Detroit Diesel Marine Engine Maintenance Schedule series 60. scheduled Maintenance for Marine Vessels is an important part of owning a boat. Contact 805 Marine Diesel Mechanic today to schedule inspections, maintenance, repairs. servicing Channel Islands Marina, Ventura Harbor & Santa Barbara Harbor.
Detroit Diesel Marine engine maintenance, repairs, service:
Everything that a vessel does, including moving through water, is accomplished by its engine.
Scheduled Maintenance for Marine Vessels is important most of all for your boat’s engine.
This is because engines and their parts suffer severe wear and tear from natural use over time.
There are no two ways about it, any combustion engine or diesel engine of any kind will need repairs and general maintenance to keep operating.
A regular inspection and maintenance are crucial to ensure that your vessel stays in tip-top shape.
It is essential that you avoid any issues that could result in total and permanent failure of your boat.
Detroit Diesel Marine Engine Maintenance Schedule:
Daily:
- Cooling System Coolant Level – Check.
- Engine Air Cleaner Service Indicator – Check
- Engine Oil Level – Check.
- Fuel System Water Separator – Drain.
- Marine Transmission Oil Level – Check.
250 Service hours or Yearly:
- Zinc Anodes – Inspect/Replace.
- Engine Valve Lash – Inspect/Adjust.
- Fuel Injection Timing – Check.
- Seawater pump impeller – Replace.
- Seawater Pump Seals – Inspect
- Seawater System – Flush with Descaling solution.
- Battery Electrolyte Level – Check.
- Belts – Inspect/Replace.
- Cooling System Supplemental Coolant Additive (SCA) – Test/Add.
- Engine Air Cleaner Element – Clean/Replace
- Engine Crankcase Breather – Clean
- Engine Oil Sample – Obtain
- Engine Oil and Filter – Change
- Fuel Inlet Screen – Clean
- Fuel System Primary Filter/Water Separator Element – Replace.
- Fuel System Secondary Filter – Replace
- Fuel Tank Water and Sediment – Drain
- Hoses and Clamps – Inspect/Replace
- Seawater Strainer – Clean/Inspect
- Water Pump – Inspect.
- Reverse Gear Strainer – Clean.
- Replace Crank Case Vent Filter.
1000 Service hours or 2Years:
- Aftercooler Core – Clean/Test.
- Cooling System Coolant (DEAC) – Change.
- Engine Protective Devices – Check.
- Magnetic Pickups – Clean/Inspect.
- Turbocharger – Inspect.
2000 Service Hours or 4 Years:
- Engine Mounts – Inspect.
- Engine Valve Lash – Inspect/Adjust.
- Fuel Injection Timing – Check.
- Governor Oil Supply Screen – Clean/Replace.
- Heat Exchanger – Inspect / Remove/ Descale.
- Detroit Diesel Marine Maintenance Schedule
NOTE: These are Detroit Diesels periodic maintenance suggestions strait out of the service manual.
Some of these seem excessive to me such as adjusting the valve lash or adjusting the injection timing every 250 hours. here at Santa Barbara Marine Diesel Mechanic,
we can customize your diesel engines periodic maintenance to fit your needs.
The rich history of Detroit Diesel
includes over 75 years of evolution and development. They’re known today as one of the world’s leading diesel engine producers, alongside the products of top-name companies like Cummins.
While the story of the diesel engine starts in the late 1800s in Europe with a man named Rudolf Diesel, the Detroit Diesel timeline begins in the U.S in the 1930s.
At its earliest stages, Detroit Diesel began with an experiment run by the General Motors (GM) company.
In 1930, GM became interested in refining Rudolf Diesel’s engine model, as there were a few issues that kept it from reaching its full potential.
At the time, it was only being used in ships and stationary machines. GM began experimenting with a single-cylinder engine, aptly nicknamed “Big Bertha.”
Their goal was to cut down on size and weight while increasing the cylinder count.
Engine Room Log
Keep the maintenance log somewhere safe and remember to update it whenever you conduct anything from basic marine diesel engine maintenance to complex repairs.
You can take notes on engine hours of operation and create a calendar or schedule for repair in another section of the log.
Recording how much use your marine engine has gotten will help you know when it’s time to re-torque cylinder heads or change the oil.
Your maintenance and repair notes will be useful to anyone who uses your commercial boat or performs repairs.
If a driver notices an issue with the engine, they can consult the notes to see if it’s an ongoing problem.
A repair person can review your notes to see if similar problems have happened before or if past maintenance work could have contributed to the current issue.
The freshwater system
services the turbocharger, cylinder jacket, and cycle head. Since the freshwater system is a closed loop, it relies on seawater to cool it.
The seawater and freshwater systems contain other components that keep them functioning, just as the engine as a whole does.
Clogged sea strainers are not just one of the most common marine engine problems, but they are the number one cause of failed boat engines. Along with that issue comes seawater impeller failure.
A properly functioning impeller should look like a gear with rubbery veins. Over time,
the part absorbs seawater. As a result, the impeller and its veins harden, bend, or break. If that happens, your engine can’t pump seawater in to cool down freshwater and other systems.
Removing the impeller in the fall keeps its veins from hardening. You can reinstall it in the spring or get a new one to replace it.
You’ll need a socket wrench and a tool to remove the impeller, but they are worthwhile purchases since this is a maintenance task that you need to do yearly.
When caring for your freshwater system, focus on the pressure cap. Without a proper seal, your engine could overheat, so choose a quality seal and install it according to specifications.
Another simple maintenance fix is changing antifreeze every two years. Use extended-life varieties and only mix with distilled water to keep your marine engine running right.
Some maintenance jobs should be performed by a professional.
For example, every three years, you must remove the heat exchanger for cleaning. You should send this device to a professional, but with most engines, you can remove it yourself.
Remember, though, that if you have an ECM or common-rail engine, an expert should take care of the entire process.
