I'm having some trouble with my Diesel engine. Just wondering if anybody has an idea of what the problem is

I'm having some trouble with my Diesel engine. Just wondering if anybody has an idea of what the problem is.

It is a Universal 5411 inboard diesel for a sailboat. It was running fine all day, suddenly made a different sound ,kind of like a huffing, and then died. All tries to restart it have failed.

We have checked the fuel and bled the system. It turns over just fine.

The big thing I've noticed is that puffing is coming from the air intake, as in it is pushing out air instead of sucking in. Could this be a timing issue?

Any help is appreciated. We are stuck on the GUlf Intracoastal Wateray, 30 miles from the nearest dock.

It also was extremely hot after it died. Has oil, just was a bit low.

Overheated it?

is the water for the intercooler flowing freely? could be buildup.

stuck valve?

The only way you would have air being forced INTO the intake is if you have an intake valve stuck open or opening at the wrong time.......

he would hear that when turning it over, I'd think

Water does flow out of the exhaust of that is what you mean. This is my first diesel.
What would I hear?
How can I check?


We have a large amount of tools on the boat so we can really take this thing apart.

the sound would be the valve slamming into the cylinder with every cycle

You can check for valve issue by removing the valve cover and turning the engine over slowly.....watch every valve......they should move up and down freely.... a stuck valve will be obvious.........the intake valves should all move the same amount as each other and the exhaust the same as each other......I'd be concerned if it was an inference engine though.......if it is and you have a valve stuck open the piston could strike it and cause major damage.

Thank you both very much. Were gonna try tomorrow. And if it still doesn't work, try and sail. And if that isn't possible, call a tow

Forgot to mention other things that can cause the valve train to not function correctly would be damaged valve springs, rockers, push rods...you can even have a damaged cam....although all these are just possibilities until you can confirm it is a valve not working right that is causing your problem.........

good luck bro, I know the feeling about being stuck on a sailboat with a engine that shat itself.

That's what I think, but it ran all day and then just stopped.

What would usually be the first thing to go if a diesel like this over heats to failure?

i hope you got beer at least, its not gonna fix your
engine but it will make fixing it a bit more fun

Check your water intake lines aren't fucked... What kind of boat do you have? I sail on a C&C27mk5.

>.I'd be concerned if it was an inference engine though.
It's a diesel. It's an interference engine.

Cal 2-25. The engine turns over and water is coming out of the exhaust so that's good.

Ok so it started his morning for about 10 seconds. Died even when given full throttle.

Clean carbies

>water is coming out of the exhaust
It hydro locked. Remove the injectors and rotate engine to remove all water. Eliminate source of water to intake.

I think he might mean the exhaust for cooling water. Boats don't run a radiator and shit, they use the water they float in to cool the engine by sucking up fresh water, running it through the typical coolant passages, and pumping the hot water back out.

Man just sail it, the Diesel engine are loud and slow anyways. do you have an auto helm?

No auto helm and we are in a the gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Last night that big storm swung us into the mud after our main anchor line broke, so we can't sail. We could if we got off the mud. The backup anchor that was out didn't give us enough clearance from the bank.

We took the valve covers off and each are moving freely, it has compression.

I doubt the fuel is bad. I got it all from the same place and it was running fine before.

No carbs
Correct. Water is supposed to come out of the exhaust.

As stated before, with air chuffing out of the intake you need to check that all of the valves are moving like they should. I would do a compression test. Chances are you have a stuck or broken valve. Luckily that little 2 cylinder is easy to take apart and service.

Water is supposed to come out of the exhaust you monumental imbecile.

>Fram filter

Wrong. It's an L-head.

>stuck 30 miles from shore
>in a sailboat
>asking an anime website about your engine

The future is stupid.

Wrong. You're royally fucked. Enjoy drifting out to sea.

>taking OP seriously

Were not offshore. Stuck on the side of a canal. Aground, until high tide hopefully.

Sounds to me like you aren't getting fuel. Something wrong with the lift pump? Any way to confirm you are getting pressure at the fuel rail?

Have you made sure the decompression lever has not moved to the on position? It's not unusual for this to happen.

Symptoms would be immediate shutdown, lack of start, induction note change.

Another poster has recommended looking at the lift pump. There should be a hand toggle to cycle the lift pump. Disconnect the line from the lift pump to the secondary filter and cycle the pump to ensure flow.

Thank fuck you're not broken down near Somalia.

it is very possible because of the age of this boat that all the gunk that sits on the bottom of the fuel tank got turned up by the waves and now its trying to make its way through the engine... This has happened to me before.

Since you are on the mud is there anyway to check there inst something wrapped on your prop?

did you check the water separator filter? might be full of water

You could always spray some wd-40 into the intake and see if it will fire up.

It has a mechanical fuel pump powered by the engine, it is working. When I bleed the last line before the engine diesel is spurting out.
The decompression lever is spring actuated so it has to be held on. We use it when bleeding the lines.
Is the lift pump the fuel pump?

I'm starting to think something like this. I've heard that diesel tanks can have a microbe problem and last time we checked the fuel filter it had some green funk in it.
I have a wet suit and have been under the boat, nothing there. But in neutral that shouldn't matter anyway, correct?
The boat has a fuel filter but no water seperator that I can see.

Our plan tonight is to bypass the tank completely using a Jerrycan.

Also I heard you can use the decompression lever to start a diesel. How is this done?

Lack of cooling. Maybe oil has not changed, or radiator antifreeze is dry.

>Water is supposed to come out of the exhaust you monumental imbecile.

Sterndrive boat owner here.
You are retarded.

We changed the oil and it has water flow so cooling shouldn't be a problem. We can't even get it started other than those few seconds this morning.

>Also I heard you can use the decompression lever to start a diesel. How is this done?

I'm no boat man myself, but I thought I'd look up some info for you boatfriend. Sounds like quite the shitcreek you've gotten yourself up, best of luck to you getting out

>last time we checked the fuel filter it had some green funk in it.

Ru-oh Shaggy.

We've had similar, wave action stirred up Black Death (microbial infection) in the tank which blocked all filters. We could prime which is a very low volume of diesel but not run.

Be careful with the jerry can if it is unfiltered. Even old style jerk pumps will be scored by anything more than ten micron.

You can start using the decompression lever to manually wind over the engine by hand. Use the decompression lever to drop compression, crank until shaft speed is somewhat high and disengage the decompression lever.

The lift pump is the low pressure diaphragm pump used to move diesel from the tank to the injector pump. If fitted the diaphragm may be torn and not pumping.

Alpha and Bravo legs are wet exhaust too. Not everyone wants billy boat exhausts.

Thank you. Sea Tow and Boat US can't help us for atleast another day. To rough apparently and they are hours away. Probably cost nearly a thousand to get off and get to a dock.

My dad could come with his boat but he will be in New York till Tuesday. I could probably expect help from him late Wednesday.
As I've stated water is meant to come out of the exhaust with these types of boats.

I have a cabin cruiser and a drag boat, retard. Guess what comes out of my cruiser's exhaust during normal ops?

Water

>water is meant to come out of the exhaust
Then pay the $1,000 and stfu faggot, lol.

Because for now I have food, water, heat, and safety. I'll only call a tow if I absolutely have too.

We are going to try that.

Man just sail it the rest of the way.

300 miles left

Could the injectors be clogged. We will if we can get unstuck tonight.

If it starts and then dies as you mentioned above without the use of the decompression, the decompression is not going to help. You have another issue and it could very likely be fuel. Did you get a chance to inspect the primary filter for black death?

While you said that the decompression lever is spring loaded up can you confirm that the balls aren't touching the exhaust valves and are stuck in the engaged position? You should be able to see the exhaust valve of number one under the rocker cover.

I'm sure you have but now is the time to do damage control and maintain watertight integrity. Being a yacht she will only have the collision bulkhead and no others so if she starts to fill she will fill to the brim. Close all non essential seacocks, close portholes with deadlights if you have them, discharge most of the stored fresh water to help her get off the mud when the tide comes in etc.

If the injectors are clogged, the high pressure fuel pump is right fucked. A failing pintle injector which is the type used in your indirect injection 5411 is progressive. Particulates large enough to block the pintle in one hit would have caused the HP injection pump to fail before hand.

Good luck man.