Mark,

I'm (at the moment) a 'gas guy' so I can't speak to your diesels, but I'm in the same boat (no pun intended) in terms of boat in the water with no winterizing. In my case I try to warm up the engines every two weeks, I've been advised and read many times that this is a good thing to do. I don't know what specific gen you have but I called a Marine Generator service and asked them the same question you posted - they suggested I run the generator every two weeks, let it run for five minutes with no load, then put a load on it for ten minutes, then let it 'cool off' running but with no load for five more minutes.

I'm not an expert by any means, just passing along what I've been told in case it is useful.

Regards,
Jason

 

Starting an engine that sits has more to do with battery maintence than engine life. An engine, Gas or diesel could care less if ot sits still for a week or a few months. My truck (Peterbilt with a CAT) rarly sits more than a week at most. I have had it down for a month. When I did this I pulled the battery cables to prevent the standby electronics from killing them. She fired right up as if I shut her down yesterday.
Think about it. your using a 400+ hp engine to charge batteries for a few hours?
I'd just disconnect the Batteries not used for bilge pump and other essentials or hook up a trickel charger.

 

I'll defer QSM11 maintenacne to Gary, Pirate and others, but at the very least, you will need to be concerend about how long the fuel sits in your tanks. Maybe some diesel stabilizer added to the tanks and then run through the mains and genie is in order.

 

Idling engines just build up condensate, blow-up, and other contaminants. Normally, some of these burn off when the engine runs under a load and builds some heat. If you're not going to load it and run it until it's hot, then leave it alone.

Best regards,
Frank

 

I try to take mine out for a spin at least once a month. I do the loop out of Hampton Creek by the I-64 tunnel, head west towards the Monitor-Merrimac, and then back to Hampton. It's about an hour from undocking to docking again.

The things you have to worry about with it sitting are the impellers, changing out the engine zincs (just did mine yesterday afternoon), and controlling the condensation. Maybe you have different air down in Virginia Beach but over here in on the Peninsula, I have alway had issues with condensation until I installed the Wolverine heaters this year.

If you were not going to run it, I would make sure you have an engine room heater (actually 2), change the engine/gen zincs, and change the impellers out in the spring for new ones (I do that anyway) and not worry about it. Make sure the fuel tanks are full to prevent condensation and put a little biocide in it to keep the seaweed from growing in the fuel tanks.

You are probably due for a raw water engine flush this year and coolant change as well... fun fun... Did you read my fuel cooler post I did earlier in the year?

 

I try to take mine out for a spin at least once a month. I do the loop out of Hampton Creek by the I-64 tunnel, head west towards the Monitor-Merrimac, and then back to Hampton. It's about an hour from undocking to docking again.

The things you have to worry about with it sitting are the impellers, changing out the engine zincs (just did mine yesterday afternoon), and controlling the condensation. Maybe you have different air down in Virginia Beach but over here in on the Peninsula, I have alway had issues with condensation until I installed the Wolverine heaters this year.

If you were not going to run it, I would make sure you have an engine room heater (actually 2), change the engine/gen zincs, and change the impellers out in the spring for new ones (I do that anyway) and not worry about it. Make sure the fuel tanks are full to prevent condensation and put a little biocide in it to keep the seaweed from growing in the fuel tanks.

You are probably due for a raw water engine flush this year and coolant change as well... fun fun... Did you read my fuel cooler post I did earlier in the year?

Gary, I've been thinking PM-ing you bout the impellar issue and engine zincs, but since this thread popped up, I'll ask here.

We run our boat about once a month- minumum. It has 140 hours give or take. I was thinking about doing the engine zincs and impellars but was looking for a manual or other that would help me with some of this. I can put my hand on a 1968 government manual on the '68 military truck I'm restoring- it gives visuals, torque loads on the bolts, etc -everything you could possibly want to know about how to repair anything and everything.

Does something like this exist for the 8.1 Mercs? Could be a dumb question....

 

Now you know that the air over here isn't any different than that stuff you breathe over there in Hampton.

Where were you getting condensation?

 

The entire raw water circuit... You know the weather around here... 30 degrees at night, 60 degrees in the day, 24 degrees at night, 72 degrees, etc etc. Unfortunately, the water in the raw water circuit as well as the big hunks of iron don't change temps that fast and so the whole engine would be dripping wet... literally. I put on the Wolverine engine heaters and the bilge is now warm and dry as a bone... much happier engine room.

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?p=161490&highlight=wolverine#post161490

Doesn't help with the zincs still getting chewed up or the impellers setting if you don't run the boat but it keeps all the equipment dry and happy. Also, when I fired up the engines yesterday, the oil temp was 81 degrees instead of 40.

 

Sounds like an excuse to go boating to me! Honey, I have to put a load on the engine!

 

Gary/All ... how about the generator, thoughts on 'warming up' the generator on some interval during the winter?

Regards,
Jason

 

The generator has to run on my boat when it's unplugged from the dock... otherwise the bridge heaters don't work... I just run the generator when I run the boat. If you are not going to really use it, I would do the same as with the mains and just replace the impeller in the spring and do a few swaps on the heat exchanger zincs and leave it alone.

 

Here's a summary, there is lots of good advice here, as expected. Thanks for that guys.

I think that Jason's recommendation about the generator makes sense. To run it with no load, then loaded, then no load. Especially since Frank says that it is better not to run the mains, unless I run them under a load to get them hot enough to clean everything out.

jitts3 says to run the engine to help with battery maintenace. My main baterry's do seem noticeably weaker when they sit for a few weeks, but they have not failed (yet). I do make sure to maintain the fluid levels and I replaced the gen. battery last year.

osd9's comments about the fuel has got me concerned. I have never used a stabilizer in the fuel in this boat but I do keep the tanks topped off to decrease condensation.

Frank said it is better to only run the main engines if they can be run under a load, so I agree with wish2fish, make this is a good excuse to take a cold water cruise.

As Gary recommended, I am getting the zincs checked (changed) and the impellers looked at this week, along with other preventive stuff.

I have not noticed the condensation in the engine room though. I do have a Bilge-Safe heater, the kind that only comes on when its really cold. So the engine room stays fairly chilly. The outside temperature is consistently a few degrees warmer on the southside, than it is in Hampton, if that would make a difference?? And engine room seemed very dry to me when I was on the boat this weekend. No condensation.

I am thinking that I should ask them to add the raw water flush & coolant change to the list $$$ (and I did look up and read the thread about the fuel coolers). I wish that I was as handy as you are. I don't think that is something I could tackle on my own.

Again, thanks for all the advice. This is really great information and I am grateful to you all.

 

When I can't "get out" I run the boat- in gear under load (one engine fwd, one rev) - at my dock until the engines come up to temp and the t-stats open, then for an additional five-ten minutes. Helps keep growth off the wheels, intakes, etc. and I've always felt that moving parts are better off moving occasionally. Same with the genset- I turn it on and load it up for at least a half hour.

 

Yes. You mean like this:

For Mercury, you can get them here:

http://www.mercurypartsexpress.com/us/manuals-and-how-tos-c5.html

I've always bought the shop manuals for my cars/boats... makes life much easier.

 

Gracias

 

I have always been in favor of putting a load on the engines and gen and running them. Most serious marine engine problems I have seen have resulted from sitting and not being used. (There goes your argument, "It's only got xxx hours!) Gary's engine heaters eliminate condensation.... that's good since engines do not like to be wet.

 

My buddy's mechanic installed 4 200 watt light bulbs with wire covers (protects the bulbs) in his ER to keep it dry. It works well.

 

Most of us have seen a light bulb burn out..... there is a large spark involved. IMO, that's a bad idea.

 

"The things you have to worry about with it sitting are the impellers"

This is the first time I have heard this.

When we purchased our boat the service folks (we purchased her from a marine service shop) told us to change them every 2 years or 100 hours, more in sandy/muddy water conditions. The shop in Richmond that did our service said the same thing. We had them changed before we took the boat to Deltaville in October and that mechanic said the same thing.

I replaced both pumps, with new impellers, about 2 years ago. So in three years, approx 150 hours, they have been replaced twice.

I have never heard they should be changed after they have been sitting (define sitting, 1-2 months, 2-4 months?). These IMHO are a critical part of a boat's systems, so I am thinking maybe I need to change them more often now.

I assume the reason for this is they breakdown when they sit? If yes how and why? I assume they are sitting in water in the housing and are not dry? We just had our boats raw water sides winterized so the impellers are not sitting in salt water now, rather they are sitting in antifreeze. I assume this is better?


A little off-topic, does the Pink antifreeze have any anti-corrosion stuff in it?

 

Impeller blades take a "set" when they sit idle in one position for a long period. They get permanently curved and no longer have the resiliancy they should have to maintain good water flow. The bigger the impeller, the worse it is. Most folks who winterize down here have their impellers removed from the pumps and stored flat on the hub end, then reassemble the pump in the spring.

As far a time is concerned, in this enviornment (NW Fla) if you use your boat regularly, you should get 200-250 hours out of the main engine (diesel) impellers, and about 300 hours out of the generator (also diesel).

 

Ah, never even thought of this. Now it makes sense.

"they sit idle in one position for a long period"

Any idea on how long they can go before they will set?

 

My boat sits November 1st - end of March every year. I have never had one impeller problem since 1994. In fact, recently found out that my boat had the original impellers still intact from 1994. I never had time to do the annual oil changes or anything before last year so I had my marina do it. I guess the motto over here is don't replace something unless its broken. FYI the impellers were still in perfect shape, I just figured that 15 years was enough lol.

My boat has close to 700 hours on it, probably 650 ish with original impellers.

However its a Crusader

 

My guess is a lot of this has to do with the water you boat in, sandy bottom, mud bottom, how clean the water is, have you sucked up any mud/sand/grit, etc.

Sounds like you boat in a nice and clean bath tub! ;-)

 

Somewhat clean, Lake Michigan

 

The exterior wire mesh fixture is the wrong choice for an engine room for the reason Matt mentioned. I use non-metallic vapor proof fixtures with safety glass covers. Two 60 watt long life rough service bulbs last me all winter and they have completely eliminated any engine room condensation.

As a heat soruce for moisture control, I suspect 120V light fixtures are only workable in southern climates where we get 20-25 degree changes in 24 hours. In the examples Gary cited for his area in Va, you would most likely need heaters.

 

The exterior wire mess fixture is the wrong choice for an engine room for the reason Matt mentioned. I use non-metallic vapor proof fixtures with safety glass covers. Two 60 watt long life rough service bulbs last me all winter and they have completely eliminated any engine room condensation.

As a heat soruce for moisture control, I suspect 120V light fixtures are only workable in southern climates where we get 20-25 degree changes in 24 hours. In the examples Gary cited for his area in Va, you would most likely need heaters.

I have no idea what kind of rigging and wiring his mechanic used. He is respected in this area, and I would hope he used an appropriate method. It has light bulbs - that's all I really know. I thought it was interesting.

 

You guys got it all wrong. Move to a warmer climate and you'll never have to worry about to cool an engine bay.
The other plus is you can cruise more often in shorts and T-shirts. LOL.
Jack