Tuning-up my miserable KAD300

[melida]

Terry,
Thanks for the good wishes.
Since tuesday mech fixed the engine my stomach is fine :grin:
Now boat does 2 knot faster cruising then before the problem started.
On saturday wind was blowing 5-7 beafort and I was going through wind, at cruising speed did 19,5-20 knot with two men, full water, fuel between 1/2 and 3/4 and dinghy at platform.
Yesterday weather was better and 2-4 beafort, with same load and people did 20-21,5 knots at cruising speed 3000rpm.
Best regards.
Melida

 

[melida]

Hi all.

Back again with a little update.

As you’d remember late summer Volvo Penta mech came and checked every part of engine could cause the performance lack and minimized the problem to injectors must be changed, at least the nozzles and checking the fuel injection pump why not pumping effectively.

While this problem arised I had ¾ tank of fuel and until the end of September I was happy with my boat’s performance b/c since the level of fuel decreased performance increased.

When I bought/buy fuel and every time I fully fill my tank to calculate the average consumption by dividing the hours to quantity of fuel bought, also drain the racor bowl and change the 10 micron filter element with a new one. This leads to introduce air in the fuel line and I bleed the fuel system by manual hand pump until the bubbles disappeared and only fuel is coming. After this if I’m at summer home cruise to gas station for 15 minutes on plane or in winter marina 5 minutes of no wake zone. After filling fully tank (last two fill ups from a tanker not the constant tanks of gas station) engine had difficulty to reach 3000 rpm (which is my sweet spot) after a few try and than fine. First I thought I couldn’t successfully bleed the fuel system but I cruised 15 minutes on plane from island to city, so bleeding was perfect and there shouldn’t be any air in the fuel system. So the weight issue creates the lack of acceleration after filling the tank, or the tanker had too much debris in the fuel that I bought.

Called again the mech and told the whole story. He answered me that fuel pump can not pump effectively and nozzles must be changed. I got price quotes from Volvo Penta Turkey, Greece and USA for complete injectors set which even from USA the cheapest will cost me 2620 USD for 6 pieces from online. Than looked to the exploded scheme of fuel system there is an opportunity to by “exchange” injectors as Chris1960 suggested. They are 100 USD cheaper than complete injector and I’d save 600 USD totally. BUT mech warned to buy the complete injector instead of “exchange” b/c it means fixed, so they are also had failure and fixed but have not guaranty to won’t fail again. So have to buy complete new set.

Last Saturday mech called me and gave good news. Bosch is selling nozzles and I don’t need to buy exchange or complete injectors and he ordered them. Yesterday mech came to boat and disassembled the 6 injectors and fuel injection pump and brought them to Bosch service. The engineer of Bosch service told that they have the nozzles on the way and 6 of them will cost me 475 USD and they exploded the fuel pump and gonna inform me today or tomorrow what’s wrong with it.

Pietro don’t get angry to me, as you said “Engine run fine and injectors need replacement? How can it be? Did you experienced smoke or have fuel sludge from the exhaust??? “And I replied no smoke or fuel sludge that time. But nowadays or at least last cruise I did two weeks ago when I started the engine after a two weeks running there were a little rainbow on the sea surface coming from my boat. That is the sign of dead (almost) injectors. But after a 20 minute cruise when anchored there was nothing visible but exhaust smoke was seen and smell.


As Chris1960 said “I don’t think they are serviceable by any Bosch diesel / truck specialist as they are quite complicated 2 stage units, so you have to replace them” but if I buy an exchange injector they want my complete injector(s) and they’ll only change the nozzles so the core part is same, also I have no failure on the core parts of injectors, just the nozzles has gone. An easier explanation is they sell nozzles with the price of nearly complete injector and it is not zero/new nozzles. So why would I pay 2620 USD for fixed and not guaranteed replacement instead of zero nozzles for 475 USD and just in a few days fo delivery instead of waiting someone brings me from USA within a 1-2 month? Bosch have ordered the nozzles and they’ll perform the changing tomorrow and they have lots of parts which fuel pump will need and gonna reach for Friday.

Asked to mech/Bosh as David/Dpmulvey asked “Can't they be rebuilt? If they need to be new, are they going to be the same or can they be larger to get more HP out of the engine?” They said no rebuilding but exchanging as I mentioned above. Also have to buy/put the same size of existing injectors. To get more power/HP must enlarge the fuel feed, injection pump, air intake, turbo and exhaust so they all mean a different/bigger engine and KAD300 have no room to enlarge to perform these.

On Friday I’m off work and with the help of my electrician buddy gonna install hydronic heating to my boat. Got all the information from Todd/Nehalennia how to wire and install and after installation will share the photos.

Waiting curiously the call from Bosch about the fuel injection pump’s condition and how the nozzle replacements have done. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I got info.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Wish me luck.


Best regards.
Melida

 

[melida]

Hi again.

After two days of my last post mech came on board and installed the injectors with new nozzles. Also installed the fuel injection pump which gone to bosch service and replaced repair kit. There was little amount of diesel residue according to bosch engineer and cleaned.

Before reassembling the corpse was lying under the towel.
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/aftercooler%20and%20turbo%20maintenance/280120111431.jpg

Abra cadabra
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/aftercooler%20and%20turbo%20maintenance/280120111432.jpg

Checked all the fuses/relays/sensors and solenoids.
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/aftercooler%20and%20turbo%20maintenance/280120111433.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/aftercooler%20and%20turbo%20maintenance/280120111434.jpg

After putting again all the dissembled parts we did sea trial. But weather was not good and boat couldn’t plane. We did one week later an other sea trial and better weather boat planned but not satisfactory, couldn’t reached wot and thought that bottom and gear was dirty.


We tried every possible item can cause performance lack. Checked/cleaned turbo, after cooler, air filter inlet and air divider for compressor and turbo, injectors tested and nozzles replaced with brand new ones, fuel injection pump cleaned and repair kit replaced, primary and secondary fuel filters replaced, also checked if there was fuel starvation from tank and disassembled the fuel hose coming from boat’s tank and bought 30 liter diesel in a jerry can and hooked the fuel inlet hose of engine in it, also return fuel line hooked into the jerry can and no change, also tried with an other (from a friend who has twin KAD300 in 335DA) charge air temperature sensor and no change, even we changed the throttle lever because its electronically controlled and suspected from it and no difference. Also hooked VODIA and saw no fault of boost pressure sensor, engine coolant temperature sensor, needle lift sensor and engine speed sensor. All showed visually no corrosion and undamaged. So there was one thing that caused still performance failure was the condition of the bottom.

In this period I was read many times the workshop manual of intake, exhaust and cooling systems chapter “corrective action in case of low boost pressure” which tells to check what I wrote above. Also read the article of “Understanding low power troubleshooting ” by Tony Athens. He mentions two things low power and dark smoke and low power and no smoke. Mine is no smoke so fuel related problem. We checked all possible things he mentioned in his article and they are fixed, cleaned and replaced. One other thing he mentioned is engine turns the props and props moves the boat so my boat is underpowered or overproped vessel. I solved that by enlarging the trim tabs and it helped very well to lower the bow. So I was almost crying because of we tried every possible cause and they are all seemed good, so what the hell engine does not reach cruising speed? Mech said to haul out and pressure wash the bottom.

Last saturday weather was good enough for cruising and I went a suitable cove for diving. Grey leg turned green/red and SS props to, also the trim tabs and water line/sides of boat had rapunzel length of algaes. Sanded the props with #80 sandpaper and they turned as mirror, brushed the leg and grey color turned back, sanded the tabs, brushed the pistons of tabs and cleaned with sponge the stern. Also cleaned the sides of boat with green side of the scotch brite sponge. After finishing the bottom cleaning weather turned to 5-7 NW, half meter wave and I headed upstream to my marina. Engine reached to 3000 rpm very easy in that sea condition and could reached wot but speed was low due to sea/weather.

I was once again shocked that this boat is too much sensitive of bottom dirt. I’m now waiting for another fill up of fuel which will be before spring haul out with current dead antifouling and will see if boat gonna fail for planning with that weight. I’ll try to keep the bottom clean as possible to see if the performance lack is boat related or engine related, so at the middle/end of next month gonna dive again and check/clean the bottom gear.

Up to now we did everything to get back the performance of the engine/boat and now I’m happy.

Best regards.
Melida.

 

[douglee25]

Well let's hope it's fixed.

I got to say, I saw my first pair of KAD300's this past weekend at the Miami boat show in a Prestige boat. The pair of engines look very very small for the size vessel they are put in. It's no wonder why they appear to be so load sensitive. It's almost the size of a Merc V6.

Doug

 

[OldSkool]

The KAD300 was built at the engines maximum limits. There is no way to extract more power without killing the engine prematurely. That being said, it has been a good engine overall.

As for the injectors, They can foul out in the first few hours of replacement if water in present in the fuel. I would say that this has been your problem as the injector pump needed rebuilding also. If you fueled from a tanker then the chance of contamination is good as the fuel never has a chance to settle as in a ground tank. The particles of water and debris stay stirred up.

 

[Pietro]

Up to now we did everything to get back the performance of the engine/boat and now I’m happy.

That's good to know! Finally! :smt038

Bottom fouling can destroy performance. I remember one time my boat could not run past 18 kts because of a dirty hull!

 

[melida]

Well let's hope it's fixed.

I got to say, I saw my first pair of KAD300's this past weekend at the Miami boat show in a Prestige boat. The pair of engines look very very small for the size vessel they are put in. It's no wonder why they appear to be so load sensitive. It's almost the size of a Merc V6.

Doug

Thanks it's finally fixed.

I guess you mean the Jeanneau (Prestige) boats. One of my friend had prestige 34 with twin KAD300, later he sold and bought 455/420DA.

I don't know the exact dimensions of 4,3 Merc but KAD300 should be bigger than it since it's inline 6 cylinder while 4,3 has 3 per side.

Below pic is not containing the whole engine layout but could give you some size idea. It has 49" length and 31" width.

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20spring%20maintenance/12052010768.jpg

Best regards.
Melida

 

[melida]

The KAD300 was built at the engines maximum limits. There is no way to extract more power without killing the engine prematurely. That being said, it has been a good engine overall.

As for the injectors, They can foul out in the first few hours of replacement if water in present in the fuel. I would say that this has been your problem as the injector pump needed rebuilding also. If you fueled from a tanker then the chance of contamination is good as the fuel never has a chance to settle as in a ground tank. The particles of water and debris stay stirred up.

I searched a lot and convinced that KAD300 is at the maximum power in it's line. I have many friends and known people have/had KAD300s in their boat and always heard positive feedback.

The injection pump seemed pretty clean, there was only small amount of fuel residue and cleaned at Bosch service. Now I have fuel between full and 3/4 and when time to refueling if the marina's gas staiton will not working I'm gonna buy fuel from car fuel station in jerrycans and rest the diesel at home before filling to boat's tank.

Also in may when haul out gonna clean the tank or polish the fuel.

Best regards.
Melida

 

[melida]

That's good to know! Finally! :smt038

Bottom fouling can destroy performance. I remember one time my boat could not run past 18 kts because of a dirty hull!

I have a friend who works at a shipyard producing coast guard boats. He said that 22,5m/73ft GRP coast guard boat which have 2 x 4000HP MTU diesel with arneson surface drives have cruising speed 35 knots and wot 62 knots even won't plane when the bottom is fouled.

http://www.sgk.tsk.tr/baskanliklar/harekat/en_platforms/platforms/kaan19.asp

So my miserable KAD300 fitted 315DA have zero chance to plane when bottom fouled.

Can't wait saturday to get onboard again.

Best regards.
Melida

 

[OldSkool]

I searched a lot and convinced that KAD300 is at the maximum power in it's line. I have many friends and known people have/had KAD300s in their boat and always heard positive feedback.

The injection pump seemed pretty clean, there was only small amount of fuel residue and cleaned at Bosch service. Now I have fuel between full and 3/4 and when time to refueling if the marina's gas staiton will not working I'm gonna buy fuel from car fuel station in jerrycans and rest the diesel at home before filling to boat's tank.

Also in may when haul out gonna clean the tank or polish the fuel.

Best regards.
Melida

I believe your country is now using Low Sulfur Diesel. If so make sure you use some additives with the KAD300. Frank has an excellent post on the home page on fuel and additives. They will last with the correct maintenance you are doing.

 

[melida]

I believe your country is now using Low Sulfur Diesel. If so make sure you use some additives with the KAD300. Frank has an excellent post on the home page on fuel and additives. They will last with the correct maintenance you are doing.

We have(had) 2 kind of diesels; rural diesel and euro diesel. Rural is the cheaper and have more sulfur. I always use(d) both in my previous boat D4-210 Dph and now in KAD300 Euro diesel. Beginning from the new year rural diesel is finished and there is only Euro diesel is sold. We had the E3 norms regulating and now it became E4, compliance to European Union. (They won't accept us to EU but my country adapted almost everything EU commanded to comply)

After dealing with my engine's performance problems and spending unnecessary money to get it back I'm strictly thinking to use additives as you mentioned, also read the post of F.Webster, and reading his all posts/threads of diesel.

In my previous boat, once refueling the guy at the gas station accidentaly put 90 liters of rural diesel and I had trouble to get rid of it long time. Used a biocide called "Grotamar 71" and it helped. Don't konw if it would be sufficient to protect my KAD300 from future fuel related problems.

Called my mech asked for which equivalent products could we use/find in my country as F.Webster mentioned.

Best regards.
Melida