| Circe
| Wednesday, May 5, 2010 One of my reasons for moving the boat outdoors at the end of last week was to enable me to test-run the new engine--more easily done outside than in. To that end, I began the day by acquiring the various fluids required for the engine: 15W-40 heavy-duty engine oil; antifreeze; diesel fuel; transmission fluid (ATF). With all the required materials on hand, I prepared the engine for its first running. I filled the coolant reservoir with an antifreeze solution, filled the oil pan with sufficient oil, and added some diesel fuel to the tank. I checked the transmission, and found that it already was full of fluid. |
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I discovered that I'd hooked up the fuel filter backwards: there was a specific inlet and outlet. It was a simple matter to remove the hoses, turn the filter around within its circular clamp, and reconnect the hoses. This done, and with a hose, water bucket, and having checked and double-checked all the requisite things, I was ready to get the engine going. I used the handy primer bulb in the fuel line to fill the fuel filter and fuel lines to the engine, and bled the system at the secondary fuel filter and injector pump. Then, I cranked the engine. It took a couple small subsequent bleeds to get enough air out of the system for the engine to start, but it was soon running smoothly. You can tell the engine's running in the second photo because the alternator blades are a blur. |
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I settled the engine into a comfortable 2000 RPM speed, and let it run for several minutes--maybe 15-20--to bring the temperature up and run sufficient fuel through the system. All systems were in good working order: charging, exhaust, temperature. |
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After a while, I brought the engine to idle speed: 1000 RPM. |
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Eventually, I shut down and rechecked the fluids. As anticipated, I needed to add a small amount of oil to make up for filling the oil filter. Then, I restarted the engine and ran it a it longer, accumulating a total of about a half hours' running time. While I had the hose on board, it was a good time to check out the potable water system for operation and leaks. I put a small amount of water in the tank and pumped it through the two sinks, checking for leaks at the connections. |
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I also temporarily installed the garboard drain plug and added some water to the bilge to check the automatic pump's operation. All good. |
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