On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 11:42:49AM -0400, Norm wrote:
> Ahoy Ben,
>
> The pre-start lube oil pump is a $200 12VDC "Gear Puppy" brand pump.
I understand the general idea of pre-lubers, but am hazy about the
actual details. Does it tap off your sump and feed in through a valve
cover, or something like that?
(Hmm, now that I'm thinking about it - tapping it off the sump drain and
valving it could serve as both a pre-lube pump _and_ an oil changer!
That's what I call a compelling project...)
> It
> works great - pumps up about 25 psi of lube oil pressure before I hit the
> start switch. If one forgets to turn it off right after the engine starts
> it will try to pump against the 30
> psi of engine oil pressure stalling the pump. If one neglects to use a 15
> amp fuse to protect the pump motor (as clearly shown in the installation
> instructions) it will cost about $120 for the rewind job.
That would be the classic definition of "WHOOPS!"
> The wise sailor
> will put a 15 amp auto-resetting circuit breaker (the little ones that plug
> in to the common two-blade fuse socket) in the motor line.
I'm thinking... if you drive a relay off that two-terminal oil pressure
switch you mentioned, you could use it to cut the power to the Gear
Puppy. Oil pressure comes up, GP goes off; no chance of blowing the
pump.
> Further to the spst main engine oil pressure switch. This switch is rated
> for 5 amps. Considering an alternator uses about 5 amps field current (wide
> open) I need to put a relay in the alternator control circuitry to turn on
> this 5 amps of current from the 12 volt supply. It's on my short list.
If I happen to see you before you get to it, I've got a 30A relay for
you. I carry a stack of the little suckers. :)
> I know what you mean about fishermen not paying enough attention to being
> sailors. They seem to be so focused on catching fish to them the boat is
> often simply an instrument to get them to the fish.
The Russian fishermen here are... extreme examples. :) But then, given
the Russian definition of a fishing trip (6 guys, 3 cases of vodka, and
2 fishing rods), it's not all that surprising.
> On the TV show "Tuna Wars" about tuna fishermen out of Gloucester, our
> summer port of choice aired one episode where our heroes ran out of battery
> and were dead in the water with a rising wind and no way to start their
> engine. One of their fellows towed them to Provincetown.
>
> I still remember while serving on a tanker calling the Coast Guard to
> arrange a tow for a shrimp boat 200 miles west of Key West. They had a
> water-in-the-fuel-tank problem. (see Bandersnatch's Fuel System to prevent
> this situation) They had plenty of spare filters but the only way they
> could re-prime the fuel circuit was by turning the engine with the starter.
> They eventually ran out of battery doing this and were dead in the water.
Good grief. No second battery; not even a generator on board - and these
people go 200 miles out to sea. Pays to remember this kind of stuff when
you have a rapidly approaching questionable situation with another boat.
Remember, folks - you can't rely on the other guy to do the right
thing... he may not have any idea what that is!
Ben
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