When is an engine service not an engine service?
After a recent engine service by another company, a motor boat limped into our base in Port Forum on one engine. The starboard engine was overheating. How could this be, asked the owner, so soon after a service? That was a couple of months ago. The week before, a sailboat owner complained that in gear he couldn’t get beyond 1000 revs, also after a recent engine service. The week before that, another motorboat called us having lost power in the port drivetrain after gearbox failure – also after a recent service.
Before helping we asked to see the service history of each boat. All had had services by reputable representatives of the engine manufacturers. It was clear though that not all the tasks that manufacturers recommend had been completed, and that in two of those cases it had been that way for all preceding services. The owners had asked for a service – and perhaps had declined to follow the more costly suggestions of the service agents – and got an oil and filter change. An oil and filter change is not an engine service.
Take the last boat first, with gearbox failure. On opening the gearbox we found that what little oil remained was largely water. The gearbox oil had not been checked or changed at the last service. A hefty repair bill followed to rectify the damage inside.
The drama of the gearbox had temporarily obscured various niggles with the engines, each of which had nearly 3000 hours. Both suffered from unreliable starting, regular overheating, high fuel consumption and heavy smoking – after their recent “service”. On starting work we were met with a long list of problems, many of which could have been avoided or made less costly by following manufacturer’s guidelines during engine services over the boat’s history. These included:
•a partially seized turbo, causing power and smoking problems
•blocked heat exchangers, causing the overheating (the impeller and coolant levels were fine)
•injectors in poor condition, causing fuel consumption, smoking and power problems
•a leaking water pump, allowing salt water to leak into the engine room and cause corrosion on the alternator and starter motor
•a sticky stop solenoid, making it difficult to stop the engine
The sailboat’s problem was caused by the wastegate being seized open on the turbo, meaning it could never deliver the required power to get the boat above tick-over. The other motor boat had 2 teeth left on the raw water impeller pump. All of those problems would have been prevented if the correct procedure had been followed at the stipulated number of hours.
Of course it varies by engine manufacturer and type, but a typical schedule for a diesel engine goes something like this:
50 hours
•Oil change and overall inspection
200 hours
•Change oil, filters, crankcase breather, impeller
•Change gearbox oil and filter
•Adjust tappets/ valve clearance
400 hours
•Change coolant and belts
•Change air filter
1000 hours
•All the above, plus service turbo, injectors, water pump
•Remove heat exchangers for cleaning
•Adjust or change hull seals and bearings
2000 hours
•All the above
•Adjust/ change engine mounts and realign
If we in the industry can be clearer to owners about the costs and tasks involved in proper maintenance, I hope it might help make boating safer, more enjoyable and in the longrun, cheaper.
www.watertight-marine.com :: Port Forum technical services
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Barcelona Nautical Cluster
By Alex Chumillas Amat – Tax Marine Spain, S.L.
Monday 28 of October was officially established the Barcelona Nautical Cluster.
The Port of Barcelona and Barcelona City Council have backed the creation of the Barcelona Nautical Cluster to improve the city’s position as an international benchmark in the nautical sector.
This organisation promotes cooperation, complementarity and competition between its members. The cluster seeks to achieve excellence in business, increasing the value of the services currently offered by fostering joint projects and creating economies of scale.
The three main objectives of Barcelona Nautical Cluster are to generate high value knowledge, create new jobs and adapt specialised training programs to the needs of the nautical sector. Setting up this cluster should therefore help to identify and define the training needs of the Port and the nautical sector in the medium and long term and to implement professional training and employment actions
In addition to public institutions, Barcelona Nautical Cluster also involves Marina Barcelona 92, which is the main shipyard for yacht repairs and maintenance in the Mediterranean; Marina Port Vell, which is undertaking a complete overhaul of its facilities to bring them into line with current market needs; and the Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing (FNOB).***
Initially the cluster is composed by 35 yachting firms.
