tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7533222874425432014.post611040070651827920..comments2024-01-04T02:44:18.025-05:00Comments on s/v Pelican - Following A Dream: Hauled OutChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093205335972800543noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7533222874425432014.post-43740758250273897442011-12-29T13:52:12.468-05:002011-12-29T13:52:12.468-05:00Chris -
I couldn't find an email address in ...Chris - <br /><br />I couldn't find an email address in your post so I'll reply as a comment here. The electrical/burning smell is almost certainly your starter. Excessive cranking heats up the core and will eventually melt the varnish on the internal wiring. We ended up having to fly to Ft. Lauderdale for a day trip to pick up a new starter after we burned ours out.<br /><br />The replacement of the starter cable did nothing for us - but the original was somewhat undersized so we're not upset we did it. There's a lot of amperage carried in it so it's not a bad thing to oversize it.<br /><br />Once we moved our vented loop for our exhaust higher up the problem seemed to go away. Was that definitely the issue? I can't guaranty that. We haven't had the problem since then.<br /><br />Be very careful overcranking your engine (I only know this now due to research and experience). You'll get water in your cylinders (at least the first one) and it will force its way down into the oil. <br /><br />You can tell if this has happened by doing the "crackle test". Take a THIN piece of tin foil and place a few drops of your oil on it. Take a lighter and hold it underneath the foil. If it heats up and then starts crackling and popping some there's water in your oil. You can also buy a kit from Mack-Boring that allows you to send an oil sample in for analysis. It only takes about a week but gives you great information as to whether something is wrong (metals, coolant or water presence, etc.).<br /><br />Your problem sounds VERY similar to the one we had and which I would attribute to a hydraulic lock. It most likely has little to do with your starter (this is just a symptom). It could be your vented loop, exhaust elbow, cracked muffler, oxidized exhaust baffle or a few other things. If you CAN move your vented loop higher - even just jury rig something temporarily - you might want to try this. <br /><br />BUT, I would focus on it being a hydraulic lock and look at what could be causing that. Don't expect a marine mechanic to easily find it and be cautious to take their advice at face value. You'd do better to buy Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual (the BEST book you can ever have on your boat) to see how the system works and how to troubleshoot it.<br /><br />Good luck and let us know how it works out!Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16093205335972800543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7533222874425432014.post-58133182475622482512011-12-29T08:02:17.243-05:002011-12-29T08:02:17.243-05:00Hello Chris,
Great to read from your blog - goog...Hello Chris,<br /><br />Great to read from your blog - googled with "yanmar 4jh3e starting problem".<br /><br />I have same engine (Yanmar 4JH3E) and starting symptoms. That is,<br />- when engine is warm or within 18-24hrs of last start (with at least a 10minutes run), engine (re)-starts very easily.<br /><br />If engine hasn't started for over 48hours or has cooled down very well, starting is painfull - engine turns very very slowly, as if battery is out or drained - which is not the case. After a few tries it gets some ease and into an almost normal spin and starts!<br /><br />When I open engine door, there's a smelly electric like odor that something heated or burnt. Temperature on surface of starter (not solenoid) is 120-130F.<br /><br />This tells me "when engine is warm (or as it warms up from starting), it's obviously easier to turn, thus taking off stress on starter..." Thus, something is putting extra stress on starter... And engine when running, but that I don't see or feel because of engines' power. <br /><br />Well, here's my question about your solution:<br />1) Was it the "run a new cable from the current ground spot to the starter" that you placed directly to starter?<br />http://blog.svpelican.com/2009/06/engine-saga-continued.html<br />Or<br />2) Was it the "due to a partial hydraulic lock and that the most likely culprit is the siphon break/vented loop on the exhaust. The reason for the intermittent aspect - sometimes we can start, sometimes we can't - is due to the fact that sometimes the loop is working, and sometimes it's not"<br />http://blog.svpelican.com/2009/06/hauled-out.html<br /><br />Thx, fair winds,<br />Chris<br />S/V Alma Guapa<br />http://blog.mailasail.com/almaguapaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com