Beta diesel dies under load

[Neddie_Seagoon]

Will tick-over for ever, but dies and stops under load. Just professionally serviced, engineer coming back tomorrow! Any suggestions - seems like fuel starvation but fuel filter is new and filter bowl full of fuel.

Had to get a tow back into the the harbour this afternoon, from another passing yacht

 

[Bilgediver]

Will tick-over for ever, but dies and stops under load. Just professionally serviced, engineer coming back tomorrow! Any suggestions - seems like fuel starvation but fuel filter is new and filter bowl full of fuel.

Had to get a tow back into the the harbour this afternoon, from another passing yacht

Have a few more attempts at bleeding and should get rid of all the air..

.

 

[30boat]

The fuel pump could be the culprit .It may be pumping enough for tickover but not for full power.If you rig a day tank you'll know for sure.Easier still is to fit a outboard rubber pump on the fuel line before or after the engine's fuel pump and after bleeding and starting use it to force fuel into the engine as you throttle up.If it works that means the mechanical pump has failed.

 

[lydiamight]

Check that the breather air vent to your fuel tank is not blocked. There might be enough air getting in to allow the engine to run on tick-over but not enough when the throttle is opened.

 

[Manuel]

If it's running for a long period at tickover then it probably isn't a bleeding problem as any residual air would pass through. It sounds like fuel starvation. If you crack open the connection from the low pressure pump (with the engine running) and put a jam jar underneath you should find that a good flow of diesel spurts out. If it doesn't then find out why. That will give you the first clue. Maybe he turned-off a tap at the bottom of the fuel tank, one that you don't usually turn off? If you are getting a good spurt of diesel there then leave it with the serviceman but if it was working before the service any damage could have been caused by him during the service.

 

[Neddie_Seagoon]

Thanks to all, some helpful ideas there. We will see what transpires, always been reliable before. Actually broke down in the fairway / mouth of Douglas harbour, with 14 knot wind blowing straight out of the harbour mouth so sailing in was a poor option - not the best place to get stuck with the fastcraft coming & going!

 

[Chris_Robb]

Hi - a long shot to check, but it happened to me, giving exactly the same symptoms.

Make sure the fuel cock is turned on! Apparently they will leak under the suction of the fuel pump, just enough to keep it runnng on low revs....... Doh - I felt a complete idiot..

 

[Rafiki]

dies under load

It could be a blockage in the fuel line from the tank to the engine; crud in the biottom of the tank blocking the outlet from the tank. Happenned to me once in the middle of the irish sea! Undo the fuel line from teh tank and see how much fuel flows out under natural pressure.

Andrew

 

[Neddie_Seagoon]

For the benefit of all, it turned out that the short length of rigid fuel line from the fuel filter, which joins to a longer high-pressure hose to feed the fuel to the engine, had cracked / ruptured - presumably over time due to vibration, allowing the engine to suck air instead of diesel. I guess it might have been exacerbated by the wrestling match the engineer had when trying to replace the fuel filter - no way of knowing. All fixed now.