8s) about 18 months ago - getting ready to move inland. It was too large to trailer and I figured the slip fees, haulout & launch every year would be a waste of money for the amount of use of it I'd get. It had the same cooling setup as you have. I changed the raw water impellers every other season but didn't bother with the coolant pumps and they never caused a problem. The PO had installed marine bronze hose bibs on the intake of the sea strainers so it was easy to hook up a water hose and I could run the engines as long as I had fuel (200 gallon tank and if I kept it below 10 knots I'd get about 1 mile/gallon) while on the hard. I ran it in the Chesapeake Bay (brackish/salt water) so I also had to change the exhaust manifolds, risers and elbows every 5 years - last time, the parts were $1,200+ and I did the work myself. Those things are heavy! Tight working space, too. I'm getting too old to stand on my head to work on boat engines ;-)
If you haven't done it before, just check which direction the impeller vanes are bent over and make sure you put the new one(s) in the same. Squeeze them down by hand and put a zip tie on to keep them bent over. After you get them started in the pump slip the zip tie off and push them home.
Good Luck.
Charlie

Thanks. I've changed the raw water impeller on a 3GM before as my previous boat had the same engine with a raw water cooling system. It's the fresh/coolant side of the system I am less familiar with. Not sure how the coolant is circulated. Seems from your experience it isn't a standard "wear" item like the raw water impellers though.

The boat is an 18ft harbor launch I bought when I thought my rag bag days were over. Turns out even though I liked the launch I couldn't stay away from sailboats. The launch has therefore been on the hard but I just put in another mooring and will use it as a putt putt picnic boat for days with no wind as well as a way to get off island between ferries. At six knots max speed I don't really burn much fuel. About a gallon every couple of hours I'd guess. Don't get anywhere too fast though.

 

[Sparks45]

Thanks. I've changed the raw water impeller on a 3GM before as my previous boat had the same engine with a raw water cooling system. It's the fresh/coolant side of the system I am less familiar with. Not sure how the coolant is circulated. Seems from your experience it isn't a standard "wear" item like the raw water impellers though.

I never pulled it apart but I have the impression that the coolant pump was pretty much the same as the water pump on a car. I figured if it wasn't broken, I didn't need to fix it. My fresh water side had a heat exchanger that served the same purpose as a radiator on a car. The coolant was pumped through the engine waterjacket, then through part of the exhaust manifold (in a water jacket) and finally into the heat exchanger. Raw water was pumped through tubes in the heat exchanger to cool the coolant. The exhaust manifold was in two pieces with a blocking plate between them. If it had been a raw water only system, the blocking plate wouldn't have been installed. The raw water then dumped into the second part of the exhaust manifold, mixed with the exhaust gases and out the transom underwater exhaust ports. I'm not familiar with marine diesel systems but they can't be too much different if they have raw water/coolant systems.
Yeah, I had one of those 'stinkpots' as powerboats are called around here. Even though my boat would do 30 knots, I was never in a hurry...plus at any speed above 15 knots I could literally see the fuel gauge drop - and pretty quickly. I think my consumption per mile at least doubled. I went boating for relaxation and sailboats looked more like work
Charlie

 

[jenkinsph]

After eight years change the closed loop coolant. If it does not leak you are good.

 

[alchemysa]

Remove the glow plugs and inspect them. If they are slightly bulged at the ends they are probably no good. Also check the welsh plugs. Even if the coolant was drained the lowest plug may be just about corroded right through.

 

[IslandTractor]

Remove the glow plugs and inspect them. If they are slightly bulged at the ends they are probably no good. Also check the welsh plugs. Even if the coolant was drained the lowest plug may be just about corroded right through.

Welsh plug is a term I am unfamiliar with. Are these sacrificial anodes? Freeze protection?

 

[IslandTractor]

After eight years change the closed loop coolant. If it does not leak you are good.

Planning to do the fluid change.