This Bukh is rather slow to get started
Q
My Bukh DV20 marine engine is difficult to start in late autumn to early spring. she requires a lot of cranking, which impacts on both the battery and the engine due to the thickness of the oil until it warms up after starting. it appears that there isn’t a preheat unit available for the DV20, so i searched the net for ideas on other types of engine preheater but found no information. Can you help? James Johnson, by email
STU DAVIES REPLIES:
The Bukh DV20 is a serious, no-nonsense diesel engine: it should start easily without a cold start. I remember a few years ago going to help a friend with his ‘new’ boat to ‘fettle’ the Bukh before he launched. It had been standing for a couple of years, but we gave the starter a quick flick to see if it would turn – and the darn thing started!
The point I am making is that you shouldn’t be having starting problems unless there is something wrong with the engine. So, the choices are, go for a sticking-plaster fix with a starting aid or find out what's wrong with the engine. Bukh used to sell a cold-start kit for use in colder climes: this included a new inlet manifold, but as far as I can make out they are no longer available.
ASAP Supplies sell Perkins cold-start hot coil replacements, and one of these could be adapted to fit by drilling and tapping the existing manifold and fitting a header tank to feed diesel to it. Otherwise, try to find out what is wrong with the engine.
The first check to be carried out is a compression test: you will need an expert with a compression tester to do this, and from there a decision could be made as to whether lack of compression is the problem and, if so, do the valves need lapping or do new piston rings need to be fitted?
If you are tempted to use a cold-start spray, go and have a cold shower first! Then, if still inclined to go down that route, use WD-40 instead of an ether-based spray: it is less likely to cause further damage as its igniting characteristics are less likely to cause pre-ignition. Ether ‘bangs’, and WD-40 burns more slowly.