MARINE TS3’s

Checklist To Keep Your TS3 In Good Order


  • Do not attempt to start the engine with flat batteries. This will damage your starter motor and they are expensive to repair.
  • Always check your bilge pumps and check that your bilge trays are dry before starting the engine.
  • Do not  start your engine if the bottom of the bell housing is sitting in water. Major damage to starter and flex plate assembly could occur if you do.
  • Change the engine oil and oil filter regularly  (every 200hrs).
  • For moderate climate conditions, use only low ash  SAE30 monograde such as Shell Rimula R3+  30. Call us for recommendations if you are operating outside moderate climate conditions.
  • Regular fuel filter changes every year or 200hrs.
  • Use a good quality anti-freeze / inhibitor in the engine coolant at all times.
  • Keep your diesel tanks full when not in use to avoid condensation forming inside the empty part of the fuel tank.
  • Have your injector pump and injectors serviced every 1,000 hours or 5 years.
  • Idle speed should be set at 550rpm – very important!
  • Make sure all your gauges are working and are accurate. If you replace a gauge, you must  also replace the sender to match the gauge.
  • Where possible, fit Kysor engine warning / shut down equipment to protect the engine if a mishap starts to occur. In so many cases, the skipper is distracted and doesn’t notice the change on the gauges until too late, whereas a loud buzzer and bright red light switching on will be observed immediately.
  • Make sure the engine scavenge blower is getting huge  amounts of clean, cool air, from outside the engine bay.
  • We recommend at least a 6” diameter inlet pipe to the scavenge blower (per engine) and do not  draw air into the blower from inside the engine bay (hot air).
  • Use A4 page sized air venting to and from the engine bay (per engine).
  • An A4 page sized duct (per engine) should be installed from the top of the engine bay to allow hot air to escape to atmosphere. The duct can be made inside an existing cupboard or built in seating and should be insulated for heat and sound.
  • The A4 page sized air inlet to the engine bay can be positioned inside an existing cupboard or seating and positioned as low as possible to the lower floor level.
  • Use correct AC oil bath air cleaners (two per engine).
  • Dry element air filters can be used, providing the canister inlet size is 6” or larger. Dry element air filter paper can be adversely affected by dampness / condensation / moisture, whereas oil bath filter medium is not.
  • Beware of higher blower pressures (over 5psi). This means there could be a restriction in your exhaust or exhaust ports are carboned up or the blower needs overhauling. This must be fixed immediately.
  • Exhaust design needs careful consideration.  A short exhaust ducted out the side or a dry system ducted up through the cabin is best.
  • Where a backwash protector is used, the unit needs to have 5” ID piping and 4” ID piping from the backwash unit to the stern. Please contact us for further advice on exhaust design.
  • Use a water cooled exhaust manifold and a water cooled exhaust pipe down to the back-wash unit. 
  • Please talk to us about the manifold and exhaust design. We can assist with fabrication if required.
  • If the standard cast iron exhaust manifold is used, it must me lagged in heat insulating material to prevent overheating the engine bay.   
  • Beware of low engine operating temperatures. Low temperature indicates thermostat failure, which must be fixed as soon as possible.
  • Cold oil pressure should be 50 to 65psi at start up and hot oil pressure should be 10psi at idle and 50psi at 1,500rpm. Stop the engine immediately and contact us if oil pressure is outside these values.
  • If your engine is slow to start when cold and blows white smoke at start-up, do not use and contact us immediately for repairs.
  • Do not idle the engine for long periods to charge house batteries or run the fridge compressor. TS3 engines are not designed to be idled for long periods at no or light loads.
  • Use a suitably sized solar panel battery charger for house and engine battery charging.
  • Use the engine sparingly or under load to run your fridge compressor, or install a battery / LPG fridge.
  • For larger vessels, a small auxiliary engine driven genset maybe appropriate.

 

Call us if you have any questions.

 

P:   +64 9 2706001

M:   021 2541939

E:    mark.erskine@actrix.co.nz