Bourbon Macallan?????

[bassyac]

I used a new 6 gallon portable tank and ran the boat. Same symptoms. I changed the fuel water separator again, cut it open it was clean, no aluminum.
I am glad that the tank is ok and they do not have to take it out. I do not have a manual yet, never thought I would need it for a while. Can a you guys tell me about this VST, what it is/does?
Thanks again
John

[Solarman]

aluminum particles in tank.

The vst ( vapor separator tank) does just that. It separates the fuel and vapors from the fuel going into the high pressure pump (located inside the vst), which goes to the fuel rail, then the remaining fuel returning to vst from fuel rail depressurizes and separates into fuel and vapors. While the high pressure pump continues the cycle over. The low pressure pump (diaphragms may be damaged/ restricted in your motor due to aluminum?) Is continuously supplying fuel through the needle valve in the vst (another area possibly restricted in your motor) to make up for used fuel in the float chamber of the vst, that supplies the fuel for the high pressure pump cycle. If you have a restriction at the low pressure pump(s), or going into the vst, your high pressure pump will pump what's in the float chamber, then will run out of fuel.

Hope you can understand this explanation. Good luck. Your dealer sounds like he is trying hard to solve the problem.

[bassyac]

Thank You
I do understand now. I kinda like to know how things work. The dealer replaced both pumps prior to finding the aluminum in the fuel water separator. He is back on the boat on Monday, I'll let you know what it is. No stripers this weekend 25 knot winds. Buoy 44017
John

[bassyac]

UPDATE
The Suzuki rep has now told my dealer to replace the check valve.
If the pressure drops on this valve on the pressure test, it's bad.
Who the blank knows. They have put $5000 in parts into this and I am still not having an engine I can trust. Do you still think it's pretty, humor

[Moonlighter]

Check valve? Are we talking the anti-syphon valve on the tank??!! Surely not!!!

[bassyac]

Good Day
It is the check valve on the fuel pump in the VST. It is being delivered today,$59.31
Maybe installed tomorrow, hope it works. The Suzuki rep said he has seen this problem before, you think he might have said that a month ago!
My 1985 Suzuki 150 is still on my old boat!
John

[Moonlighter]

Fingers crossed, John!

Hopefully it will be sorted and you can regain confidence in it.

Dont forget to let us know how it goes.

Cheers
Grant

[bassyac]

Good/Bad Day
Season over, he changed the check valve. Now the engine is flooding out. He changed the needle,seat and float switch,No luck. He is going to pull the VST tank and flush the whole system out,Today, it seems that he is finding aluminum sludge everywhere. I told him pull the #@#@#@ thing out of the water, start over in April. If the dealer has your car for awhile, don't they give you a loaner. My wife says put it on Craig's list and give his wife's cell number as point of contact.
Thanks for all the help
Still will be watching all the posts on this forum, like the knowledge you all have.

John

[Solarman]

Not good news.
If finding aluminum sludge to that extent in the vst, passing through the separator filter & fuel filter on motor, then what are the possibilities it has coated the high pressure filter, pump, regulator, injectors, and possibly the tops of pistons? Valves? Apparently it was finite enough, and such a substantial quantity, that it coated as sludge into the vst, I might be seriously concerned with long term effects if it coated pistons, rings, and valves too?

Maybe they should take the entire motor back to Suzuki for a training project for new mechanic trainees. Dissect each part to see how much aluminum got into it.

Can you imagine if they didn't put water separator filters on new boats?
Sorry John, wouldn't have imagined there could have been so much (quantity & sizewise) to make it through one filter, and you replaced several filters.
Will hope for the best, sad you missed this season. Good luck - Ralph

[Moonlighter]

John, what can I say. That is a debacle of major proportions. I cant imagine what someone would have done with that tank to get so much alloy filings etc in there. W o w, just, w o w!

I think at the very least, you and your dealer should sit down, have a rational discussion about how this all came about, and what its going to realistically take to get you both back on the "satisfied and trusting of the boat" side of the equation. After all, it seems that the root cause of the issues lies in the manufacture and installation and fitout of the fuel tank. Most likely, not a dealer caused issue?

Then, a joint phone call to the manufacturer's senior rep in the region to discuss how they are going to make this situation right is called for. Not just fixing the things that are directly causing problems, but some recognition of the grief and loss of trust and enjoyment that it has caused. And as Ralph said, some serious thought and action needs to be taken to get every tiny bit of ally sludge out of that engine's fuel system. I doubt however if it is realistic to expect a replacement engine, however justified that may be.

Let us know how things go. Its far too nice a boat to give up on!

And meanwhile, an early season's greetings from your friend from across the Pacific.

Enjoy your white Christmas, while we are sweltering over here in the heat and humidity! It was 36C and 90% on Saturday! Aaarrrgggghhhhhhh!

Our only consolation is that it is mango season and i just bought a tray of 20 nice ones for $18 and they are chilling in the fridge, and as soon as the 20 knot northerlies stop, I will be out to catch some nice sand crabs to accompany them!

Cheers

Grant

[bassyac]

Grant/Ralph
The dealer was on the boat yesterday,8AM he removed all of the fuel system he could, brought everything back to his shop. Cleaned out everything, the VST was clean,however the needle on the new float was in his words a little blunt, he used a different needle that had a better point on it. He checked his inventory and found 1 more blunt one. After all the bench work was done, he was back on the boat a 1PM put all back together, he took it out and ran the snot out of it in 40 mph winds at 5000rpms for 40 minutes, my cabin looked like grandson room. He said it is running fine and told me to take it out and run it, will do today after work, sneak out a little early. For all my grief he is going to give me FREE full winterizing, shrink wrap winter storage,spring tune-up and repaint the bottom. Snow for Wednesday, looks a little better for Friday, one more trip, my wife will be happy,she needs one more big bass, then pull it and then it's hunting season. I'll let you how today's run goes.
Regards
John

[Moonlighter]

Encouraging news at last! Your dealer is certainly going the distance with you, sounds like a good one that you want to hang onto!

Looking forward to your report after the run today.

Cheers

Grant

[bassyac]

Great NEWS, I ran the boat for over a hour burned 20+ gallons of fuel, ran it 5500-6000 rpms no problems at all. This is the first time I have run it wide open for any length of time, I normally run 3800-4000 rpms 28-31 mph, wide open is 47.8 mph yesterday, 25knot wind and a little chop. Big smile felt like a kid. I can talk on the cell and hear at that speed, it's so quiet. I have to check the book for operating temperature, running 137(F), 142(F) when I back down. Snow today, Thanksgiving Day (USA) tomorrow looks like Friday, Saturday, Sunday weather will be nice for some offshore fishing.
Pulling it on Monday it's getting cold, this boat didn't come with a windshield defroster
Thank You all for the help.
Have a Merry Christmas and happy and healthy holidays
Enjoy your Australia summer, Grant
Regards
John

[Moonlighter]

That is excellent news!

Temps look fine to me. We run hotter thermostats here, my 115 runs at around 74 C (165F) at those sorts of revs.

Happy Thanksgiving, hope the turkey didnt run roo fast!

[bassyac]

Out of hibernation. so is the boat. 2 trips out, 40 or so miles ran great!!! Finally! Now ready for some fish. Would I notice a BIG improvement if I switch to iridium plugs. 2014 DF300 $2.60 or $8.50.