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Port engine turbo turning up slower than starboard

Discussion in 'Cabo Yacht' started by CSkipR, Jan 10, 2015.

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  1. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Recently I've noticed that the port engine comes up to speed slightly slower than the starboard engine. Although not positive it seems like after the turbo begins spooling. Will need to confirm that. If so what would be the first couple of things to check?
    If before the turbo begins at 1400rpm what should I look for?
    The lag time is very short and it catches up quickly but there is a difference.
    Thanks, Skip
  2. Maxwell

    Maxwell Senior Member

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    A friend had similar symptoms on his volvo (D6) motors. In that case it was the boost pressure sensors.
  3. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Are you using syncro on throttle up? Can you power up more on the port throttle and match acceleration? Any smoke? New symptom or gradual?
    You know the 20 question drills..
    ,rc
  4. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Check fuel filters and air filters first and your bottom/running gear is clean
    Your mans have a boost sensor that occasionally goes bad and will cause that but usually it's not so subtle
    After that, it's probably the turbo getting some wear in it and needing a rebuilt soon
  5. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    rc - yes using sync on throttle up. Haven't tried powering up using more port throttle. No smoke.

    capt J - the 10 micron racors were just changed last month and very little use. internals about 100 hrs ago. Bottom is pretty clean and I show almost equal load on both motors. Motors have 1000 hrs so hopefully nothing needs to be rebuilt. Will clean the air filters as that has not been done in approx. two years.
  6. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Do you have algae in your fuel and how many times have you changed the racors in that 100 hours? A good rule of thumb is to change your secondaries every 2nd time you change your racors, maybe you could stretch it to 3x with 10 microns but it's pushing it a little. But at 100 hours I would change those. Have you done the thousand hour service? Specifically adjusted valves? Re-torqued cylinder heads at all? It could be the aftercoolers are starting to get plugged too. Have all of the heat exchangers coolers ever been cleaned specifically aftercoolers? My instant thought is turbos are getting some wear.

    There's 2 rules of thumb......I manage a Sunseeker with 1100 Common Rails. I do all of the maintanence by the book (on hours) and service the motors annually even though they don't see a lot of hours. When we change the fuel filters annually they have 100 hours (or less) on them and are crystal clean (for example). But I change them anyways. BUT, we have never, not once, had any issue that inconvenienced us on a trip or anything with the motors. One issue a newly installed fuel line would suck air at cruise once and a while and drop 200 rpms briefly and pick right back up, but we got to where we were going (SC) and home (FL). We just had racors installed because the boat didn't have any primaries aside from the Man primaries and secondaries. And I once had to overnight a battery charger to GA and install it. But we then had the old one rebuilt and have in on-board as a spare so it won't happen again. BUT, the owners always have an enjoyable trip without headaches the 3 trips a year they do with the boat and it's a 2007.

    OTOH, I managed a 63' Ocean SF 1987 that the same owner had from 1988 and I managed it from mid 90's to 2008 when he sold it. He did the basic maintanence like oil changes and fuel filters and stuff.......but never really maintained everything. He was very mechanical and of the fix it when it breaks mentality. He ran the boat with his wife and did 3, month long trips a year.......every trip he had to fix something that broke somewhere along the way. One example is the generator started eating an impellor every trip, this goes on for 3 trips and he puts a new waterpump on it, then it does it again. He asks me to change it, I change it then notice it has limited waterflow. I ask him if he ever had the heat exchanger cleaned, his answer was never. It had 2600 hours on it. I pulled it off and it was packed solid with broken off zincs and junk. Had it cleaned and never had an impellor issue again. A lot of that could have been avoided by maintaining it properly and did he really save much money in the end? Probably not after having to have parts overnighted to all over the place and days he lost spent in the engine room.
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2015
  7. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Capt J
    Yes had the 1000 service in early 2014. All things you mentioned completed. No algae in fuel. Will change the 10 micron and two 1 microns soon. Going to clean air filters this week. Never have replaced them as they always look pretty clean although I wash them with KN stuff and re oil about at 18 months.

    This past year in the Bahamas lost the battery charger and bought a new one. Also had the old one rebuilt as a spare.

    I'm pretty much a fanatic about preventing issues and changing everything on time or even before sometimes. I replaced my generator heat exchanger last year as a preventive measure. Noticed a pinhole leak when cleaning it and didn't want to take any chances on a solder/weld joint. Knock on wood these engines have been great except for one issue on both engines at approx. 400hrs had to replace the engine oil cooler gaskets. Man would not fix under warranty even though this was a known issue. Boat/motor 2005. 900 Common rails.

    Per your suggestion I called Ward Marine last week and ordered the shaft wiper brushes. Just replaced both yesterday.

    Skip
  8. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Ok, I'd do fuel and air filters given what you've stated, but seatrial first. Did they visually inspect the turbo's when doing the 1000 hour service? Fuel filters are typically the biggest source of performance issues by far. But you can tell that with common rails by running at cruise and looking at the gauges before doing anything. I'm going off the top of my head. Fuel pressure common rails usually run at 85PSI, but you should see anything above 70PSI. Air inlet vaccuum/pressure measurement should be less than -5 (I forget what MAN calls this on the display). Rarely but does happen the air filters get old and crush at cruise and create a restriction but you'll see this on the display with higher air inlet restrictions. It could also be a boost sensor......look at boost pressures as well between both engines. especially coming up to plane. Seatrial the boat first before throwing parts at it and record readings for both motors at 80% load, but 100 hours is a good time to change secondaries anyways. Do they reach top rated RPM's?

    On the westerbeke, you should change the exhaust riser and clamp also. They usually go 1000 hours and then create a huge mess when they fail.
  9. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Not sure if they inspected turbos. Okay will seatrial and check out the fuel pressure and air inlet pressure (let me know if you remember what its called on the gauge) & boost pressure while its spooling up. As I mentioned before the actually lagging might be happening before the turbos start spooling so will confirm on this too. Yesterday both engines reached 2320 and I pulled back throttle. Believe they would have gotten close to 2350 if I continued.
    Funny you mention the gen exhaust riser I have a new one just haven't attempted to install. It will be a pain.
  10. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I think it's air inlet pressure on the mans, definately check boost as you're coming up on plane (both engines). Rpm's sound fine and are close enough at WOT. If you can access the riser, it's usually not too bad.....the exhaust hose clamps first and get that off. There is a temp sensor which is 2 phillip screws and then the once band clamp which is a 7/16 nut..and a gasket to scrape off....the hardest part is keeping the riser and gasket lined up while you tighten the band clamp. But on your boat it's on the aft side and kind of tucked under the ledge for the engine room door......It might be easiest to take off the band clamp first, then the temp sensor, then the exhaust hose. Then install temp sensor first, then band clamp, then exhaust hose.
  11. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Capt J,
    When you clean the air filters do you oil them before putting them back on. I see some of the filters don't require oil. Model SP2740 KN.
    Skip
  12. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Capt J,
    Have you ever cleaned the fuel pre-cleaner? When you look at the operating book to change the fuel filters it says clean the fuel pre cleaner first. I've never done that? Your thoughts
    Skip
  13. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Picture of fuel pre-cleaner

    Attached Files:

  14. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I have not experienced what the book is telling you. I have changed the racors, then the Man primary metal filter (with the screw on clear bowl) and then the 2 pleated paper filters (secondaries) inside of the metal housings on the top rear of the motor. I know or was under the impression there was a s/s mesh filter like you're talking about which I've had cleaned by someone else. But I am not familiar with what the book is saying but that looks to be after the primary and secondary filters. That looks like it's on the injection pump itself which was the s/s metal screen I had a Man dealer clean.

    Yes, if they're the pleated ones like the K+N's I do clean and oil them and use the K+N stuff to do it.
  15. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Your 1000 hour service,,, Done by the local MAN guy?
  16. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Yes
  17. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Here is my recap.
    Cleaned and oiled the KN filters and ran the boat. Some very slight improvement with port engine syncing with starboard engine. Changed and replaced engine fuel filters 1-10 micron and 2 - 2 micron filters. Between the two we are real close to both engines being sync.
  18. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    What pressures are you reading for fuel pressure, air filter, load, and boost on both engines?
  19. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    At what rpm?
  20. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Cruise RPM mainly.