At any time saving money makes sense but by doing your own engine services your also becoming to know the engine and its parts a lot better.Acess and a clean engine is vital,not always the case on some boats,the older ones seem to be a case in point,with the engine stuck in an impossible out of the way space.
Remember oils and filters are really cheap,engines are not!
A Perkins 4106 46 hp diesel,its quite old and has over 1800 hours on the clock but runs well and is kept clean by a regular degrease and wash once a year.Thats a good place to start,you need a water soluable cleaner,apply with a brush,removing all dirt and surface oils.Do not apply to the alternator!
Gearbox filters require changing less frequently than engine filters,check the owners manual for details.This filter serves the gearbox,which on this engine is a Henry Meadows made box,Kevin still refurbs them and can supply new ones,he is at Waybridge,Surrey in England,he trades as TMP,check his web site out for some very specific information on these gearboxes.
The Henry Meadows gear box,Kevin can make a bellhousing to suit many engines.The output shaft is from the lower reduction box.
Note if you have a Henry Meadows gear box and it has a lower reduction gear attatched,please note that the main gear box,which has a dip stick has an oil gallery seperate to the lower reduction box,checking the main box does not check the reduction box,there is a filler opening lower down and a side plug thats removed when filling up,as oil comes out of the side plug,the level is correct.Replace the plug etc.
Oil,the Henry Meadows box and its lower reduction box run on 20 grade oils,probably one your not going to find,TMPs web pages say that a standard 20W50 grade is acceptable in this case.
Every owner should keep a log book specific to each engine,a list of spare parts too,I assume you carry spares,at least a fan belt,raw water impellor,diesel fuel and oil filters,etc.
As an addition to the log book and by way of not kidding ourselves a service is due,write the date when you last fitted a filter and put the engine hours on it too.If your engine has no hour meter buy one!
The same engine showing the oil filter that cleans the engines diesel grade oil,note the inverted position,if your engine has a filter in this position,there are things you need to know about filters. (check the next blog)
R McB
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