Swiss Watch?

Never again will I say my motor runs like a Swiss watch.

Not more then an hour after I wrote the last log did my engine throw me for a loop. I wanted to move my anchor a few yards away, and when I started the motor the oil pressure alarm never went off, the low oil pressure light stayed on, and the oil pressure gauge was reading zero. I quickly shut down the motor. I thought “This can’t be right”. I pulled the sender out of the motor to really check if pressure was in the system. There was plenty of oil, but when I started the motor no oil flowed out of the hole, $#!@, the oil pump is shot!

Gary and Roger were here shortly after and we were all pouring over my shop manual. We all decided that this was really bad, and that I might need to be towed back to Panama if the weather continued to be “windless”.

Roger decided that there was sludge in the oil that was blocking the valve in the oil pump. Gary and Roger suggested filling the motor with diesel to thin the oil, change it along with the oil filter and hope for the best. We let the diesel sit in the motor for an hour, and I turned the key. What a mess in my engine room. The clog freed itself and diesel & oil flowed out of the sender hole. I’m back in business, YEEEEEHAAAAA!

Tomorrow I’m going to run a bit more diesel through the system to make sure it’s clean, and change the filter & oil again.

I tell you, the things you learn when you’re cruising.

I think the motor is doing okay for 30 years old.

Peace, Love, and “You wouldn’t believe the mess I have to clean up in the engine room”

Alex