Is it just me or has Tomcat been cursed w/ a reliable boat?

[Mariner]

It seems like he's perpetually convinced that something is wrong with his engine, yet it always seems fine.

I don't blame him. I too yearn for projects that keep me in the comfortable embrace of the engine compartment.

I hope someday it finally does break down on you so you can achieve that eternal bliss.

[chiefrcd]

I should be so lucky

[tomcat rio]

..if you own a boat...

stupid question follows..
...
when i turn off the key, what shuts the diesel down?
...
an interruption in fuel flow i guess. but where is it interupted?
...

If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's the famous erudite scientist who once said:

"I woke up one morning and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates."


His mind tends to see things a bit differently than the rest of us mortals. Here are some of his gems:


1- I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.


2- Borrow money from pessimists - they don't expect it back.


3- Half the people you know are below average.


4- 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.


5- 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.


6- A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.


7- A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.


8- If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.


9- All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.


10- The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

[jcollins]

Mariner,

Your a funny guy.

[DougSea]

It's a boat - your wish for his happiness is inevitable!

(and I've gotten some great ideas for my own happiness from his many posts!)

[DougSea]

And Tomcat - I've wondered the same thing...what, exactly, shuts my motor off? There must be a valve or something somewhere. I'd like to know since I'd like to know how to shut it down in an emergency if the key didn't work.

Since we both have Peninsular's maybe we can compare notes on this one...

And as far as Steven Wright, my favorite has always been:

"There's this switch in my house that doesn't do anything...every time I walk by it I flick it up and down. Then I got a letter from a woman in Germany. She said 'Cut it out.'"

That switch is in my parent's garage. I always flip it on and off when I'm there. I can't tell you how hard I laughed when I heard him tell that.

[Elizabeth Ann]

And Tomcat - I've wondered the same thing...what, exactly, shuts my motor off? There must be a valve or something somewhere. I'd like to know since I'd like to know how to shut it down in an emergency if the key didn't work.

Isn't there a valve at the fuel supply?

[tomcat rio]

... i haven't been able to locate it. i would also seem that turning the battery switch off would shut down the engine... not something i'm going to do.

[Elizabeth Ann]

Theoretically the only way to shut off a diesel engine is to starve it of air or fuel.

99.9999% of the time I always shut the engine using the little button next to the key. The button stops fuel flow. One time i turned the key and it too shut off the engine - I'm not sure why, maybe it kills the electronics to the fuel pump.

I do however have a fuel shut off valve, and I think this is located immediately upstream of the fuel tank. I'd have to be back in NY to check the exact location.

Tomcat, the best advice I can give you is to check all the piping exiting your tank. We should all have a fuel shut off valve.

[tomcat rio]

...the key would not affect that valve.

[Russell]

On the Cummins I was told there is a solenoid that shuts off the fuel when you turn the key off. It probably needs a voltage applied to keep it in the open position. I do not know what to do if the solenoid fails except shut the manual valve at the top of the fuel tank.

[Mariner]

Most diesels have a compression shutoff. On large motors it's actuated by a solenoid that is triggered by turning the key off. On smaller motors there's usually a handle located near the control panel that you have to pull.

On the engine, you'll usually find the solenoid near where the throttle cable pulls/pushes on the fuel valve. I don't recall exactly how it works, but if you manually pull it, the engine shuts right down with no ill effects.