captrigney
Senior Member
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2012
- Messages
- 177
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Meander
- Vessel Make
- 1983 Grand Banks 36 Classic
After reading the thread about gasoline smells in the ER (I would run, not walk away from gasoline fumes) I am curuious about diesel smells in engine rooms. I have been on tours of other boater's engine rooms and have more often than not smelled diesel. It seems to be accepted as normal. Of course it's not dangerous as gasoline is, but I feel if there is a smell of diesel, something is not right. On the diesel boats I have owned, if I smelled diesel in the ER, I would track it down. I use the edge or corner of a paper towel to test hose connections, injector fittings, and the edges around filter housings to see if any fuel wicks. Then I deal with it. It doesn't take much of a leak to smell up the ER. I'm not anal about most things but I hate that fuel smell. And if it begins to smell, I know right away there's a leak somewhere (I just got my oil analysis back indicating just a tad too much fuel in the oil so I'll find the source of that as well. I suspect a return line leak under valve cover.) . Same with water. I like to dry the ER sump with a sponge (FRP hull and dripless shaft seals) and when I see water in the sump I track down the leak. It's usually just a loose potable water fitting, but I like to know. In my experience when something doesn't seem right it usually isn't and I've regretted times I've ignored the clues.