Port Tack = Lots of Cranking

[keelcooler]

After I lubed up that rusted cable, inserted same in rigid plastic refrigerator water supply tubing. Had poured some MMO in tube. No more binding or stretching the outer pig tail wrapped cable housing.

[sastanley]

Dave, it is the wound wire type of housing. As the new owner, I just need to experiment a little bit. A few weeks ago, I squirted some MMO (which I have in my 3-in-1 plastic squirt bottle) into each end of the housing and it made a definite difference.

I'll keep plugging away at it. Almost the end of the warm sailing season here, so I have the whole winter to 'honey, I am going to the boat to work on the engine' time

[tony201]

Keelcoller, great idea

plastic refrigerator water supply tubing.

Thats a great idea Keelcooler, How were you able to attach the plastic tube to the knob end of the choke cable.

[keelcooler]

What else but Atomic tape ,I picked up some at the Annapolis boat show a few years back. Best tape in my tool box. Once you use some, you will think of this tape every time you need to fix a hose,cable...anything. Don should sell this stuff. Not cheep 25. for two rolls. It paid for itself at a raft up when a boy cut his hand badly and this silicone self fusing stuff tightly bound over gauze worked great. I was told the doc in the er was impressed with the tape.

I had to have some because of the name, but I'm sold. wwwatomictape.com

[roadnsky]

I love that tape!
They sell it as RESCUE TAPE too.
(http://www.rescuetape.com) Same stuff, not cheap.

Great for wrapping steering wheels, mast boot, spreaders, swim steps...

[lat 64]

A restored choke is a joy forever

Wow!
I finally read this thread.
For a few years I have had a feeling that an engine that starts quickly is a safety issue. Now I'm sure of it. Last may I had to start the engine in an emergency to avoid going on the rocks when the wind came up and we started dragging anchor. 15 seconds would have been too long.

The P.O. of my boat just accepted the fact that you had to fool around for quite some time to get the beast going. Not me.
I'm glad to see this discussion. You guys are getting the better of this problem and raising the bar for perfomance. I'll bet your starter motors will like you for it too.

The side benefits are:
other boat guys are impressed with your engine and buy you beer,
spouse realizes you CAN fix things so makes favorite meal to treat you(but still brings book to the harbor


Cheers,


Russ

ps, Rescue tape is about $8 a roll in fairbanks at NAPA auto. I keep it on the boat along with rigging tape, duct tape, electrical tape, Gorilla tape, sail tape, masking tape, and wire all in a little box. It's my favorite tool box.

[Silver Fox]

Problem Solved

Been a while, but since I finally got to the bottom of the problem, I thought I should share my findings, so maybe they can help someone else...

Basically the problem was because the wet-lift pipe in my wet-lift muffler (Onan Aqualift) was gone, so the muffler had way too much water in it, and when on Port tack, the exhaust water would pour back into the engine head, and the wet sparkplugs would not fire, until I cranked enough to dry them!!!

The wet-lift muffler system:


My scenario (no water lift pipe):


How in the above scenario, there was water coming out the exhaust when I ran the engine is a mystery to me. How the engine did not flood with water all the time is also a mystery - I guess the exhaust pressure is enough to push the water back, and up & out the exhaust pipe!!

I was very lucky and got off easily, as all that water in the engine can't have been good.

Huge thanks to Don Moyer for helping me when I called him. Without that call I would have gotten myself into way more trouble than was needed. Thank you Don!!!

I wrote a longer report of my findings with more pictures, etc, if anyone wants to learn more about it. Click here.

Thanks to all,
Ralph.

[sastanley]

Hi Ralph,

Great job on the follow up.

I wish I had the time to document everything with that amount of clarity and detail. I usually just type random stuff all over the message boards.

Cheers!

[rigspelt]

Excellent feedback. Thanks. Last winter I took exactly the same muffler out of exactly the same boat, with the same exhaust setup. I decided to replace that muffler because it looked rusted on the outside, but never got around to checking it inside. Since the system worked well for so many years on both boats, then it had to be some internal problem somewhere. This is the first time I've heard of the pickup tube corroding away and preventing the muffler from emptying. Good one.

[Marian Claire]

SF. I also appreciate the follow up report. Some threads just die with no closure and we learn nothing. Thanks. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[Baltimore Sailor]

Do the plastic waterlift mufflers have this potential problem as well?

[sastanley]

BS, In theory they could...I have a plastic Vetus...I'll have to check it out and see..it was the ONLY part in my exhaust system between the hull & manifold I did not replace last winter.

[Kelly]

Ralph,

This is an excellent thread and thanks for the in-depth report you provided with your solution.

Your missing draw pipe in the water-lift muffler begs the question that seems to constantly arise, "how did that thing get that way?!" Mine was a paper towel stuck in one of the intake passages coming from the manifold. How was that influencing performance?

I'm sure we all have similar stories to relate. Thanks again for yours.

Kelly

[ArtJ]

Dave,

Does the mech fuel pump cam need to be in a certain position for the priming arm to work? Sometimes I cannot move it at all. Is that fuel pressure, or the cam holding it?

I have been trying to use the boat frequently (fuel staying in the line) enough that I can crank for 15 seconds and she'll start, so I don't have to bother with the priming. I think if I ever get my choke cable adjusted properly, I might be able to get this cranking time down even more.

I believe that the pump DOES need to be in a certain position for the priming ARM to function properly. Also, although I am not sure of this, it may not move too much if already fullly primed. The choke MUST be fully closed in order to get good starting for sure.

[sastanley]

Art...you are right.

I took my pump (& carb) off the boat this winter so I can pull the valve cover and adjust the valves. Since I have to tinker , I took the diaphragm apart so I could see how it works, and it won't move if the linkage from the pushrod is holding it. As it turns out, the lack of prime was not the issue....this past fall, I had MUCH improved success in quick starting once I realized the choke was not fully closing. I am pretty sure that was the problem all along.