[C320-list] White Smoke and Overheating Diagnosis (A Lesson)

[Christian]

Great explanation Mark!

One more thing I'll add.  It was both terrifying (to me) and exhilarating,
opening the raw water seacock with the hose off.  And it was a nice
learning experience watching the flow rate once I cleared the logging jam.
Even though I had control of the lever, I kept on thinking here I am,
opening a hole in my hull, imma gonna sink my boat, as that water rushes at
a good rate.

On Tue, Jun 1, 2021 at 3:26 PM Mark Cole <boatnboot at me.com> wrote:

> Ken;
>
> As a little more background, our C320s use what is called a “raw water”
> cooling system to move combustion heat out of the engine, which is
> different from your car’s closed cooling system.  A pump on your engine
> pulls water from the outside of the boat through a thru-hull, a closable
> seacock, a strainer and a heat exchanger before mixing that water with
> exhaust gasses in the mixing elbow and sending it out of the exhaust
> fitting in the stern of the boat.  That is why you should always check your
> exhaust when you start your engine to make sure plenty of cooling water is
> coming out.  Any of the parts in this system can, and often do, clog and
> cause the engine to overheat.  The one part of the overheating puzzle that
> you have control over is opening the seacock in the raw water system before
> you start the engine.
>
> To make matters worse, it is difficult to check this thru-hull from
> outside the boat unless you are hauled out since, like Christian mentioned,
> it is in the middle of the hull just behind the engine.  This means that
> most often, you are trouble shooting overheating issues from inside the
> boat, in the water.
>
> Mark
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Jun 1, 2021, at 12:33 PM, Christian <ccaper at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Ken, on hull #138 (Perkins M30), mine is in the aft cabin, near the
> back,
> > under the cabin cushions, near center line of boat, behind the engine.
> > Externally, it sits almost above my prop.  In my opinion, this is the
> most
> > important thru hull to be familiar with on your boat.  You can sail with
> > the others closed, but not this one.
> >
> >> On Tue, Jun 1, 2021 at 2:28 PM Ken McCrimmon <kenmccrimmon at hotmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> Novice C320 question, which is the raw water intake, so i know where to
> >> look on the outside if i have a problem
> >> ________________________________
> >> From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> on behalf of
> >> P.F. Ross <pfrstl at gmail.com>
> >> Sent: June 1, 2021 3:18 PM
> >> To: C320-List at catalina320.com <C320-List at catalina320.com>
> >> Subject: Re: [C320-list] White Smoke and Overheating Diagnosis (A
> Lesson)
> >>
> >> After talking about strainers here, I recalled reading something about
> >> them. It was Rod at marinehowto.com, who is not a fan.  Food for
> thought.
> >>
> >> https://marinehowto.com/external-strainers-omg/
> >>
> >>> On Tue, Jun 1, 2021 at 2:09 PM Christian <ccaper at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> I too will be looking at a scoop after my next haul out.
> >>>
> >>> Morale of the story is your exhaust, and color if present, is like
> tarot
> >>> cards for your engine, and problems, if you learn how to read them.
> >>>
> >>>> On Tue, Jun 1, 2021 at 2:05 PM P.F. Ross <pfrstl at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Christian,
> >>>>
> >>>> Very similar thing here.
> >>>>
> >>>> We were leaving on a multi-day cruise, boat was fully packed and we
> >> were
> >>>> quite happy to finally be getting underway.  I started the engine an
> >> hour
> >>>> before we shoved off to get some heat on it and an instant after if
> >> fired
> >>>> up I heard a light thump, not necessarily alarming but different.  One
> >>>> thing I have always done is to look at exhaust water (and listen to it
> >> as
> >>>> well) after the engine has started.  After 26 years of doing this, I
> >> knew
> >>>> what it should look and sound like.  The small stream coming out told
> >> me
> >>>> something was wrong and I shut down the engine.
> >>>>
> >>>> I went below to check the strainer and thru-hull.  Strainer good, but
> >>> when
> >>>> I exercised the valve, I could not close it all the way so it was
> >>> obvious I
> >>>> had sucked up something.  Since the thru hull is a 90 degree elbow
> >>>> configuration, I figured It would not be easy to run a wire through so
> >> I
> >>>> thought I might be able to flush it out with a water hose.  I removed
> >> the
> >>>> hose from the strainer end (and found very little flow) and was able
> to
> >>>> make a good seal against the nozzle of my dock water hose and
> >> backflushed
> >>>> it.  I then found the thru hull valve would now move normally through
> >> its
> >>>> full 90 degree travel so patted myself on the back.
> >>>>
> >>>> We cast off but I was still cautious heading down our canal to the
> bay.
> >>>> Good thing, too, since before we got to the end of our canal, water
> >> temp
> >>>> was rapidly climbing.  Fortunately, we were able to get turned around
> >> and
> >>>> back to our dock without overheating although water temp was higher
> >> than
> >>> I
> >>>> had ever seen it (200 on my gauge).
> >>>>
> >>>> At this point, it was about 2 o'clock on Fri afternoon and our trip
> was
> >>>> about to be scuttled.  Had we been in the Gulf, I would have gone in
> >>>> myself, but the dark tannin waters of our canal are just a little too
> >>>> creepy for me.  Amazingly, I was able to get our diver out on very
> >> short
> >>>> notice and he pulled most of (albeit somewhat shredded) a 13 gal white
> >>>> trash bag out of the engine cooling water inlet.  We were underway at
> >> 3pm
> >>>> and barely made it to our first stop before dark.
> >>>>
> >>>> So, all's well that ends well although next time our boat is on the
> >> hard
> >>> I
> >>>> will look into a scoop strainer.
> >>>>
> >>>> Frank Ross
> >>>> Beta Wave #206
> >>>> Naples, FL
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Tue, Jun 1, 2021 at 11:15 AM jackbrennan <
> jackbrennan at bellsouth.net
> >>>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> My story varies slightly. We were anchored in the Keys a couple of
> >>> years
> >>>>> ago when the diesel went hot on startup. Turns out some grass clogged
> >>> the
> >>>>> hose between the through hull and strainetr. Found it by accident
> >> when
> >>> I
> >>>>> noticed no water was coming into the strainer, even though the flow
> >> was
> >>>>> fine from the through hull.Jack BrennanSonas, 1998 Catalina 320Tierra
> >>>>> Verde, Fl.Sent from my Galaxy
> >>>>> -------- Original message --------From: Mike Mellon <
> >>> mmellon at cruzio.com>
> >>>>> Date: 6/1/21  11:12 AM  (GMT-05:00) To:
> >>> c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
> >>>>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] White Smoke and Overheating Diagnosis (A
> >>> Lesson)
> >>>>> We had an identical problem on LaVida with a plastic bag stuck in the
> >>> raw
> >>>>> cooling water intake.  So apparently not unusual.  We overheated so
> >>>> quickly
> >>>>> we had to get a tow back to the berth, at night.  I'm going to
> >>>> investigate
> >>>>> the strainer idea.Thanks.MikeLaVida 324On 6/1/2021 8:03 AM, Chris
> >> White
> >>>>> wrote:>   Hi Christian> Thanks for the story.I had a similar
> >> experience
> >>>>> some years ago and have since fitted a scoop inlet strainer.These are
> >>>>> available in brass or composite.Once the boat is out of the water you
> >>> can
> >>>>> easily fit these over the existing water inlet.> Regards> Chris
> >>> WhiteC320
> >>>>> #449 'Dandy'Hythe Marina VillageUK>>      On Tuesday, 1 June 2021,
> >>>> 15:28:20
> >>>>> BST, Christian <ccaper at gmail.com> wrote:>   >   This list has taught
> >>> me
> >>>>> so much, other's stories have helped me, so I> thought I'd share an
> >>>>> experience I had on Sunday, so others might learn.>> I sail in
> >> Chicago,
> >>>>> where we are on the hard for 7.5 months of the year.> Sunday, we
> >>>> launched,
> >>>>> and launch day, though cathartic, is always a nerve> wracking shake
> >>> down
> >>>>> cruise for me of what's gonna go wrong now after being> on the hard.
> >>> My
> >>>>> yard is on a river, about mile-ish off Lake Michigan.>> Before
> >> leaving
> >>>> the
> >>>>> yard dock, was idling engine for about an hour, checking> engine temp
> >>>>> (fine), exhaust flow (seemed a hair low, but wasn't terribly>
> >>> concerned,
> >>>>> just a mental note).  After casting off, I had to wait for 2> bridges
> >>> to
> >>>> be
> >>>>> raised, requiring circling for about 45 mins with light load> on the
> >>>>> engine.  After we passed the second bridge, now revving to higher>
> >> RPM
> >>>>> (about 25) I checked exhaust again, and noticed some light white
> >> smoke>
> >>>>> from exhaust, steady stream.  Started monitoring engine temp, and
> >>> began>
> >>>>> seeing the engine temp creep up slowly, going higher than normal
> >> (180),
> >>>>> and> ticking up to about 190, still steady light white smoke.  We
> >> went
> >>> on
> >>>>> to our> harbor, able to raise sails soon.>> Got to mooring safely.
> >>>>> Concerned I had coolant mixing with oil and was> burning coolant,
> >> once
> >>>> the
> >>>>> engine cooled I checked oil color for milkiness.> Clean, and no oil
> >>>>> burned.  Checked coolant level, same level.  Reading up> that night
> >> on
> >>>>> white smoke, I read it's often steam or unburnt diesel.> Could be
> >>> cooling
> >>>>> problem, or could be a valve, timing, or injector pump> problem,
> >>> crossed
> >>>>> fingers it was cooling.  Since I wasn't blowing white> smoke on cold
> >>>> engine
> >>>>> start, only when engine got hot, this was likely> steam, and an
> >>>> overheating
> >>>>> problem.>> Monday, I went back to the boat to dive into problem.  I'd
> >>>>> replaced my> fresh water pump, thermostat, and mixing elbow 4 years
> >>> ago,
> >>>> so
> >>>>> eliminated> those as likely culprits.  I'd just replaced impeller, so
> >>>> knew
> >>>>> that wasn't> a likely culprit either.  I took off the raw water
> >>> strainer,
> >>>>> clean.  With> the bowl off, I opened raw water thru hull to inspect
> >>> flow,
> >>>>> just a> trickle.  Interesting.  So I took the hose off the sea cock,
> >>>> opened
> >>>>> thru> hull again, barely a trickle.  Felt into sea cock with pinky,
> >>> felt
> >>>>> squishy> stuff.  Flash light showed white plastic shopping back
> >>> pieces.>>
> >>>>> Luckily I keep a coat hanger on board for random needs like this.
> >> Bent
> >>>> an>
> >>>>> end 90 degrees, went on a fishing expedition.  Over the next 2 hours,
> >>> I>
> >>>>> worked out a complete plastic shopping bag that had been sucked into,
> >>>> and>
> >>>>> deepy jammed, in the valve on my seacock.  It was so jammed, at one
> >>> point
> >>>>> I> thought I would have to rebuild the seacock to free it, but
> >>> eventually
> >>>>> got> the entire bag out.  Most of the time I had to rock the seacock
> >>>> lever
> >>>>> back> and forth to inch the bag through the valve. Now seacock flowed
> >>>>> perfect.  I> think I picked up the plastic bag in the river, on our
> >>> last
> >>>>> Fall return to> yard, is my guess.>> Hope this story helps others
> >>>> diagnose
> >>>>> overheating problems, and the> importance of monitoring your exhaust,
> >>>> every
> >>>>> sail.  This random mishap> could have become a costly repair if I
> >>> wasn't
> >>>>> closely monitoring my exhaust> and engine temp. And happy 2021
> >> sailing
> >>>>> season for us Great Lake sailors!>> -Christian Caperton> 1994 C320
> >> #138
> >>>>> "Canuck" Monroe Harbor, Chicago, IL>    -- Michael Mellon45 Ortalon
> >>>>> AveSanta Cruz, CA 95060mmellon at cruzio.com831-425-5583 Home
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>
>