I've just drowned a Yanmar 1GM10 - any advice?

[Mirelle]

I\'ve just drowned a Yanmar 1GM10 - any advice?

For reasons which we need not go into, but which can be summarised as my bad seamanship, the engine was under salt water for about 9 hours.

I got the boat up and baled out and chucked a couple of buckets of fresh water over the engine, then gave it a good bath with a hose when I got the boat to where a hose was, about an hour later. After it had dried a bit I gave it a good spraying with WD40, espescially the electrics, taking the air cleaner off and disconnecting the battery, which is now in my garage being charged - amazingly it was not flat despite the bath.

Gearbox oil is fine, as is crankcase oil (but very dirty - due for change anyway!). Engine turns OK and compression is good.

What should I have done?

And what do I do next?

I wanted to leave the alternator in a bucket of fresh water, but was dissuaded from this. Presumably the head should come off, and be put back with a new gasket, the oil should be changed (!) and the alternator sent off for a rebuild, but what about the starter motor and relays?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by mirelle on 11/08/2002 19:19 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[philip_stevens]

Re: I\'ve just drowned a Yanmar 1GM10 - any advice?

A similar thing happened to me with my last boat. The boat was launched a day early - and the log was still out! Result was two feet of water in the boat. None got into the engine as the oil dipstick was quite high up. The only items to suffer were the alternator and starter motor and relay.

I was an electrical officer on container ships for 25 years, and the number of times motors got wet - I've lost count. The remedy was to immerse the motors in fresh water, and change it a number of times to remove all salt deposits.

As for my alternator and starter/relay, I dropped them both in buckets of fresh water, and changed the water about 5 or 6 times. I then dried them out naturally, and when dry, put them into the airing cupboard at home for a day. I don't usually like to use WD40, but I did give both the alternator and starter/relay a good spraying of it.

When refitted a couple of days later, they both worked OK and remained that way.

So dunk them both in fresh water and change it a few times. The sooner the better as the salt will dry to crystals that will penetrate the insulation of the windings if they dry before washed with fresh water.

regards,
Philip

 

[Mirelle]

Thanks a lot

I will now go and do what I thought I should do, and put them iu buckets of fresh water.

 

[Guest]

Re: I\'ve just drowned a Yanmar 1GM10 - any advice?

>spraying with WD40
>taking the air cleaner off
>and disconnecting the battery, which is now in my garage >being charged - amazingly it was not flat despite the bath.
>Gearbox oil is fine,
>as is crankcase oil (but very dirty - due for change anyway!). >Engine turns OK and compression is good.
>I wanted to leave the alternator in a bucket of fresh water. >Presumably the head should come off
>new gasket
>oil should be changed (!)
>alternator sent off for a rebuild
>the starter motor and relays?
>What should I have done? And what do I do next?

`scuse the editing... I was trying to get a list of all the stuff you were talking about...

Should have done? Do next?

Maybe too late to sell it for parts and invest in an electric motor and batteries?... maybe go diesel-electric with a little diesel genset?

You didn't say... power or sail? Day/occasional use? Cruiser or weekender?

There are boys with big and fast diesel-electric boats:
http://www.feys.org/

I especially like what Solomon Technologies are doing for us littler guys:

http://www.solomontechnologies.com/

You can buy an electric motor off the shelf today that runs with one moving part, and will run fine, submerged. Over 90% efficient by themselves. It doesn't have an air cleaner or gearbox oil or crankcase oil or an alternator or gaskets or a lot of other stuff but batteries and a controller and charger... and maybe a genset or two.

As I understand it, these little (and bigger) motors are rated for replacement every 100,000 hours or so. Maybe a couple of bearing changes over that life. No brushes The smaller motors (that the smaller recreational yachties are using) weigh in well less than 200lbs each. Don't know what your diesel el al weighs, but the electric might drop back in a little easier (direct drive to the prop, so no separate transmission either.) Maybe free up a bit of room in the engine compartment (for batteries?)?... dunno.

It's the batteries of course, that're the thing.

Nice to hear that you had that amazing experience - the the battery seems to have come through OK, with the least amount of servicing necessary... Hopefully with no lasting detriment to it's capacity! Hopefully you have one of those newish AGM sealed lead-acid babies. I still prefer the lead-acid approach still, as batt lead is about the best recycled material on the planet, so I keep hearing...

Must check out how well chargers and inverters and controllers for larger batt banks and motors do, when submerged!

Hope you get back afloat with minimal damage allround!

I just happen to be working on a couple of little design projects which both involve electric propulsion (zero emissions), primarily a small harbours ferry/tour/taxiboat design.

Forgive me if I come across evangelical at all. I'm just getting a lot of encouragement on these ideas, from a few gentlemen (naval architects, eBoat specialists, and yachtsmen and powerboat skippers) who relate very positive experiences with electric - IN CERTAIN APPLICATIONS.

Like any technology, of course, proper application is important. so enought about that.

I will say though, if your diesel were a write off for any reason, your new diesel (if you replace with another as before) will be more efficient and economic than the old.

However the diesel/gas mfgrs. are being *dragged along* by emissions regulations for improvement. The folks that are promoting electric seem more concerned about the environment, than any regulations...

Cheers

Fair winds... and leave a clean wake.

Lock Hughes
Tornado KC234
Wards Island, Toronto Harbour, Lake Ontario
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QCYCTender/

(coming soon, maybe)
Dynamo- 2-persons hybrid HEV humanpowered/electric airboat.


ps... batteries don't die - they're usually murdered.

 

[Guest]

Re: I\'ve just drowned a Yanmar 1GM10 - any advice?

ps... had to look up the Yanmar 1GM10 - what a cutie!

(via google, so had to wade a bit through a lot of parts lists and items on soundproofing though, before I found her dimensions/specs... <wink>

Being a 9iner like that, just makes her more of an candidate for electric eh? Distances will vary, of course (diesel energy storage vs. bats), but not if it's usually short distances you're motoring anyway. `Course, the diesel can't regenerate it's own fuel (if you're under sail) as the electric would.

Looks like a older/tried-and-true, and popular engine. Nice.

Again - fair winds

 

[Mirelle]

PS

alternator now in bucket - hope I was in time! The relay and starter motor on this engine seem to be integral with the flywheel casing so I contented myself with removing the wiring loom and dropping that in the bucket also!

 

[pvb]

Ouch!

Sorry to hear that. Best advice seems to be to rinse in fresh water - but the word is "rinse", not "soak", especially the electrics. Then dry as best you can. As soon as it's possible, I'd suggest starting the engine and letting it run for an hour or so. If you can do this with the drive engaged, to put a load on it, that would be better.

 

[philip_stevens]

Re: PS

So long as it is all rinsed well, and more to the point, dried well, all should work again.

I had to sort out a ships lifeboat starter that had been immersed for more than a few days in a brackish mixture of sea water spray and rain water. I took it down to my workshop in the engine-room, washed, dried and sprayed, then left it on top of one of the main engine cylinders for the day. It worked first time after it was refitted. So yours should work again.

As for the windings, it would not go amiss to get a tin of aerosol spray varnish and give the windings a go with it. Really douse it well, let it run off and drip dry.

regards,
Philip

 

[Col]

Re: I\'ve just drowned a Yanmar 1GM10 - any advice?

I wouldn't too much about engine so long as it's had a good rinse and oil & filter change run it till warm, then change oil again.
Electrics will need more thorough rinsing and cleaning. All other advice good, 1 post was a bit drastic though.

Come on then, spill the beans !!!!! what happened?

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>

 

[Mirelle]

Silly story

Of course, only a complete beginner would leave a launch moored for and aft to a pier overnight during spring tides with breast ropes too short for high water......anyone who has been messing about in boats for over thirty years would know better, would'nt they?

Or maybe not!

Embarrassed man with bucket shifts 40 gallons per minute at six inches head; 32 gallons per minute at 18 inches head, and when the water is almost down to the floorboards he is knackered and uses the Whale pump!

 

[Col]

Re: Silly story

Whoops !!! hope you sort it.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>

 

[ccscott49]

Re: I\'ve just drowned a Yanmar 1GM10 - any advice?

I cant add anything, but agree with all the remedys, apart from re-engining? wiith electric!! I use a hair dryer/hot air gun on drowned electrics, after fresh rinsing them.

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: I\'ve just drowned a Yanmar 1GM10 - any advice?

I'll let others more knowledgeable than myself talk about the electrics. So far as the engine is concerned, the main point is to prevent any medium-term corrosion damage, particularly to the bores. I'm assuming that the bearings are either aluminium-tin or aluminium-lead, in which case corrosion is not a big problem. If they are copper-lead they are at risk and in this case I would recommend they be changed. All this assumes that water got in, of course.

If you have not done so already I would suggest you take out the injector and squirt oil down the bore, after turning it over a few times to expel any water. It will help a lot if you can soak any up with paper towels or similar. The main objective is to prevent the rings rusting to the bores, which they will do very readily.

I suggest you drain everything out of the engine, run it with the recommended oil for about an hour, drain this and refill. Change oil filters each time. I do know of several engines that have successfully survived swamping. The sooner you do all this, the better. If it runs OK I would not remove the head.

 

[Jeremy_W]

Look on the bright side

YM has a column for confessions like this. You may have been a skipper of very little brain but you could get an oil painting of "Mirelle", or at least her tender out of this.

 

[Gordonmc]

Re: PS

Access to a compresser would help enormously in the process... when Army Stalwart amphibious vehicles got more of a dunking than they should the electrics were dunked in a bucket full of WD40 and then given a good blow with an air gun. (Fresh but muddy water)
Likewise the injectors would be taken out, a short pipe put into the cylinder together with a second pipe attached to the compressor. Holes were sealed with placticine and the compressor turned on. All the water and gunge would be blasted out of the pipe.
The sump would be filled with deisel and engine was turned over (still with injectors out) to act as a flushing oil to clear all the oil-ways. New filter, replace oil and fire up.
All this as soon as possible after the dunking, as suggested in other posts, to prevent corrosion.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: PS

When did they fit diesels in the Stalwart and what type, in my day they were rolls royce B81, 8 cylinder petrols. I always thought they would be good with a high revving diesel, they needed 400 rpm, to drive the water jet units. unless of course they also changed the gearbox and transfer box to allow lower revving engines.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Stalwarts

Now those were my definition of driving fun.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Stalwarts

I did the original trials on them, from Alvis When I was at Shoeburyness. I also designed the winch system for them in the Mk.2 version. Had a lot to do with the sealed suspension lubricating system. I then used to drive the things when testing and repairing them in germany during my time there with REME. I loved them, if I ever won the lottery I would buy one, converted to diesel, or leave the B81 in, if we're dreaming and have fun with it. They were great in the water aswell, with the dowty jet units. Fine vehicle. I still know every nut and bolt in them. I didn.t know they converted them to diesel though, I wonder which engine they used. Obviously long after my day.

 

[philip_stevens]

Re: Stalwarts

Talking of Stalwarts and getting away form the original thread, there was a thing on TV a short while ago, where they rebuilt a Stally. They had a hell of a job finding bits to rebuild it, as them-that-make-the-decisions had them all scrapped. They did eventually get this one Stally rebuilt, but with some newly made bits and bits from a scrapyard - AND into the water.

I remember them from my RN days on the Fearless at Aden - as we were being kicked out. Two of them drove?/steered?motored?/water-jetted? into the flooded dock and up the ramp, so we could take them to Bahrain. We also had a couple of DUKW's as well.

Most impressive.

regards,
Philip

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Stalwarts

They would have been very earrly Mk1's, even possibly out there on trials, as they didn't come into general service until 1968. But they were without doubt wonderful pieces of equipment, I have very fond memories of them and lots of stories of their exploits, but not for here.