42 Californian Manuals, Perkins 6.354MGT, Props, and RPMs
Hi Edelweiss,
THANKS SO MUCH! Any chance you could let me know what props you've got on yours and the cruise and WOT RPM and speed, if you happen to know them?
(Details below.)
Thanks so much for all of the information. I had no idea that the boats were delivered that way and finished up by the dealers. I guess it makes sense. I think my electrical panel is a LEWCO, which is a local company. And my genset is a 7.5kw Kohler that the service folks tell me is a rare model with no documentation available. Interesting that even the settee was after-the-fact, because most I've seen have been so similar.
I was hoping to find a boat manual. Maybe I'll hear back from TG. If I do, I'll try to get it posted somewhere, if I can. In the meantime, I've been using the sticky one for the 38 in the resources area -- it was indispensible in helping me figure out the fuel valves!
But, maybe you can help me with what I'd really, really, ..., really like to know right now...what props should the boat have and what are the cruise and WOT (under load, underway) RPM and speed?
...or, what do you have and whatever you happen to know about how it has performed for you?
My boat runs smoothly, but is smokey in the slip. It is mostly white, maybe with a tiny touch of grey. But, it is smoke, not steam -- it settles in. It doesn't really clear up under load, but doesn't get worse unless I go WOT, in which case it gets decidedly more grey, but not black.
Underway, I'm saw a WOT RPM of about 2100. Because of wind and seas, it is a bit hard to tell what my speed actually was, but, per my GPS, it was 14-15kn/hr WOT. At 1800 RPM, I was seeing about 12kn/hr. And, I was seeing 9-10kn/hr with a somewhat wide range of more modest throttle settings (As I got closer to 10, it was taking more and more and more to get small gains).
My best guess is that I am over-propped and, when I start dumping fuel in, am not able to get enough RPMs to get it burned. My hope is that, once I learn the original specs, I'm right. And that, if I go back to the right props, I'll develop 2400-2500RPM at WOT and get rid of the grey color in the high-throttle situations.
My diver tells me that my props are chewed up at the edges, but I'm not getting any vibration on either side. I couldn't get a good picture of how bad they are from him. I have been meaning to dive it myself and look, but the boat is 2hrs from me, so it hasn't yet gotten done while I am there -- too many other things on the list. But, in any case, I think that is a different concern and I'll know that story this week when I have it hauled.
The fuel in there now is mostly from the PO. Other folks at the marina told me the boat hadn't run in 10 years. He said 5. I'm betting the fuel is pushing 15 years old. My gauges are off and I thought I had less than I did and went to add more, but got barely more than 100 gallons in before all were totally full. I was hoping dilution would be the solution to pollution. But, I don't think it worked out that way. I'm going to try getting the tanks cleaned and fuel replaced.
I would try polishing the fuel, but I think a problem is actually that there is too much additive. I added a bunch. And, I think the PO probably did every few years -- if I splash in a bucket of fuel, it bubbles, almost like detergent!
I'm not seeing any water in the separators and the fuel's color and smell is good. Regardless, I'm just going to replace it. I'm hoping that will clean up the exhaust a lot.
I'm also going to do the injectors on one engine and see if it helps. I'm not optimistic because the top of all 12 injectors show the same 158-160 degrees with an IR thermometer underway. So, I don't think I've got a dirty one or bad cylinder. But, if it helps on one engine, I'll do the other.
Two mechanics, one a Perkins specialist, have told me that Perkins are just smokey after they get a few hours on them, and unless it is black, rough, or under powered, I shouldn't worry about the smoke or low RPMs. They just told me to find the WOT RPM and redefine cruise RPM to be 85-90% of that. But, I'd really like to clean it up if I can.
So, basically, my plan is to take care of the fuel and injectors and see if that fixes the smoke at idle and to take care of the props and see if that cures the touch of grey at high throttle.
I do know that I shouldn't run the engines hard often. I intend to cruise at 10kn/hr or less. And, more often closer to 8-9kn/hr. I'm just running it up for short bursts now to try to understand what the performance specs are, make sure cooling is working, and get confidence in things, etc.
Thanks again for all of your help!
-Greg
gkesden:
Are you looking for an engine manual or an owners manual for the entire boat. I bought mine new in 1977 (it's a 1976 model). We asked for owners manuals and were told by Yachts Unlimited (the Californian dealer in Seattle) that the manufacture (Marshall) didn't have an owners manuals for it's boats at that time and they provided us with a generic Perkins 6.354 shop manual. (Which we had to pay for.)
I saw brand new 1977 LRC's, 38's and 42', right off the truck being delivered to the dealership in Seattle. They had no electronics, generators, the electrical breaker panel was mostly blank, no spotlights, main salon furniture, etc. They did have a compass installed at the lower station, but not on the flybridge. $78 boat dollars got you a basic boat.
Yachts Unlimited contracted with Fremont Electric to install the electrical, 7.5 kw Onan and panel in Seattle on mine. I don't know who they had install the radio's, fathometers, remote control spotlights, etc. They provided us with the name of a shop to custom build the salon settee and teak table.
At some point they did create a "boat" owners manual with basic systems and wiring diagrams. I don't know if that was under Marshall or Carver.
The Perkins 6.354's T's and NA's were the standard engine and the 3208 na's and T's were an upgrade option after 1977 I believe. You could also custom order them with twin 85 hp, 4 cylinder Perkins too. I had a friend with one in Bremerton. Don't know where that boat is now, I heard it went to BC, Canada.
I would like to see a copy of the owners manual even if it is for the later boats. I'll bet it's pretty close to the older boats as well, other than the owner installed equipment.
Maybe TG could post the manual he has and we can add it to the pinned reference information page?