Is This Typical?

[FORTUNATA]

I may have mentioned this before. The snag I'm having is I can't seem to find skilled diesel engineers in my area. I mean, none of them want to know if I explain I have a boat.

So far, the engine needs rewiring to the control panel, the fuel-filter needs changing and the diesel-tank needs some minor attention. Some of this I can do myself but I wouldn't like to mess with the injection pump which evidently needs sealing and I wouldn't like to risk wiring up the engine on my own - unless I burn something out.

Besides, I already have so much work doing all the painting and rubbing strips e.t.c., I can only tackle one problem at a time.

To put it short, I can't find mechanics who seem interested enough to simply buckle down and do the job. Has anybody else had similar problems?

[Stephen Fulcher]

May be more expensive, but are there any boatyards who would come out and do the job?

[Supermalc]

I know this is a long shot, but Bert Finnigan lives (or lived) neer Leek. He goes Stock Car Racing, and so do his two sons. Maybe one of them, or someone they know would be able to help, or do the work in their spare time.

[FORTUNATA]

This is the snag. None of the boatyards in this area do engineering work. The best boatyard I found does build steel boats for canal and marine use but they wouldn't touch my fibreglass boat, let alone the engine. Besides, the engine is a Golf.

I do have a guy at present who told me he'd take the job on but, so far, he's been down once and hasn't been back for a time. I did say he could work around his current schedule and not rush but it remains to be seen whether he will continue.

I want to get the engine running and tuned this year naturally before summer disappears.

There are times I consider the possibility of removing the entire Golf engine and fitting a high-quality outboard (possibly a diesel model if I can get one). That's not exactly on the cards at this stage but I must confess I've had real difficulties getting anyone to do the job. Marine mechanics tend to stick with narrowboats and car mecahnics prefer to work on cars in a garage.

I think it's a problem specific to my area.

 

May be more expensive, but are there any boatyards who would come out and do the job?

[FORTUNATA]

Major question: How do you people go on for engine repairs if your boat engines ever need some service? Yesterday I bought a canalboat magazine and did notice a small number of boat engineering firms, although these were in different parts of the country.

In my area, despite dozens of phone calls in the Yellow Pages or visiting garages and boat yards, there is nobody reliable who is willing or able to service my diesel engine - specifically because it concerns a canal cruiser.

The problem isn't critical at this stage as I'm still busy painting but does anyone think that maybe I should just fit an outboard instead of my inboard Golf? Would it be fairly easy to do this i.e. hoist the engine out of the boat and then fit clamps on the back to install a good quality outboard. Maybe I could get something with a guarantee of service?

[colinjw]

In answer to your first question, I am rather fortunate in that I can service my own engine. After all, I have been in the Merchant Navy for 40 years and n/b engines are only smaller versions of the ones I sail with.

 

My weakness though is 2 stroke outboards as we very rarely have them on board ships.

 

Colin

[FORTUNATA]

I have the Haynes booklet on the particular engine in my boat. This is helpful but without an engineering background it would take a miracle for me to successfully pull off any major mechanical intervention.

The other day I did get lucky when I called in a bookstore and a friend found me a book in a reduction basket - a marine elecrician's bible with all the information you need about wiring boats, starter-motors, alternators and batteries e.t.c. Only 5 pounds down from 25 pounds - a bargain!

By the way, everybody I know swears outboards aren't very good but I believe you can get some very good outboards if you shop about. They do diesel outboards, I believe, and these strike me as being very convenient for smaller boats, given the fact they are portable.

At this stage, all I can do is continue to try and find a willing engineer but, if all else fails, I'll have to either take the plunge myself and rely on my books or fit myself a new engine. The latter option seems very extreme but I really have tried all the boatyards, yellow-pages numbers and mechanics I can find and all have let me down and shown no interest in taking such a job on.

The only good news is everything I've done on my own so far has been O.K. and I do believe all will be well in the end.

 

 

 

In answer to your first question, I am rather fortunate in that I can service my own engine. After all, I have been in the Merchant Navy for 40 years and n/b engines are only smaller versions of the ones I sail with.

 

My weakness though is 2 stroke outboards as we very rarely have them on board ships.

 

Colin

[John Orentas]

Hi Fortuna.

 

Knowledge of diesel engines isn't in anybodies chromosomes, you can pick it up as you go along, if you are going to rely on itinerant engineers for the rest of your boating life you will go through an awful lot of money. You have never really said what is wrong with your engine, why not tell us about it you may be able to sort it out with a bit of help from here.

 

Outboards are ok but they are not without problems, fuel cost is the worst of them but stay away from 2-strokes they are not suitable for canal use. Diesels were popular a few years ago but they didn't catch on, the fact that they cost 3 times as much as a comparable petrol job, they are so heavy you can't lift them without risking an instant hernia and they are inclined to shake your boat to pieces might have something to do with it.

[FORTUNATA]

Here is where I'm at: The whole boat basically needs rewiring. My first main problem would be to wire the diesel engine to an ignition key so that the engine will kick when the key is turned. We're talking a complete circuit, maybe using a domestic and starter battery.

As for the engine, it is probably O.K. but it will certainly need a new fuel-filter fitted and I'll need to remove any water that is in the tank or in the system. Then, the mechanic did mention some diesel was leaking from the fuel-injection pump and I figured that if I mess with the pump, I may well have to take the engine timing into account, especialy if I need to remove the injection pump. Of course, I'm aware there are timing marks on the flywheel and housing and also on the pump.

Some jobs I may be able to do and others I'm best leaving to an expert.

Here is why I may appear a bit impatient: I'm currently working very hard on the painting and renovation of the boat as I mentioned before so, apart from my job, I tend to go down to the boat 3 or 4 times a week and do lots of rubbing down - removing all the old paint, dirt and grit. I believe I'll be ready to actually paint the entire craft by maybe late June or early July. Then it wil start to look something like.

The idea was to simply hire a mechanic to do at least some of the technical stuff at the same time as I was taking care of the painting, tiling, rubbing-strips and what have you.

So, the point to start from I guess is wiring the engine directly to an ignition instrument. I do know it's the white wires behind the panel that were once connected to the ignition but I don't know in what order. I do have a multimeter I bought and maybe that could help me?

Yes, I guess I am pretty busy but it keeps me off the streets I guess.

 

 

 

Hi Fortuna.

 

Knowledge of diesel engines isn't in anybodies chromosomes, you can pick it up as you go along, if you are going to rely on itinerant engineers for the rest of your boating life you will go through an awful lot of money. You have never really said what is wrong with your engine, why not tell us about it you may be able to sort it out with a bit of help from here.

 

Outboards are ok but they are not without problems, fuel cost is the worst of them but stay away from 2-strokes they are not suitable for canal use. Diesels were popular a few years ago but they didn't catch on, the fact that they cost 3 times as much as a comparable petrol job, they are so heavy you can't lift them without risking an instant hernia and they are inclined to shake your boat to pieces might have something to do with it.

[Bones]

try this:

http://www.tb-training.co.uk/MarineE06.htm...nition%20switch

[FORTUNATA]

Thanks, Bones. I saved it on my computer for future reference. It may be possible to figure it out myself, although the only snag is the job will take far longer and I'll have to wait till the painting is done first.

I was speaking to a boat neighbour the other day and he said he was having the same trouble - couldn't find a boat mechanic in this area.

 

try this:

http://www.tb-training.co.uk/MarineE06.htm...nition%20switch