Apologies for a new thread on this, but the existing threads didn't exactly match what I observed.
I've got a 1972 C&C 30 MK I with a raw water cooled, mechanical ignition Atomic 4.
When I went out for a sail yesterday, she started right up, as always. But then she cut out heading away from the marina. Initially I suspected a fuel flow problem, as the petcock on the tank has become difficult to turn. After ensuring the petcock was in the open position and the tank was full, she started right up again and ran smoothly for a good 10 minutes. Then she cut out again, and wouldn’t start back up after two cranking attempts of ~5 seconds each. I sailed for a couple hours anyway. When I tried to start her to come back in, nothing happened when I pressed the starter button. I assumed my batteries didn’t have enough amperage for the starter, after the previous cranking, though my other electronics were running fine. So I docked under sail power, pulled the batteries, and brought them home to charge. They both tested at 12.7 volts and 83% charge when I put them on my charger. Now they’re both at 100% and 12.9 volts.
So I now suspect a faulty ignition circuit, and possibly a faulty starter circuit. Perhaps a loose connection or broken wire is having the same effect as opening the ignition switch. I’ve yet to get into the lazarette and start tracing the wiring and testing with a multimeter, but that’s my next step. I thought I’d write this forum first to see if anyone has any quick hypotheses.
One guy on the C&C owners mail list is asking whether I hydro-locked it, but I don't think I cranked it long enough to hydro-lock. Another guy reported about a cracked distributor rotor he'd had causing similar problems, but that wouldn't explain why my starter wouldn't turn over on my last attempt.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Best Regards,
Randy Stafford
S/V Grenadine
C&C 30-1 #7
Ken Caryl, CO
I've got a 1972 C&C 30 MK I with a raw water cooled, mechanical ignition Atomic 4.
When I went out for a sail yesterday, she started right up, as always. But then she cut out heading away from the marina. Initially I suspected a fuel flow problem, as the petcock on the tank has become difficult to turn. After ensuring the petcock was in the open position and the tank was full, she started right up again and ran smoothly for a good 10 minutes. Then she cut out again, and wouldn’t start back up after two cranking attempts of ~5 seconds each. I sailed for a couple hours anyway. When I tried to start her to come back in, nothing happened when I pressed the starter button. I assumed my batteries didn’t have enough amperage for the starter, after the previous cranking, though my other electronics were running fine. So I docked under sail power, pulled the batteries, and brought them home to charge. They both tested at 12.7 volts and 83% charge when I put them on my charger. Now they’re both at 100% and 12.9 volts.
So I now suspect a faulty ignition circuit, and possibly a faulty starter circuit. Perhaps a loose connection or broken wire is having the same effect as opening the ignition switch. I’ve yet to get into the lazarette and start tracing the wiring and testing with a multimeter, but that’s my next step. I thought I’d write this forum first to see if anyone has any quick hypotheses.
One guy on the C&C owners mail list is asking whether I hydro-locked it, but I don't think I cranked it long enough to hydro-lock. Another guy reported about a cracked distributor rotor he'd had causing similar problems, but that wouldn't explain why my starter wouldn't turn over on my last attempt.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Best Regards,
Randy Stafford
S/V Grenadine
C&C 30-1 #7
Ken Caryl, CO
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