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2006 DF175 Summary Oil loss
History Fall 2007 -I purchased a 2006 21 North River Seahawk powered with a 2006 DF175
Boat hour meter indicated 25 hours. I used the boat primarily for salmon fishing, a little bottom fishing and scuba diving. By fall 2008 I had approx. 100 hours on the engine. I was continually adding oil but not aware of how much because the trips were mostly short trips to reach a fishing destination and then the kicker motor for trolling. I talked with a dealer about oil use and was lead to think the engine just was not broke in yet. Wrong!
In 2013, I learned a new fishery tuna fishing - here in Oregon off the mouth of the Columbia River it is anyplace from 30 to 50 miles out to the tuna grounds. It can be a 10 to 12 hour day and the engine is used the whole day. It was at this point I discovered these trips were using a quart of oil.
No visible indication of where the oil loss was coming from or going. No oil sheen, no smoking, just a lot of oil used. At the end of 2013, with about 400 hours, the dealer tested just about everything he could without taking anything apart. He had me run fuel additives through the system. Suspecting it may be a ring problem, he ran some special cleaner that was supposed to clean carbon build-up and free up rings. All to no avail. He did compression and leak down tests that had mixed results. One big disappointment, he never checked the valve clearances. Even though I had him go through the engine when it had 200 hours he overlooked it, what I found out later is a very important inspection.
I lost all confidence in him when he told me if the engine needed a tear down, I would have to find another mechanic, that his dealership was too busy to do the work, or some such excuse.
I then took it upon myself to get more involved. Checked the valve clearances and found everyone wrong. IN fact the #2 intake clearances were negative.
This past spring, with close to 500 hours, I found and interviewed another Suzuki mechanic came away with a confidence he knew what he was doing and hired him tear down and rebuild the engine. Half the valves were bad. Some were burnt, maybe bent, distorted. Found the #3 and #4 cylinders in bad shape. Some scaring and visible signs of oil by-passing the rings.
He did a tremendous job. I saw this engine on the table with every nut and bolt taken out, fully disassembled. After the work was completed, looking at the engine, you would never know anything was ever done. Looked like it was fresh out of the factory.
Analysis, we concluded the engine was in all likelihood not broken in correctly. I suspect was too much boat for the guy I bought it from and he was not told or did not follow the rigorous break-in procedures.
After the rebuild, break-in period, 20 hour oil change/inspection and close to 80 hours of running- the oil problem was solved.
However, at the 30 hour mark after the rebuild, another problem surfaced the overheat alarm at idle went off.
To be continued Part 2
Art
History Fall 2007 -I purchased a 2006 21 North River Seahawk powered with a 2006 DF175
Boat hour meter indicated 25 hours. I used the boat primarily for salmon fishing, a little bottom fishing and scuba diving. By fall 2008 I had approx. 100 hours on the engine. I was continually adding oil but not aware of how much because the trips were mostly short trips to reach a fishing destination and then the kicker motor for trolling. I talked with a dealer about oil use and was lead to think the engine just was not broke in yet. Wrong!
In 2013, I learned a new fishery tuna fishing - here in Oregon off the mouth of the Columbia River it is anyplace from 30 to 50 miles out to the tuna grounds. It can be a 10 to 12 hour day and the engine is used the whole day. It was at this point I discovered these trips were using a quart of oil.
No visible indication of where the oil loss was coming from or going. No oil sheen, no smoking, just a lot of oil used. At the end of 2013, with about 400 hours, the dealer tested just about everything he could without taking anything apart. He had me run fuel additives through the system. Suspecting it may be a ring problem, he ran some special cleaner that was supposed to clean carbon build-up and free up rings. All to no avail. He did compression and leak down tests that had mixed results. One big disappointment, he never checked the valve clearances. Even though I had him go through the engine when it had 200 hours he overlooked it, what I found out later is a very important inspection.
I lost all confidence in him when he told me if the engine needed a tear down, I would have to find another mechanic, that his dealership was too busy to do the work, or some such excuse.
I then took it upon myself to get more involved. Checked the valve clearances and found everyone wrong. IN fact the #2 intake clearances were negative.
This past spring, with close to 500 hours, I found and interviewed another Suzuki mechanic came away with a confidence he knew what he was doing and hired him tear down and rebuild the engine. Half the valves were bad. Some were burnt, maybe bent, distorted. Found the #3 and #4 cylinders in bad shape. Some scaring and visible signs of oil by-passing the rings.
He did a tremendous job. I saw this engine on the table with every nut and bolt taken out, fully disassembled. After the work was completed, looking at the engine, you would never know anything was ever done. Looked like it was fresh out of the factory.
Analysis, we concluded the engine was in all likelihood not broken in correctly. I suspect was too much boat for the guy I bought it from and he was not told or did not follow the rigorous break-in procedures.
After the rebuild, break-in period, 20 hour oil change/inspection and close to 80 hours of running- the oil problem was solved.
However, at the 30 hour mark after the rebuild, another problem surfaced the overheat alarm at idle went off.
To be continued Part 2
Art
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