Inboard petrol engine - Any advice, tips?
Discussion
I've just bought a boat with an inboard petrol & outdrive (pics and thread to follow when she gets delivered!). I've never had one before, always either outboard or diesel. What should I be aware of?
From what I can gather:
To start - lift hatch, sniff, use blowers for a couple of minutes, start.
Also it seems that at slow speeds it's a good idea to run the blower for 5 mins every half hour or so as well.
Anything else?
Any advice on servicing an outdrive?
General boaty tips?
From what I can gather:
To start - lift hatch, sniff, use blowers for a couple of minutes, start.
Also it seems that at slow speeds it's a good idea to run the blower for 5 mins every half hour or so as well.
Anything else?
Any advice on servicing an outdrive?
General boaty tips?
Simpo Two said:
Mine doesn't have a bilge blower and it hasn't blown up in 38 years. Passes BSS, never smells of petrol.
It doesn't have a bilge pump either but there's never any water in the bilge
Congrats on your purchase; I notice you are studiously avoiding telling us what it is!
hehe, Well I did mention the outdrive in a distinct nod to "It's not a Freeman Mr Simpson" It doesn't have a bilge pump either but there's never any water in the bilge
Congrats on your purchase; I notice you are studiously avoiding telling us what it is!
She's getting delivered on Monday 5th, so until I can actually see her sat at my marina, I don't want to Jinx it!
Thanks for the advice though.
Simpo you are a bad man, just because you've been lucky doesn't mean blowers aren't important.
A petrol boat isn't like a car where any fuel leak will fall out of the bottom, just a small drip from a fuel hose and the fuel will vapourise and build up in the bottom of the boat. Not a good idea considering spark ignition. And all smart schoolboys know that vapours are more explosive than neat petrol.
As for outdrives they are essentially the same as the bottom of an outboard but with the addition of a gimbal bearing and UJ covered with a rubber seal called a bellows. If the seal breaks, dependant on the make, you will either sink or sink. Replace a bellows every three years minimum or at least have a receipt for one handy if you expect the insurance to pay out.
So check list before going in as follows.
Check oil in drive and change / top up as necessary. Milky oil shows a leak and the drain will be magnetic to show any internal gear damage.
Grease all points on outdrive.
Check gear linkage cable is not worn / about to break.
Make sure anodes are fresh and correct type for the water you are going into if you don't want the drive to rot away.
Keep the antifouling away from the drive by 1/2" or more to stop the copper additives destroying your drives.
Antifoul drives with specific antifouling to keep build up down.
Have prop rebuilt if necessary to avoid vibration damage.
Dependant on type, change impeller in leg or on engine.
Check fuel lines, tanks and connections thoroughly.
Check exhaust through, cooling water fills a boat up surprisingly quickly if it comes out the wrong side.
USE the blower.
GET a bilge pump if not fitted. Boats are always dry until they leak and that is not when you want to think I must get round to that.
A petrol boat isn't like a car where any fuel leak will fall out of the bottom, just a small drip from a fuel hose and the fuel will vapourise and build up in the bottom of the boat. Not a good idea considering spark ignition. And all smart schoolboys know that vapours are more explosive than neat petrol.
As for outdrives they are essentially the same as the bottom of an outboard but with the addition of a gimbal bearing and UJ covered with a rubber seal called a bellows. If the seal breaks, dependant on the make, you will either sink or sink. Replace a bellows every three years minimum or at least have a receipt for one handy if you expect the insurance to pay out.
So check list before going in as follows.
Check oil in drive and change / top up as necessary. Milky oil shows a leak and the drain will be magnetic to show any internal gear damage.
Grease all points on outdrive.
Check gear linkage cable is not worn / about to break.
Make sure anodes are fresh and correct type for the water you are going into if you don't want the drive to rot away.
Keep the antifouling away from the drive by 1/2" or more to stop the copper additives destroying your drives.
Antifoul drives with specific antifouling to keep build up down.
Have prop rebuilt if necessary to avoid vibration damage.
Dependant on type, change impeller in leg or on engine.
Check fuel lines, tanks and connections thoroughly.
Check exhaust through, cooling water fills a boat up surprisingly quickly if it comes out the wrong side.
USE the blower.
GET a bilge pump if not fitted. Boats are always dry until they leak and that is not when you want to think I must get round to that.
MOTORVATOR said:
Simpo you are a bad man, just because you've been lucky doesn't mean blowers aren't important.
I don't think it's luck; if it was then either most petrol boats would have blown up by now, or blowers would have been original equipment. I know petrol vapour is explosive but if it was THAT much of a problem why do BSS tests not insist on blowers? Let's face it they insist on everything else - even strapping batteries down on an inland vessel that never rolls more than 3 degrees!I am content because every time I leave/enter the boat I lift up the central floorboard to close/open the seacock (for engine cooling not scuttling!!) and this is the perfect time to check for unusual smells or leaks. If I smelt petrol I'd be the first to raise the alarm; I have no more desire to sink or blow up than the next man
Edited by Simpo Two on Thursday 25th August 20:46
Simpo Two said:
MOTORVATOR said:
Simpo you are a bad man, just because you've been lucky doesn't mean blowers aren't important.
I don't think it's luck; if it was then either most petrol boats would have blown up by now, or blowers would have been original equipment. I know petrol vapour is explosive but if it was THAT much of a problem why do BSS tests not insist on blowers? Let's face it they insist on everything else - even strapping batteries down on an inland vessel that never rolls more than 3 degrees!I am content because every time I leave/enter the boat I lift up the central floorboard to close/open the seacock (for engine cooling not scuttling!!) and this is the perfect time to check for unusual smells or leaks. If I smelt petrol I'd be the first to raise the alarm; I have no more desire to sink or blow up than the next man
Edited by Simpo Two on Thursday 25th August 20:46
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-08-05/elderly-coup...
Whilst BSS don't insist on blowers as standard equipment many countries regs do.
And having taken apart a big block fuel injected Chevy a number of times to realise that the high volume / pressure fuel pump feeds a rail which relies solely on a single O ring it focusses the mind somewhat on blowers and, come to that, extinguishers.
Sorry if I came across a bit patronising, so to lighten the mood here's a clever chappy demonstrating fuel vapours associated with boating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMEIHlgAt_k
mrloudly said:
I can't believe a firefighter sloshes petrol everywhere in a boat and lights it whilst anywhere near it!!! What were they thinking ????????
I know what you mean but surely the firefighter is trained, also seemed to be a few of them around (albeit at a safe distance) so was this film made as an excercise as to what can happen with a build up of vapour? or was it a mistake from the firefighters involved where they did not expect it to go up like that?To be honest, it caught me by surprise, I would have thought it would have gone up quickly but with enough time for him to be collected from the boat.
edited for typos (batteries must be running low in this damn keyboard)
Edited by m0ssy on Friday 26th August 09:31
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