Additives

For the last decade outside the US. For the next inside the US. And yes a big Valvtect fan. Operating mode has changed. Big difference between having 200g divided into four 50g tanks and using 200g per 2-3000nm ( mostly genset for water and getting in/out) v current situation of 600g in two tanks and using 1g per mile. Find as much as I want to go 7-8kts I end up going 10-11kts for the joy of it. Thing rides nice even with the seakeeper off at that speed even in chop.
So need to change my mindset and practice. For the last decade would pick up complete fuel fill about twice a year with a top off before passages or long hops averaging 5-8000nm per year of total travel. Now expect 3-6000 nm per year with frequent fills. So time fuel is in the tanks will be a fraction of what it was. Could go months between fuel dock stops in the past. Now expect fill every few weeks.
Just heard from the yard. We had trouble with the genset from bad fuel but not the big Cummins. P.O. underutilized the boat. Had fuel removed. When tanks ‘scoped they looked good. Still yard refilled with turbulence to get any residual crude into suspension and polished. Yard believes tanks are now clean as is fuel. We shall see.
I started this thread wondering what I should do from this point forward. Really appreciate the links and knowledge. Didn’t know Biobor is caustic.

Funny how 8 knts is so fast when sailing but so slow when motoring.

Hippocampus said:

(edit) Didn’t know Biobor is caustic.

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Yes, the product MSDS warns of permanent eye damage, etc, so handle with care!

additives

For those of you with Ford Lehmans, Bob Smith (the developer of the FL) said before he died, that these engines need no additives. I'll take it from the pro.
George

gbrides said:

For those of you with Ford Lehmans, Bob Smith (the developer of the FL) said before he died, that these engines need no additives. I'll take it from the pro.

George

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I've said it before and I will say it again, Bob Smith was a Lehman ENGINE expert. He was NOT a fuels expert. This is the same guy who recommended adding Marvel Mystery Oil to diesel fuel which, if I am not mistaken, is an additive. By the way, MMO is about the worst additive as it REDUCES the lubricity of diesel fuel. Fuel lubricity is critical to diesel engines, not the engines themselves, but to its injection pumps and injectors which will last longer using an additive that increases lubricity. How much longer I do not know.

There is a mod to stop the Ford engines smoking on startup.
Its available from a company in England called Lancing Marine. The guy who owns the company started offshore racing those Fords and still supplies the engines (they are now made in Turkey).
BUT Caveat Emptor, I bought a new Borg Warner gearbox, engine mounts and oil cooler off him for a job I was doing and he ripped me off, so if you wish to get the modification be very clear and precise on cost and payment.
Unfortunately he's the only one who does this, you could try to get this through your local Ford Lehman agent and maybe get a better deal.

Incidentally regarding fuel additives and their need.
When I modified my fuel tank I put a lever type drain tap (with blanking plug) at the very bottom of the sump on the diesel tank.
Every month as part of normal check ups I very slowly draw off a glass jar of fuel, if its clear I simply close the tap and insert the bung, if it has water I keep slowly draining until I get clear fuel.
I never use additives and I've never had diesel bug.
Our family business sometimes operate trucks to some destinations up into Sweden and Norway and Scania/Mercedes recommend using winter fuel of course but they allow you to add no more the 25% of either paraffin or petrol to stop the fuel waxing.
I often run my Perkins on bio diesel/paraffin mix and have only the tiniest wisp of smoke under heavy load..

What's the mod called? Any idea what's involved?

Thanks,

Bruce

Irish Rambler said:

There is a mod to stop the Ford engines smoking on startup.
Its available from a company in England called Lancing Marine.

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Hi Penn Bruce.
If you go on their website www.lancingmarine.com once the page opens you can request technical information and they will give you the details you require. Once you have those you may get your local Ford Lehman dealer to modify your injector pump. A friend of mine had his done and is very happy with it.
The cheapest way to reduce smoke is to use 20% paraffin/diesel mix as the engine burns slightly hotter.
Another way to cut smoke is to secure your boat firmly to the jetty, start your engine and engage forward/reverse, take the revs to 900. This puts a very light load on the engine and helps it to warm up quicker, once the engine is warm there should be much less smoke as it will be hot enough to burn all the fuel in the chamber.

Marco Flamingo. Corn oil used to be very cheap in Europe at half the price of diesel, I filled my boat (Perkins 4236) with 500 gallons of 75% rapeseed oil/25% paraffin mix and cruised it across the Irish sea from Southern Ireland to Milford haven in Wales with no problems at all.
Taxi drivers in Berlin ran their Merc taxis on it for years and many commercial truck operators began to use it. The EU got to hear about it and doubled the price to bring it in line with diesel as they were losing so much tax revenue.

Irish Rambler said:

Hi Penn Bruce.
If you go on their website www.lancingmarine.com once the page opens you can request technical information and they will give you the details you require. Once you have those you may get your local Ford Lehman dealer to modify your injector pump. A friend of mine had his done and is very happy with it.
The cheapest way to reduce smoke is to use 20% paraffin/diesel mix as the engine burns slightly hotter.
Another way to cut smoke is to secure your boat firmly to the jetty, start your engine and engage forward/reverse, take the revs to 900. This puts a very light load on the engine and helps it to warm up quicker, once the engine is warm there should be much less smoke as it will be hot enough to burn all the fuel in the chamber.

Marco Flamingo. Corn oil used to be very cheap in Europe at half the price of diesel, I filled my boat (Perkins 4236) with 500 gallons of 75% rapeseed oil/25% paraffin mix and cruised it across the Irish sea from Southern Ireland to Milford haven in Wales with no problems at all.
Taxi drivers in Berlin ran their Merc taxis on it for years and many commercial truck operators began to use it. The EU got to hear about it and doubled the price to bring it in line with diesel as they were losing so much tax revenue.

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Why, oh why would anyone care about a bit of smoke on the start-up oh Lehman engines? It goes away in just a minute or two. Is there ever an end to what minutia boaters will angst over? Start the engines, put it in gear and go boating.

Catalina Jack. I agree with you but with the constant brainwashing in the media by ECO warriors and the fact that many modern engines use computers to regulate fuel some folk panic at a wee puff of smoke.
Into gear, get the engine up to working temperature, and enjoy our time boating.

Unfortunately, it's more then a puff of smoke and yes it does only last a a couple of minutes. It's just not neighborly to subject my pier mates to an unpleasant cloud of oily smoke.

Bruce

catalinajack said:

Why, oh why would anyone care about a bit of smoke on the start-up oh Lehman engines? It goes away in just a minute or two. Is there ever an end to what minutia boaters will angst over? Start the engines, put it in gear and go boating.

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Irish Rambler,

Here's the response from Lancing Marine:

BLUE smoke on start-up is not endemic on 2725 Fords, more indicative of drain-down of oil from somewhere and the only source I can thing of is oil carry-over from the rockerbox ventilation.
To test this, you could take a family-sized Coke bottle and a length of hose, pushed on to the rocker cover in place of the vent valve and going half-way down in to the Coke bottle, to see just how much ids carried over and if this givees you a clean start-uup.


And the response from American Diesel:

If the smoke never really goes away and the engine seems to be running cooler (below 180 (F)) -
A) Have the injectors "pop" tested by a local fuel injection shop. Clean and/or rebuild if necessary.
B) If the engine temperature never "levels off" as any thermostat controlled engine would, your galley water heater may be connected to the engine in such a way to bypass the thermostat.
C) Engine never levels off and you can see water moving into the header tank immediately on start up, your engine may not have a thermostat installed.
D) Compression may be compromised due to excessive glazing of the cylinder walls (result of too much oil in crank, too heavy a prop load, operating hours greater than 15,000)

If the smoke is heavy on startup and is all by gone at operating temperature (182-185 (F)) - Likely an environmental issue and you might consider one of the following -
A) Use a space heater in close proximity to the engine block to warm the engine and imitate a warm engine restart.
B) Consider installing a block heater to warm the engine coolant.

Bruce

Both of the approaches and responses are different and its left you in a bit of a quandary, personally I'd list them all, then start to go through the list meticulously one at a time, starting with the easiest ones first, record the results, then go on to the next one, until you eliminate the cause.
Whilst everyone can give you guidance based on experience, none, except yourself are actually on the spot so I guess you have your work cut out over the next couple of months solving the puzzle.
We would all be very interested if you could keep us informed as to your progress and results of each test.
Just a thought ? How old is the engine and when was the last injector pump overhaul ?
Some of the early Fords had a 'cold start' facility, could it possibly be activated on start up because that would give you black smoke for a minute or two.
Be meticulous, be patient and you'll crack the conundrum.