Boat U.S. - January 2008 - (Page 36) ask chuck AskChuck@BoatUS.com Q: “Ask Chuck” encourages a two-way communication and an ongoing dialogue between longtime BoatU.S. Magazine Technical Editor Chuck Husick and BoatU.S. Magazine readers on a wide array of questions involving gear, the latest equipment and the best technology for use on your boat. Chuck is a sailor, pilot, engineer and former president of Chris-Craft Boats. He is a well-known expert and lecturer on diesel engines and is a member of the federal Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Sciences. If you are looking for a credible expert to guide you through some of the more complex and arcane aspects of boating, Ask Chuck is your answer. We invite your questions by e-mail. Address your inquiry to AskChuck@BoatUS.com. We look forward to hearing from you. This summer I lived aboard my sailboat. I still only managed to get out sailing on weekends, but since I would be sleeping and spending a lot of time aboard thought it would be a good idea to make sure I had a smoke and carbon monoxide detector. I opted to get some from the local hardware store. The CO detector had a nice digital readout, and seemed to work properly. When I used my alcohol stove, the readings went up slightly. Everything seemed to work fine for most of the summer until strangely it set itself off and read high numbers once or twice. I thought it just failed completely and I was prepared to simply chuck it out. To my surprise the readings cleared up when I took it outside. As far as I can tell, there were no sources of CO. No motors running (mine or nearby boats) nor any stoves. I’m wondering if these detectors might be sensitive to high heat/humidity summer conditions or fumes coming off evaporating alcohol or something like that? Any ideas? Iain Galloway Cheshire, CT ger on the problem. I have pulled the flame arresters and worked the chocks back and forth. I tried to adjust the idle but nothing works. I have oiled and worked the spring attached to the flapper — it seems to work normal. As the motor warms up and the flapper opens up slowly, it seems to be fine but after a ride, it fails and goes back to the high rpm until I turn it off and restart the motors. The wires connected to the chock are fine. Do you think it is the shaft holding the spring that needs cleaning or the whole carb? Robert Kardys Windsor, CT Although I can’t be certain, I believe your CO detector was reacting to the high humidity condition on your boat. Household detectors are intended for use in the relatively low humidity found in homes. They will also alarm when in the presence of mixtures of various outgassing materials, including some of the resins and adhesives used in boatbuilding. You will be well served by purchasing a detector specifically designed for marine use. A: I have never had to repair or rebuild the four-barrel carburetors on your engine; however your description of the problem is a classic example of an age/corrosion-induced problem. Since you don’t mention having used any type of carburetor cleaner, I’ll assume that no attempt has been made to clean them during the past 14 years. Since the engines run well and the only problem they present is the high idle, I would not try to rebuild the carburetors until I had cleaned them as thoroughly as possible while they are on the engine. I would try using a cleaner such as CRC Carb & Choke Cleaner. Since you will be working on the engine without the flame arrestor, please be sure to have the engine compartment access hatch open and the compartment well ventilated. A: I have twin Crusaders (454XL) with Holly four-barrels. These came with my 35 Mainship in 1993. I have never had them overhauled with only 600 hours on the motors/carbs. The problem is when I start the engines, they settle down to 600 rpm. I take a short cruise and as I idle back to the 600 rpm, they stay above 1,000 rpm. When I attempt to jockey the throttles back and forth with the intent to bring them down, they stay at the higher rpm. If I turn the engines off and wait (say 30 seconds or so) and restart them, all is fine at 600 rpm. I have considered rebuilding both carbs over the winter but can’t put my fin36 BoatU.S. Magazine January 2008 Q: My boat is a 26-foot Grady White 1995 that has a freshwater system including a hot water heater. When I turn on the hot water faucet, the water comes out with a slight odor and a white milky color. It does not come out milky out of the cold water faucet. I was told to put Clorox bleach in and to let it stand for a couple of days and then run it through the hot water system. It did not clear up the problem. Do you have any suggestions? Bill Fallon Neptune City, NJ From your description of the problem, it appears likely that the cause of the malodorous and milky-colored water is due to a condition within the water heater. Q: A:
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