Systems
Fuel injection service, testing and injector replacement
Injectors control how fuel enters the cylinder, and when their spray pattern degrades you get smoke, rough running, poor economy and eventually piston damage. I test, repair and replace marine diesel injectors and sort out the fuel filtration and water separation feeding them.
Dirty fuel destroys injection systems
Marine fuel sits in tanks for months, picks up water through condensation, and grows biological contamination. Modern high pressure injection has very tight tolerances and it is unforgiving of that. Most injector failures are really filtration failures that nobody addressed.
What is included
- Injector removal, testing and spray pattern assessment
- Injector repair, rebuild or replacement
- High pressure pump inspection
- Primary and secondary filter service
- Water separator service and tank water check
- Fuel contamination and polishing assessment
- Smoke and rough running diagnosis
How it works
Test
Injectors come out and get tested. A visual on the tip does not tell you what the spray pattern is doing at pressure.
Correct
Repair or replace as the test dictates, and fix the filtration that let it happen.
Verify
Run under load, check exhaust temperatures across cylinders, confirm the smoke and the rough running are gone.
Most marine diesel injector failures originate in fuel contamination, because water and biological growth accumulate in fuel that sits in tanks between seasons and high pressure injection systems have tolerances that will not accept it.
Related systems work
Marine Generator Service
Service, repair and load testing for marine generators, the system that keeps air conditioning and power alive at anchor.
Marine Transmission Service
Gearbox service, fluid analysis, coupling and alignment work on marine transmissions and drive systems.
Cooling System Service
Raw water and closed loop cooling service, flushing and repair, the system that causes most marine diesel overheats.
Fuel Injection Service: common questions
What does black exhaust smoke mean?
Usually incomplete combustion from over fuelling, a restricted air supply or poor injector spray pattern. It also shows up when an engine is overloaded by the wrong propeller.
How long do marine diesel injectors last?
It varies with engine type, hours and above all fuel cleanliness. Injectors on an engine with well maintained filtration and dry fuel routinely outlast those on an identical engine with a neglected water separator by a wide margin.
Do you check for water in the fuel?
Yes. Water separator condition and tank water are checked whenever a fuel related fault is being diagnosed, because replacing injectors without fixing the water simply repeats the failure.
Tell me what the engine is doing
Describe the symptom on the phone and most of the time the problem is narrowed before I arrive. Surveys are booked around your sea trial date.