Start engine out of water?

[Wandering Star]

My new to me boat has an almost zero hours Beta 16 engine installed. The boat is presently ashore in a farm on the Tamar river. Launch is scheduled for 6th May. The farmer launches the boats very competently but they have to be motored away to a river mooring immediately and I’ve been asked to check the engine is running sweetly before the date of launch.

Will it do the engine any harm to try starting it on dry land provided I only run it for a minute or so?

 

[Tranona]

No problem. Even better if you can organise a supply of water. If it has a Vetus type water strainer, shut the seacock fill the strainer and have a watering can full to top it up when the engine starts. It will almost certainly start instantly with a 10 second of glow plug.

 

[ridgy]

The engine won't mind but your impeller will no longer be your friend.

I would either take the impeller out or more likely easier to put the intake hose in to a bucket of water but it gets used up pretty quick.

Edit - Tranona's idea to fill via the strainer is better for a quick operation.

 

[Refueler]

Close seacock ... open top and put funnel ... have good supply of water and pour in while engine running ... I run my Perkins 4 cyl job on land each autumn with this having 10ltrs of antifreeze to put through ... in spring before launch - I start engine to make sure she starts and after just few secs stop .. you don't need large amounts or flow of water ... as long as some goes through to literally lubricate the impeller in its housing - you're fine.

My impeller is still original from near 25yrs ago when I bought boat ...

 

[Wandering Star]

That’s pretty much what I thought although I do have a Vetus strainer and refilling it will be simple. Thanks to you both - you’ve given me the confidence I needed!

And thanks to Refueler too!

 

[vyv_cox]

I always flush my engine this way after haul out. I close the seacock, fill the Vetus strainer, start the engine and gradually empty 11 litres of fresh water from a bottle. In your case the pump will be dry so at least wet it first.

Alternatively if you have a hose pipe supply put a bucket in the cockpit, run a length of hose from it to the seawater pump inlet, fill the bucket from the hosepipe and run the engine. Ensure that the pump is drawing water from the bucket. Running the engine dry will not harm it for a minute or two but it could damage the exhaust hose and any plastic traps or silencers.

 

[NormanS]

I have a bucket with a hose connection. I hang the bucket at the waterline, and stuff the end of the hose into the engine inlet skin fitting. The bucket is kept full and overflowing from the yard hose. Once that's set up, I can run the engine for as long as I like. I do it in the autumn to flush with freshwater, and then antifreeze, and I do it in the spring, just to check that all is well before launching.

 

[PabloPicasso]

My impeller is still original from near 25yrs ago when I bought boat ...

That is a failure waiting to happen, IMHO of course

 

[Neeves]

We do, roughly, what NormanS does - except we sail 365 and only need to check after the annual haul out.

We disconnect the inlet hose on the top of the sail drive (take hose off); connect 'any old hose' that fits to the disconnected hose, put other hose in 45 gallon drum, fill drum with water, start engine, switch engine off before drum is emptied.

The 45 gallon oil drum is near the level of the waterline.

There are variations on the theme -

But don't connect the marina hose to the engine and turn the tap on - let the engine suck the amount of water it needs (or is designed for).

Its simple, no anguish.

Jonathan

 

[vyv_cox]

We do, roughly, what NormanS does - except we sail 365 and only need to check after the annual haul out.

We disconnect the inlet hose on the top of the sail drive (take hose off); connect 'any old hose' that fits to the disconnected hose, put other hose in 45 gallon drum, fill drum with water, start engine, switch engine off before drum is emptied.

The 45 gallon oil drum is near the level of the waterline.

There are variations on the theme -

But don't connect the marina hose to the engine and turn the tap on - let the engine suck the amount of water it needs (or is designed for).

Its simple, no anguish.

Jonathan

The problem with that method in a deep keel boat can be that the slightest wear in the pump face plate or shaft seal can prevent the pump from lifting any water from the ground. Hence my bucket in the cockpit method in post #6.

 

[alahol2]

Beta 13.5:
I use both methods. In autumn, bucket of water, a/f, a little oil. Hung under the exhaust outlet with a hose running from it and stuffed into the engine inlet skin fitting. Run the engine for 10 minutes (occasionally topping up the bucket) until the oil is warm ready for oil change. Afterwards the impeller is taken out for the winter.
Spring, leave the impeller out and dry run the engine for a minute or two to ensure all OK. Impeller back in ready for launch.

 

[Refueler]

That is a failure waiting to happen, IMHO of course

I have a spare Impeller in a bag with seals etc.

 

[ash2020]

I use a hose, pushed into the strainer. Turn the hose on full, then adjust the revs until the water flow is just overflowing. You lose a bit into the bilge but it tests the automatic bilge pump at the sam time!

 

[Wandering Star]

Thanks everyone, plucked up the courage and started the engine keeping the Vetus water thingy full using a hose.engine started instantly - very pleased.

 

[Refueler]

using a Hose into strainer is NOT a good idea ......

You risk flooding the exhaust and possibly back to engine .... water should be DRAWN by the engine pump - not force fed.

 

[NormanS]

using a Hose into strainer is NOT a good idea ......

You risk flooding the exhaust and possibly back to engine .... water should be DRAWN by the engine pump - not force fed.

Eh?

 

[PabloPicasso]

I use a hose, pushed into the strainer. Turn the hose on full, then adjust the revs until the water flow is just overflowing. You lose a bit into the bilge but it tests the automatic bilge pump at the sam time!

Be careful not to fill up the exhaust and back flow into the cylinder with a hose running straight into the engine.

Better to run a hose into a bucket and let the impeller suck up from there via a short hose pipe.

A barrel filled under the hull with a pipe running up to the thru-hull (packed if needs be) is what can be done. The hose can fill the barrel as you're running the engine.

The barrel could be propped up with the salidrive immersed before filling.

This has the advantage of running the complete cooling system, does not fill the bilges, and won't back fill your engine cylinders

 

[Neeves]

The problem with that method in a deep keel boat can be that the slightest wear in the pump face plate or shaft seal can prevent the pump from lifting any water from the ground. Hence my bucket in the cockpit method in post #6.

The beauty of a catamaran.


The down side of a catamaran is that the sails drive is usually just above the ground and you need a very short screwdriver to release the bolt at the bottom of the sail drive in order to release the oil. Lying flat on the ground and generating enough torque to release the bolt can be a challenge. Additionally taking the prop off is all at ground level, hands and knees stuff.

Jonathan

 

[Tranona]

using a Hose into strainer is NOT a good idea ......

You risk flooding the exhaust and possibly back to engine .... water should be DRAWN by the engine pump - not force fed.

Actually all that will happen if the engine is not running is the water will overflow into the bilges. Flooding the engine through the exhaust filling with water will only happen if the engine does not fire up and keeps pumping water through. Once it fires the exhaust gases will eject the water. The pump will only draw what it can draw and if the hose is running too fast it will still overflow the strainer.

 

[Refueler]

Actually all that will happen if the engine is not running is the water will overflow into the bilges. Flooding the engine through the exhaust filling with water will only happen if the engine does not fire up and keeps pumping water through. Once it fires the exhaust gases will eject the water. The pump will only draw what it can draw and if the hose is running too fast it will still overflow the strainer.

..... if I was to force feed water as example on my Perkins --- especially with engine not running - I run risk of backflooding the exhaust manifold and into any cylinder that a valve is open.
Yes if engine is running - the exhaust should 'push'out any water ...

I prefer to listen to the advice of a Marine Engineer ... who have advised that the water supply should be BELOW the exhaust manifold and DRAWN by the engine .... or as I was shown many many years ago ... close intake .. open up intake ... fit funnel into intake and then pour in slowly allowing engine to draw the fluid up as you pour in.

I prefer NOT to risk backflooding an engine tank you.