Building a diesel generator from a boat engine

[GT2]

Dont want to get you down, I'm all for inventing.
But since this is a propultion engine it doesent have a govener?
With out a govener it will prolly never run the gen properly.
I'm not a gen expert so maybe some one else will chime in?

 

[irvingj]

Yes, dieselfuel, do the research-- "Lister Petter" is a new one on me. If the engine is old enough, they wouldn't have used "stretch bolts" on the head, though it's probably still a good idea to get new ones. When I changed the head on a Peugeot 504D, they offered a stretch bolt kit for it, though it came (1982) with standard bolts. The stretch ones are for one-time use only, but were guaranteed to hold- and they did!

Last time I played with a diesel boat, it was sort of the other way around- a fellow had converted a used Mercedes 190D to marine use- worked quite well! (This was in 1972....in Stockholm... another life....)

When & if you do pull the head, I'm sure we'd all love to see some photos!

 

[dieselfuelonly]

To start with, save this stuff for your lawnmower. It has NO business anywhere near a diesel engine.
Oil and your 'user name' is all thats needed.

Yep - I don't use it in any of my stuff. You should have seen me as they sprayed the fluid in, THEN turned on the intake heater on top of that and turned it over. I can only imagine the possible damage.

With that in mind it would seem there is compression so maybe concentrate on the fuel supply end?

Yep, I think thats one of the first things I'll try if I can figure out why its turning over slow. If its still turning over slow, would it hurt to squirt a little bit of oil into the cylinders and then turn it over with the compression release to get things lubed up a bit?

It was letting a little white smoke out the exhaust, so I think its getting some fuel - but there may be some air in the lines. I'll crack the injector lines and bleed them and see how it looks from there.

When & if you do pull the head, I'm sure we'd all love to see some photos!

Will do . However, hopefully I can get it going without having to do any major work.

Since it's in a boat though, it's possible that the boat took on water sufficiently to contaminate it by water running in the crankcase through a vent.

For my dads sake, lets hope not!!!

If its not possible to use it as a generator because of the governor issue... how about a air compressor?

 

[bthomas]

I am not a mechanic. I am a long time boat owner. A sailboat has water muffler...new there is rubber check valve ...it can be as simple as a flap but often looks like a short section of hose that is "flattened shut"...suggest one possible source for the water in the oil is that water has washed back in through exhaust. This fills each cylinder or any cylinder that did not happen to stop with the exhaust valve closed. I have had this happen on two different boats so it is not extraordinary rare just not real common...happened to me when sailing hard with the wind in good size waves that wash the transom...I started sticking a stopper plug in these conditions the one boat it was so susceptible to flooding in this manner. I guess if the boat was tied up and a real storm came through the harbor with waved washing the transom hard (assumes exhaust out rear) this could occur even at rest.

Proper fix (first time it happened to me) pull the head siphon dry cylinders, fill them with oil let it work its way thru (hand crank) clean change oil, circulate Marvel Mystery Oil in main oil supply and change oil again.

The second time it happens I did not pay to take off head just pulled injectors and cranked to blow as much as possible out...pull injector or glow plug pour Marvel Mystery oil in. Crank by starter or hand, crank with glow plugs or injectors out (this sprays oil pretty much everywhere if electric starter) drain milky oil...add rich mix of Marvel and new oil then run til hot and change oil again.

Surprised your Dad's cranked at all if the water had entered thru exhaust as described...the water is not compressible can break parts trying to crank if water was on top of piston and couldn't either get by piston rings or compression release some way.

If I was getting it before taking it apart I would fill both cylinders repeatedly with Marvel Mystery (this stuff does wonder for water) with the glow pugs or injector out and see if the hard to crank mystery resolves itself.

Let us know what you find...oh and might check / monitor exhaust muffler system carefully ...that probably is being used w new engine

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Let us know what you find...oh and might check / monitor exhaust muffler system carefully ...that probably is being used w new engine

Thanks, I will relay that information to him. I never thought about water coming in through the exhaust - it would sure suck to have something like that happen to his brand new engine!

 

[Renze]

most gensets have a special governor to maintain a precise engine speed to stay at the proper AC frequency.

milky oil is water. It probably hasnt run much lately, so the moist didnt vaporise. It doesnt necessarily mean that the head gasket is blown because oil takes up moist from the air if given enough time.

 

[denmansoft]

Raw water cooled deisels take outside water (Salty kind) through a hot cast iron exhasut manifold. These rust through frequently on many old engines. A pinhole can let enough water in to cause milky color but not enough to waterlock.
Good luck with getting it going. As others mentioned a governor is a big missing item to use for AC genset. I would put a big water pump on it for my place.

 

[sandman2234]

Not sure if this was mentioned, but the generator head you linked to is a 3600 rpm head, and that motor is probably an 1800 rpm motor. Requires a step up in speeds, via belts or other methods. 1800 rpm generator heads are available, so keep an eye out if you get the motor running.
David from jax

 

[RWolf]

Sandman caught before I could mention it. So as far as a genset Most likely without a lot of inventiveness that's a no-go. As an aircompressor that's more plasible.

Good luck

 

[GT2]

Not sure if this was mentioned, but the generator head you linked to is a 3600 rpm head, and that motor is probably an 1800 rpm motor. Requires a step up in speeds, via belts or other methods. 1800 rpm generator heads are available, so keep an eye out if you get the motor running.
David from jax

Not necessarily, Most aux boat engines I've seen can run well over 1800.
However running at a steady 3600 for long periods of time is proly not the best.
As a mater of fact the only small marine engine that I've ever seen that was regulated to 1800 was gen set.