Hi,

I've posted a few times here about the tribulations of Far Cove's little
engine. Well, I think I've fixed it!

In Our Last Episode, the engine just wasn't getting rpms. I'd reduced the
prop to 13x6 (supposed to be 14x9), rebuilt the head, rebuilt the injectors,
etc. - all to no avail. I'd had 2 diesel mechs look at it, and they said it was
running fine (then why isn't it getting rpms????). I even posted here, hoping to
get some advice.

One thing that seemed "off": it did NOT smoke. At all. Not a bit. Any of the
"usual" problems such as overproppped, bad injectors, worn rings, etc. should
have been accompanied by large amounts of black or blue smoke. Which pointed to
a not-getting-fuel problem, but the mechanics said it was getting lots.

Finally, the thread here on "Emergency Diesel Shutdowns" twigged a thought:
maybe the "stop" lever wasn't getting fully open. Checked it this afternoon, and
sure enough, with the lever fully "in", there was still a significant gap before
the lever hit the stop.

So, I fixed that and fired her up. Unfortunately, the cleats at the dock
didn't look too firm, and the tach at the helm isn't that reliable, but it DID
seem to get up to proper rpms in gear - at least more than it was before.

I may take her out at Christmas and see how she runs. If I can get the rpms,
I'll put a few more inches back in the prop and see if I can cruise at 6 knots!
(Still think I'll go for the new engine if I get a good price for the appt - a
brand-new 26hp is MUCH better than a 20-yr-old 21 hp, even if it IS getting
proper rpms)

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36