Clyde Scuttlebutt Cruise April 2012

[PeteCooper]

the weekend was plagued by fuel problems.

What I found was the Port diesel tank was contaminated. Switching to the St'bd tank got us clean fuel.

Gordon - I don't know if it helps, but there is a company based in Kip who do a Diesel cleaning service. Basically they vacuum out the tank, filter the Diesel and then return it to the tank.
Glad you got home OK anyway and hope all the trauma didn't spoil your enjoyment of the weekend too much.

 

[Gordonmc]

Gordon - I don't know if it helps, but there is a company based in Kip who do a Diesel cleaning service. Basically they vacuum out the tank, filter the Diesel and then return it to the tank.
Glad you got home OK anyway and hope all the trauma didn't spoil your enjoyment of the weekend too much.

Pete,
That's a good one.
It might be the excuse I need to rub shoulders with the rich folk at Kip.
It wouldn't be very practical to drain the tank while I am on the mooring so I was going to leave it until the end of the season, but if its a case of tying up for a few hours at Kip then I might sound them out.
Meantime I will be back on board this weekend and will see if I can do a permanent hull repair now, or leave it until next haul-out. I had no water ingress, even when well heeled on Sunday and Monday.
I will report back.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Gordon - I don't know if it helps, but there is a company based in Kip who do a Diesel cleaning service. Basically they vacuum out the tank, filter the Diesel and then return it to the tank.
Glad you got home OK anyway and hope all the trauma didn't spoil your enjoyment of the weekend too much.

They did that job for Capricious a couple of years ago. No doubt their fuel cleaning is fine, but I think that they should have noticed (and commented on!) the fact that the fuel tank itself was tissue thin in places! We encountered a chain of problems, solving one problem triggering the next, as follows:

1) Engine stopped outside Craobh; diagnosed as fuel blockage. Engineer recommended tank cleaning.
2) Firm at Kip cleaned tank and fuel.
3) Found diesel in bilges (lots of diesel!)
4) Bottom of mild steel tank had rusted through; diesel weeping through pin-holes. No doubt cleaning the tank removed the last few flakes of rust that were stopping it leaking.
5) Fuel tank removed and new one fabricated by West of Scotland Engineering. WOSE thoroughly recommended - good job, accurately dimensioned, and a day ahead of the date they promised! It fitted exactly, without even needing to relocate bolt-holes.
6) Fuel tank refitted.
7) Engine starts smoking a lot (white smoke)
8) Refurbish injectors. Not much difference.
9) Rebuild top-end, unblocking waterways, checking tappet clearances and replacing gaskets and thermostat. Thanks, Pete for the help!
10) That's where we are now - and I THINK we are OK now! Still a little white smoke on starting, but it's OK when running.

Gordon, I hope you have better luck than we did!

 

[Bat21]

2) Firm at Kip cleaned tank and fuel.
7) Engine starts smoking a lot (white smoke)
8) Refurbish injectors. Not much difference.
9) Rebuild top-end, unblocking waterways, checking tappet clearances and replacing gaskets and thermostat. Thanks, Pete for the help!
10) That's where we are now - and I THINK we are OK now! Still a little white smoke on starting, but it's OK when running.
QUOTE]

Just a thought Paul, did you check the exhaust mixing elbow?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

2) Firm at Kip cleaned tank and fuel.
7) Engine starts smoking a lot (white smoke)
8) Refurbish injectors. Not much difference.
9) Rebuild top-end, unblocking waterways, checking tappet clearances and replacing gaskets and thermostat. Thanks, Pete for the help!
10) That's where we are now - and I THINK we are OK now! Still a little white smoke on starting, but it's OK when running.
QUOTE]

Just a thought Paul, did you check the exhaust mixing elbow?

Couldn't get that bit apart, but it looked pretty much OK. Running much better; less noisy and MUCH less smoke. Plenty water coming out! Thanks for the suggestion, though. Next time I'm working on it I might try a bit harder to get it apart.