Sabastian,
First don't put a real @ddress out on the usenet anymore. The spambots
will take over your inbox.

The subject at hand.
I saw the thread start and did not have time to jump in early, but no
matter. Lloyd gave you a really good start and most of the information
in the thread is pretty good.

You give no clue what machanical ability you have available. But, don't
go messing with the injection pump until you have to.

I like his plan a lot, (like he said)
run it up in neutral it should get to 3k
If it doesn't, or if it smokes a bunch doing that - pull injectors first
(cheapest-easiest thing) and get them checked. One injector with a bad
spray pattern will cause all manner of grief.

Good Luck Guy
Matt Colie - 40+years at taking care of someone's engine.

Sebastian wrote:

Our 1986 Catalina 27 with Universal 18 diesel tends to run hot
(although not immediately, takes many hours), has low RPMs (always,
although it ranges between 1750 and 2000 at full throttle), and always
give off some black smoke. Additionally, it appears that there may be
a tiny bit of black oil leaking behind the transon of the boat, but
not a lot. Finally, we get a maximum speed of 4 1/2 or 5 knots in
still water, which seems to be too little...

I am quite new to diesels, so know very little. Can someone recommend
some easy things to check/fix. I've heard black smoke means injectors,
but could that also cause the low RPMs?

Thanks!

Hi
I've been bitten a couple of time by forgetting how reliable and robust
diesels really are. Give them good fuel, enough air, and change the oil
now and then and they last a long time. Before pulling injectors and other
expensive stuff, I'd go back to the basics - dose the fuel with cleaner /
biocide, check ( probably change) the fuel filter, check the fuel lines for
free flow of fuel. I'd check the air cleaner for obstruction. I've been
caught out by dirty fuel, water in fuel, blocked lines, blocked filters,
plastic bags in air inlet ... and that on just two engines. I'd also check
the exhaust system for obstruction and blockages, and as others have
suggested check the cooling water system for blockages and adequate flow
too. ( Forgot that one, it helps to open the sea cock after cleaning the
raw water strainer ... )
Others have also suggested checking the shaft for free rotation.
Might as well change the engine oil - if you don't know when it was last
changed, do it anyway. Same for transmission oil. Also anything else
external to the engine you can think of. NOW I'd check the tacho
calibration. Do the "run it up in neutral" test. See if there is any
improvement. If it's not happy, and you are ( like me) no mechanic, I'd
find someone to look at the engine and use some test equipment on it before
I started pulling it apart. By having checked the fuel, air, water, exhaust
and transmission for obvious problems, you will at least have saved yourself
some mechanics time. And you will know a lot more about what is "normal"
for the engine, and you might even have fixed the problem.

Regards and good luck
David





"Matt Colie" wrote in message
...
Sabastian,
First don't put a real @ddress out on the usenet anymore. The spambots
will take over your inbox.

The subject at hand.
I saw the thread start and did not have time to jump in early, but no
matter. Lloyd gave you a really good start and most of the information
in the thread is pretty good.

You give no clue what machanical ability you have available. But, don't
go messing with the injection pump until you have to.

I like his plan a lot, (like he said)
run it up in neutral it should get to 3k
If it doesn't, or if it smokes a bunch doing that - pull injectors first
(cheapest-easiest thing) and get them checked. One injector with a bad
spray pattern will cause all manner of grief.

Good Luck Guy
Matt Colie - 40+years at taking care of someone's engine.

Sebastian wrote:

Our 1986 Catalina 27 with Universal 18 diesel tends to run hot
(although not immediately, takes many hours), has low RPMs (always,
although it ranges between 1750 and 2000 at full throttle), and always
give off some black smoke. Additionally, it appears that there may be
a tiny bit of black oil leaking behind the transon of the boat, but
not a lot. Finally, we get a maximum speed of 4 1/2 or 5 knots in
still water, which seems to be too little...

I am quite new to diesels, so know very little. Can someone recommend
some easy things to check/fix. I've heard black smoke means injectors,
but could that also cause the low RPMs?

Thanks!

Hi
I've been bitten a couple of time by forgetting how reliable and robust
diesels really are. Give them good fuel, enough air, and change the oil
now and then and they last a long time. Before pulling injectors and other
expensive stuff, I'd go back to the basics - dose the fuel with cleaner /
biocide, check ( probably change) the fuel filter, check the fuel lines for
free flow of fuel. I'd check the air cleaner for obstruction. I've been
caught out by dirty fuel, water in fuel, blocked lines, blocked filters,
plastic bags in air inlet ... and that on just two engines. I'd also check
the exhaust system for obstruction and blockages, and as others have
suggested check the cooling water system for blockages and adequate flow
too. ( Forgot that one, it helps to open the sea cock after cleaning the
raw water strainer ... )
Others have also suggested checking the shaft for free rotation.
Might as well change the engine oil - if you don't know when it was last
changed, do it anyway. Same for transmission oil. Also anything else
external to the engine you can think of. NOW I'd check the tacho
calibration. Do the "run it up in neutral" test. See if there is any
improvement. If it's not happy, and you are ( like me) no mechanic, I'd
find someone to look at the engine and use some test equipment on it before
I started pulling it apart. By having checked the fuel, air, water, exhaust
and transmission for obvious problems, you will at least have saved yourself
some mechanics time. And you will know a lot more about what is "normal"
for the engine, and you might even have fixed the problem.

Regards and good luck
David





"Matt Colie" wrote in message
...
Sabastian,
First don't put a real @ddress out on the usenet anymore. The spambots
will take over your inbox.

The subject at hand.
I saw the thread start and did not have time to jump in early, but no
matter. Lloyd gave you a really good start and most of the information
in the thread is pretty good.

You give no clue what machanical ability you have available. But, don't
go messing with the injection pump until you have to.

I like his plan a lot, (like he said)
run it up in neutral it should get to 3k
If it doesn't, or if it smokes a bunch doing that - pull injectors first
(cheapest-easiest thing) and get them checked. One injector with a bad
spray pattern will cause all manner of grief.

Good Luck Guy
Matt Colie - 40+years at taking care of someone's engine.

Sebastian wrote:

Our 1986 Catalina 27 with Universal 18 diesel tends to run hot
(although not immediately, takes many hours), has low RPMs (always,
although it ranges between 1750 and 2000 at full throttle), and always
give off some black smoke. Additionally, it appears that there may be
a tiny bit of black oil leaking behind the transon of the boat, but
not a lot. Finally, we get a maximum speed of 4 1/2 or 5 knots in
still water, which seems to be too little...

I am quite new to diesels, so know very little. Can someone recommend
some easy things to check/fix. I've heard black smoke means injectors,
but could that also cause the low RPMs?

Thanks!