Engine smoke

[hfmckevitt]

We have a 1990 Aquarius 45’ motor yacht with twin 3208 cat engines. Our starboard engine smoke a lot (gray) to the point where is is very noticeable.
The engines a 375 hp with 2110 hrs.
Te port engine also smoke but nowhere as bad as the starboard.
One thing I noticed is the port engine exhaust is lower in the water then the starboard.
I was thinking of adding an extension to the exhaust pipe?
I’m looking for ideas before I give up sell the thing.

Thanks
Henry
Linda Lee

 

[Brooksie]

I'd start by having the injectors serviced on that side.

 

[hfmckevitt]

Had them replaced last spring

 

[Comodave]

I am not a great mechanic but Ski really knows what he is talking about. Maybe PM him.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

What temp is the engine running at? It could be steam.

What does the smoke smell like? Does it leave a sheen on the water?

pete

 

[High Wire]

Did this just start or been doing it a long time? Intake air filter clean? Turbocharger clean?

 

[hfmckevitt]

Temps are around 180

 

[hfmckevitt]

Do it has been happening since I purchased the boat 4 years ago

 

[hfmckevitt]

How do I contact Ski?

 

[gsholz]

The engine may not be getting enough air. Remove the air filter and see if the compressor wheel turns smoothly. Have the turbocharger checked for corrosion on the exhaust side. If the gap between turbine and housing is too large it won't produce enough boost for the fuel injected - thus the smoke.

 

[bayview]

Have you cleaned the raw water system?

 

[C lectric]

There is a difference between fuel caused smoke and low raw water flow smoke
[STEAM}
Fuel caused smoke will be acrid and strong smelling. Will often appear immediately after startup lingering while running. When running the smoke will often leave a trail that leaves a long trail behind the boat, not dissipating readily.

Steaming can smell but will smell like steam plus normal exhaust smell.. It usually appears once actually running as the engine and the exhaust heats up.
Once cruising under load the level of heat increases dramatically but if the cooling system is dirty then the heat is not adequately carried off and can cause steaming. While running it will dissipate after a short distance behind the boat.

When does the "smoking" show, what does it smell like and how does it present?

As asked when was the last time the cooling system was REALLY gone through.

I have linked my TOME highlighting many of the problem areas that people miss or ignore that eventually produce symptoms such as you describe.
Read it through.


SKI Do a SEARCH and find one of Ski's posts. Click on the name and a b ox will open and in the box will be something send a message. Type your message, keep it short just to contact him and point him to this thread.. The site, T.F. system will send him your message. You will not be able to contact directly. unless he replies.

 

[Irish Rambler]

First of all you have the dogs gonads of an engine. Probably one their of their best
OK move on, somewhere in there is a HUMAN error, all diesel engines smoke until they achieve working temperature under loads. That's a fact !
Then its simply methodical.
So, lets get things in perspective.
Before those tree huggers in Europe triggered of this 'green' crap, diesel engines started and smoked a little until they attained working temperature after which they work hard ALL DAY EVERY DAY with no smoke unless badly maintained.
The newer diesels with computerised engines (I have one in my Mercedes E 320) work great with their particulate filters etc but then cruising down the high way the particulate filters cleans itself in somebody back yard WTF ?

The 'greens' in Europe have destroyed the car industry in pursuit of their ever green agenda.
By all means reduce pollution but with well researched un-unbiased thinking.
p.s Growing up on our farm we had no refuse collection service, we didn't need it,
We recycled everything and now the young tell us we should be recycling ! Wake up and smell the coffee.

 

[Woodland Hills]

First of all you have the dogs gonads of an engine. Probably one their of their best
OK move on, somewhere in there is a HUMAN error, all diesel engines smoke until they achieve working temperature under loads. That's a fact !
Then its simply methodical.
So, lets get things in perspective.
Before those tree huggers in Europe triggered of this 'green' crap, diesel engines started and smoked a little until they attained working temperature after which they work hard ALL DAY EVERY DAY with no smoke unless badly maintained.
The newer diesels with computerised engines (I have one in my Mercedes E 320) work great with their particulate filters etc but then cruising down the high way the particulate filters cleans itself in somebody back yard WTF ?

The 'greens' in Europe have destroyed the car industry in pursuit of their ever green agenda.
By all means reduce pollution but with well researched un-unbiased thinking.
p.s Growing up on our farm we had no refuse collection service, we didn't need it,
We recycled everything and now the young tell us we should be recycling ! Wake up and smell the coffee.

What did you do with old newspapers, paper packaging, broken jars and metal cans? How about work clothes too far gone to patch anymore? What about the coolant drained from the tractor and combine and the dirty rags you used when greasing everything? I’m guessing that when you were a child there was not as much plastic packaging as today. Not picking on you but recycling “everything” is not easy, then or now. If you were like the farms of my youth you had a burn barrel and a scrap area with old fencing, broken old equipment, broken glass etc. The farmers I knew never threw anything away, but that didn’t mean that everything got used again either. Sometimes it just stayed there and got covered with weeds.

 

[STB]

Grey smoke is usually a combination of white smoke and black and/or blue smoke.

So....here are some questions....

...burning any oil?
...diesel or oil slick at slip?
...clean up underway?
...clean at slip upon return?
...smoke volume and color at heavy throttle?
...any loss of power at any load?
...how does it start cold? Warm?
...does smoke change when air filter removed?

 

[hfmckevitt]

Guru,
I answer your questions as they appear
Yes burns about a qt every 50 hrs or so
No diesel or oil slick
Smoke underway
Smoke increases with load
No lose or power, however i normally don’t go above 2000 rpms
It has no problem starting. We are in Florida
I have that try to do it with the air filter removed. Will do it

 

[FF]

Was the engine idled for long periods of time to charge batterys?

 

[hfmckevitt]

Guru
No we are on shore power, with a battery charger. So only idle while warming up.

 

[bayview]

What is the color of smoke???

 

[hfmckevitt]

Guru
Smoke is light gray.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

What?? Been doing this for Four Years and it has only started bugging you now?

A problem can go from very minor to a huge rebuild problem by not being attended to for four years. Not saying that is the case with you but if the smoking started from a minor problem which has caused glazing or carbon deposits over the past four years, the engine probably has to come apart, at least the top has to come off.

Four years with two identical engines behaving in different manners is a cause for immediate pause and reflection time.

pete

 

[FF]

The 3208 has a wonderful design feature.

Timing the injection is done by simply putting a pin ( drill bit) in a set of holes and tightening the injection pump. Its in Da Book,

Might be worth a try ?

 

[STB]

When smoke gets worse underway, it is actually getting a lot worse as the boat is moving, naturally spreading it out.

Since the smoke is worsening underway and oil is being burned, my first thought is the turbo(s). Blue and grey can look a lot a like. One quart per 50hrs isnt terrible, but more than I'd expect normally. If it were colder, we'd no more about compression from the start speed.

Another thing to check is that the crankcase breather is unobstructed. And that it isn't overfilled with oil. And we already spoke about checking for an air obstruction.

...do you know how to check your turbos? I forget the 275s...how many per engine?

When you say it has no problem starting, how long does it takes on the 1st start of the day?

 

[hfmckevitt]

I has the heads replace two years ago due to over heating and bad gasket. That that time I had the turbo and cooling system done. The injectors were changed. All new hoses and new thermostat installed.
The caterpillar mechanic told me the smoking would get less as the old oil would burn off.
At time I had work done to the port engine. Replaced injectors, clean turbo and cooling system. Change all hoses. In addition to our maintenance work.

I believe now it maybe due the the water temperature. Engine runs around 120 deg.

One thing I have notice, is the port exhaust enters the water and the starboard exhaust is half out of the water. Would extension work?

Thanks for all the ideas. I’ll keep working on it

Henry
Linda Lee

 

[STB]

Hey Linda,

It is almost certainly not due to a cooling issue. It smokes from cold through warm.

Also, the mechanic's theory doesnt make much sense ro me. I dont even understand the hypothesis.

Did it smoke before the overheating? After 5heboverheating and before the head work? Immediately after the work? Has the character of the smoke notable changed at any point inbtime along the way? Or over time?

 

[rgano]

I am trying to wrap my head around the difference in how/where the exhausts enter the water - not that it is germane to the issue the OP is having.

 

[hfmckevitt]

Guru
When first brought the boat it smoke almost black. Did some work to clean it up. But always had the gray smoke. After the over heat repairs done it never stop smoking.
Everyone tells me it’s normal, but I don’t believe it. I see many other boats with the same engine and after warming up they don’t smoke as bad as our.
Is it something I will have to live with.
I’m located in Ft Myers Fl.
Thank you
Henry

 

[wpc691]

Guru
When first brought the boat it smoke almost black. Did some work to clean it up. But always had the gray smoke. After the over heat repairs done it never stop smoking.
Everyone tells me it’s normal, but I don’t believe it. I see many other boats with the same engine and after warming up they don’t smoke as bad as our.
Is it something I will have to live with.
I’m located in Ft Myers Fl.
Thank you
Henry

It’s not normal. My 3208’s smoke very slightly for a couple of minutes, then stop - there is no smoke perceptible at all sitting at the dock. I normally run 1250 rpm, run it up to 2000 for 15 min every 10 hrs - it smokes gray for about 5 mins, then clears up completely. Your engines run a little hotter than mine - I just about make 180 when running 2000, but normally around 170 at 1250. I burn more oil than you do. My engines start if I look at the key a little too long; they literally fire with no perceptible cranking. Ski did my head gaskets around 2013.

 

[STB]

Hi Linda,

Overheating can do internal damage to an engine, aging it more rapidly, causing it to smoke in ways that can't easily be addressed.

Remind me....how many operating hours and wall time since turbo(s) rebuilt on the affected engine?

How many turbos on that engine?

Do you know how to check them? Or want to be talked through it?

Can you send pictures of the smoke?

 

[hfmckevitt]

Guru
325 hrs since work was done. I have a total of 2110 on engines
One turbo I believe on each engine. I’ll take a photo tomorrow and send it off