new owner of cd 30. Tachometer not working on MD7a., as well as engine alarm. Is this simply a fuse or cable problem. Does the MD7a have an alarm and are both problems connected. Also, any suggestions for cleaning water tanks., clorox etc. Thanks for any help!
Regards,
Jack Kelley
jjkel@massed.net
c.d.30 cutter MD7a tachometer, engine alarm, & water tan
Moderator: Jim Walsh
-
Larry DeMers
Re: c.d.30 cutter MD7a tachometer, engine alarm, & water
Congratulations on buying a great boat!
The engine alarms and tachometer are possibly the same problem, probably not. Taking one at a time. The tach signal comes off the alternator, and is a slip on wire lug, that is part of the wiring harness from the engine panel. Frequently, this slip on fitting gets knocked or vibrated loose. It is on the starboard side of the engine, on the alternator..and should have a large red label on it that says TACH. Make certain that this is a good tight connection.
Engine alarms are non-existant on this model engine. It uses gauges and idiot lights instead. I installed two diodes on the positive leads to the two idiot lights on the engine panel (the ones labeled Oil and Temp.) with the anode connected to the light and the cathodes commoned up and soldered to the positive terminal on a Sonalert Device (A solid state device that creates a 120 dB audio signal when activated). The neg. terminal on the Sonalert is led to ground of course. This gives a loud signal when the ignition key is turned to the run position (for testing the alarm), which disappears as soon as the engine is started and developes oil pressure. If either of those idiot lights should be activated during operations, the Sonalert Alarm will sound.
Fuses for the engine panel are located on the starboard firewall, above the batteries.
Water tanks..well, a lot has been written on this topic. I do not pretend to know all of the methods talked about, so will just tell you what works perfectly aboard DeLaMer. Write me if you need more detail.
Our water system is cleaned each spring. We use 1/4 cup clorox (5 1/2% or 6% solution is fine), in a tank half filled with water and probably still some RV type antifreeze. We simply pump the liquid through the galley pump until gone from both tanks. Repeat twice more with pure water, then fill. We use an Omni Charcoal Water Filter (household type, using a charcoal paper filter -not the charcoal block filter, costing around $30 at Home Improvement stores) as the final filter before the galley foot pump (we do not nor will not use pressure water..way too wastefull). The water quality from that day through the end of our season..usually around 35 weekends, is superb. It is actually better tasting than our water at home. We drink it right out of the tap and notice no odors or tastes at all.
In my opinion, the water tanks are bafffled so thoroughly as to be almost impossible to get at the rear and forward compartments sufficiently to be physically scrubbed. So we depend on high pressure water sprayers to get the lose stuff off the surfaces of the tank. Plenty of rinsing will rid the tank of the bits and pieces you may see floating around in the tank.
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~~~Sailing Lake Superior~~~
demers@sgi.com
The engine alarms and tachometer are possibly the same problem, probably not. Taking one at a time. The tach signal comes off the alternator, and is a slip on wire lug, that is part of the wiring harness from the engine panel. Frequently, this slip on fitting gets knocked or vibrated loose. It is on the starboard side of the engine, on the alternator..and should have a large red label on it that says TACH. Make certain that this is a good tight connection.
Engine alarms are non-existant on this model engine. It uses gauges and idiot lights instead. I installed two diodes on the positive leads to the two idiot lights on the engine panel (the ones labeled Oil and Temp.) with the anode connected to the light and the cathodes commoned up and soldered to the positive terminal on a Sonalert Device (A solid state device that creates a 120 dB audio signal when activated). The neg. terminal on the Sonalert is led to ground of course. This gives a loud signal when the ignition key is turned to the run position (for testing the alarm), which disappears as soon as the engine is started and developes oil pressure. If either of those idiot lights should be activated during operations, the Sonalert Alarm will sound.
Fuses for the engine panel are located on the starboard firewall, above the batteries.
Water tanks..well, a lot has been written on this topic. I do not pretend to know all of the methods talked about, so will just tell you what works perfectly aboard DeLaMer. Write me if you need more detail.
Our water system is cleaned each spring. We use 1/4 cup clorox (5 1/2% or 6% solution is fine), in a tank half filled with water and probably still some RV type antifreeze. We simply pump the liquid through the galley pump until gone from both tanks. Repeat twice more with pure water, then fill. We use an Omni Charcoal Water Filter (household type, using a charcoal paper filter -not the charcoal block filter, costing around $30 at Home Improvement stores) as the final filter before the galley foot pump (we do not nor will not use pressure water..way too wastefull). The water quality from that day through the end of our season..usually around 35 weekends, is superb. It is actually better tasting than our water at home. We drink it right out of the tap and notice no odors or tastes at all.
In my opinion, the water tanks are bafffled so thoroughly as to be almost impossible to get at the rear and forward compartments sufficiently to be physically scrubbed. So we depend on high pressure water sprayers to get the lose stuff off the surfaces of the tank. Plenty of rinsing will rid the tank of the bits and pieces you may see floating around in the tank.
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~~~Sailing Lake Superior~~~
Jack Kelley wrote: new owner of cd 30. Tachometer not working on MD7a., as well as engine alarm. Is this simply a fuse or cable problem. Does the MD7a have an alarm and are both problems connected. Also, any suggestions for cleaning water tanks., clorox etc. Thanks for any help!
Regards,
Jack Kelley
demers@sgi.com