How do I get engine hours meter working?

[Photobug]

I have become the maintenance manager of my sailing club which has a number of owners on an Atomic 4 powered Ericson 32. I have done general maintenance on my car before but never passed the spark plug level on an engine so I have my work cut out for me.

I recently added the proper fuel filter to the boat. Next step is to get the hour meter working again. First help me diagnose what I discovered last night when I started it up.

When I started the start sequence I first turned on the blower. It took a few seconds to come on and hesitated when it did. Should I look at the blower, lubricate it or just wait till it dies as I suspect it's health now? After starting the Volt meter was showing less than 12, it slowly went up but not till above 12 until I shut off the blower. My guess is that is telling me the blower has a significant draw as to prevent battery charging while the blower is on. Is this correct?

My plan to diagnose the hour meter is to follow the wires from the back to see where it attaches to the motor. How can I test to see if the meter or the sensor is in error before replacing parts?

Thanks in advance for all the information I am going to learn from everyone here.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Next step is to get the hour meter working again. First help me diagnose what I discovered last night when I started it up.

When I started the start sequence I first turned on the blower. It took a few seconds to come on and hesitated when it did. Should I look at the blower, lubricate it or just wait till it dies as I suspect it's health now? After starting the Volt meter was showing less than 12, it slowly went up but not till above 12 until I shut off the blower. My guess is that is telling me the blower has a significant draw as to prevent battery charging while the blower is on. Is this correct?

My plan to diagnose the hour meter is to follow the wires from the back to see where it attaches to the motor. How can I test to see if the meter or the sensor is in error before replacing parts?

You're close. Just add the two procedures together.
It is important when troubleshooting an electric (or electronic) device to check the device itself and the associated circuit.
In the case of the hour meter if it is hooked up right and the wiring doesn't have a problem but it still doesn't work well it's time for a new one.
As far as the blower goes there may be corrosion or some other reistance in the connectors or the wiring or the blower itself may have a problem.
A big welcome to the forum.

TRUE GRIT

[Photobug]

Y
A big welcome to the forum.

TRUE GRIT

Thanks John,

I have done a little wiring onboard and what I have found has been awful. Wire twist ties joining wires. Or another previous partner had used a high end heat shrink butt splice using a cheapo crimper and then squeezed a silicone in the end to seal it instead of melting the heat shrink. I did not have a chance to check the wiring, I will do so.

What powers the hour meter is it electrical and from where? Can I jumper it to a 1.5, 9V, or 12 volt battery to test its functioning? How about the wire coming from whatever is feeding the meter can I test it for voltage to make sure the sensor or circuit is sending it a signal?

[Al Schober]

Photobug,
Welcome aboard! Remember that we like pictures of things.. (hint..).
Sounds like you're in for a learning experience (grin..). If you don't have one, recommend you get a decent digital voltmeter. As an accessory to this, I recommend a boatlength of wire (#18 or #20) with an alligator clip on each end. Meter alone is good for measuring battery voltage, also alternator output. On low voltage scale, you can measure the voltage drop across individual connections. The long wire is to allow you to use battery positive or negative as a reference in distant parts of the boat. As an example, take your fan. Measure between the battery pos reference and the fan positive, telling you the voltage drop in the positive leg. Similarly measure the drop between the battery negative and the ground side of the fan, giving you losses in the ground leg.
As for the hour meter, I suspect it just takes a 12V signal from the coil positive terminal. If so, test it by connecting it to the battery.

[Photobug]

I have a multi meter and pretty much know how to use it. I would say my strongest skill set is in electronics and wiring. I have wired my house and a smaller simpler sailboat. But that was a bit in the past so I may have to ask some questions for refresher. I do know how to test volts, amps and continuity.

I also like to take photos although the engine area is not the best suited portrait studio. I have not posted them yet because they are only so so. But here they are.

I have the MMI rebuild manual. I spent a sleepless morning on July 5th skimming through it. I realized some details of the engine depend on the year and model late or early and some details of the engine. The boat is a 1972, what can you tell me about the engine and its parts from the photos.

[Loki9]

That's a really long hot section in the exhaust. It also appears to to be unsupported. If you can't shorten it, I'd at least wrap it and add some support hangers.

The cylinder head is a late model one with the thermostat in the head, rather than the early style. It also has the later style spark arrestor, and a nice extended oil dipstick.

[JOHN COOKSON]

I especially like the braded wiring. Quite original. Was the boat previously owned by a little girl? (not being seriuos here)

TRUE GRIT

[Photobug]

That's a really long hot section in the exhaust. It also appears to to be unsupported. If you can't shorten it, I'd at least wrap it and add some support hangers.

The cylinder head is a late model one with the thermostat in the head, rather than the early style. It also has the later style spark arrestor, and a nice extended oil dipstick.

Just to show you how ignorant I am, I had to look at the picture to figure out what was the exhaust. Pretty easy to figure out now. My co-manager had replaced the exhaust a while back, obviously without the expertise of this board. How would you shorten it or support it? I don't want to drill a hole in the cockpit sole. I have some epoxy work coming up as well, should I epoxy a piece of wood into the underside of the cockpit sole to use to mount some support for this exhaust.

I especially like the braded wiring. Quite original. Was the boat previously owned by a little girl? (not being seriuos here)

TRUE GRIT

My favorite is the wire twist tie that is found throughout the boat. And the small ropes holding up the red hose and little filter thing. What is the red hose?

[JOHN COOKSON]

And the small ropes holding up the red hose and little filter thing. What is the red hose?

The red hose is bringing cooling water from the engine and injecting it into the exhaust system so it can exit the boat.
If some part of the exhaust system is higher than the engine a siphon may be started when a warm engine cools and creates a vacuum pulling water into the engine. The plastic thingie is most likely a siphon break. Maybe the (alleged) little girl wanted to hang it by the neck and did so!

TRUE GRIT

[The Garbone]

Nice early style flywheel but the starter almost looks late model. I did not think the two mixed? Am I wrong?

[hanleyclifford]

Cast iron flywheel housing on late engine places it somewhere in the mid seventies. It is late starter. The hour meter is nothing more than an electric clock; one wire goes to coil + and the other to ground. What is most concerning here is only 12 volts with engine running. Start at alternator + (output) and check for voltage. Should be 14 volts or close to it.

[tomsailmaker]

electrical mess

Photobug, I have a 1972 Ericson 32 like yours / well it use to be like that. My boats electrical was scarey and I wouldn't go any further offshore than you can swim before I did some Major rewire. You need to decide how you are going to use the boat, how long you plan on keeping it and how much money you are welling to throw at it. I am in New Port and would be happy to have you come up take some pics and I can show you what I have done and what I would do differently etc. etc. Ericson 32s are a good boat but there are some things that can be better.(IMHO)
Let me know if that will help and we will work out a time. My boat now sits off Balboa Isl so figure 45 min or so from Ocean Side

[Marian Claire]

Looking at these pics and the ones posted on your other thread http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9140
Other things that I see.
OPSS and fused electric fuel pump.
Disconnected fuel line.
What is the thing connected to the coil? Can not tell if you have EI or points.
Is the big blue handled thru hull for the cockpit drains?
What is the black thing mounted above the alternator with wires leading to the coil area?

Garbone. You are correct that you can not mix flywheels and starters. Flywheel covers are a diferent issue.

Dan S/V Marian Claire

[Photobug]

Clueless

A little more info on the boat. It is a boat partnership. It has been run as a partnership for over a decade i guess. I have been involved for a year and volunteered to be maintenance manager but became more than that. One guy has volunteered to take care of the books but I am responsible of the rest of the management details. Having talked to the current owners and previous, each is proud of what they have contributed to but as I check out their contributions I see so many substandard practices and realize I have my work cut out for me.

I can only identify about 30% of the parts and pieces on this engine. Alternator flywheel, sparkplugs, and now the exhaust. I believe the accounting partner did the exhaust and electrical ignition system a few years ago. So even though it is wrong in some ways he has an idea of what goes where and with your guys's help I can put things in the right place and wires correctly.

The last time the boat left the vicinity of SD Bay was 6 years ago. It is only used as a daysailor and floating condo.

The survey we had done this year did not like our fuel system. We had problems and so one guy installed a hand squeeze pump and another installed a inline outboard fuel filter. The photos you see in the picture is during the process of me removing the half measured work and replacing it with the proper fuel filter. One thing I found when I started the project though was the hose leading from the fuel tank was pushed onto the nipple but the band clamp was shoved into place but not tightened at all. Except for rest of the engine and wiring that part is correct now.

Here is a photo of what it looked like before I added the correct fuel filter.

I was on the boat on friday but I did not have my multi tester. I did follow the wires as far as i could away from the engine meter though before they disappeared into a bundle of wires and splices. I will test the volts coming to the meter next time onboard. I should be seeing 14 volts at the meter?

[lat 64]

Whew! Scary.

A squeeze bulb can help with diagnostic, but don't leave it hooked up.

I guess you should delicately inform your partners the old work was not safe. But don't let anything stop you from researching and doing ALL the proper ways to install your fuel system.

Some good reading:

http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/safety_fuel.html

and:

https://law.resource.org/pub/us/cfr/ibr/001/abyc.H-24.1993.pdf

A good book to have for your gang is Nigel Calder's book:

http://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-Essential/dp/0071432388

Not too much about gas engines but it covers the right way to do most everything else.

Cheers,

Russ