From: hanners@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Robert Hanners)
Newsgroups: rec.boats
Subject: Help!  Diastole diesel disaster
Date: 9 Nov 92 12:47:00 GMT
Reply-To: hanners@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Robert Hanners)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Annapolis, MD

This is an emergency call to the net.  Yesterday I prepared to move
Diastole out of her slip so that I could bring in a barge to drive a
couple piles.  Power is a Perkins 4.108.  Checked the water; was low
so I added about 1 1/2 quarts.  As the water has never been a problem,
I should have seen the red flag immediately, but it had been a month
since I turned her over and I was about to put her to bed for the winter
anyhow, so I just made a mental note to look for the leak in the fresh
water loop.  Was a bit slow to start (5 secs) but really not unusual for
the 40 degree temperature not using glow plugs.  Seemed a bit slow to
warm up though... after about a minute, I took it up to about 1800 rpm,
but it immediately started to stumble.  Back to idle for another minute,
then tried to rev it up again... stumbled and died at about 2000.
Restarted it with no problem but in about 5 secs the oil pressure/
temperature alarm sounded and I immediately shut it down.

Checked the water; down slightly.  Checked the oil; ALL THE WAY TO THE
TOP OF THE STICK!  Instant self recrimination! :-(  Great, Bob.  You
picked a perfect time not to check the oil before starting... idiot!
(But... I was only going to move her a hundred feet.)  You're STILL an
idiot!

So, in the best of all worlds, it's the head gasket.  But... it must
have happened a *month* ago!  (Though there was absolutely no indication
of a problem at that time.)  She's been sitting immersed for a month...
d*mn!  Naturally, we had visitors in... and the next two weeks are going
to be a bear here at work-- was planning overtime.  Of all the times....

I pumped the crankcase dry... looked more like two or three quarts
of water in the slurry. :-(   Drained the fresh water loop.  Then I
added a gallon of oil and about 6 quarts of kerosene through the valve
cover.  Cranked the engine for about four minutes (with generous rest
periods for the starter).  After setting about 15 minutes, I pumped
about a quart of this mix out.  There was just a few drops of water,
most of which I figured was left in the hose from the first pumpout.

Now, my plea.  What should I do next?  Here are the rules.  I'm not
too interested in buying a mechanic who be working at an hourly rate
considerably surpassing my own!  And the boat is at my dock at my
residence, 5 miles from a suitable yard.  I'm also not going to be able
to get at this rebuild right away (with the overtime work here).

Is there a dry-gas type product that can be put in for a short time
to prevent corrosion until I can get to the job?  My visitor told me
that the ethylene glycol (antifreeze) is particularly destructive in
the bearings and rings... that it adheres to the surfaces in preference
to the oil and thus causes corrosion very quickly... it this true?  Of
course I can't run the engine to dry it out until the repair is made.

If the advice is to get a mechanic cracking right away, should I just
go for the head gasket (if that's the problem) or should the engine be
torn down all the way, checking mains, reringing, etc.?

The engine has over 4000 hours on it, but it's been well maintained
up to now-- good compression, not a trace of smoke or any other
tale-tale signs of problems.

I know there are several diesel-savy posters here.  What's the verdict?
On the engine... not my seamanship. :-)

Thanks for your time!

			      -- Bob

PS...  I'm a mechanical engineer and have rebuilt my share of automobile
engines... but this would be my first close_up_and_personal acquaintance
with a diesel.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert J. Hanners         "My comments; only mine."          *DIASTOLE* 676673
CD, NSWC, Annapolis, MD                              hanners@oasys.dt.navy.mil