Hi Bill,
Thanks for the condolences, I’m thinking along the same lines as you suggest. My first guess is lift pump, filters have been replaced regularly and she purrs likeva kitten at low revs. I have put a call in to a traveling diesel mechanic and I hope can get to me fairly quickly, I know he’s a busy guy. In my declining years, not to mention the increased bulk, I just can’t sqeeze myself into that engine room to pull the bits off. We still plan to compete the trip once this problem is rectified and I have a bottle of Old Pulteny on board in case we meet any thirsty Kayak drivers.
All the best
The MagnifiCat Crew
Hi Alan,
We had the same problem a few years ago. It turned out we had a very loose electrical connection to the lift pump. Engine would start but not maintain revs. The spade connector behind the air cleaner was reset and the engine ran fine.
Peter Moodie
Nonsuch 30U Catalyst #366
Sidney, BC/Winnipeg, MB
Had same issue on then Fat Cat, now Beets Farming last year.
It first manifested in a rough sea day and engine quit just as we entered the entrance to the yacht club with rocks on both sides and strong cross current due to where Lake Huron enters the St Clair river. Needless to say it was a little in nerving but we were towed into the basin and able to dock with engine at low revs without further incident.
The immediate thought was that the rough seas had stirred up sludge in a 5 yr old tank of fuel and plugged the Racor.
The next day we pumped all the fuel out, removed the tank and wiped it clean. Virtually no sludge at all. Changed the Racor filter also.
We did find some little beads of silicon in the tank though. They originated from the squeeze out when a previous owner had cut an inspection port in tank and covered it with a piece of plexiglass. Apparently the silicone they used was not rated for diesel and it allowed these beads a little smaller than a pea to form. We had the tank out and blew down the dip tube and it was clear so we figured one of the beads had gotten sucked up to the bottom of the dip tube ( intake tube) and plugged it enough that the engine could not get enough fuel at higher rpm and that by removing all the beads and blowing down the tube we had solved the problem.
The next day after work I returned to the boat and filled with fuel, bled the system and voila, engine fired right up. Left it running at 3/4 throttle for an hour while I resecured the fuel tank and cleaned up and had full flow on return line and no air in the feed line which is clear plastic from Racor to low side pump on motor.
The next day we met a fellow Nonsucher(Herb Huber on Mistoffoles) to travel 50 miles to the Lake Huron Rendezvous in Bay Field.
As we left the basin I could tell that the problem was not entirely solved. We could run steady at 3/4 throttle, around 5.5 knots but when you asked for more it lost power.
Herb wanted to go faster than that and in an effort to keep up I kept increasing the throttle but at some point something was interupting the fuel flow.
Herb came back to see what he could do to help and provided fuel for another priming but regardless of what I did I now had air in the line between the Racor and motor.
We sent the others on and were ready to call for a tow but I decided to troubleshoot one more time.
I must mention that there was no wind to speak of and the lake was as flat as glass. We raised the sail and made .5 knots in circles while I tried the process of elimination. I bypassed the racor, still had air. I didn't have enough line to bypass the fuel shutoff valve though. Nor did I have fittings to eliminate it. As a last ditch effort I removed the dip tube from the tank, cleaned it off and blew backwards through it as we had done a couple days before and it seemed clear. I then blew through from the bottom. When I blew harder, sure enough something blocked the flow.
The dip tube was brazed onto a hexagon fitting that had a threaded port on one of the Flats to make the 90 degree turn required at the top of the tank. There is a 1/2" MPT to 1/4" flare adapter screwed in to get to the copper tube that runs to the shutoff valve.
Realize that at this point my level of frustration was pretty high. When I removed the adapter from the hex fitting I found one of those darn silicone beads!
The story would have far more impact had I saved that thing to show people when I recount this story but I was so pi**Ed at that point that the bead ended up at the bottom of the lake.
What was happening was under low load conditions the bead would rest comfortably in the void between the end of the threads and the dip tube, when you asked for more fuel, the additional suction would pull the optimally sized bead out of its innocuous resting spot and cut off the fuel. I believe the air that was then introduced came from the shut off valve as it is the spring loaded style that would let air in under the amount of suction that would be caused by blocking flow down stream.
After reassembling the fuel supply engine fired up and ran like a sewing machine for about 120 miles over the next few days.
Was happy problem was solved but not happy we hadn't done that last step when we had tank out.
Not saying this is what's wrong with yours but this was my intermittent fuel issue and solution.
I have a Vetus marine on Beets Farming.
Mark Richards
NS 30C, Hull#4
Beets Farming
Sarnia Yacht Club and Lake Huron Yachts
Hi Mark;
Please excuse my mechanical ignorance.
But… What is a “Dip Tube”?
Ed Collis
ORION VII
NS30U
Toronto
The tube that goes to the bottom of the tank for the fuel to get out of tank. Should be at least 3/4 of an inch off the bottom to prevent intake of water (which is heavier than fuel and settles to bottom) formed by condensation over time. Also prevents intake of debris off bottom of tank, if there is any, however in rough conditions all those things can get up the tube due to the mixing action. I call it a dip tube or intake tube. On my tank it appeared to be a length of steel line brazed onto the fitting I decribed. I assume my tank has been replaced at some point in the last 42 years.
If it clicks with the key on, it should be working. If you take off the hose from the lift pump to the injector pump, and turn the key on, (do not crank) it should click and pump plenty of fuel. If it doesn’t, you’ve a pump problem. Keeping working up stream until you find the problem’s source.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
Mark is absolutely correct about that tube being 3/4” off the bottom.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA