How Often Should I Run Engines And Gen.

Ideally, I'd run my boat for several hours once a week. Nevertheless, I average once every three weeks (normal run of three to four hours), particularly since there are occasional periods (oversea travel and such) when the boat is idle for three to five weeks.

Funny out on the farm the headers run 6 cyl Perkins X 3 they sit around for 12 months to 2 years then have a oil change clean and replace filters then run 24/7 @ at 2200 rpm for weeks on end and run faultlessly after 25 years

gaston said:

Funny out on the farm the headers run 6 cyl Perkins X 3 they sit around for 12 months to 2 years then have a oil change clean and replace filters then run 24/7 @ at 2200 rpm for weeks on end and run faultlessly after 25 years

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What are you calling a header? Would it be called a combine in North America?

Ski in NC said:

Also good to run boat hard on it's last trip for winter storage for boats that do that. Dry oil then for all winter.

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I've always changed the oil as part of the winter layup. Thought that was a more or less universal practice.

johnrupp said:

What are you calling a header? Would it be called a combine in North America?

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That would be correct a combined harvester in America header must be a Ozzie term . Its a John Deer with Perkins

danderer said:

Maybe somewhat apples-to-different-types-of-apples, but one aviation piston engine builder recommends:
".. at least one continuous hour at oil temperatures of 165°F to 200°F at intervals not to exceed 30 days". This allows any water that may have condensed in the oil to boil/evaporate.
Source: http://www.reiffpreheat.com/Lycoming%20SL180B.pdf

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Art said:

I pre lube all my gasoline 4 cycle engines, car, truck, boat by turning over with starter till oil pressure comes up on the gauge. Then I trip the choke by momentarily opening throttle to full... then immediately drop throttle back to idle and start em.
"Simple is as simple does"!

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seasalt007 said:

I run my engines and generator just long enough to check water flow. This is what I have done for years except I do it once a week if possible. It not only moves things around and puts oil on them, it exposes different valves and pistons to the atmosphere down the open exhaust pipe.
The impellers also stop, hopefully, in a new place thus reducing the chance of getting a set on them. The very worst thing you can do is run your engines for an extended period at the dock...in gear or not.

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Nomad Willy said:

Danderer wrote;
"at least one continuous hour at oil temperatures of 165°F to 200°F at intervals not to exceed 30 days". This allows any water that may have condensed in the oil to boil/evaporate." Very good sir I agree. But IMO it can be done in less than an hour. And 180 degree min would be better for a boat. I run 190.

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psneeld said:

Depends if you are running them hard enough to get up to temp in gear. Broad stroke statements usually have an exception or two......

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Deckape said:

Run all systems for an hour each month. Different rpms for 5minutes or so. Then in gear ,forward and reverse ,then freshwater flush before shutting down. Gen is run with water heater ,and a/ c running then freshwater flush.also. We are at the dock and living aboard so all other systems are getting used everyday.

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markpierce said:

Ideally, I'd run my boat for several hours once a week. Nevertheless, I average once every three weeks (normal run of three to four hours), particularly since there are occasional periods (oversea travel and such) when the boat is idle for three to five weeks.

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gaston said:

Funny out on the farm the headers (combine harvesters) run 6 cyl Perkins X 3 they sit around for 12 months to 2 years then have a oil change clean and replace filters then run 24/7 @ at 2200 rpm for weeks on end and run faultlessly after 25 years

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The above are quotes just from the current thread page. The last one from Gaston probably sums it up best.

This old chestnut comes up with predictable frequency, and you know what..? There are as many different ways folk make themselves feel better about not using their boats for differing periods going round, I really doubt frankly that it makes blind bit of difference what you/we/I do, to be honest. Otherwise there would clearly be a lot of boats with buggered engines out there, because no two people do it quite the same.
Just sayin'

PS. Ok, fair enough...what do I do then..? Just about anything and everything. Sometimes when I go down I do nothing. Sometimes I turn her over to move bits and pieces by cranking without starting for a few seconds. Sometimes I run her for a few minutes just to make sure things that should squirt are squirting, and things that shouldn't aren't. Sometimes I run her under modest load to normal temperature, but not often. She's 40 years old, I've owned her 14 of those, and she's done untold hours, (the meter is broken), yet still starts first plonk every time, and runs like a dingo after a rabbit, so DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS.

Peter B said:

The above are quotes just from the current thread page. This old chestnut comes up with predictable frequency, and you know what..? There are as many different ways folk make themselves feel better about not using their boats for differing periods going round, I really doubt frankly that it makes blind bit of difference what you/we/I do, to be honest. Otherwise there would clearly be a lot of boats with buggered engines out there, because no two people do it quite the same.
Just sayin'

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Actually there are a lot of boats out there with buggered engines, although probably far more with other equipment on the boat buggered. I have captain friends/yacht managers who regularly get calls from owners with boats that have sat long periods and have all sorts of problems when they try to run them. The most common issues are batteries, but then all sorts of issues with things like EVC systems, heat exchangers, impellers, hoses, etc.

BandB said:

Actually there are a lot of boats out there with buggered engines, although probably far more with other equipment on the boat buggered. ....The most common issues are batteries, but then all sorts of issues with things like EVC systems, heat exchangers, impellers, hoses, etc.

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Yes, all engine peripherals, and not helped in any tangible way by running the engine, which would hardly be enough to charge a battery, and sitting still never hurt an impeller. My case rests, y'ronour...

One caution , attempting to operate the engine in the slip in gear to raise the load may have you tossed out of the marina.

A prop spinning can move huge amounts of bottom material , into the next slip or into a channel.

Much ungood!

I've been watching this thread with interest. We winterize our boat each year by changing oil and all filters, I wash the motor and then give it a WD-40 bath. Finally I flush the raw water side by running a hose into the strainer while running the engine for a minimum of 30 minutes. Finally I use antifreeze to finish everything up and shut it off. It will sit like that from October until April every year and it is very happy.
This engine is a little 3 cylinder Yanmar 40 hp. It still looks and runs like new with about 2000 hours and a very comprehensive maintenance plan.
In a typical season, it never sits for more than a week at a time. When it is being used, we tend to load it and run it!
This year, due to the fact that the boat is on the market, my wife had some major surgery and other "life" issues, the boat sits far more than it ever has. We have used it for a couple of week long trips though and I've been able to keep to the advice printed in the older Yanmar engine manuals.. That is to operate the engine at hull speed for a minimum of one hour a month.

I went looking at the current Yanmar manuals to provide a quote for this thread and skimmed through 3 different engine manuals looking for this advice and they seem to have removed the verbiage. They still talk about revving the engine before shutting it off (the subject of long threads on sailing forums) but there is no longer any mention of how long or how hard the engine should be run for minimal use.

I still like loading it up for an hour personally and I see no harm in continuing to use this as a minimum requirement when the engine isn't winterized.
Bruce

Owning a boat is continually like having an infant who recently learned to walk. For every great set of steps forward there are complications around the corner; many that must be managed and sometimes tended to in unique ways.

Ski in NC said:

The best thing is to take boat for a run at least once a month, and run it long enough and hard enough to get all the juices to peak temps.

But that is not always a practical option, understood.

Short runs dockside help keep the surfaces oiled, but do tend to get moisture in oil that won't get cooked out. But it would take many many dockside starts to get moisture level to a harmful point.

But the damage from a corroded cylinder or corroded valve can happen in a period of a few months.

So if you can't go for a run, I think a brief monthly run is the best non-optimal option. I don't think it is beneficial to run all the way up to temp, as what matters is oil temp and that will never get up there dockside.

What I would recommend is start up, when oil pressure gets up, rev engine a little to say 800 or 1000 to get oil slinging around. Run a few minutes, then to idle, then put in reverse. If a twin, you can put one in fwd and one in rev and that limits the strain on dock lines. Maybe a minute in gear. Then to neut, rev up to 1200 for more juice slinging, then idle, then off.

Once you do this for six months in a row, you really should do what it takes to get under way and cook the oil dry.

Also good to run boat hard on it's last trip for winter storage for boats that do that. Dry oil then for all winter.

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What he said. ^

Capt.Bill11 said:

What he said. ^

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What he said

seasalt007 said:

I run my engines and generator just long enough to check water flow. This is what I have done for years except I do it once a week if possible. It not only moves things around and puts oil on them, it exposes different valves and pistons to the atmosphere down the open exhaust pipe.

The impellers also stop, hopefully, in a new place thus reducing the chance of getting a set on them.

The very worst thing you can do is run your engines for an extended period at the dock...in gear or not.

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I completely disagree with this other than the last two words. Ski, who is a well regarded diesel mechanic here in Eastern NC, lays out a good bare minimum plan if you can't leave the dock.

One of the things I was most grateful to the PO for was the set of immersion block heaters. I kept them on 4 or 5 months a year here once we stopped cruising full time, even if we had used the boat frequently. So many benefits, I went ahead and stuck a Wolverine pad heater on the genset too.

Yes, I know, people get away with storing their boats in the raw winter weather unheated...

Here in New England 97% of boats are stored for 6 months each year. No running of engines, extremely little (and very expensive) inside storage. I hate it and it can be hard on engines and all boat systems. If the proper winterizing and storage process is followed things seem to work out.

Ken

" If the proper winterizing and storage process is followed things seem to work out."

The hassle is many folks wish to not bother with proper engine storage procedure in warmer , "we might use the boat" climates.

I have often thought that it might be possible to rig a push button method to spray fogging oil into an intake could be a simple solution.

At least it might save the cylinders from rusting .

FF said:

One caution , attempting to operate the engine in the slip in gear to raise the load may have you tossed out of the marina.

A prop spinning can move huge amounts of bottom material , into the next slip or into a channel.

Much ungood!

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Not in our marina FF. I have 7 metres of water under my boat.

FF said:

One caution , attempting to operate the engine in the slip in gear to raise the load may have you tossed out of the marina.

A prop spinning can move huge amounts of bottom material , into the next slip or into a channel.

Much ungood!

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That is exactly the reason I occasionally run our twins in forward gear, well above idle, at fairly low tide, while fastened firmly nosed into our slip... to get the bottom growth out! Luckily there is much room between our dock and other docks. Also, about once a year, there is a "harvester" that comes along and deletes the bottom growth in between dock areas. We're in fresh water and the bottom growth can reach top of water at low tide. At low tide there is still some 3' under our keel... meaning a total of about 6' depth.

FWIW, and without regard to care and feeding of engines and genset...


I've been finding that if I don't move the boat about once/week during summer months, once every two weeks at least, bottom and running gear fouling becomes an issue.


Not very practical to have a diver come that often, and divers have a difficult time in our muddy water and shallow marinas, too...


So if no other trips are scheduled, I just try to run the boat up and down the river once a week or so.


And the engines and genset don't seem to mind.





-Chris