diesel engine maintenance and powerboat seamanship 165
Once this happens, you need to cut off the fuel supply through the electri-
cal solenoid or mechanical stop. Try these three easy steps:
- Safety fi rst. Remove jackets, rings, bracelets, watches, and necklaces from
your person. - Locate the solenoid or shutdown lever. Open the engine access cover.
Locate the fuel injection pump. Some engines have a spring-loaded rod that
goes into a cylinder-shaped solenoid. This rod might have a bellowslike
cover wrapped around it. (See photo on page 156.) Other engines have a
spring-loaded lever attached to a cable. - Shut down the engine. Pull or push the rod or lever, whichever way off ers
the least resistance. Hold it in position until the engine shuts down. Repeat
steps 2 and 3 with a second engine.
Make Your Emergency Engine Shutdown Easy to Find
Put this on your to-do list. Clean the shutdown lever or rod thoroughly. Scrape
off any loose paint, rust, or corrosion. Paint it a Day-Glo yellow or red. Now it’s
easy to fi nd, day or night, in an emergency.
How to Stop a Runaway Engine
Your engine RPMs increase suddenly. You pull back on the throttle and nothing
happens. Th is indicates a runaway engine. Leaking oil gets sucked through the
air intake into the cylinders. Engines will run as long as the oil supply lasts or
until the engine seizes from lack of oil.
In the previous scenario, we were able to place the throttles into neutral position
and the engines throttled down to idle speed. In a runaway diesel, you lose all control
over throttle speed. Th e engine will not answer the controls, even if you bring them
back to the neutral position. And, you will be unable to shut the engine down through
the shutoff switch or fuel stop. No matter what you do, the engine will continue to
run at high speed. Th is makes a runaway diesel a dangerous beast indeed!
Larger vessels, like Bertrams, have an emergency pull-stop lever at the console.
Th is slaps a fl ap over the air intake, choking the engine and shutting it down
quickly. Smaller vessels require manual methods. But this takes time, and in
restricted waters you must prevent damage or injury to other persons, vessels,
or property. First, get everyone into life jackets right away. Th en use one of the
methods described below:
CO 2 Shutdown Method
The engine needs oxygen for combustion, so you can stop it by substituting
CO 2 for oxygen.