testing twin engines before 500 mile delivery trip.

[rigpigpaul]

Hi All, my pal has bought an old twin motor yacht. He plans taking it on a 500 mile delivery trip to its new location. He is concerned about the reliability of the engines. He wants to run the engines at full sea revs for 24 hours to check for leaks and overheating. Is this long enough or should it be shortened. Thanks in anticipation. RPP

 

[snowbird30ds]

An hour or two should show up most problems and just cruising speed with a few bursts of full revs, what engines are they?

 

[Bouba]

Leisure engines aren’t made for full out over long periods of time...check the owners manual....it will probably read some like five minutes at full throttle every hour of cruise for 12 hours every 24...or something along those lines

 

[rigpigpaul]

Sorry, I meant full cruising revs. The engines are 2 x Rootes Lister TS3 MGR.

 

[Seastoke]

Well in 24 hrs you would be nearly there .

 

[ChromeDome]

If it was me...

Before running the engines like that I'd do all the checks possible + change all filters + oil service.

Then take it out for a run and, when up to normal temperature, allow the engines to run at 75% throttle - for 20-30 minutes in turn.

If temperature and other readings (preferably checked by a wireless thermometer) stay normal, I'd undertake the trip (engine-wise - the rest of the vessel, tools, spares and safety gear of course needs to be checked and up for it as well).

 

[Seastoke]

Wher is the trip to and from ,

 

[Freebee]

those are very old truck engines 55 year at best ??? ,they were not designed for constant speed but go up and down the rev band , hence 24 hour run at cruising speed is a bit unrealistic. like your friend I would also have some concerns about reliability, they could come through any test OK and still let you down at an important time..... its a big ask. Is there any record of hours run or maintenance and repair???

 

[ChromeDome]

We need details.

But.. If they were tractor engines they'd love to go on all day & night at the same rpm, under load.

Trucks, at all times (not least until regulations demanded resting hours) also went on and on. Think about those doing non-stop export runs between distant countries..

Is the 500 miles trip planned to be done in one go?

 

[tillergirl]

Sorry, I meant full cruising revs. The engines are 2 x Rootes Lister TS3 MGR.

Wow. Rare engines: a contemporary book describes them as 'two stroke diesel, three horizontal parallel cylinders with two opposed pistons per cylinder. The engine has direct fuel injection, closed circuit cooling and supercharged by blower. Develops 110 BHP at 2000 rpm'.

 

[rigpigpaul]

Hi All, the trip is from Torrevieja Spain to Guardiana river Portugal. Having a stop over in Gibralta for fuel

 

[Moonbeam]

Watch out for Orcas
RYA Orca Guidelines

 

[penfold]

Wow. Rare engines: a contemporary book describes them as 'two stroke diesel, three horizontal parallel cylinders with two opposed pistons per cylinder. The engine has direct fuel injection, closed circuit cooling and supercharged by blower. Develops 110 BHP at 2000 rpm'.

The Chrysler buy-out of Rootes ended it fairly quickly; turbocharging and a TS4 with an extra cylinder were in development when the plug was pulled and the commercial vehicle division went exclusively with 3rd party engines from Perkins etc.

 

[Bouba]

These engines are not powerful in today’s sense...so they may not need to go flat out nor even cruise...just get to hull speed at just over tick over is maybe all you need....it might be a long journey

 

[snowbird30ds]

A hour at good load would satisfy me of engines but fuel quality would be a bigger worry if it's been sat around, clean oil fuel and will keep an old diesel running fine but a filter full of sludge will stop it dead, and you won't find out till it gets rough at sea.

 

[Portofino]

Too many variables here to pin it .
Just go with your gut feeling and check out the life raft and ERIB , perhaps plot a course hugging the coast and nip and buy some new extra flares .Then go for it .
Get it insured , goes without saying .

Try not to bond with it early …..wait to see if it makes it .

The Orca quip ^ on reflection would be my biggest worry = you go into the LR .= orcas eats LR and contents .

 

[penfold]

A hour at good load would satisfy me of engines but fuel quality would be a bigger worry if it's been sat around, clean oil fuel and will keep an old diesel running fine but a filter full of sludge will stop it dead, and you won't find out till it gets rough at sea.

That's good advice; at least have a supply of spare fuel filters, disposable gloves and tools for changing them(and stugeron for the lucky winner), but preferably inspection of the tanks to check for debris/bug growth etc and clean if they're full of gunk.

 

[PCUK]

Sorry to be thick, but isn't this just a case of following the coast?

 

[kashurst]

Sorry to be thick, but isn't this just a case of following the coast?

Essentially yes, but there are some long stretches with no harbours or protection.
I would do a few local runs around the area first. Down to the Mar Menor and back. Lots of harbours on that leg if something starts playing up. If everything is OK after that, the engines are basically OK. Thereafter reliability on a long run needs two things - good cooling and clean fuel.
What you need to watch out for is cooling system failure on a long run - so take spare impellers and/or belts. Some self amalgamating tape, and a selection of jubilee clips. I used to take an infra red thermometer with me and point at the engine at key points to keep an eye on things.
And fuel supply.
Does the boat have racor filters with clear bowls. After all those years there is bound to be carp/water in the tanks that will start to move around. If the boat does not have such filters I would definitely change them to Racors and take a big box of spare filters. Then practice changing them. Then you can keep an eye on things as you travel.

 

[Tranona]

Don't forget the earplugs! Hopefully the boat has an autopilot so you can sit on the foredeck well away from those screaming monsters!