I/B engine overhaul - in situ

[Seal_surfer]

The engine is a 20 years old Bukh DV10 robust cast iron single cylinder diesel with indirect injection. Cold starting is taking longer periods on the starter and advice is that rings may be the culprit - to be confirmed soon with a compression test. I just want to check feasability of DIY overhaul:

If it is rings - could I tackle this myself? Main concern is coping with weight of the engine to move fwd off bearers, and then lifting block out (after stripping - the engine I mean) and ashore for glaze busting/honing.

Can glaze busting be satisfactorily done in situ on saloon floor?

How do proffesionals get the engine out without knocking hell out of your lovely boat?

Would really appreciate benefit of others experience as you obviously can't just stick an engine hoist over and lift as per car engine which I am quite familiar with.

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[gibbo26]

If the boat is a sailing boat can you use the boom as a crane jib arm to remove the engine, I could on my boat (Hustler 25.5) with ease then swing over the side into a trolley on the pontoon finger (and watch the finger droop a lot! )

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[pvb]

Is it that heavy?

The whole engine only weighs about 80kg, doesn't it? By the time you've stripped bits off it, it shouldn't be too much of a problem to move.

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[vyv_cox]

I removed my Bukh 20 from its bearers, stripped and rebuilt it on board. Start by protecting the saloon from all possible damage. We cut old cardboard boxes to form a lining for all sole boards and locker fronts, then covered the cardboard with old carpet. First thing on the engine is to remove the flywheel, it accounts for a large proportion of the engine weight. The engine and gearbox was lifted out using a beam across the companionway to support the load. Back home I have a very nice chainblock but this was not available for this job, so I bought a cable hoist from a garden centre, designed for pulling out roots of trees, I think, cost me 12 pounds and worked fine.

Once the engine was in the saloon I stripped everything off it, by which time the block was quite light and easily carried ashore. You can use the mainsheet for hoisting but be careful of fittings and topping lift strength. Bukhs are remarkably heavy engines, the 20HP is 210 kg, not sure about the 10.

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[burgundyben]

The 2002 volvos suffer from valve seats and valves burning, resulting in lost compression and hence hard starting, maybe you need a head overhaul rather than new rings?



<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[roger]

I've seen an engineer employ a scaffolding firm to build a frame across the boat so you can get the engine out without using any boat equipment at all.

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[oldharry]

Lifting out - If there is room - hire a scaffold tower, and set it up in two parts one each side of the boat. Set a suitable beam across between the two towers - and hey presto! Cheaper the hiring a scaffolder! One owner set up his sons skateboard on a plank to act as a traveller to swing the engine away from the hull!

The problem is unlikely to just be compression loss through worn rings, and a compression test will not tell you the true state of the rings. The main symptom on a diesel with worn rings is blowby which creates high crankcase compression. This in turn causes the breather to blow fumes and in bad cases lubricating oil out of the breather. Stop off the breather for ten seconds or so with the engine running at above tickover. If there is whoosh of air and fumes on releasing it, the rings are worn. Little or no crankcase pressure - rings OK. The only real test is to remove the rings, place them in the bore about 25 - 50 cms from the top, and measure the gap between the ring ends. The makers will specify the maximum.

I would be looking first at the cold start system, then at the valves and injectors. Poor starting is generally not just the rings though they will compound it.

Glaze busting can be done 'in situ' with care, but the angle of cut of the glaze buster is fairly critical to ensure proper lubrication and bedding in of the new rings, and is best left to an experienced engineer with the right tools.

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[Seal_surfer]

Thanks for all the helpful advice - the PBO forum always has somebody that's been there before and learnt by doing it.

I now feel quite confident that I should be able to get a stripped block off the boat if required, or rebuild on the cabin sole. The all up weight is over 300 Ib for anyone thats interested - quite a brute for a 10HP!

The scaffolding idea is good, but I failed to make it clear that she is half afloat in a muddy creek with little hard ground nearby - visions of the poles sinking and the engine not lifting!!!

Again, many thanks.

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[oldharry]

I also have visions of your 300lb engine block sinking into the soft mud round your boat...! Some sort of a sledge would move it back to firm ground of course.

With that low level of loading, you would get away with scaffold tower idea standing on a sheet of 12 - 18mm birch ply shuttering - the stuff they use to board up smashed shop windows etc. Very cheap 8 x 4ft from your local builders merchants.

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