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Showing results for tags 'relief valve'.
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Hi. I am having an on-going issue with my Vetus M414 engine losing power and being unable to rev above about 1500rpm. It will idle fine and run at tickover in gear for a couple of hours quite happily, but within 10-15 minutes of running at 4mph cruising speed, around 2400rpm it will start to coughs bit and then lose power. dropping to neutral it will then run very roughly for a few minutes before picking up again. It is behaving as if it has run out of fuel, but my tanks are full (I have checked).. I have found that bleeding the filter whilst still running the engine, both in gear and at idle, will restore the power, but obviosuly this isn't right or indeed safe especially as it always does it in locks and at swing bridges. I initially suspected an air leak into the fuel system, but having replaced a number of suspect pipes and copper washers it still does it. I have also wrapped every possible joint in grease and I am now sure there is no air ingress. So I have turned my thoughts towards either the electric fuel pump, which is only 2 months old, but isn't as quiet as I would have expected it to be, it makes quite a loud clicking noise, or I have also wondered if the pressure release valve between the bottom of the filter and the return line maybe at fault and not retaining the correct pressure within the system and therefore not allowing enough fuel up into the high pressure pump and instead returning much of the fuel straight back to the tank. Any thoughts would be most gratefully appreciated as this is really winding me up now and spoiling many weekend cruises. Generally the engine sounds as sweet as anything, no smoke to speak of and indeed it managed to tow a broken down vessel 12 miles back to our marina, all be it fairly slowly, so I know there is nothing mechanically major wrong. Thanks