Westerbeke 3 cylinder generator repair

[drinkenbuddie]

Still can’t get it started after letting it sit for a year. Tried about everything!!

 

[Woodland Hills]

A diesel needs three things to run: fuel, air and compression. Have you verified that all are currently present in the cylinders? What effect does a shot of ether have?

 

[drinkenbuddie]

A diesel needs three things to run: fuel, air and compression. Have you verified that all are currently present in the cylinders? What effect does a shot of ether have?

Nothing at all. Yes I verified that it’s not getting diesel to the injectors. I took the injection pump out and cleaned it but haven’t taken the injectors out and cleaned them. It’s either one of them that’s not getting the diesel in the cylinders. Can’t seem to find a Machanic here.

 

[Woodland Hills]

If starting fluid won't get it to at least fire and spin over on the ether, you may have a compression issue. Why was it left for a year in the first place: mechanical issues?

 

[drinkenbuddie]

You would think that if I gave it a shot of ether it would run until it runs out of it. But does nothing. Don’t have a compression gauge that goes high enough.

 

[Ski in NC]

Is rack free to stroke on side of injection pump? (you have it off engine, right?)

Was fuel solenoid pulling in when trying to start?

Did you hear fuel pump click when holding preheat?

Glow plugs getting power?

Can do a redneck comp test by putting ratchet socket wrench on crank pulley nut and turning in normal direction. Should feel compression resistance every 240 degrees of rotation, then as it bleeds off (normal) should spin easy again. If you can spin it easy and feel no bumps from compression, it's got no or weak compression.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

No the solenoid is not shutting the diesel off. It has tons of compression.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I’ve taken the glow plugs out and got new ones. Turned it over with them out and listened to see if they were the same. It use to run so don’t get it.

 

[Ski in NC]

Why replace glow plugs? Super easy to test and on these quite reliable. Were they burned out?

Adress items in post #6 one by one.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

Yes. Tested them and two were out.

 

[The Other Gary]

Tie a wire to the fuel solenoid linkage and pull and tie it in the on position. Hit preheat and listen for the fuel pump clicking. then try to start it. Corroded solenoid linkage is common.

 

[Lepke]

If you verified no diesel is getting to the injectors then the problem is probably air in the fuel lines. Sitting for a long time, fuel sometimes drains to the lowest point in the lines. Taking out the injector pump isn't a good idea unless you're skilled in engine timing. The problem is now more complicated. Injector pumps rarely go bad from sitting.
Troubleshooting should be to verify the lift pump has fuel and is passing it on to the injector pump. Then is it getting to the injectors. If not, the stop solenoid is the most common problem in that case. Or maybe the wiring that controls the stop solenoid. Then the linkage, if any.
You check fuel going to the injectors by slacking the fuel line nut on the injector top. It should be clear of bubbles. Running a diesel on ether creates very high pressures. Too much ether commonly breaks rings and then compression goes to hell and you need ether every time. Pics of continually starting on too much ether.

 

[High Wire]

If this is an 8BTD with a cylinder shaped lift pump, it has a filter in the bottom cap not mentioned in the manual. I pulled mine out and it was absolutely plugged like it have not been changed in its 30 years of life.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41sIgvmA2aL._SL160_.jpg

 

[High Wire]

No the solenoid is not shutting the diesel off. It has tons of compression.

Well I found 270# of compression was not enough to fire any cylinder on my 8 BTD. At the end of the season it ran. After 6 months of summer storage, no longer ran. My rings were seized to the pistons with carbon.
How many psi is "tons"?

 

[Nomad Willy]

QUOTE
Originally Posted by Woodland Hills View Post
A diesel needs three things to run: fuel, air and compression. Have you verified that all are currently present in the cylinders? What effect does a shot of ether have? QUOTE

Needs reasonably correct timing too. Valves and fuel.

 

[Woodland Hills]

Well I found 270# of compression was not enough to fire any cylinder on my 8 BTD. At the end of the season it ran. After 6 months of summer storage, no longer ran. My rings were seized to the pistons with carbon.
How many psi is "tons"?

My DD's need 425psi according the manual, they will start with 375/400, but will smoke until warmed up. IIRC my Sprite was in the 180psi range when new and it felt like it had tons of compression too when manually turning it over......

Still, it should pop or try to start on ether if it is anywhere close.

 

[Woodland Hills]

QUOTE
Originally Posted by Woodland Hills View Post
A diesel needs three things to run: fuel, air and compression. Have you verified that all are currently present in the cylinders? What effect does a shot of ether have? QUOTE

Needs reasonably correct timing too. Valves and fuel.

Indeed, but with simple tools and no trained mechanic on the scene, it is fairly easy to check for fuel at the injector and for sufficient compression. Injection timing and valve timing are not as simple to inspect without a few special tools (often) or special knowledge (always).

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I did bleed the air out many times and didn’t use much either on it but no pop when I did. I didn’t turn it over without the injection pump out so should be still in time. I guess I’m going to have to get a compression gauge to see the compression numbers. The synoid is not pulling on anything. Don’t think it’s that. I have the exhaust undone so watching the water running through my boat so know it’s pumping water and not filling up the stack.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I rebuilt my Ford Lehman so do know a bit about them. Lots of gassers but not much diesels.

 

[motion30]

You probably already checked this but it is the battery fresh? Those Motors need to turn over at a certain RPM and a low battery will not allow the motor to do that

 

[drinkenbuddie]

Yes. I even been jumping it to my house bank. To turn it over fast.

 

[Russell Clifton]

By any chance is that generator in a sound shield with a automatic fire extinguisher? If so and you have the sound shield off, it will not start with that extinguisher disconnected. Also if you have shutoff valves on the fuel lines going to the unit and the return fuel from the unit, are they both open? Just a couple of stupid things that I have done in the past!!

 

[sunchaser]

Is it too late to suggest closing the raw water Intake valve?

 

[Ski in NC]

I did bleed the air out many times and didn’t use much either on it but no pop when I did. I didn’t turn it over without the injection pump out so should be still in time. I guess I’m going to have to get a compression gauge to see the compression numbers. The synoid is not pulling on anything. Don’t think it’s that. I have the exhaust undone so watching the water running through my boat so know it’s pumping water and not filling up the stack.

If the BTD series, the solenoid pulls in to run, and lets go to stop. If solenoid does not pull in, you get no start.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

My ford is the opposite. The synoid pulls in to shut off the diesel to stop it. Such the name stop synoid.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

Well I’ve never tried pulling the synoid in and trying to start it.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

No sound shield.

 

[The Other Gary]

I mentioned wiring the fuel solenoid in the on position earlier. most important because the lnkage corrodes and binds.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I think there’s a stop switch and it pulls in the synoid.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I keep thinking it’s something simple and I just got to figure it out.