Bukh diesel, manual start, how to

[RichardS]

If your engine is worn, a teaspoon of oil introduced into the cylinder gives a temporary increase in compression and helps starting.

Are you able to get the oil into the cylinder through the decompressor mechanism?

Richard

 

[bedouin]

Are you able to get the oil into the cylinder through the decompressor mechanism?

Richard

The engine in the very first boat I owned was a single cylinder Coventry Victor. That didn't have electric start so had to be started by hand every time. That had a cold start device that worked by injecting a small amount of oil directly into the cylinders and in fact it was pretty easy to start like that

 

[Poignard]

Are you able to get the oil into the cylinder through the decompressor mechanism?

Richard

No.

Through the air inlet; and, as is the case with he who sups with the Devil, a long spoon is preferable. However, a syringe makes it easier or, better still, overhaul the engine and restore the compression. :encouragement:

 

[afterpegassus]

First prime the fuel system using the priming lever on the lift pump.
Then position the starting handle so that when it is descending on the port side of the engine the engine is on a compression stripe. Doing this means my weight, aided by gravity, aided by the momentum of the flywheel, will help get the engine through the first compression stroke.
Then operate the decompressor and turn the engine at increasing speed until it's going as fast as I can do it.
Release the decompressor.

If your engine is worn, a teaspoon of oil introduced into the cylinder gives a temporary increase in compression and helps starting.

Starting is always easier if the air being drawn in is warm. A preheater (obtainable from BUKH Ltd) is worth fitting especially for winter use. Installing it is an easy DIY job. Or wrapping the air intake in rags soaked in boiling water helps.

Next visit to the boat, I'll give this a go. The engine has good compression.
In the past I've been able to start everything from 10 hp Saabs to Kelvin 44's but not the Bukh.

 

[Rafiki]

I had a DV20 then 24 for a number of years. The 24 was a lot easier starter in the cold weather.

It was an interesting video, I never did try it myself partly because I had great difficulty turning it over with the handle even with the decompression lever down, I think this was because the decompression mechanism inside the rocker cover needed to be adjusted, in other words even with the lever down it didn't de-compress !

A couple of other tips for starting this particular engine from cold; remove the belt driving the alternator, then neither you nor the engine needs to turn the alternator, obviously at some point you need to re-connect it but once the engine is good and hot you can stop it and easily re-start it with the belt re-connected. secondly as someone else has observed heating up the air intake with a hot rag or two helps a lot !

I miss this engine in many ways; simple, robust, understandable. My current one is more a case of " the computer says No I wont start, and I wont tell you why"