Fuel issue

[Lance Jones]

I like nits! Not sure what you mean by charging glow plugs.

[Ed Shankle]

Sorry, I should have said "energize". What I meant was when you turn the start key over, which starts the fuel pump and allows the glow plugs to heat up. If you've done the glow plug solenoid mod and hold the key over for 20 seconds, the glow plug should be hot! If not, I wouldn't eliminate that as the problem yet.

Ed

[Lance Jones]

The mid (Cyl 2) is hot. 1 & 3 are warm (New too)

[Stu Jackson]

Have you replaced the wiring?  At least the wires between the glow plugs.

[Ron Hill]

Lance :hat you are saying " 1 & 3" (fwd and aft) get warm but the one in the middle gets HOT - make no sense!!
Because the new #6 or #8 gage wire upgrade connects to the aft #3 glow plug.  They all should get HOT in 10-15 seconds!!

As I recall the M25XP wiring the 3 glow plug wires are "gang wired 1-2-3" with your new solenoid upgrade going to the aft #3 glow plug. You may have some crud or a bad connection on the #1 & #3 glow plugs. 

That gang wire is a Kubota part if you want a new gang wire harness!!

Recheck your wire connections.  A few thoughts

[Ron Hill]

Lance : Beside checking your wire connections, it should was unsaid that you need to use some "anti seize" on the glow plug threads (just like you would on the threads of a glow plug).

Not sure to the torque specs for the glow plugs, but snug is better than a "crank down".

An few after thoughts. 

[prh77]

First check and clean the glow plug harness. A quick and dirty check is to jump from the big stud on the solenoid to the glow plugs with a decent sized wire. Should be nice and hot in 10-20 seconds. Just be careful. Did this for a friend on a C 36 and an engine that would not start for 3 weeks zoomed to life. He then did the solenoid mod.

[Lance Jones]

I've already done the solenoid upgrade. Can I make my own gang wire harness?

[Ron Hill]

Lance : Sure you can make your own gang wire harness.  You can make it out of #6 or #8 wire.  I'd both crimp and solder.

Or you can do like Westerbeke has done on the newer "glow plug engines" -- they took a thin 1/16" thick harrow strip 1/4" wide piece of copper and drilled 3 holes to match the glow plug connections (approx. sizes).  In between the plugs exposed strip they used heat shrink as the insulation. 

A few thoughts

[Lance Jones]

It started!
Not sure what it was that I did. Maybe a combination of all the above posts.
Fuel polishing was a success. No gunk or water in Primary after running motor for about 15 minutes.
Glow plug upgrade is in; but, still uncertain if they were "fouled" out due to fuel build up in cylinders (If that is possible) Will find out in the morning.
Checked and cleaned all battery, 1-2-B, and starter terminals on the cables.
Added a negative bus bar in engine compartment.
Increased guage of wire from alt output to starter.
Moved dedicated starter battery to aft of engine.
One thing I found was a battery that would not hold a charge. The minute I stressed it, it lost about 25% of its charge....?

To do:
Building fuel polishing system.
Continuation of wire inspection and upgrade where possible/neccessary.
CLEAN UP A HUGE MESS!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks all.

[Stu Jackson]

Congratulations!!! 

You can be our new poster boy. 

You know, for like when we suggest you do one thing at a time so you know what the issue is that you fixed.   

Glad it's running, too bad you don't know why. 

[Lance Jones]

Understand the implication  . However, in reality, I did only do 1 thing at a time. Clogged filters. Changed and bled. Didn't work. Bled complete system. Didn't work. Only 1 glow plug warm. Changed glow plugs. Didn't work. Upgraded GP switch. Didn't work. Polished fuel. So far had insured it had fuel, air and warm GPs. Didn't work. Inspected and repaired/replaced terminal ends of batteries and cleaned. Didn't work. Found dead battery. Used a jump and it worked.

If something you do doesn't work, and it should've, you don't repeat, repeat.....you keep tracing the issue until you find the cause or it works.

I thought I used a good process with input from the C-34 crew. Guess I'm not Commodore material anymore.....

[Stu Jackson]

Lance, that's great news and I know everyone who chimed in here is always glad to help.

Only thing about these boards is that we can only read what you write, maybe not what you may have really meant.   

Glad you did it methodically.  If I understand your latest, then the real underlying issue was a rotten battery.  Is that right?

Congratulations again, you can't be our Poster Boy, but you sure are a great Commodore.   

[Lance Jones]

I actually think it was a combination of events that all contributed to the issue. One great result is I am more willing to work on and intimately more familiar with the engine system.

[Ron Hill]

Lance : WOW!!  Hallelujah    I'm sure that it was some of the last things that you did with the glow plugs that did the trick!  

Of course, polishing the fuel when you found water and crud in it didn't hurt!!  When you get things settled down, I'd recommend you pull the tank and get it cleaned.  
I know that Mainsail is not a fan of the Starbright Enzyme fuel additive, but I am.  I understand that it got a good write-up in Practical Sailor.  Unlike others I use the enzyme tank cleaner every fall at layup.

Doing one thing at a time means ONE filter at a time, bleed and start engine and run for10-15 minutes.  Then do the other filter.  BTW, if you are using a 2 micron in the Racor the fuel then goes to a 15 micron filter on the engine.  I don't change that engine fuel filter for 5 years/seasons, but the Racor gets changed every spring.

Glad you had the persistence to stay with the problem and get it solved.