New to the group,
I am looking at purchasing a 2000 3800 Open. The motors seem to smoke a lot when cold. I am aware the mechanical engines tend to smoke more than the electronic motors. These seem to smoke more than I am used to. It would seem the smoke is fuel related is this normal for this engine? what have others done to eliminate some of the smoking? Vessel has 700 hours and is used regularly by the current owner. TIA
I own a 2003 38 Open w/6CTA Cummins and haven't had what you describe as excessive smoke when cold. Not sure what you mean by cold but after being shut off for a week or so in the spring & summer I don't have any or much smoke at all... On my 38 I have a switch by the steering wheel that is marked "pre-Heat" (The're not glow plugs) which I've never needed to use (needed when extremely cold). Do you have that switch and if so have you tried it to see if it reduces the smoke when starting cold.... Another consideration is the condition of the aftercoolers. They should be serviced every 2 years or so as there can be a carbon build up in them which causes smoke... I've had my 38 since 2007, with 1300 hrs currently, and have little or no smoke. I have a little black stain on hull by the exhaust after a season of running but that's it. I'd suggest you take a look to see when the aftercoolers were last serviced. Easy to do if your mechanically savy... M2C
Thank you I will look into after cooler service records
After coolers are probably the most often neglected maintenance item on these engines, so understanding their maintenance history is imperative.
With that being said, they will not cause this problem without first causing much more noticeable problems such as difficulty getting on plane and reaching rated rpm while underway.
Reading you message I would say it could be between and including absolutely nothing through a major concern. It really depends on how much smoke we're talking about. A little wispy white smoke on a cold start is absolutely normal. Billowing white smoke is not. The difference between wispy and billowing is subjective, and without seeing it ourselves, it's impossible to say where yours lands.
The air preheaters are there for exactly this purpose and should be used any time the engines are cold and the air and/or water is cool (say below 60 degrees).
The most concerning cause of white smoke would be low compression. Low compression would have other symptoms though--sluggish acceleration and low max rpm, possibly high blow-by. Injectors that have been fed water at some point will also cause white smoke.
Thank you,
I will also try using the air heaters and see if there is any marked difference. I did not note blow by