Well today was the first extended sail since Sine Qua Non got a new shaft and PSS in place of the old stuffing box. A while back I posted that her engine alignment was pretty bad. I'd get black smoke at full power when in gear (but not in neutral). When they pulled the shaft to installed the PSS, the old shaft was pretty badly scored from being out of line and "binding" somewhere in the stuffing box or stern tube or cutlass bearing. Hence the new shaft. Everything is all aligned now and the difference in how she motors between being aligned and being out of alignment is like the difference between chicken salad and chicken s--t! As we all know fiberglass boats are flexible and "bend". They're smacked around by waves. They're hauled out and dropped on hard stands and blocks. Up north they're subject to ice in the winter. My mechanic (who did a great job) tells me engines get out of alignment all the time but people hardly ever think about it. So, just a hint to my fellow and most knowledgeable CD sailors. If you haven't checked your engine alignment lately, you may want to take a peek. It could save you the big bucks down the line!
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27
Setsail728@aol.com
Check that Alignment
Moderator: Jim Walsh
-
Larry DeMers
Re: Check that Alignment -and mounts too!
Warren,
Talk about prophetic...this weekend, I had a cold shiver go thru me like never before. Was working on replacing my new Balmar alternator for newer better free one after original bearings fried up, and happened to have a moment to check things over in the engine compartment, before our trip next week. Got to the rubber mounts for the engine, and just about joined Aunt Gracie up in that "White Light" up yonder.
All four mounts were loose!! The aft starboard mount nut was off and laying on the edge of the fiberglass drip pan. The fore starboard mount was wound all the way to the top and maybe 15 turns remained before it also left. The Port side mounts were wrench-loose, but could not be budged with my fingers. The engine must torque upwards on the starboard side as we accelerate. This all happened since 1999, when I last checked them and put that in the log.
Worse yet were the nuts (2) that hold the rubber mount (fore-starboard one only) to the engine bed. They were loose to the touch, and oil had accumulated under one foot. So it oozes out when I torque down on the nut. So had to torque down in small amounts, wait a few hours, repeat...until just before going to bed, it did not squish out any oil, so I think that problem is fixed. I used new hardened bolts and lockwashers. However, I will check that every oil change from now on.
Now the boat is quieter ;^) - and so will have to check the alignment and see if we can get some of the resonances out too. Thanks for the warning..! A Diesel Engine weiging 440 lbs. has considerable energy, ounce it gets free... that would have been a bad day, me thinks.
Hey, here's one for you:
I found something that works passively to eliminate most "Black Moustache" carbon on the transom of our Cape Dory's with Volvos, as well as silence the exhaust note almost totally. This makes normal conversation a regular thing, so beware!
It costs $12..a 2 1/4 in.(or whatever the outside diameter of your exhaust thruhull is) rubber with wire reinforced wall - radiator hose that has a right angle bend in it, and both ends of the piece about 8 inches long. Use a hose clamp to fix it to the exhaust flange on the transom, and angle the exhaust into the water.
All you will hear is the engine machinery but not the exhaust note itself. There is a prodigious amount of air bubbles that come from the hose end, which should be less than 2in. under water, to minimize backpressure. It works very well, and we now have about 240 miles on the exhaust hose trick. Works so far with no bad effects, save one...I can't see when we get water running from the engine upon startup. Might have to attach a lanyard to the tubes far end, and lift it up to see if there is water coming out, or maybe a boathook..but that idea needs work yet.
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
demers@sgi.com
Talk about prophetic...this weekend, I had a cold shiver go thru me like never before. Was working on replacing my new Balmar alternator for newer better free one after original bearings fried up, and happened to have a moment to check things over in the engine compartment, before our trip next week. Got to the rubber mounts for the engine, and just about joined Aunt Gracie up in that "White Light" up yonder.
All four mounts were loose!! The aft starboard mount nut was off and laying on the edge of the fiberglass drip pan. The fore starboard mount was wound all the way to the top and maybe 15 turns remained before it also left. The Port side mounts were wrench-loose, but could not be budged with my fingers. The engine must torque upwards on the starboard side as we accelerate. This all happened since 1999, when I last checked them and put that in the log.
Worse yet were the nuts (2) that hold the rubber mount (fore-starboard one only) to the engine bed. They were loose to the touch, and oil had accumulated under one foot. So it oozes out when I torque down on the nut. So had to torque down in small amounts, wait a few hours, repeat...until just before going to bed, it did not squish out any oil, so I think that problem is fixed. I used new hardened bolts and lockwashers. However, I will check that every oil change from now on.
Now the boat is quieter ;^) - and so will have to check the alignment and see if we can get some of the resonances out too. Thanks for the warning..! A Diesel Engine weiging 440 lbs. has considerable energy, ounce it gets free... that would have been a bad day, me thinks.
Hey, here's one for you:
I found something that works passively to eliminate most "Black Moustache" carbon on the transom of our Cape Dory's with Volvos, as well as silence the exhaust note almost totally. This makes normal conversation a regular thing, so beware!
It costs $12..a 2 1/4 in.(or whatever the outside diameter of your exhaust thruhull is) rubber with wire reinforced wall - radiator hose that has a right angle bend in it, and both ends of the piece about 8 inches long. Use a hose clamp to fix it to the exhaust flange on the transom, and angle the exhaust into the water.
All you will hear is the engine machinery but not the exhaust note itself. There is a prodigious amount of air bubbles that come from the hose end, which should be less than 2in. under water, to minimize backpressure. It works very well, and we now have about 240 miles on the exhaust hose trick. Works so far with no bad effects, save one...I can't see when we get water running from the engine upon startup. Might have to attach a lanyard to the tubes far end, and lift it up to see if there is water coming out, or maybe a boathook..but that idea needs work yet.
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
Warren Kaplan wrote: Well today was the first extended sail since Sine Qua Non got a new shaft and PSS in place of the old stuffing box. A while back I posted that her engine alignment was pretty bad. I'd get black smoke at full power when in gear (but not in neutral). When they pulled the shaft to installed the PSS, the old shaft was pretty badly scored from being out of line and "binding" somewhere in the stuffing box or stern tube or cutlass bearing. Hence the new shaft. Everything is all aligned now and the difference in how she motors between being aligned and being out of alignment is like the difference between chicken salad and chicken s--t! As we all know fiberglass boats are flexible and "bend". They're smacked around by waves. They're hauled out and dropped on hard stands and blocks. Up north they're subject to ice in the winter. My mechanic (who did a great job) tells me engines get out of alignment all the time but people hardly ever think about it. So, just a hint to my fellow and most knowledgeable CD sailors. If you haven't checked your engine alignment lately, you may want to take a peek. It could save you the big bucks down the line!
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27
demers@sgi.com
-
D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: Check that Alignment -and mounts too!
Captain DeMers,
The hose trick is a good idea, the reason for the mustache formation IS the very short extension of the thru-hull exhaust fitting. I don't know about the hose you added being in the water though. Not being able to see water exiting on startup would bother me.
One thing I found to eliminate the mustache is a product called "Roll Off". Spray it on, wipe with a sponge with salt water(OK, Fresh water will do for those on Superior!)and it comes right off, hardly any scrubbing required.
Good point about mounts and nuts/bolts...thanks for the heads-up...
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
The hose trick is a good idea, the reason for the mustache formation IS the very short extension of the thru-hull exhaust fitting. I don't know about the hose you added being in the water though. Not being able to see water exiting on startup would bother me.
One thing I found to eliminate the mustache is a product called "Roll Off". Spray it on, wipe with a sponge with salt water(OK, Fresh water will do for those on Superior!)and it comes right off, hardly any scrubbing required.
Good point about mounts and nuts/bolts...thanks for the heads-up...
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
-
Warren Kaplan
Black Moustache
Larry and others,
I'm glad you mentioned this "Black Moustache". That brings a gnawing question to mind. I know you were talking about Volvo diesels and I have a one lunger 20 year old YSM8, but, is a black moustache to be expected in a normal running engine? When Sine Qua Non was recently on the hard for that engine work, I had the opportunity to clean all the black soot off the transom that came with the engine being out of line. It was clean as a whistle and after I waxed it, I could see my face in it (not a pretty site, the face, not the transom). I mentioned the black soot problem to the mechanic and he checked it out and said everything was running just fine since alignment. When I got to my boat, finally back in the water, and after the mechanic had obviously run the engine, there was, as you euphamistically labelled it, a small black moustache just above the exhaust port. After all that work polishing the transom and all that time "fixing" the engine, the appearance of the moustache bothered me. From your posting and from the fact that your non stop nautical mind has thought it necessary to come up with something to eliminate this black moustache permanently, I get the impression that a black moustache (small) is to be expected and is nothing to worry about. Is that correct? If so, when does this usually happen? At start up when the engine is "cold" and combustion may not be at its best? Or when? I know everyone has their pet peeves but when I come to the marina, the first sight I have (and everyone else has) of Sine Qua Non is transom first. That black moustache really bothers me and its almost impossible to get at unless I go over the side.
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27
Setsail728@aol.com
I'm glad you mentioned this "Black Moustache". That brings a gnawing question to mind. I know you were talking about Volvo diesels and I have a one lunger 20 year old YSM8, but, is a black moustache to be expected in a normal running engine? When Sine Qua Non was recently on the hard for that engine work, I had the opportunity to clean all the black soot off the transom that came with the engine being out of line. It was clean as a whistle and after I waxed it, I could see my face in it (not a pretty site, the face, not the transom). I mentioned the black soot problem to the mechanic and he checked it out and said everything was running just fine since alignment. When I got to my boat, finally back in the water, and after the mechanic had obviously run the engine, there was, as you euphamistically labelled it, a small black moustache just above the exhaust port. After all that work polishing the transom and all that time "fixing" the engine, the appearance of the moustache bothered me. From your posting and from the fact that your non stop nautical mind has thought it necessary to come up with something to eliminate this black moustache permanently, I get the impression that a black moustache (small) is to be expected and is nothing to worry about. Is that correct? If so, when does this usually happen? At start up when the engine is "cold" and combustion may not be at its best? Or when? I know everyone has their pet peeves but when I come to the marina, the first sight I have (and everyone else has) of Sine Qua Non is transom first. That black moustache really bothers me and its almost impossible to get at unless I go over the side.
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27
Setsail728@aol.com
-
D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: Double nut 'em....
Larry,
Sounds like the studs of the mounts were single nutted. On Hanalei, they are double nutted. Wouldn't this stop the nuts from backing off????
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei
Sounds like the studs of the mounts were single nutted. On Hanalei, they are double nutted. Wouldn't this stop the nuts from backing off????
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei
-
Bill Goldsmith
Hose elbow trick--another idea
To see the water emanating from the exhaust, how about using clear tubing? It will certainly scum up eventually and prevent you from seeing through it, but it ought to allow visual confirmation for some period of time. There must be some type of clear tubing that could stand up to the heat. Just a thought......
Bill
goldy@bestweb.net
Bill
Larry DeMers wrote: Warren,
Talk about prophetic...this weekend, I had a cold shiver go thru me like never before. Was working on replacing my new Balmar alternator for newer better free one after original bearings fried up, and happened to have a moment to check things over in the engine compartment, before our trip next week. Got to the rubber mounts for the engine, and just about joined Aunt Gracie up in that "White Light" up yonder.
All four mounts were loose!! The aft starboard mount nut was off and laying on the edge of the fiberglass drip pan. The fore starboard mount was wound all the way to the top and maybe 15 turns remained before it also left. The Port side mounts were wrench-loose, but could not be budged with my fingers. The engine must torque upwards on the starboard side as we accelerate. This all happened since 1999, when I last checked them and put that in the log.
Worse yet were the nuts (2) that hold the rubber mount (fore-starboard one only) to the engine bed. They were loose to the touch, and oil had accumulated under one foot. So it oozes out when I torque down on the nut. So had to torque down in small amounts, wait a few hours, repeat...until just before going to bed, it did not squish out any oil, so I think that problem is fixed. I used new hardened bolts and lockwashers. However, I will check that every oil change from now on.
Now the boat is quieter ;^) - and so will have to check the alignment and see if we can get some of the resonances out too. Thanks for the warning..! A Diesel Engine weiging 440 lbs. has considerable energy, ounce it gets free... that would have been a bad day, me thinks.
Hey, here's one for you:
I found something that works passively to eliminate most "Black Moustache" carbon on the transom of our Cape Dory's with Volvos, as well as silence the exhaust note almost totally. This makes normal conversation a regular thing, so beware!
It costs $12..a 2 1/4 in.(or whatever the outside diameter of your exhaust thruhull is) rubber with wire reinforced wall - radiator hose that has a right angle bend in it, and both ends of the piece about 8 inches long. Use a hose clamp to fix it to the exhaust flange on the transom, and angle the exhaust into the water.
All you will hear is the engine machinery but not the exhaust note itself. There is a prodigious amount of air bubbles that come from the hose end, which should be less than 2in. under water, to minimize backpressure. It works very well, and we now have about 240 miles on the exhaust hose trick. Works so far with no bad effects, save one...I can't see when we get water running from the engine upon startup. Might have to attach a lanyard to the tubes far end, and lift it up to see if there is water coming out, or maybe a boathook..but that idea needs work yet.
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
Warren Kaplan wrote: Well today was the first extended sail since Sine Qua Non got a new shaft and PSS in place of the old stuffing box. A while back I posted that her engine alignment was pretty bad. I'd get black smoke at full power when in gear (but not in neutral). When they pulled the shaft to installed the PSS, the old shaft was pretty badly scored from being out of line and "binding" somewhere in the stuffing box or stern tube or cutlass bearing. Hence the new shaft. Everything is all aligned now and the difference in how she motors between being aligned and being out of alignment is like the difference between chicken salad and chicken s--t! As we all know fiberglass boats are flexible and "bend". They're smacked around by waves. They're hauled out and dropped on hard stands and blocks. Up north they're subject to ice in the winter. My mechanic (who did a great job) tells me engines get out of alignment all the time but people hardly ever think about it. So, just a hint to my fellow and most knowledgeable CD sailors. If you haven't checked your engine alignment lately, you may want to take a peek. It could save you the big bucks down the line!
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27
goldy@bestweb.net
-
Bob Loewenstein
Re: Check that Alignment -and mounts too!
Our 27 came with something like this. The surveyor recommended to get rid of it because the right angle bend (in addition to the smaller ID that the extension had) would create more resistance for the exhaust and diminish the efficiency of the engine. I took it off. The mustache I get is minimal anyway.
It costs $12..a 2 1/4 in.(or whatever the outside diameter of your exhaust thruhull is) rubber with wire reinforced wall - radiator hose
that has a right angle bend in it, and both ends of the piece about 8 inches long. Use a hose clamp to fix it to the exhaust flange on the
transom, and angle the exhaust into the water.
Volvos, as well as silence the exhaust note almost totally. This makes normal conversation a regular thing, so beware!Larry DeMers wrote: I found something that works passively to eliminate most "Black Moustache" carbon on the transom of our Cape Dory's with
It costs $12..a 2 1/4 in.(or whatever the outside diameter of your exhaust thruhull is) rubber with wire reinforced wall - radiator hose
that has a right angle bend in it, and both ends of the piece about 8 inches long. Use a hose clamp to fix it to the exhaust flange on the
transom, and angle the exhaust into the water.
-
Larry DeMers
Re: Check that Alignment -and mounts too!
The hose diameter is actually the same as that attached to the engine. So the only additional resistance would be due to pushing a 2in. column of water out of the way to get the exhaust bubble out. It already does this in the waterlift muffler, so some backpressure is included in the design.
I am however, watching the temp gauge, and listening to the engine itself carefully, for any symptoms. We wil be using the engine heavily over the next three weeks, and so this will form a good test.
I sure enjoy the very welcome quiet though.
Cheers,
Larry
demers@sgi.com
I am however, watching the temp gauge, and listening to the engine itself carefully, for any symptoms. We wil be using the engine heavily over the next three weeks, and so this will form a good test.
I sure enjoy the very welcome quiet though.
Cheers,
Larry
Bob Loewenstein wrote: Our 27 came with something like this. The surveyor recommended to get rid of it because the right angle bend (in addition to the smaller ID that the extension had) would create more resistance for the exhaust and diminish the efficiency of the engine. I took it off. The mustache I get is minimal anyway.
Volvos, as well as silence the exhaust note almost totally. This makes normal conversation a regular thing, so beware!Larry DeMers wrote: I found something that works passively to eliminate most "Black Moustache" carbon on the transom of our Cape Dory's with
It costs $12..a 2 1/4 in.(or whatever the outside diameter of your exhaust thruhull is) rubber with wire reinforced wall - radiator hose
that has a right angle bend in it, and both ends of the piece about 8 inches long. Use a hose clamp to fix it to the exhaust flange on the
transom, and angle the exhaust into the water.
demers@sgi.com
-
Larry DeMers
Re: Double nut 'em....
Hi Dave,
You bet it would, and I happen to have the old set that I took off the mounts. Good idea..problem 245 solved!
Thanks,
Larry
demers@sgi.com
You bet it would, and I happen to have the old set that I took off the mounts. Good idea..problem 245 solved!
Thanks,
Larry
D. Stump, Hanalei wrote: Larry,
Sounds like the studs of the mounts were single nutted. On Hanalei, they are double nutted. Wouldn't this stop the nuts from backing off????
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei
demers@sgi.com
-
Larry DeMers
Re: Black Moustache
Warren and All,
Our normal procedure when returning to the dock, is to get in the dinghy and use "Black Streak Remover" on the transom, to remove the accumulated black soot from that weekends motoring. It always happens, and is a pain. I say always, but in reference to Volvos, and other engines. My feel for our problem is that the water is so cold up here, our engines run cold, with poorer efficiency. Now our engine does not smoke as you watch it running, but there is an oily component to diesel exhaust, which accumulates on the waterline of the transom, and up and down from there, as the waves slosh up and down, spreading the joy.
I installed a 190 deg. thermostat which helped a lot, but we still will accumulate a smiley after 2-3 days of being out. Now with the hose trick, the smiley is gone entirely, and the noise level is way down.
In your case, I would expect that the worse accumulation would be upon startup, when the engine is cold. Has this small moustache always accumulated like this and at this rate, or is this a new 'feature' of sailing life for you?
Cheers,
Larry
demers@sgi.com
Our normal procedure when returning to the dock, is to get in the dinghy and use "Black Streak Remover" on the transom, to remove the accumulated black soot from that weekends motoring. It always happens, and is a pain. I say always, but in reference to Volvos, and other engines. My feel for our problem is that the water is so cold up here, our engines run cold, with poorer efficiency. Now our engine does not smoke as you watch it running, but there is an oily component to diesel exhaust, which accumulates on the waterline of the transom, and up and down from there, as the waves slosh up and down, spreading the joy.
I installed a 190 deg. thermostat which helped a lot, but we still will accumulate a smiley after 2-3 days of being out. Now with the hose trick, the smiley is gone entirely, and the noise level is way down.
In your case, I would expect that the worse accumulation would be upon startup, when the engine is cold. Has this small moustache always accumulated like this and at this rate, or is this a new 'feature' of sailing life for you?
Cheers,
Larry
Warren Kaplan wrote: Larry and others,
I'm glad you mentioned this "Black Moustache". That brings a gnawing question to mind. I know you were talking about Volvo diesels and I have a one lunger 20 year old YSM8, but, is a black moustache to be expected in a normal running engine? When Sine Qua Non was recently on the hard for that engine work, I had the opportunity to clean all the black soot off the transom that came with the engine being out of line. It was clean as a whistle and after I waxed it, I could see my face in it (not a pretty site, the face, not the transom). I mentioned the black soot problem to the mechanic and he checked it out and said everything was running just fine since alignment. When I got to my boat, finally back in the water, and after the mechanic had obviously run the engine, there was, as you euphamistically labelled it, a small black moustache just above the exhaust port. After all that work polishing the transom and all that time "fixing" the engine, the appearance of the moustache bothered me. From your posting and from the fact that your non stop nautical mind has thought it necessary to come up with something to eliminate this black moustache permanently, I get the impression that a black moustache (small) is to be expected and is nothing to worry about. Is that correct? If so, when does this usually happen? At start up when the engine is "cold" and combustion may not be at its best? Or when? I know everyone has their pet peeves but when I come to the marina, the first sight I have (and everyone else has) of Sine Qua Non is transom first. That black moustache really bothers me and its almost impossible to get at unless I go over the side.
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27
demers@sgi.com
-
Chris Schnell
Re: Black Moustache
So it's not just my Volvo that does this! I thought it was just me and I needed something done. Our 12 hours of motoring last weekend resulted in more of a beard than a moustache.... There is a product at Walmart called Super Clean that I put is a spray bottle, spray on and let stand while I rinse off MADNESS III and do the stern last with a light brushing, and puff, it's gone. I haven't used it, but I imagine Greased Lightning would work well also. Based on anothers recommendation I just poured in some Marvel Mystery Oil to see how that helps reduce the soot. Will look at the tube idea as well, as much to reduce noise as soot.
Full Sails & Calm Seas
Chris Schnell
s/v MADNESS III CD30 #235
Southport, NC
swabbie@compaq.net
Full Sails & Calm Seas
Chris Schnell
s/v MADNESS III CD30 #235
Southport, NC
swabbie@compaq.net
-
Bob Malinka
Re: Black Moustache
Warren:
How old is your fuel? Try adding some cetane boost (MSD brand in our neck of the woods from Freeport Marine or West Marine) as your fuel could be stale from lying in your tank and needs to be refreshed. The "black moustache" is common with old fuel that has not been completely burned in the combustion process. Be careful when buying new diesel also because in some cases where we live the fuel has been lying in the tank at the fuel station to long. I have the same problem on my stern right now as I am still burning off my winter tank of fuel and have temporarily run out of cetane boost. As soon as I get a chance I will add new fuel with cetane boost, biocides and Marvel Mystery Oil for upper cylinder and valve lubrication.
BTW on a different subject, I almost got run down by a large cruiser yesterday while taking my sails down. I was outside of the channel not moving at all dead in the water when this cruiser comes right at me from the stern. I was on deck furling the mainsail when it happen and gave everyone in the cockpit quite a surprise. He passed within a few feet of my port stern quarter before making an aburpt change in course. There was a Coast Guard Auxiliary right nearby as I called them alongside to report this incident. They just said they could not enforce and were there just to assist should someone get in trouble. There seems to be alot of people on the water who have no idea, especially power boaters, as to what they are doing and I'm getting concerned to say the least.
Bob
s/v Ranger #144
CD25D
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ranger1442@hotmail.com
How old is your fuel? Try adding some cetane boost (MSD brand in our neck of the woods from Freeport Marine or West Marine) as your fuel could be stale from lying in your tank and needs to be refreshed. The "black moustache" is common with old fuel that has not been completely burned in the combustion process. Be careful when buying new diesel also because in some cases where we live the fuel has been lying in the tank at the fuel station to long. I have the same problem on my stern right now as I am still burning off my winter tank of fuel and have temporarily run out of cetane boost. As soon as I get a chance I will add new fuel with cetane boost, biocides and Marvel Mystery Oil for upper cylinder and valve lubrication.
BTW on a different subject, I almost got run down by a large cruiser yesterday while taking my sails down. I was outside of the channel not moving at all dead in the water when this cruiser comes right at me from the stern. I was on deck furling the mainsail when it happen and gave everyone in the cockpit quite a surprise. He passed within a few feet of my port stern quarter before making an aburpt change in course. There was a Coast Guard Auxiliary right nearby as I called them alongside to report this incident. They just said they could not enforce and were there just to assist should someone get in trouble. There seems to be alot of people on the water who have no idea, especially power boaters, as to what they are doing and I'm getting concerned to say the least.
Bob
s/v Ranger #144
CD25D
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Warren Kaplan wrote: Larry and others,
I'm glad you mentioned this "Black Moustache". That brings a gnawing question to mind. I know you were talking about Volvo diesels and I have a one lunger 20 year old YSM8, but, is a black moustache to be expected in a normal running engine? When Sine Qua Non was recently on the hard for that engine work, I had the opportunity to clean all the black soot off the transom that came with the engine being out of line. It was clean as a whistle and after I waxed it, I could see my face in it (not a pretty site, the face, not the transom). I mentioned the black soot problem to the mechanic and he checked it out and said everything was running just fine since alignment. When I got to my boat, finally back in the water, and after the mechanic had obviously run the engine, there was, as you euphamistically labelled it, a small black moustache just above the exhaust port. After all that work polishing the transom and all that time "fixing" the engine, the appearance of the moustache bothered me. From your posting and from the fact that your non stop nautical mind has thought it necessary to come up with something to eliminate this black moustache permanently, I get the impression that a black moustache (small) is to be expected and is nothing to worry about. Is that correct? If so, when does this usually happen? At start up when the engine is "cold" and combustion may not be at its best? Or when? I know everyone has their pet peeves but when I come to the marina, the first sight I have (and everyone else has) of Sine Qua Non is transom first. That black moustache really bothers me and its almost impossible to get at unless I go over the side.
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27
Ranger1442@hotmail.com
-
Warren Kaplan
Re: Black Moustache
Bob,Bob Malinka wrote: Warren:
How old is your fuel? Try adding some cetane boost (MSD brand in our neck of the woods from Freeport Marine or West Marine) as your fuel could be stale from lying in your tank and needs to be refreshed. The "black moustache" is common with old fuel that has not been completely burned in the combustion process. Be careful when buying new diesel also because in some cases where we live the fuel has been lying in the tank at the fuel station to long. I have the same problem on my stern right now as I am still burning off my winter tank of fuel and have temporarily run out of cetane boost. As soon as I get a chance I will add new fuel with cetane boost, biocides and Marvel Mystery Oil for upper cylinder and valve lubrication.
BTW on a different subject, I almost got run down by a large cruiser yesterday while taking my sails down. I was outside of the channel not moving at all dead in the water when this cruiser comes right at me from the stern. I was on deck furling the mainsail when it happen and gave everyone in the cockpit quite a surprise. He passed within a few feet of my port stern quarter before making an aburpt change in course. There was a Coast Guard Auxiliary right nearby as I called them alongside to report this incident. They just said they could not enforce and were there just to assist should someone get in trouble. There seems to be alot of people on the water who have no idea, especially power boaters, as to what they are doing and I'm getting concerned to say the least.
Bob
s/v Ranger #144
CD25D
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I topped up my tank with fresh fuel, biocide and cetane booster just BEFORE hauling for the winter. But I guess that's a long time ago. When I checked my tank at the end of yesterday's sail its just above 1/2 tank. Down more than I though. I suppose I may be getting some condensation in there that may be giving me some problems. Rest assured that the tank will be topped up with all the goodies added before next sail.
By the way...were you out on Great South Bay late yesterday afternoon. As I was heading back into Bay Shore and I though I saw another CD from afar just heading out. Then again, you're in Amityville aren't you?? Yeah! You've got to keep an eye on some of these powerboats. Seems that many sacrifice brainpower for horsepower! Nice response from the Coast Guard too. I'm sure its some beaurocratic directive as I usually have great respect for the C.C.
Warren
Setsail728@aol.com
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Bob Malinka
Re: Black Moustache
Warren:
Unfortunately the fuel lying in the tank all winter goes stale even with additives eventually. Fresh fuel will also give your engine more zip you will notice how much more responsive and quiet the engine runs.
Yes we were out there just west of the bridge late yesterday when we decided to turn around and head back because of fog. Didn't get back to Amityville until 4PM or so. However, it was a nice breeze out of the south reaching down your way then shifting more SW coming back west. Overall it was a great sail until that close call with the power boat. Maybe we will see you out there next weekend as we are planning to be in Great River for a rendezvous of our South Bay Cruising Club[http://www.sbccsail.org/]Volvo Lukiemia Cup Race.
Bob
Ranger1442@hotmail.com
Unfortunately the fuel lying in the tank all winter goes stale even with additives eventually. Fresh fuel will also give your engine more zip you will notice how much more responsive and quiet the engine runs.
Yes we were out there just west of the bridge late yesterday when we decided to turn around and head back because of fog. Didn't get back to Amityville until 4PM or so. However, it was a nice breeze out of the south reaching down your way then shifting more SW coming back west. Overall it was a great sail until that close call with the power boat. Maybe we will see you out there next weekend as we are planning to be in Great River for a rendezvous of our South Bay Cruising Club[http://www.sbccsail.org/]Volvo Lukiemia Cup Race.
Bob
Warren Kaplan wrote: Bob,
I topped up my tank with fresh fuel, biocide and cetane booster just BEFORE hauling for the winter. But I guess that's a long time ago. When I checked my tank at the end of yesterday's sail its just above 1/2 tank. Down more than I though. I suppose I may be getting some condensation in there that may be giving me some problems. Rest assured that the tank will be topped up with all the goodies added before next sail.
By the way...were you out on Great South Bay late yesterday afternoon. As I was heading back into Bay Shore and I though I saw another CD from afar just heading out. Then again, you're in Amityville aren't you?? Yeah! You've got to keep an eye on some of these powerboats. Seems that many sacrifice brainpower for horsepower! Nice response from the Coast Guard too. I'm sure its some beaurocratic directive as I usually have great respect for the C.C.
Warren
Ranger1442@hotmail.com
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Larry DeMers
Re: Check that Alignment -and mounts too!
Hello Captain Dave,
Yeah, that "heads - up" was a shock frankly, as it then opens up a bunch of other things that I have just assumed were all right since we are still floating (!). So my sleeping hours are not anymore..due mainly to Florida type weather all day long, through the night too. We are on our 19th day of 90+ deg. this summer, and the heat index is 125 today. Poor Jan is at our restaurant, getting it ready to open..must be 130 in there..temp wise. We had to close way early yesterday, due to heat exhaustion. I got sick last Saturday due to heat. Talk about getting dizzy, headachy, nauseated sortof, confused and seeing things that really weren't there. I gulped down 2 qts of water in an hour, and was better in 2 hours.
So at night, I have all these hours to kill while I wait for morpheus to visit, and the little uncertainties on our DLM come to mind, especially in reference to our 3 week trip that we start in a few days. I figure Saturday will be my "assurance" day, where I will go around checking every darn fitting or fixture for operation and tightness, at least until I suspect that there are no other 'gotchyas' in the wings.
With the hose trick, you need to put the end in the water to a small extent, or you will not get the muffling of the exhaust note, which is at least half of the benefit of this trick. I think that someones idea about using clear tubing would be fine if you could find one that was heat resistant. For now, I will turn the bottom of the hose end that is in the water, slightly outboard, so that the tip comes out of the water occasionally. Grabbing this with a boat hook and lifting it 2-3 in. would provide the security of knowing if the water is indeed flowing, although I can now tell if the water is flowing from listening to the engine note.
Cheers and Rootbeers,
Larry DeMers
Co-Captain of DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
demers@sgi.com
Yeah, that "heads - up" was a shock frankly, as it then opens up a bunch of other things that I have just assumed were all right since we are still floating (!). So my sleeping hours are not anymore..due mainly to Florida type weather all day long, through the night too. We are on our 19th day of 90+ deg. this summer, and the heat index is 125 today. Poor Jan is at our restaurant, getting it ready to open..must be 130 in there..temp wise. We had to close way early yesterday, due to heat exhaustion. I got sick last Saturday due to heat. Talk about getting dizzy, headachy, nauseated sortof, confused and seeing things that really weren't there. I gulped down 2 qts of water in an hour, and was better in 2 hours.
So at night, I have all these hours to kill while I wait for morpheus to visit, and the little uncertainties on our DLM come to mind, especially in reference to our 3 week trip that we start in a few days. I figure Saturday will be my "assurance" day, where I will go around checking every darn fitting or fixture for operation and tightness, at least until I suspect that there are no other 'gotchyas' in the wings.
With the hose trick, you need to put the end in the water to a small extent, or you will not get the muffling of the exhaust note, which is at least half of the benefit of this trick. I think that someones idea about using clear tubing would be fine if you could find one that was heat resistant. For now, I will turn the bottom of the hose end that is in the water, slightly outboard, so that the tip comes out of the water occasionally. Grabbing this with a boat hook and lifting it 2-3 in. would provide the security of knowing if the water is indeed flowing, although I can now tell if the water is flowing from listening to the engine note.
Cheers and Rootbeers,
Larry DeMers
Co-Captain of DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
D. Stump, Hanalei wrote: Captain DeMers,
The hose trick is a good idea, the reason for the mustache formation IS the very short extension of the thru-hull exhaust fitting. I don't know about the hose you added being in the water though. Not being able to see water exiting on startup would bother me.
One thing I found to eliminate the mustache is a product called "Roll Off". Spray it on, wipe with a sponge with salt water(OK, Fresh water will do for those on Superior!)and it comes right off, hardly any scrubbing required.
Good point about mounts and nuts/bolts...thanks for the heads-up...
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
demers@sgi.com