Another problem!

[Hairy-Neil]

 

Thought so - helpful....not

 

I'm not sure you guys are helping either. I've never heard an engine that's run short of diesel making...

 

a really horrible crunching noise/

 

Agreed it's hard to diagnose in this situation, but from my experience (35 years as a diesel fitter) fuel starvation problems or fuel contamination usually result in an engine that stops and won't restart, rather than one that knocks...

[LoneWolf]

so i should just get a new fuel filter and do nothing until ive got that??

 

yes

[Pie Eater]

Eric

 

If you can't find anyone local to help you why not try River Canal Rescue. It will cost you but they will resolve your problem.

 

Steve

[bizzard]

Everyones clutching at straws here. Really need to know what engine it is. Isuzu will probably have an electric pump and Beta Kubota probably a mechanical one.

As folk have said forget it until you have new filters at hand cos if you mess about too much the gunge or whatever is going to reach your injector pump and injectors and could become expensive.

[Hairy-Neil]

 

 

 

lets ignore the people who are just showing off & not being helpful to the op

 

[Athy]

Eric, are you a member of River Canal Rescue? If not, join NOW! We did, you can join instantly over the telephone (payment made by credit or debit card), they are not too expensive and they are (usually) GOOD! Go for it.

[Guest]

I'm not sure you guys are helping either. I've never heard an engine that's run short of diesel making...

 

 

 

Agreed it's hard to diagnose in this situation, but from my experience (35 years as a diesel fitter) fuel starvation problems or fuel contamination usually result in an engine that stops and won't restart, rather than one that knocks...

Would it knock if it dragged some water in at the last few seconds? I honestly don't know, but just a thoguht?

[lewisericeric]

harry neil - do you know what it could be then with your experience? Its starting but just not firing. It was working fine until last night when it made this much louder noise and i just turned it off assuming i was running low on diesel (we were)

 

Topped up with diesel today, and its starting but not firing. Sometimes it does fire and the revs seem to be getting more in tempo to the normal sound of the engine, then they'll slow right down again and the engine will collapse and the oil lamp will come back on, bleeping.

 

Can you advise or think of anything these guys may have not mentioned?

 

Athy no im not, but how much do they usually charge for things (they have a call out fee i take it?)

 

Just not sure the pennies can spread that far and would like to resolve myself if possible

[Guest]

We appear to be in agreement (again)

 

 

lets ignore the people who are just showing off & not being helpful to the op

 

Indeed - I'm out of here.

 

Good luck to the OP, hope you get sorted it does as I said earlier probably need professional help.

[nicknorman]

Or if you have a new filter at hand,knock an old screwdriver right through it to use as a lever,as your not going to clean out properly a spin on canister type fuel filter.

Normally there are 2 stages of filtration - a coarse water and crud separator, where the undesirables collect in the bottom of the casing. Sometimes these have a drain plug, sometimes you have to unscrew it and look into the bottom. Then the fine filter, often a cartridge with paper element. It is not that easy to see whether this type of filter is badly contaminated without cutting it open. I would trace the fuel inlet from the tank and inspect the first thing you get to. If it is a separator and it is clean, no point in destroying the finer cartridge further downstream. That said, if it is a non-new boat and you have run out of fuel, there is a pretty good chance that crud has overwhelmed the separator and got into the second filter.

[Barry]

 

Just not sure the pennies can spread that far and would like to resolve myself if possible

 

With your lack of knowledge I don't think you can resolve it yourself.

 

In my opinion you would be well advised to get River Canal rescue on the job - yes it will cost you but they know what they are doing and you can watch and learn, ask questions and learn. Could well be money well spent plus you have the security of knowing that help is available if you need it at short notice in the future.

 

In case you are not aware RCR is like being in the AA or RAC. Once you have joined they will look after you for as long as you are a member

[ditchcrawler]

One of my brother's colleagues would argue with you, by showing you his left hand, which has only got two fingers and thumb left after diesel was "injected" into his palm when was working on the injector pipes on an early 1980's PSA engine. (Yes, PIPES, not the injectors - apparently there was a split in one of the pipes and the pressure was high enough for the fuel to be injected - and nobody at the hospital he went to believed him until it was too late to save half his hand)

Very true

[bizzard]

Normally there are 2 stages of filtration - a coarse water and crud separator, where the undesirables collect in the bottom of the casing. Sometimes these have a drain plug, sometimes you have to unscrew it and look into the bottom. Then the fine filter, often a cartridge with paper element. It is not that easy to see whether this type of filter is badly contaminated without cutting it open. I would trace the fuel inlet from the tank and inspect the first thing you get to. If it is a separator and it is clean, no point in destroying the finer cartridge further downstream. That said, if it is a non-new boat and you have run out of fuel, there is a pretty good chance that crud has overwhelmed the separator and got into the second filter.

Agreed but he nor us know what he's got. It might not have a separator and drain tap.

We don't even know what engine it is.

[Hairy-Neil]

harry neil - do you know what it could be then with your experience? Its starting but just not firing.

 

 

You mean it's cranking over but not firing?

[Guest Quo Vadis]

Check you boat's paperwork. Mine is about the same age as yours, and came with a folder full of manuals etc for all the equipment on board, including an engine (Beta) manual.

This should show you what needs doing, and shows all the basic maintainance routines .... makes great bedtime reading.

 

Best of luck ... and do nothing until you know EXACTLY what you are doing.

[Minos]

Suggested the same a few posts back - doesn't make the OP a troll tough does it?

If the OP is a troll, he's come to just the right place to feed him.

 

90 responses for a question about an unspecified crunching noise from an OP who admits he can't even find his filters.

 

I am in awe of this guy.

[lewisericeric]

You mean it's cranking over but not firing?

 

Yes Harry - that's right.

 

For those who are interested, i've got a Beta marina 38HP, 2006.

 

Minos- Not really interested in your comments so don't feel the need to comment again as I don't really give a shit about your opinions on whether im a troll or how experienced/inexperienced I am when it comes to engines and I'm sure no one else does either.

[Chris Pink]

If the OP is a troll, he's come to just the right place to feed him.

 

90 responses for a question about an unspecified crunching noise from an OP who admits he can't even find his filters.

 

I am in awe of this guy.

 

I am so glad to hear you were born with the technical language to describe a diesel engine.

 

As should be obvious it has taken 90 posts because the op doesn't know where his filters are or a number of other basic pieces of technical knowledge.

 

And how exactly does your post help?

[Iain_S]

I'm not sure you guys are helping either. I've never heard an engine that's run short of diesel making...

a really horrible crunching noise/

Agreed it's hard to diagnose in this situation, but from my experience (35 years as a diesel fitter) fuel starvation problems or fuel contamination usually result in an engine that stops and won't restart, rather than one that knocks...

 

But your "horrible crunching noise" might be different from (and probably more serious than! )that of the OP.

 

Iain

[Guest Quo Vadis]

Better still !

Beta 38 manual

[Iain_S]

harry neil - do you know what it could be then with your experience? Its starting but just not firing. It was working fine until last night when it made this much louder noise and i just turned it off assuming i was running low on diesel (we were)

 

Topped up with diesel today, and its starting but not firing. Sometimes it does fire and the revs seem to be getting more in tempo to the normal sound of the engine, then they'll slow right down again and the engine will collapse and the oil lamp will come back on, bleeping.

 

Can you advise or think of anything these guys may have not mentioned?

 

Athy no im not, but how much do they usually charge for things (they have a call out fee i take it?)

 

Just not sure the pennies can spread that far and would like to resolve myself if possible

 

Still a bit of air in the fuel system?

 

Iain

[lewisericeric]

Ive had that beta manual up today Quo - trying to find all the bits and pieces and trying to find everything thats in the pics! ive located the filters now, but as I said I just cant get it off (which is probably a good job anyway, as I havent got one to replace it with yet)

 

Going back to my comment about it being a "crunching" noise, that was mostly when it was on yesterday. It was running normally, and then started to make a lot more of a noise than just the usual revs. Now its just not firing, it'll start but not fire into full ignition. Give it four or five attempts and it does fire into full igntion - but then you hear the revs slowing down and it completely cuts out now.

 

Iain - thanks - ive tried pumping the primer on top of the fuel filter, as suggested in the manual and by another user here on CW. However, i'm not getting the fuel coming out of the top of it ...all I do hear when I pump it up and down is a trickling noise from somwhere (cant figure out where its coming from?)

Edited November 19, 2011 by lewisericeric

[Taslim]

If he doesn't know what a filter is, how will he know what an alternator is.....

 

True or not, a bit harsh? We all had to learn.

[Chris Pink]

Not checked the filters yet, as yes I am a complete novice and have no idea about anything engine-related! Im in an area where there's no one really like boat builders/fitters/engine people (that I know of!) so I'm still trying to find the filters and looking thru the Beta manual online!

 

Oh I'm having fun! The dipstick shows about half inch of oil. Top up im guessing?

 

Forget filters, check manual for bleeding or priming fuel system. In this will be a point, called the bleed screw, for releasing the air bubbles til you get clean diesel, this will also reveal water or dirt.

 

Once the system is bled to clean diesel the engine will start again.

 

Worry about changing filters later.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Chris Pink

[Hairy-Neil]

But your "horrible crunching noise" might be different from (and probably more serious than! )that of the OP.

 

Iain

 

Agreed! Guessing at it's a waste of time. It needs a methodical approach...