QSC 540 engine survey

Zach312

Active Member
SILVER Sponsor
Jan 23, 2011
823
Nashville, TN
Boat Info
2008 Sea Ray 47 Sedan Bridge
Engines
Cummins QSC-600
Anything specific I need to make sure to double check on these. The boat appears well cared for but want to make sure I am checking everything I need to on the engines.

For a boat that has been in salt water anything specific I need to make sure get extra attention on the engine survey.

I am assuming Heat exchanges will be on the list. Anything specific to these engines?

Thanks
 
Anything specific I need to make sure to double check on these. The boat appears well cared for but want to make sure I am checking everything I need to on the engines.

For a boat that has been in salt water anything specific I need to make sure get extra attention on the engine survey.

I am assuming Heat exchanges will be on the list. Anything specific to these engines?

Thanks

Make sure you have the torsional couplings checked, and look for any black dust, pellets, etc around the bell housing between the engine and transmission. Mine were both replaced the year before I purchase my boat. Here's the CSR thread with a lot more info..http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/zf-transmission-failure-of-coupling-48-dancer.33004/

-Tom
 
Is there a way to check them? We had the same issue and replaced the port side "pucks" on our previous boat.
 
Have your surveyor check the high pressure fuel line going from the pump to the rail. It is long enough that it vibrates like crazy and can (will eventually) break from metal fatigue.

This is kind of a sore point with me because I saw it in the first QSC that was sold by our marina. I raised it with Sea Ray, who questioned Cummins, who decided that it was not worth a recall but only warranted a "secret" TSB that added a $2.50 clamp to the unsupported portion of the high pressure line. With the clamp in place the excessive vibration is attentuated to the point where the line doesn't vibrate enough to fracture. Without it, if the high pressure line breaks, it will pump diesel all over the engine room at about 23,000 psi........if you are lucky, it just makes a gawd-awful mess. If you happen to get a spark from some electrical contact in the bilge, it can turn your boat into a $400,000 flame thrower.

Don't kill a deal over it....it is $5.00 worth of parts, but it can be dangerous if the fuel line breaks.


Also, have the surveyor check the serpentine belts. They vibrate a lot and as a result tend to stretch and wear quickly. Look for cracks on the back and tensioners that don't have much spring travel left in them. When the belts stretch, they will be thrown off the tensioner and end up in the bilge under the engine. When that happens, you are dead in the water because the serpentine belt drives the alternator and the engine's circulating water pump. The fix is new belts........and always carry spare belts on the boat.

Have the surveyor check the aftercoolers and heat exchangers for corrosion and fouling on a salt water boat.

On the couplings, when they fail there can be a rattle when you shut down the engines, but you will see the tell-tale "rubber dust" around the vents in the bell housing before the noise is very noticeable. Thankfully, Cummins now has replaceable pucks for the tortional coupler so you don't have to completely remove the transmission to repair them. Another "not a deal breaker", but maybe an adjusted seling price.

Good luck with the survey........
 
Thanks Frank, I have cummins checking on the TSB
 
Cummins usually denies this is a problem and doesn't discuss the potential failure so I think your best approach is to look at the boat and see it the added supports are already on the boat.....remember it is a $2.50 part.

I'd probably just order 2 and put them on if they are missing.
 
Point for all engines regardless of fuel type. Look at the anti freeze bottles on all engines. If all at the same level they may have added coolant. If so you may have a leak some where. You may want to ask the mechanic to do a coolant pressure test. I bought a coolant pressure tester for $40. I found a leak in one heat exchanger with it.
 
On the couplings, when they fail there can be a rattle when you shut down the engines, but you will see the tell-tale "rubber dust" around the vents in the bell housing before the noise is very noticeable. Thankfully, Cummins now has replaceable pucks for the tortional coupler so you don't have to completely remove the transmission to repair them. Another "not a deal breaker", but maybe an adjusted seling price.

Good luck with the survey........
Do you have any more info on the replaceable pucks? All the research I've done led me to believe that they only fix was to take the top deck off and separate the transmission from the engine.
 
We have replaced the coupler on 2 48DA's without removing the cockpit deck. You just need to get creative in lifting and supporting the transmission, but it can be done. Our method was to build an adjustable A-frame that straddled the transmission but fit under the cockpit deck.
 
Do you have any more info on the replaceable pucks? All the research I've done led me to believe that they only fix was to take the top deck off and separate the transmission from the engine.

The rubber dust is really obvious if the boat has the issue.
 

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