Drowned Diesel

[Paul Silverman]

The trials and tribulations of owning a planked boat in dry Montana. She was out of the water for all of the winter and most of the summer (I was replacing 3 planks and refastening about 20% of the hull- pulling wrought iron nails (1942) and replacing them with silicon bronze screws). Took 4 days in slings with a sump pump running to get her to float. Then I made the big mistake: left the pump running to go home overnight. Of course the pump failed (my fault: I had jerry rigged the on/off float switch and it moved). She didn't quite sink, but filled up substantially until a friend noticed and got the pump working. I haven't been up to the boat yet, but my best guess is that the diesel got VERY wet. a 1975 Ferrymann, one cylinder, 10 horsepower, hand crank start. Probably the oil dip stick and oil fill got wet; probably the air intake went under water; possibly the exhaust port went under. What should I do????!!!

[ion barnes]

Well, at least its fresh water. Since it was not turning it could be just a matter of draining the oil and just letting it dry outand slowly turn over by hand to remove any water thats collected in a cylinder. Change the fuel filter and bleed the fuel system liberally. When it is throughly dry then give it a start. Its only when they go under while running that the real problem can develope.

[Bob Smalser]

BTDT with all manner of engines in a previous life.

The motor wasn't running, sucking water into the air intake and holing the pistons...so you are OK.

Remove valve cover, oil fill, oil filter and dipstick....squirt some WD-40 into all moving parts you can get at.....crank her over by hand a few times as you drain the oil. Then use an oil can to lube all the valve train you can get at. Any water in the cylinders will drain out through the pan.

Pull the fuel filter, check for water, and replace it. If you think there is water in the lines (unlikely), disconnect them and blow them out.

Then reassemble, add fluids and new oil filter, get her going and run her at normal op temp for at least 45 minutes to evaporate off any remaining water.

[Ken Hutchins]

As long as the fuel tank vent stayed above water there should not be any water in the fuel, Clean the air filter and look for signs the water made it past the filter. If it is equipped with a compression release, turn it over with the compression released to remove any water from the cylinders. Check oil level, if it is still normal there probably isn't any water there. Then start it up run long enough to get it up to normal operation temperature. Shut down and change the oil. I took my Kubota tractor swiming 25 years ago, shut it down just before the air cleaner went under. Dragged it to shallower water and started it up. The only long range problem was some rust in the starter motor which caused problems 15 years later.

[Hwyl]

The Farymann is a very simple engine to dissasemble. It was designed as air cooled (think motor cycle engine) so the cylinder comes off as a unit (there is a nylon water jacket where the fins used to be). I'd at least take a look in this cylinder, be careful when the head comes of, because the head sandwiches the cylinder, cooling jacket and pushrod conduits (probably not the correct word), but with such a n easy engine to work on, I'd look at pulling apart, painting stuff with oil and reassembling.

Bon Chance

[Paul Silverman]

Thanks much for the help. What a great forum! responses to a question moments after it's asked. sounds like the problem is not as bad as I had thought. I'd value any other input.

[paladin]

well...lessee....Montana izz the ocean bottom....but it's been dry for quite a spell....are you hoping for rain big time...like in Noah's time...?

[Paul Silverman]

"Kelpie" came out of Port Townsend on the Washington Coast. I trucked her to Flathead Lake- which is uphill- one of the parts of Montana that was not ocean bottom- 3200 feet. She likes the freshwater, but not the dry air!

[Stu Fyfe]

I have a Farrymann too. They are pretty easy to work on here's the web-site for the parts distributer in New Jersey.
http://www.farymann.com/

[Ken Hutchins]

Paul, is Kelpie that gaff, plumb stem beauty I recall seeing photos of in Classic Boat mag? Need more photos.

[Paul Silverman]

Stu- thanks for the website. I emailed them with the same "what to do" questions. Ken- I don't believe that Kelpie has appeared in Classic Boat (at least not recently), but she was advertised for sale for quite a long time in Woodenboat. She's a 25 foot (LOD) gaff cutter (modeled on an English pilot cutter) with plumb stem, deep draft (5 feet), fantail stern, 12 foot bow sprit. Designed by Bill Garden and constructed by a friend of his in 1942. Of course i think that she is a beautiful boat. It seems that she has become a lifestyle and my tolerant wife is still waiting for various house projects to be done!

[Dan Lindberg]

The other responses covered most things but,

1) if it doesn't have a de-compression valve, remove the injector to let any possible water out BEFORE turning the engine over.

2) while turning it over by hand, don't "force it", it may have a bit of water in the chamber. It takes very little input torque to generate lots of force while the piston goes "over center". (read bent valve stems)

3) if you can turn it over freely and repeatedly by hand, follow the other responses to get it running and get everything oiled up well and you shouldn't have any long term problems.

Dan

(I spent many years working in a diesel engine design group, this design had less then .010" between the piston and valve and ANY incompressable foreign material resulted in bent valve stems.)

[Paul Silverman]

Dan, thanks. I'm not much of a mechanic.... what do you think of the suggestions that it is not necessary to remove the head?

[Paul Silverman]

Dan- correction: that was remove the valve cover!