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Engine and Fuel System

Last Updated: 11 Nov 2009

Future Additions:
Engine Belting
Air Cleaner
Oil Hoses
Alternator Overhaul
Transmission Removal
Engine Removal
Engine-Transmission Spares
Spin On Oil Filter

Engine Raw Water Siphon Release

(25 Jan 10 CSYO Post) Last week we talked with a new cruiser anchored in Costa Rica that had just flooded his engine with 1.5 gallons of salt water, probably because of the lack of a siphon release and a high loop in the raw water cooling line on his engine. The siphon release in the raw water line is a seldom looked at but very important item. He eventually flushed his engine twice with new oil and finally got the engine going a day later.

After reading several articles about this issue, now 12 years ago, I installed a 1/4" hose from the top of the raw water high loop to the plastic thruhull in my cockpit drain. Now whenever the engine is running I have visual proof that the raw water system is operating and when I shut the engine down it acts as a very reliable siphon release. Since that time I've seen many boats with that or similar systems. Oyster runs their hose in copper overboard through the side of the boat.

Commercial siphon releases with a spring and one way valve can get clogged with salt and cease operating. If that happens you have a real problem. And you have no visual reference that the cooling water is flowing.

So when you run out of things to do on your boat there's another, but very important, project for you.

I have no pics in the Workshop section of our website, and I don't think that I've taken any. It will have to wait until we get back to the boat in Nov. I'll post pics of our setup then.

The lashup is as simple as it sounds, just use any convenient fitting at the top of your high loop in the raw water line that you can get a 1/4" ID hose on to. Run the hose to a 1/4" fitting tapped into the plastic thruhull fitting that forms the cockpit drain. The tap in the cockpit drain should be a couple of inches down so that it doesn't splatter saltwater into the cockpit but you can still see the water stream coming out when the engine is running. The fitting on the cockpit drain should be higher than the top of the high loop. This is all low pressure warm salt water so nothing special required except water tight connections.

There are other ways to do this, but this setup has worked well for me for many years.

1980 Perkins 4154 Engine Overhaul

(Topica Post 2004) I have a Perkins 4154, vintage 1980, old style. With my Perkins Workshop Manual in hand I completely overhauled it in my garage in 1998--a long, somewhat expensive but very educational and worthwhile project. Now, 6 years later, I'm convinced that my $3000 overhaul done by me was a far better decision than a $10,000 replacement done by someone else.

Now I know what makes Mr Perkins tick and how to diagnose and repair it without having to hire help at $50+ an hour or worse be towed in from some remote location at $150+ an hour. I treated the overhaul kind of like a 6 month college course in diesel mechanics. The hardest part was keeping track of all the fasteners and their replacements. I still ended up with a hand full of extras which I saved just in case. This overhaul also gave me access and time to consider improvements I could make on the engine and in the engine room.

Amongst the changes I made were things like:
- rearranging the pulleys so that the two water pumps were belted together and the new high output alternator got two belts instead of one
- plumbing an oil drain hose up from the bottom plug in the sump
- adding dual Racor filters plumbed in parallel to facilitate a quick underway filter change
- adding an adapter to the secondary engine fuel filter mount to allow using a common spin on filter
- adding an Amsoil bypass filter system and changing to Amsoil synthetic oil in order to increase the oil change periodicity-see detailed info below
- moving all the engine wire harness wires to a common terminal board mounted aft on top of the engine to improve access
- mounting two oil sensors and an oil sampling tap on the aluminum block manifold aft on top of the engine
- changing to a cleanable KD air intake filter with adapter and housing
- adding a Drive Saver between the shaft coupling halves
- adding a copper drip pan under the engine
- adding an all 316L SS exhaust riser leading to a new fiberglass lift muffler mounted in the far aft starboard corner of the engine room
- plumbing a raw water flow indicator tube from the siphon release U in the exhaust raw water line to the port cockpit drain

There are also many other things you can do to this engine to improve serviceability and access while it is out of the boat. Although my engine had only 6000 hours on it, it  had major problems even though it ran well at the time. Had I not overhauled it before we left on our Caribbean cruise it would have soon been a disaster.   (top)

Aft end of the engine showing the orange spin on fuel filter and adapter, easy access electrical connector block, Amsoil Bypass filter system and the oil sensor mounting block with sensors and a tap for taking oil samples.	Front starboard side of the engine showing the dual alternator belts and the single belt driving both the fresh and salt water pumps.
Front engine room bulkhead showing the dual Racor 500 fuel filters set up for quick changing on the fly and the vacuum gauge for monitoring filter condition.	Wooden supports for the ratcheting chain hoist used to get the transmission in and out.  Once free of the engine the transmission is guided to port and set on the aluminum floor so that it can be lifted out of the engine room hatch by the main halyard.
Aft starboard end of the Engine Room showing the new SS exhaust riser and water lift muffler.	New aft aluminum motor mount brackets with two 1/2" SS lag bolts set in sheer to help prevent the engine from moving in a knock down.
Forward starboard side of the Engine showing the ventilation ducting to provide fresh cool air from the Galley to the alternator.	A few of many engine spare parts stowed under the aft berth.

Perkins Engine Numbers (reference PDF file to interpreting your engine serial number)

Troubleshooting Fuel Pump Leaks

(Topica Post 2004) There are at least two fuel pumps on the Perkins 4154 engine-- the mechanical lift pump on the starboard side and the injection pump on the port side. The lift pump is about the size of a doughnut and deals with pumping fuel at low pressure. The injection pump takes the low pressure fuel and feeds it to the injectors at a much higher pressure. Depending on where you are working in the fuel system there is rubber hose and 1/4" metal fuel line (the same size as 1/4" brake lines). The rubber hose should stop at the lift pump. The rest of the lines running through the secondary fuel filter, the injection pump and to the injectors should be metal. There is also a metal return line running along the top of the injectors back to the filter. From there back to the tank will be rubber hose.

The devices used to seal these lines to their various attachments include hose clamps, aluminum/soft copper washers, rubber olives and expanded ends. By looking carefully with a strong light you should be able to identify where the leaks are coming from. In most cases a slight tightening of the joint will seal the leak. About the only place you have to be careful not to over tighten is the joint at the injectors ("high pressure fuel pipe nuts") where you could crack the expanded end of the high pressure injector line (each one is $35 so be careful). The spec is 15 foot pounds or "tight but not real tight". If tightening down a bit doesn't solve the problem, loosen up the joint, take it apart and have real good look with a magnifying glass at all the parts until you find the problem. It doesn't take much in a high pressure line to cause a small leak.

A good injector repair shop should have the olives and maybe the washers. Aluminum/soft copper washers are also available at a good local hardware store. I use Tradewinds Diesel in Miami (commercial discount available) or Complete Yacht in Ft Lauderdale (new and used Perkins parts) when I need Perkins parts. However, there are many other good Perkins dealers around the country.

If the leak is on the body of the lift pump you can no longer buy parts, except outside the US, so go to a Perkins dealer for a replacement for about $50. You could also replace it with an electric pump as long as the pressure is right and you are willing to trust another electric motor. Or maybe the best situation, plumb both mechanical and electric pumps for use one at a time with the other as backup.

If the leak is on the body of the injection pump you should take it to the best injector shop you can find with a clean room and experience in your pump. Injection pumps should be overhauled every 2500 hours according to the repair manual and Everglades Diesel in Ft Lauderdale where I take mine. There is good reason for that periodicity due to the risk of major problems and expense if the injection pump seals fail in the wrong place. You should never attempt to take the injection pump apart yourself because it requires specialized tools and a very clean environment. That is why there is no info on overhauling it in the workshop manual.  Just in case I acquired a spare a few years back and have it stored away ready to install if needed. (top)

Fuel Priming System

(Originally a Topica Post 2004) Like Paul on Peter Rabbit I have had a gasoline fuel priming bulb in my fuel system between the fuel tank and the dual Racor filters for 10 years now (same bulb). It is located so I can fill the filters, bleed the injection pump and operate the bulb all from the port side of the engine. I can tell you that bleeding the engine this way is much faster than using the lever on the mechanical fuel pump on the other side of the engine and does not require two people to bleed the engine. It is one of those few pieces of equipment on the boat that is simple, inexpensive, requires no maintenance and always works. Still, I carry a backup.

I think it is a good idea to have a backup fuel pump so I have also installed a small Napa electric pump in the fuel line between the filters and mechanical pump. It could be used to fill the filters, bleed the engine or run the engine as long as it works. The only problem I have had with the mechanical pump over the years is worn internals causing an external fuel leak.   I have no experience with the electric pump yet but is is electric. Therefore if you do install an electric pump it might be better to install the pump in parallel rather than in series with the mechanical pump so you could isolate either pump.

I also have installed a full transfer system for the main and auxiliary fuel tanks using a Racor 900 filter, Napa 60 gpm pump and a rather complicated valve system so the fuel can be filtered going both ways.

Recommended Reading:  Diesel Repair Manuals

(Topica Post 2004) Regarding good diesel manuals and obtaining advice I would recommend obtaining a copy of one of Nigel Calder's books: Marine Diesel Engines or Boat Owner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual. Look in Amazon.com. There are also others. You should also have onboard the two Perkins manuals--4154 Workshop Manual and Operators Manual for Marine Diesel Engines and maybe a parts manual. It's well worth doing your homework by reading these manuals and learning your engine before something goes wrong and you end up spending a great deal of money for someone else to fix it. Armed with the knowledge from these sources you will also be better able to seek and evaluate any advice you may obtain--including the above.  (top)

Engine Room Pictures

Aft stbd corner, vent system, lift muffler and exhaust riser	Aft, shelving over engine, auto fire extinguisher, spare Delta 55, old battery locker
Stbd fwd corner, dual Racor filters, alternator ventilation	Auto fire extinguisher
Ship's cat, Radar, inspecting	Auto fire extinguisher
Top of engine	Front of engine
Dual Racor filters with vacuum gauge	Port side of engine
Water Pump pulley arrangement Looking down from the port side front of the engine.  Crankshaft in the center, raw water pump at the bottom, and fresh water pump at the top. The Alternator has its own 2 belts (see other pics)
Transmission removed	Engine, cylinder head removed
Engine, cylinder head removed

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Synthetic Engine Oil & Engine Oil Analysis

(Topica Post 1999) I use a lab in Atlanta called Power Trac to do my engine oil analysis (800-394-3669), but there are many others. Just stop by any large diesel dealer and they can sell you a sampling kit consisting of small double plastic bottles for about $12 US.

I take a sample about every 300 hours and send it in via any cruiser going back to the US. After a week or so they will send me the detailed computer printed results via mail, fax or my phone call. It's a great way to keep tabs on what's going on inside the engine.

Most major truck fleets and other multiple diesel users like the US Navy have been doing this for years. Oil analysis is part of what we called trend analysis in the Navy, and it was part of the engineer's work to monitor it.

If you want to do this make sure you get the Amsoil ByPass oil filter to remove contaminants down to 1/2 micron and all moisture from the oil. Otherwise even though your synthetic oil's lubricity may be intact, and it should be for a couple of thousand hours, the oil will get overwhelmed by contaminants and water. In addition to the oil being better for your engine, the main reason I started this was to keep from having to carry the many gallons of oil I would need to change oil every 150 hours as Perkins recommends. Third world oil is of questionable quality and very expensive. I don't understand how most cruisers do this using petroleum oils. The same applies to two cycle oil, so bring gallons with you. You can check out the Amsoil extended oil change program by visiting their website, calling Amsoil headquarters at 715-392-7101 and talking to one of their engineers or get their sales literature from any Amsoil dealer in the yellow pages.

I think it's a great program but have found very few cruising users, maybe because it's not heavily advertised by the marine industry and the engine needs to have low hours when you start the program.

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Auxiliary Fuel Tank and Transfer System

(2005) The new auxiliary fuel tank was constructed of 3/16" aluminum by Florida Marine Tanks in Miami.  They do all their own design work using a CAD program which allowed me to review their rendition of the doorskin mockup I had taken them and make changes before they started construction.  Since they construct hundreds of tanks a day it was an easy job for them and they were able to include a number of custom features-all for about $300.  The tank holds 35 gallons, has two inlets and a vent and two cleanout covers.  The top and bottom are securely screwed to the cabinet above and bunk top below while the forward/big end is bolted to a heavy stainless angle fastened to the bunk forward bulkhead. 

Fuel can be cycled from the main tank to the auxiliary or vice versa via a new transfer system.  The transfer system, consisting of a small 60 GPM Napa fuel pump, a Racor 900 fuel filter, a vacuum gauge and several valves, ensures the fuel is polished whenever it passes through.  It can transfer fuel at about 1 GPM.  Two sight glasses, one at the new tank and one at the pump, allow monitoring of the fuel level and flow.  The tank is kept either totally full or empty to prevent free surface effect and sloshing noises.  It is installed on the starboard side so that it can add up to 300 pounds to help offset our normal port list.  On the 44 Walkover it would be best mounted on the port side where you can get about 60 gallons and offset the starboard list.  Tom Service on Jean Marie, a 44 Walkover, originated the idea for the tank design, placement and transfer system.

Shaft, Stern Tube and Stuffing Box Diameters

(Originally from a Topica Post 7 Sep 07)Just read your email asking for the OD of your shaft tube. I replaced my hose between the fiberglass tube and bronze log a few months ago using the 5 ply Buck Algonquin hose from Lewis Marine Supply in Ft Lauderdale (800-432-2158). Their catalog figure 672 for a 1.5" diameter shaft shows the correct hose to have a ID of 2.5". Hose number is HO250, 6" long and cost was about $20. A 5 ply hose is the right stuff, although you can use lesser hose if you don't mind lesser security and life. I think the tubes/logs for the WT and WO with 1.5" diameter shafts are the same.

(Topica Post 11 Sep 07)A little more data to add to the "confusion" on this subject.

Looking at my 2007 Lewis Marine Catalog under the Buck Algonquin Packing Box, the kits consist of the stuffing box (hex spud, hex nut, body) and hose all sized for a specific shaft diameter. The 1.5" diameter shaft calls for a 2.5" ID hose (5 ply with a thick wall) because the fiberglass tube is 2.5" OD. If you look at the available cutlass bearings that fit inside on the other end of the tube their available outside diameters for the 1.5" shaft are 2 and 2-3/8". I use the latter on Soggy Paws. That leaves a 1/16" wall which is correct.

The next size up box kit is for a 1-3/4" shaft and requires a 3" ID hose and larger stuffing box. The next size up cutlass bearing is for a 1-5/8" shaft and has available ODs of 2-1/8" and 2-5/8". Neither of these would fit our application.

Glen, I suspect your measurement of your tube included the fiberglass resin buildup around the tube aft of the hose. When I measured mine I got the same thing and it wasn't until I looked in the Lewis catalog that I figured out what was going on. I did a bit of sanding on the forward half of my tube to round off the rough edges and get the OD a little closer to the hose ID. I also used some caulk to help lubricate and seal the joint as I forced the hose over the end of the tube. Looking at it now the hose is a bit expanded where it is over the tube from it's relaxed shape. If you use a 1-5/8" ID hose it will be be too large to fit over the back end of the stuffing box, and this 5 ply hose doesn't squeeze down easily. For this application tight is much better than loose. The other option is to use a thinner wall 3 ply hose which will stretch easier over the tube. I wanted the strength of the 5 ply hose that comes with the Buck Algonquin kit. There was also a bit of fiberglass dribble under the tube where it went into the hull that I ground off to get the hose further on the tube. I used strong T-bolt clamps to hold the hose on to the tube.

If the above doesn't make sense to anyone replacing their stuffing box hose I recommend you consult with an expert like the people that make the components, Buck Algonquin Company.
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