[C320-list] Engine problems

[Allan S. Field]

John - I have read all the posts regarding your engine problem.  It is not
clear from your post if the engine ran rough as the RPM's decreased or if it
simply started decreasing.  So here is a possible solution that may have
been overlooked.  Did the throttle lever itself gradually fall back as the
RPM's decreased or did the lever absolutely remain in the same position?  If
it remained in the same position, you can stop reading now.  But a fairly
common problem is that locking screw for where the throttle cable attaches
to the throttle lever loosens.  To access, you need CAREFULLY to remove the
compass, put LokTite on the locking screw, and before the LokTite dries,
adjust the locking screw until the cable slippage problem goes away.  From
memory (about 6-7 years ago), you would want to use the blue LokTite.

Hope this helps.

Allan S. Field
Sea Shadow - #808
Columbia, MD

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of John Ellis
Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2009 9:08 PM
To: c320-list at catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Engine problems


While motor sailing on San Diego bay this morning waiting for the wind to
fill in, my engine (Westerbeke 30B) started to hesitate and then the RPM
dropped from 2600 to 1000.  I pushed the throttle full open and after about
20-30 seconds the engine sped up again. 
 
This continued to occur at about five minute intervals. Sometimes the engine
speed would drop to about 600 RPM. If I put the transmission in neutral it
would eventually run well again, but did not seem to improve any faster than
with the transmission in forward, so I thought the problem was not caused by
something wrapped around the prop. 
 
My next thought was a fuel filter problem, but the engine seemed to recover
and then run well for a while, rather than slowly suffocate and die. Both
filters were changed last November and we've put less than ten hours on the
engine since then. We filled up (9 gallons) with diesel last weekend at the
Harbor Island fuel dock. 
 
I checked for the normal amount of cooling water being discharged and that
looked fine. After a while the wind filled in and we sailed back, starting
the engine for just the last 100 yards into the slip. Does anyone have any
ideas what could be causing this problem?
 
John
#271
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