rotrax
Well-Known Member
We have an Island Packet SP Cruiser, a 12 metre motorsailer. It is fitted with a Yamar 4JH4 - HTE 110 HP Turbo Diesel, a 16 valve four cylinder engine. AFAIK the engine is a 2007 model, the year the boat was built. It had 257 hours only on the meter.
Upon taking delivery in 2016 it was difficult to judge the engine's performance as we had come from an aft cockpit yacht with a third of the HP. The amount of power available was awesome by comparison.
Everything fine for two seasons one we had got a few gremlins out of the way, including 600 litres of bugged fuel. Tommy Nielsons shipyard in Gloucester docks pumped that out and disposed of it.
We used 250 quids worth of filters moving from Gloucester Docks to Gosport where we are based. Since then no filter problems. The tank is almost 900 litres and the only access is through the fuel gauge sender hole. The black sediment that could not be removed was washed off during the trip and blocked the filters. Racor 500 primary, Yanmar secondary filter.
Both really clean and have been for three seasons. I never get anything from the Racor bowl or the Yanmar canister when I check by draining a little off.
Two years ago, slight issues with stalling when going between ahead and astern. Sometimes difficult to start after. I lifted the idle speed, some improvement to stalling, not to starting.
I am a fifty year small engine mechanic, experienced on 16,000 RPM motorcycle race engines to 500RPM antique semi diesels. I once made a piston for a Bollinders semi diesel by melting Hillman Minx bell housings for the alloy and casting in green sand using a paint tin as the mold.
Diesel experience is from BMC Black Cab engines, Peugeot and Merc car diesels plus my race truck and boat engines. This Yanmar is bugging me - terrible pun that - as it still exibits non starting imediatly after shutting down. I have checked and addressed the well known Yanmar relay issues, so no problem with proper cranking, voltage drop OK when cranking.
Yesterday, 1000 hour service completed, heat exchanger and intercooler serviced at home and refitted, filters and oil changed, new impeller, air intake filter cleaned, turbo removed, cleaned and repainted, bearings checked, no wear or end float, very free running. Exhaust elbow removed, checked and refitted.
Engine started fine, sounded good, responded to throttle perfectly, idle a shade high, but not stalling when ahead or astern engaged.
I allowed it to run against ahead at 1600 RPM's until it reached its working tempreture. Slightly lower since servicing the heat exchanger, 160 instead of the previous 175 degrees.
I hit the stop button, instant shutdown. I waited untill the oil pressure sensor made the alarm bleep, pressed start, no go. Ten attempts, still no start. Full gas in neutral, half gas, any combination, no start.
A half second squirt of ether spray, it roared away. Running to all intents and purposes as before. Went between ahead and astern at idle, no stall, so big improvement there. Ran it for another half hour in ahead, perfect.
Shut it down with the stop button, no start. Tried for a few minutes. Half second squirt, away she goes.
Last year we had exactly the same issue in Lymington. I left it alone. Next morning, instant start. This was tested several other times with the same result. Come alongside for the night, stop the donk using the stop button, no start. Following morning, away like normal. Why?
It uses perhaps half a litre of oil in 200 hours. It makes no smoke, black, white or blue. It sounds and runs great, valve clearances are spot on, only out of adjustment thing is raised idle speed. Without this it stops when manouvering between ahead and astern.
When it wont start after you have a problem!
As it will not restart sometimes when it has stopped while manouvering, so no stop solenoid involved, I tend to think it is not the stop solenoid causing the starting problem.
I have fitted a Facet type fuel pump between the Yanmar filter and the rotary injector pump. As there is no conventional lift pump fitted I assume it is internal inside the rotary injection pump. The Facet is a reccomended mod for poor starting. On our donk, no difference.
EP Barrus have been as much use as a chocolate teapot - could not deny or confirm about the lift pump. Suggested I asked a dealer!
I am tending towards one of the sensors somehow causing this non starting. It is fitted with a tempreture sensor, an oil pressure sensor and a sensor to detect water in the Yanmar secondary filter. Do they have the capability to stop the engine if low oil pressure, high tempreture or water in the fuel are detected? EP Barrus could not answer that either! Things have changed since I was on the end of the Technical Hotline at KMUK.
Any ideas?
I am wondering if I will ever fix it. I have rarely failed to fix stuff in the past, but I am begining to wonder about this one!
Any help gratefully recieved
PS - bearing in mind the cost of Yanmar bits, diagnosis by substitution is not the way I would like to go!
Upon taking delivery in 2016 it was difficult to judge the engine's performance as we had come from an aft cockpit yacht with a third of the HP. The amount of power available was awesome by comparison.
Everything fine for two seasons one we had got a few gremlins out of the way, including 600 litres of bugged fuel. Tommy Nielsons shipyard in Gloucester docks pumped that out and disposed of it.
We used 250 quids worth of filters moving from Gloucester Docks to Gosport where we are based. Since then no filter problems. The tank is almost 900 litres and the only access is through the fuel gauge sender hole. The black sediment that could not be removed was washed off during the trip and blocked the filters. Racor 500 primary, Yanmar secondary filter.
Both really clean and have been for three seasons. I never get anything from the Racor bowl or the Yanmar canister when I check by draining a little off.
Two years ago, slight issues with stalling when going between ahead and astern. Sometimes difficult to start after. I lifted the idle speed, some improvement to stalling, not to starting.
I am a fifty year small engine mechanic, experienced on 16,000 RPM motorcycle race engines to 500RPM antique semi diesels. I once made a piston for a Bollinders semi diesel by melting Hillman Minx bell housings for the alloy and casting in green sand using a paint tin as the mold.
Diesel experience is from BMC Black Cab engines, Peugeot and Merc car diesels plus my race truck and boat engines. This Yanmar is bugging me - terrible pun that - as it still exibits non starting imediatly after shutting down. I have checked and addressed the well known Yanmar relay issues, so no problem with proper cranking, voltage drop OK when cranking.
Yesterday, 1000 hour service completed, heat exchanger and intercooler serviced at home and refitted, filters and oil changed, new impeller, air intake filter cleaned, turbo removed, cleaned and repainted, bearings checked, no wear or end float, very free running. Exhaust elbow removed, checked and refitted.
Engine started fine, sounded good, responded to throttle perfectly, idle a shade high, but not stalling when ahead or astern engaged.
I allowed it to run against ahead at 1600 RPM's until it reached its working tempreture. Slightly lower since servicing the heat exchanger, 160 instead of the previous 175 degrees.
I hit the stop button, instant shutdown. I waited untill the oil pressure sensor made the alarm bleep, pressed start, no go. Ten attempts, still no start. Full gas in neutral, half gas, any combination, no start.
A half second squirt of ether spray, it roared away. Running to all intents and purposes as before. Went between ahead and astern at idle, no stall, so big improvement there. Ran it for another half hour in ahead, perfect.
Shut it down with the stop button, no start. Tried for a few minutes. Half second squirt, away she goes.
Last year we had exactly the same issue in Lymington. I left it alone. Next morning, instant start. This was tested several other times with the same result. Come alongside for the night, stop the donk using the stop button, no start. Following morning, away like normal. Why?
It uses perhaps half a litre of oil in 200 hours. It makes no smoke, black, white or blue. It sounds and runs great, valve clearances are spot on, only out of adjustment thing is raised idle speed. Without this it stops when manouvering between ahead and astern.
When it wont start after you have a problem!
As it will not restart sometimes when it has stopped while manouvering, so no stop solenoid involved, I tend to think it is not the stop solenoid causing the starting problem.
I have fitted a Facet type fuel pump between the Yanmar filter and the rotary injector pump. As there is no conventional lift pump fitted I assume it is internal inside the rotary injection pump. The Facet is a reccomended mod for poor starting. On our donk, no difference.
EP Barrus have been as much use as a chocolate teapot - could not deny or confirm about the lift pump. Suggested I asked a dealer!
I am tending towards one of the sensors somehow causing this non starting. It is fitted with a tempreture sensor, an oil pressure sensor and a sensor to detect water in the Yanmar secondary filter. Do they have the capability to stop the engine if low oil pressure, high tempreture or water in the fuel are detected? EP Barrus could not answer that either! Things have changed since I was on the end of the Technical Hotline at KMUK.
Any ideas?
I am wondering if I will ever fix it. I have rarely failed to fix stuff in the past, but I am begining to wonder about this one!
Any help gratefully recieved
PS - bearing in mind the cost of Yanmar bits, diagnosis by substitution is not the way I would like to go!
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