Bilgewater
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2011
- Messages
- 276
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Sunset Lady
- Vessel Make
- 1975 Chris Craft 35 Aft Cabin
After sitting for almost two years on the hard, I fired up the engines today!!!! Ran a garden hose to the hose coming from the raw water strainer for cooling. Switch on, low oil pressure light and buzzer comes on. Turn to start, and she goes!!!!!! Smooth idle, plenty of cooling flow out the back. 
The port engine has a starter issue, had to hit the switch a couple of times to get it to turn over, but when it did, it also fired right up. Checked out the controls and gauges from the flying bridge as well as the lower helm, everything works. Pulled the starter and took it to a local shop for overhaul. Life is good 
To be totally honest, I managed to inadvertently start the starboard engine yesterday. I finished wiring up the new battery box, with house and starting batteries. House bank works fine. Turned on the battery switch for the starboard engine, and she cranks over and starts running. Without cooling water. Stop switch didn't work. Shut off the fuel supply at the primary filter. Tried to choke it with a towel in the intake, didn't work. Got the First Mate (also amazed that it was running) to fetch a Crescent wrench, and started loosening the return lines from the injectors. The engine died after about 90 seconds of running. The marina shops guys were lounging on lunch break near by, and came over to investigate. The senior dude took a look and immediately discovered the problem. I had replaced the terminal on the power lead to the starter. When I tightened it, it made contact with the post on the solenoid that is wired to the switch. So I had a hot starter. 
A simple re-alignment fixed it. He also showed me how the shut off solenoid could be manually activated. Luckily, that morning I had installed Speedseal Life covers on the raw water impellers. Didn't hurt the impeller at all. Another in a long line of experiences. Wouldn't trade them for anything. Ain't boating grand?
The port engine has a starter issue, had to hit the switch a couple of times to get it to turn over, but when it did, it also fired right up. Checked out the controls and gauges from the flying bridge as well as the lower helm, everything works. Pulled the starter and took it to a local shop for overhaul. Life is good To be totally honest, I managed to inadvertently start the starboard engine yesterday. I finished wiring up the new battery box, with house and starting batteries. House bank works fine. Turned on the battery switch for the starboard engine, and she cranks over and starts running. Without cooling water
. Stop switch didn't work. Shut off the fuel supply at the primary filter. Tried to choke it with a towel in the intake, didn't work. Got the First Mate (also amazed that it was running) to fetch a Crescent wrench, and started loosening the return lines from the injectors. The engine died after about 90 seconds of running. The marina shops guys were lounging on lunch break near by, and came over to investigate. The senior dude took a look and immediately discovered the problem. I had replaced the terminal on the power lead to the starter. When I tightened it, it made contact with the post on the solenoid that is wired to the switch. So I had a hot starter. A simple re-alignment fixed it. He also showed me how the shut off solenoid could be manually activated. Luckily, that morning I had installed Speedseal Life covers on the raw water impellers. Didn't hurt the impeller at all. Another in a long line of experiences. Wouldn't trade them for anything. Ain't boating grand?
