I have always found sliding a old grocery bag over the oil filter before breaking it loose to change it and just letting the filter fall into the bag is an easy way to keep the mess down to a minimum of just a drop or two
I’m not sure if you plan on sailing Athena or taking her to the Moon. However, I’m a gadget kind of guy and smile every time you add another gizmo to your home. As far as having Ava clean the engine room……my wife says good luck with that. As usual we have enjoyed your latest offering. Looking forward to next week. Stay safe!
Reducing anything electric/electronic aboard from "the showstopper" to a minor inconvenience, like bypassing the MDI from the beginning, is more of an essential, life saving approach than Madsical gizmoism ....
I’m really impressed that you’re emphasizing the need for Ava to be as knowledgeable about all maintenance, mechanical and electrical operational aspects of the systems aboard Athena. This is really important when both of you will be handling the boat on an open ocean passage. In time, she’ll become as proficient as you are in handling the boat.
I have to constantly remind my wife of this. My answer is always, "If get hurt or some other medical emergency do I die on the water or do you get me to shore? " I may just be that serious some day.
As Mads is exceptionally knowledgeable about the boat systems, it is intimidating to try to catch up. Teaching to or learning from a spouse is an even bigger challenge. There’s a whole mine field of potential errors we can make that will kill progress for a long time. I know, as I’ve stepped on most of them. :-) I’m also a complete boat nerd, which my girl isn’t. We solve it by just adding little pieces of knowledge whenever it fits in, without putting even the slightest bit of pressure or importance on it. The lightness lowers the barrier. The most important clue, though, is that the initiative to go into learning mode should almost always come from the one who wants to learn. If the most skilled person takes any level of initiative, it triggers various resistance issues. It doesn’t matter which gender is on either side of this. I’ve never seen a relationship without this, and I have looked… This means that the taking initiative for learning is the first item to develop. Curiosity and experiencing accomplishment from a gained skill are the best starting points.
@@SteinVarjord Interesting. My reaction answering the more or less stubborn, widespread reluctance to learn about anything one would need to survive out there was another one: I singlehand. I do take out the occasional lady guest, but they come and stay as lady guests. If I die out there, they will, too, out of their (self chosen) sheer lack of knowledge.
Hi Mads, for Ava you should have a engine start up procedure list on the bulk head - in case something happens to you and she can start it . Like check the discharge from the engine after start up etc.
Good idea Alex. Mads, make check lists /written procedures of all the important system functions for Ava until she learns them. I operate in a business of checklists and procedures and they are invaluable!!! Great work and videos as usual.
with a little bad memory for millions of details, I plan to do exactly this on the boat I'm going to purchase. labels and detailed descriptions ... for me as well as others that might sail with me.
Those adapter plate thingies also come with fittings that allow the filter to be remote mounted where they’re easier to access and can be mounted upright so the oil doesn’t spill when you change them
Ava is doing an excellent job on the oil change. It's a perfect idea that you both are well aware of all the crazy systems Mads has put in place. So naturally, Mads has it set up, so he is one step ahead. I suggest that Ava create some particular task for Mads to balance it out a bit. Cheers.
Lovely to see Ava getting involved but I think you are going to have to clean the engine compartment yourself Mads and maybe buy her flowers/ take her to Gunwharf for dinner for that comment 🙂
Permanently mounting the oil drain pump is a brilliant idea ! Now it is both properly stowed and ready for action !! Worst case, make an extension for the yellow hose. BTW, add a replacement impellor for that pump to your "spares" stock pile.
This helped me to identify some switches in my cockpit which seemingly had no purpose. They’re a doomsday hack! I just repowered my Volvo D2-40 with… Another D2-40! And I didn’t know what the extra wires to the alternator were for. Turns out, the previous owner installed a doomsday box even though the MDI works just fine. For now. Thanks!
Impressive knowledge and ingenuity Mads! You seem to thrive on challenging yourself in coming up with good solutions. Also having Eva being able to handle the maintenance is great. She must also be able to handle the sailing part as well. Also docking is really a woman's job as we manfolks are generally more able to do line handling, As always sad to see the end of a video and the next one is a week away!
I agree here - a week is a long time sometimes. Your videos are enjoyable and refrishing while having interesting content. One thing, concider putting square (or round) bar stock of the appropriate size inside the inner square section on the solar bridge before tightening the bolts on the adaptors you made - thus avoiding crushing the inner tubing and weakening the hold of the bolts.
Now, you need to use another port on the adapter plate for an oil bypass filter. Extend your oil life and time between changes! Check out Amsoil’s bypass filter. Highly recommended.
Hi, i’am a geek with a sailboat. Pls standby whilst i watch all your videos and press the like button. 😍 Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information.
Mads ,you and Ava are amazing. What you call a mess is so much better then I've seen on other Dyi jobs on most sailboats on utube. Johan from Rans sailing is so much like you about doing the job right. You two would get along and would become fast friends . Ava is special 💓, willing to take on jobs to learn all she can about maintaining the boat. I'm sure she's way out of her comfort zone but she's still willing to learn . Good for you Ava!!!!.
Old tech is amazing. My first backup to my diesel is any power to the motor. Any wire (providing it don't burn :P ) will do. Second backup is a hand crank! Though I don't think I'd ever have the strength to hand crank her up... I do have a short handle for manual turnover for priming if I need to in winter (it just feels kinder doing it by hand than motor in those conditions :P ). PS, for emergencies a little wire on a pulley is usually nice to have for easy access to the "stop" lever. Depends where the engine is facing, to how you would setup the wire and pulley/handle, but should be simple, and would allow you to pull it *quick* with access without even needing to open the engine bay (could put the handle on the wall). My engine stop is wired mechanically to the controls, but I sit just above the engine in my tiny boat. It is very helpful if the engine springs a leak (oil or fuel or water if fed directly from the crank shaft and thus you want to stop her quick) etc.
Very slick work around for the trouble prone Volvo piece. Peace of mind can be invaluable when facing an ocean crossing or simply being in a place where parts are hard to find at any price. Well done Mads.
That dedicated oil pipe goes to the bottom of the sump so you can use a larger suction hose and Just connect it to the top of that tube - sucking the oil out is much quicker and fully drained.
I very much support these devices and simple system you have put together to deal with this potentially dangerous situation of the likely failure of Volvo's MIDI control box.
I am very glad to see you are including Ava in the basic operations and maintenance of the boat this is very wise. You make a great team and knowing you can rely on each other will be your biggest asset sailing . Very impressive mod of the brain box for your engine and your install is always top notch.
My mdi started playing up recently this video is great. I am getting the component inspected by a pcb repair shop and then mounting it off the engine. Redundancy like this will be on my list to do also! Thanks a lot for your video
Its occurred to me that living vicariously aboard Athena these past years is what I look forward to most each week. I've decided therefore that you're not allowed to ever stop. :-P Thanks again for all the videos you two!
If a guy were Derrick over at VGG he'd be really impressed with your choice of oil. It's got all the extra vitamins and minerals a hard working engine needs.
Mads, I’ve been following you since your last boat, glued every Sunday for years and love your content. One thing I have to say, Athena needs some colour! Blue yellow or red pinstripe! 😊
First thing to do when changing the oil Ava, is to pull your hair back so it doesn't get dirty. Engine oil is not the most pleasant thing to have in your hair. Great job with the backup to the Volvo MDI box. Certainly a way to get their attention if everyone can build one and their MDI sales tank. Good on you Mads.
Nice doomsday setup, hopefully the MDI box will last longer not being mounted on the engine. If the temp sensor isn't accurate enough mounted on the rubber hose I found quick reading attaching (with stainless zip tie) a sensor to the thermostat housing. I also have a sensor on the alternator, all monitored and logged w/ SensESP/SignalK/Influxdb & Grafana.
Im probably nr 100 on this ball, but the oildrain tube you found, can be used to have han hose just clamped over the tube, as the tube it self is the lowest point in the oilpan. Belive the drainplug i acually connected via this tube in the bottom. Keep up the great videos!
Great film and failsafe idea. One thing I noticed Ava started the engine from cold by pushing the start button and holding it until it started (the Cockpit start button), and it cranks cold for a few turns before firing - no doubt once the automatic glowplugs have heated. We found with ours that momenarily pushing tyhe start button then releasing it for say 5 seconds then pushing it again allowed the glowplugs to run without cranking the engine; then the button is pushed again and held and the engine starts first crank - less wear on the starter motor etc. I suppose one advantage of just holding it means oil moves arround the engine prior to firing but we always did it the way I described over 10 years and it always started imediately with no other issues.
Another reason to have warm engine oil is that the heat will drive off any moisture that occurs when atmospheric moisture condenses inside the engine after it has been shut off. Not just a question of lower viscosity. And engines should be run for a long enough period of time so to drive off any moisture, even if not prepping for an oil change.
Damn man, I learn so much from you. The part I like the most is that you are so meticulous and do things right the first time, that makes me do the same.
It is always a good idea to put a schematic inside your project boxes. So if anyone other than you needs to know what the "heck" is going on inside the box can figure it out. I also find that it helps me if I ever need to open the box more than one day after I built it.
That was such an informative episode... I got alot from it!! Athena is really looking spiffy!! Thanks for sharing your lives with us ... Fare winds an following sea's guy's ✌🏼💗😊❣️
Mads, I like your Juan for the engine oil pressure... 😉 lol. Another great in depth video as always but Juan made me chuckle. You see, I'm an Englishman and have been in a relationship with a Danish girl from Sorø for the last 6 years. She, like virtually every other Dane I've encountered speaks excellent English that would put many Brits and Americans to shame. But despite how good they are, they all have a few words that don't sound quite right. For her it's words that start with Ca or Z. For example. She loves animals so she wanted to go to the Soo (Zoo) So drove to the Soo in the Kah and it took ages for us to find somewhere to pahk in the kah pahk. And by the time we got home, it was dahk 🤣 Love your channel 👌👍
I'm just going to throw this in, somewhat off-topic. But it's well past time sailboats start using electric engines as a general rule. Spending so much time elbow deep in grease and oil when your main engine is the wind... it's just crazy. Still, another great DYI episode :)
wonderful video and work, as usual very well done in the standards and very clever ... it is true that volvo engines are more capricious than some brands like Yanmar which almost never has problems ... I am very surprised to see at the end of the video that the support with the steps does not have sound insulation, it is nevertheless what we find on all sailboats and it would considerably reduce the noise...! moreover, there are now much more profitable insulations in terms of noise, with little thickness and covered with an aluminum film... good luck for the rest...!
Mads you really are a bad ass. I'm reminded of the model airplane engineer in the movie "Flight of the Phoenix," or let's say you are the Robinson Caruso of DIY plastic boat outfitting, well done, chap!
The website is GREAT. It took me an hour last month to find the video where you talked about where you purchased your lithium batteries. With the new website, I found it in a couple of minutes!!! And only because I was busy checking out how you (Ava?) set it up. Thank you so much.
Hi, great video, thanks. I note that you have no relay on the glow connections from the MDI box - I'm thinking of a 2nd relay & momentary push button so that I can start a very cold engine in the event of MDI failure. Is this a good idea and are there any traps to watch out for? Keep up the good work - you are inspiring my boat repair, maintenance and upgrade aspirations!
solid work - and redundancy BEFORE you leave the dock is well thought through ;) - I might have skipped the solder on those connections, and gone crimp only, but that's just a preference ;)
Ugh stupid UA-cam app….. I clicked like but it selected unlike! Which is far far from the truth. Had to press far to the left of the thumbs up. 👍 great video…. Once I get systems updated on my little Catalina 27th systems training will need to happen with my wife so she can get the boat safely back to the dock.
You might find that the load of the high output alternator at very low rpm with low batteries and other loads. On our boat we have separate on off for high loads on the alternator… this eliminates low rpm high load conditions that can potentially stall the engine in some slow speed docking situations.
SUGGESTION ONLY. Add a momentary n/c switch from oil pressure switch to monitor for starting only. Simply hold switch or button while starting to let oil pressure come up (second or two normally) without blowing eardrums. I also like to add a momentary button for emergency kill (to solenoid only, it's only for emergencies) by using fifth pole (n/c) of 100 - 150a relay powered from main switch. On commercial boats I also add a dpdt switch to swap from main power switch to source power feeding the emergency kill (isolation) in event of burned wire short or stuck main relay etc. (Absolutely none of it's mandatory but adds a measure of safe redundancy and on commercial boats, helps pass safety/insurance.
Very impressive. Just one comment and I hope you don’t get angry. You made the mess in the engine compartment so why does Ava have to clean it up? In over 5 years of watching this great channel that’s the first comment you’ve made that threw me for a bit of a loop. But, al is good.
Maybe because he sees the two of them as what they should be - ONE Team that needs to get all the jobs done. I am very happy to clean the kitchen when my girlfriend cooks for the two of us and vice versa.
@@vomKuckucksfelsen My girlfriend and I are a team too, but when she makes dinner, she cleans up. When I make dinner, I clean up. Personal responsibility. Why should she clean up if I make twice the mess, or vice versa…
It's just a Perkins thats used in many other plant, We used them in Pumps and have everything you need on them to set it up like you did, you only need a 5 pin relay a push switch and some wire and you could of set it up that it would switched off on it's own if there was a high temp or low oil pressure. I also have here some low coolant switches that we used on generators that are 1/2" bsp thread ;)
Infact I'm down in Gosport this week at some point if I can find where I put them and you would like one (a low coolant switch), your more than welcome to one.
Seems like with a little more work, you could have temp and pressure readings, and a switch to a solenoid to actuate the kill lever, all up in the cockpit. I don't know what else that MDI box does...but if you've replicated it's functions, why not go all the way? Even if it cost the same as Volvo's MDI, the fact it's serviceable and built to spiffness and to survive would be selling points. If nothing else, you could stick it to Volvo by putting out the specs and instructions. As always, a great video, and your Doomsday Box™ is one awesome bit of kit.
If Ava ever feels intimidated by all she needs to learn, remind her of how long your head start was on learning these things. I would suggest you give some thought to the manual engine stop. I have always liked the idea of a morse cable being led to the cockpit so in case of failure or emergency there is something to pull right at hand.
I would absolutely agree with this point as panic thoughts will inevitably be occurring in Ava's mind if this was necessary. To that end you should fairly easily find a web site that will offer a pull-to-stop flexible long cable and sheath which you mount the sheath in an easy access position and run around to a position near the stop control lever on the injection pump. I noticed when you showed us on the video it has a simple cable pinch bolt, so secure the sheath near by but in line with the movement of the stop arm. Attach a spring to the arm which moves the arm back to the run position once the knob is released. To find such a wire, knob and sheath mechanism look for older diesel engine sites for spares as they were very common on older tractor and truck sites or you might find something like this at a bicycle repair shops sold for brakes or gear changing.
Those adaptor plates between engine and oil filter can also be used to run an oil cooler. This can be useful on land vehicles if you're driving in outback Australia, or in remote parts of Africa, for instance. I'm not sure if there is a marine equivalent. An oil cooler (effectively a seperate radiator for the oil system on land-based systems) not only prolongs the life of the oil, but it increases the volume of oil in the system, which gives useful redundancy and thus peace of mind. And of course, it's principle purpose is to help keep the engine cool, which obviously prolongs the life of the engine.
Just fitted a new Volvo D1-20 to my yacht, and guess what - the MD1 box is mounted off engine and I've wired in a start button!! Must admit I was wondering why you didn't use the oil extraction pipe 😂
Something you might consider about your oil change If the motor is above the pump head and the Palm head leaks then it doesn't run down into the motor just assault we normally put motors above the pumps
![Saildrive Diaphragm Replacement | ⛵ Sailing Britaly ⛵ [Boat Work]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/o_Bv7_tAOY4/mqdefault.jpg)
I have always found sliding a old grocery bag over the oil filter before breaking it loose to change it and just letting the filter fall into the bag is an easy way to keep the mess down to a minimum of just a drop or two
I’m not sure if you plan on sailing Athena or taking her to the Moon. However, I’m a gadget kind of guy and smile every time you add another gizmo to your home. As far as having Ava clean the engine room……my wife says good luck with that. As usual we have enjoyed your latest offering. Looking forward to next week. Stay safe!
Reducing anything electric/electronic aboard from "the showstopper" to a minor inconvenience, like bypassing the MDI from the beginning, is more of an essential, life saving approach than Madsical gizmoism ....
I’m really impressed that you’re emphasizing the need for Ava to be as knowledgeable about all maintenance, mechanical and electrical operational aspects of the systems aboard Athena. This is really important when both of you will be handling the boat on an open ocean passage. In time, she’ll become as proficient as you are in handling the boat.
I have to constantly remind my wife of this. My answer is always, "If get hurt or some other medical emergency do I die on the water or do you get me to shore? " I may just be that serious some day.
As Mads is exceptionally knowledgeable about the boat systems, it is intimidating to try to catch up. Teaching to or learning from a spouse is an even bigger challenge. There’s a whole mine field of potential errors we can make that will kill progress for a long time. I know, as I’ve stepped on most of them. :-)
I’m also a complete boat nerd, which my girl isn’t. We solve it by just adding little pieces of knowledge whenever it fits in, without putting even the slightest bit of pressure or importance on it. The lightness lowers the barrier. The most important clue, though, is that the initiative to go into learning mode should almost always come from the one who wants to learn.
If the most skilled person takes any level of initiative, it triggers various resistance issues. It doesn’t matter which gender is on either side of this. I’ve never seen a relationship without this, and I have looked… This means that the taking initiative for learning is the first item to develop. Curiosity and experiencing accomplishment from a gained skill are the best starting points.
@@SteinVarjord Interesting. My reaction answering the more or less stubborn, widespread reluctance to learn about anything one would need to survive out there was another one: I singlehand. I do take out the occasional lady guest, but they come and stay as lady guests. If I die out there, they will, too, out of their (self chosen) sheer lack of knowledge.
Relentless innovation will make your sailing more pleasurable.
Hi Mads, for Ava you should have a engine start up procedure list on the bulk head - in case something happens to you and she can start it . Like check the discharge from the engine after start up etc.
Good idea Alex.
Mads, make check lists /written procedures of all the important system functions for Ava until she learns them. I operate in a business of checklists and procedures and they are invaluable!!!
Great work and videos as usual.
with a little bad memory for millions of details, I plan to do exactly this on the boat I'm going to purchase. labels and detailed descriptions ... for me as well as others that might sail with me.
Hi Mass, brilliant idea, just go 1 step further and throw away the MDI, you are capable of building a reliable alternative.
I really love your passion for function and redundancy. It will be a comforting feeling when you guys are 1000 miles from anywhere.
Loved the way Ava pointed the hose to her face as she opened the valve, reminds me of the old clown water on water off gag.
Those adapter plate thingies also come with fittings that allow the filter to be remote mounted where they’re easier to access and can be mounted upright so the oil doesn’t spill when you change them
Ava is doing an excellent job on the oil change. It's a perfect idea that you both are well aware of all the crazy systems Mads has put in place. So naturally, Mads has it set up, so he is one step ahead. I suggest that Ava create some particular task for Mads to balance it out a bit. Cheers.
Haha, I'm sure she's up for that :D
Lovely to see Ava getting involved but I think you are going to have to clean the engine compartment yourself Mads and maybe buy her flowers/ take her to Gunwharf for dinner for that comment 🙂
Ava you pointed to the wrong dipstick. Yes secondary you are correct. Primary was holding the camera. Your a great sport.
I am forever impressed with your electrical knowledge. It seems to come naturally as if it’s your profession.
Permanently mounting the oil drain pump is a brilliant idea ! Now it is both properly stowed and ready for action !! Worst case, make an extension for the yellow hose.
BTW, add a replacement impellor for that pump to your "spares" stock pile.
This helped me to identify some switches in my cockpit which seemingly had no purpose. They’re a doomsday hack! I just repowered my Volvo D2-40 with… Another D2-40! And I didn’t know what the extra wires to the alternator were for. Turns out, the previous owner installed a doomsday box even though the MDI works just fine. For now. Thanks!
Impressive knowledge and ingenuity Mads! You seem to thrive on challenging yourself in coming up with good solutions. Also having Eva being able to handle the maintenance is great. She must also be able to handle the sailing part as well. Also docking is really a woman's job as we manfolks are generally more able to do line handling, As always sad to see the end of a video and the next one is a week away!
I agree here - a week is a long time sometimes. Your videos are enjoyable and refrishing while having interesting content.
One thing, concider putting square (or round) bar stock of the appropriate size inside the inner square section on the solar bridge before tightening the bolts on the adaptors you made - thus avoiding crushing the inner tubing and weakening the hold of the bolts.
Now, you need to use another port on the adapter plate for an oil bypass filter. Extend your oil life and time between changes! Check out Amsoil’s bypass filter. Highly recommended.
Hi, i’am a geek with a sailboat. Pls standby whilst i watch all your videos and press the like button. 😍 Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information.
Mads ,you and Ava are amazing.
What you call a mess is so much better then I've seen on other Dyi jobs on most sailboats on utube. Johan from Rans sailing is so much like you about doing the job right. You two would get along and would become fast friends . Ava is special 💓, willing to take on jobs to learn all she can about maintaining the boat. I'm sure she's way out of her comfort zone but she's still willing to learn . Good for you Ava!!!!.
Old tech is amazing. My first backup to my diesel is any power to the motor. Any wire (providing it don't burn :P ) will do. Second backup is a hand crank! Though I don't think I'd ever have the strength to hand crank her up... I do have a short handle for manual turnover for priming if I need to in winter (it just feels kinder doing it by hand than motor in those conditions :P ).
PS, for emergencies a little wire on a pulley is usually nice to have for easy access to the "stop" lever. Depends where the engine is facing, to how you would setup the wire and pulley/handle, but should be simple, and would allow you to pull it *quick* with access without even needing to open the engine bay (could put the handle on the wall). My engine stop is wired mechanically to the controls, but I sit just above the engine in my tiny boat. It is very helpful if the engine springs a leak (oil or fuel or water if fed directly from the crank shaft and thus you want to stop her quick) etc.
Very slick work around for the trouble prone Volvo piece. Peace of mind can be invaluable when facing an ocean crossing or simply being in a place where parts are hard to find at any price. Well done Mads.
That dedicated oil pipe goes to the bottom of the sump so you can use a larger suction hose and Just connect it to the top of that tube - sucking the oil out is much quicker and fully drained.
I very much support these devices and simple system you have put together to deal with this potentially dangerous situation of the likely failure of Volvo's MIDI control box.
Ava is the prettiest marine diesel mechanic on youtube!
wow. this is another level of DIY , Very detailed , well done thoroughly enjoyable !
I am very glad to see you are including Ava in the basic operations and maintenance of the boat this is very wise. You make a great team and knowing you can rely on each other will be your biggest asset sailing . Very impressive mod of the brain box for your engine and your install is always top notch.
Hi guys, I know nothing about boats, but yours looks just perfect to me.
Nice spice rack by the way. Take care you guys.
I found Wago Nuts about 9 months ago and fell in love with them! So much better than acorn nuts when merging wires together.
One day you’re going to sell this boat. I’d suggest you start on the user manual now, so you’ve got a few years to finish it. : )
My mdi started playing up recently this video is great. I am getting the component inspected by a pcb repair shop and then mounting it off the engine. Redundancy like this will be on my list to do also! Thanks a lot for your video
I really like that box you built. I'm planning to DIY one similar in the future, for my much older MD 21A.
Ava has quite a challenge. Athena is the most complicated Space Vehicle in this part of the galaxy :-)
She sports (Athena, that is! ;-) also the most orderly organized and best labelled collection of gizmos upon the seven seas .....
Simple is always best. KISS.
Of all your videos, this one is No.1.
Its occurred to me that living vicariously aboard Athena these past years is what I look forward to most each week. I've decided therefore that you're not allowed to ever stop. :-P Thanks again for all the videos you two!
If a guy were Derrick over at VGG he'd be really impressed with your choice of oil. It's got all the extra vitamins and minerals a hard working engine needs.
super video. very informative and good length, without getting wayyy to detailed and technical. make more. ! really good content and well made.!
New intro “my wife” happy sailing 🥰🎯
Mads, I’ve been following you since your last boat, glued every Sunday for years and love your content. One thing I have to say, Athena needs some colour! Blue yellow or red pinstripe! 😊
Very great video! Very helpful as I just had my first MDI box failure. Learned so much from you and the video was excellent quality! Thanks.
If you are blessed with a Mads Jr or little Madison, will we be watching you rebuild a catamaran?
First thing to do when changing the oil Ava, is to pull your hair back so it doesn't get dirty. Engine oil is not the most pleasant thing to have in your hair. Great job with the backup to the Volvo MDI box. Certainly a way to get their attention if everyone can build one and their MDI sales tank. Good on you Mads.
Nice doomsday setup, hopefully the MDI box will last longer not being mounted on the engine. If the temp sensor isn't accurate enough mounted on the rubber hose I found quick reading attaching (with stainless zip tie) a sensor to the thermostat housing. I also have a sensor on the alternator, all monitored and logged w/ SensESP/SignalK/Influxdb & Grafana.
Im probably nr 100 on this ball, but the oildrain tube you found, can be used to have han hose just clamped over the tube, as the tube it self is the lowest point in the oilpan. Belive the drainplug i acually connected via this tube in the bottom. Keep up the great videos!
Great film and failsafe idea. One thing I noticed Ava started the engine from cold by pushing the start button and holding it until it started (the Cockpit start button), and it cranks cold for a few turns before firing - no doubt once the automatic glowplugs have heated. We found with ours that momenarily pushing tyhe start button then releasing it for say 5 seconds then pushing it again allowed the glowplugs to run without cranking the engine; then the button is pushed again and held and the engine starts first crank - less wear on the starter motor etc. I suppose one advantage of just holding it means oil moves arround the engine prior to firing but we always did it the way I described over 10 years and it always started imediately with no other issues.
Another reason to have warm engine oil is that the heat will drive off any moisture that occurs when atmospheric moisture condenses inside the engine after it has been shut off. Not just a question of lower viscosity. And engines should be run for a long enough period of time so to drive off any moisture, even if not prepping for an oil change.
Damn man, I learn so much from you. The part I like the most is that you are so meticulous and do things right the first time, that makes me do the same.
It is always a good idea to put a schematic inside your project boxes. So if anyone other than you needs to know what the "heck" is going on inside the box can figure it out. I also find that it helps me if I ever need to open the box more than one day after I built it.
There's a good video from Sailing Magic Carpet out at the moment. All, well part of it, about the electrical system of boats. Well worth a look.
That was such an informative episode... I got alot from it!! Athena is really looking spiffy!! Thanks for sharing your lives with us ... Fare winds an following sea's guy's ✌🏼💗😊❣️
Good to know where the bits are and what to do
Mads, I like your Juan for the engine oil pressure... 😉 lol. Another great in depth video as always but Juan made me chuckle. You see, I'm an Englishman and have been in a relationship with a Danish girl from Sorø for the last 6 years. She, like virtually every other Dane I've encountered speaks excellent English that would put many Brits and Americans to shame. But despite how good they are, they all have a few words that don't sound quite right. For her it's words that start with Ca or Z. For example. She loves animals so she wanted to go to the Soo (Zoo) So drove to the Soo in the Kah and it took ages for us to find somewhere to pahk in the kah pahk. And by the time we got home, it was dahk 🤣 Love your channel 👌👍
I'm just going to throw this in, somewhat off-topic. But it's well past time sailboats start using electric engines as a general rule.
Spending so much time elbow deep in grease and oil when your main engine is the wind... it's just crazy.
Still, another great DYI episode :)
Love the Gadgets, Gizmos and Doohickeys!
wonderful video and work, as usual very well done in the standards and very clever ... it is true that volvo engines are more capricious than some brands like Yanmar which almost never has problems ... I am very surprised to see at the end of the video that the support with the steps does not have sound insulation, it is nevertheless what we find on all sailboats and it would considerably reduce the noise...! moreover, there are now much more profitable insulations in terms of noise, with little thickness and covered with an aluminum film... good luck for the rest...!
About to take possession of a new-to-us boat with a D2-40 and this was our biggest worry. You're a god!!!
Mads you really are a bad ass. I'm reminded of the model airplane engineer in the movie "Flight of the Phoenix," or let's say you are the Robinson Caruso of DIY plastic boat outfitting, well done, chap!
Hi Mads have you considered installing some type of automatic fire suppression system for the technical compartment?
Nice video👍I agree all crew should learn every job on the boat in case of an emergency
Why do I chuckle everytime I hear Mas say, "somewhat extensive refit..." in the intro ?
Your technical savvy impresses me !
Stay healthy and we'll see you next week.
Great work as always guys. This is one spiffy boat and getting spiffier by the minute…. Andy UK
The website is GREAT. It took me an hour last month to find the video where you talked about where you purchased your lithium batteries. With the new website, I found it in a couple of minutes!!! And only because I was busy checking out how you (Ava?) set it up. Thank you so much.
What a professional job you are doing👌
Hi, great video, thanks. I note that you have no relay on the glow connections from the MDI box - I'm thinking of a 2nd relay & momentary push button so that I can start a very cold engine in the event of MDI failure. Is this a good idea and are there any traps to watch out for?
Keep up the good work - you are inspiring my boat repair, maintenance and upgrade aspirations!
solid work - and redundancy BEFORE you leave the dock is well thought through ;) - I might have skipped the solder on those connections, and gone crimp only, but that's just a preference ;)
It looks like the Box on Mad Max when he arms it . And yes relays are fun to play with.
Very smart. La Vagabond have had loads of issues with this!
My favorite video of the week, such a treat to watch the both of you on this journey. Safe Travels
Ugh stupid UA-cam app….. I clicked like but it selected unlike! Which is far far from the truth. Had to press far to the left of the thumbs up. 👍 great video…. Once I get systems updated on my little Catalina 27th systems training will need to happen with my wife so she can get the boat safely back to the dock.
You might find that the load of the high output alternator at very low rpm with low batteries and other loads. On our boat we have separate on off for high loads on the alternator… this eliminates low rpm high load conditions that can potentially stall the engine in some slow speed docking situations.
didn't actually know this is a thing! checking my MDI box tomorrow :))
great vid .. again !
SUGGESTION ONLY. Add a momentary n/c switch from oil pressure switch to monitor for starting only. Simply hold switch or button while starting to let oil pressure come up (second or two normally) without blowing eardrums. I also like to add a momentary button for emergency kill (to solenoid only, it's only for emergencies) by using fifth pole (n/c) of 100 - 150a relay powered from main switch. On commercial boats I also add a dpdt switch to swap from main power switch to source power feeding the emergency kill (isolation) in event of burned wire short or stuck main relay etc. (Absolutely none of it's mandatory but adds a measure of safe redundancy and on commercial boats, helps pass safety/insurance.
Very impressive. Just one comment and I hope you don’t get angry. You made the mess in the engine compartment so why does Ava have to clean it up? In over 5 years of watching this great channel that’s the first comment you’ve made that threw me for a bit of a loop. But, al is good.
Maybe because he sees the two of them as what they should be - ONE Team that needs to get all the jobs done. I am very happy to clean the kitchen when my girlfriend cooks for the two of us and vice versa.
@@vomKuckucksfelsen My girlfriend and I are a team too, but when she makes dinner, she cleans up. When I make dinner, I clean up. Personal responsibility. Why should she clean up if I make twice the mess, or vice versa…
It's just a Perkins thats used in many other plant, We used them in Pumps and have everything you need on them to set it up like you did, you only need a 5 pin relay a push switch and some wire and you could of set it up that it would switched off on it's own if there was a high temp or low oil pressure. I also have here some low coolant switches that we used on generators that are 1/2" bsp thread ;)
Infact I'm down in Gosport this week at some point if I can find where I put them and you would like one (a low coolant switch), your more than welcome to one.
Another great video Mads and Ava .
Practice has made you a master in -" Do it once ,Do it well !!! w.r.t DIY boat installs /projects Mass. A pleasure to watch as always.Cheers
Congratulations on your marriage! May you two have many many good years.
love your show, one of my new favorites
Seems like with a little more work, you could have temp and pressure readings, and a switch to a solenoid to actuate the kill lever, all up in the cockpit. I don't know what else that MDI box does...but if you've replicated it's functions, why not go all the way? Even if it cost the same as Volvo's MDI, the fact it's serviceable and built to spiffness and to survive would be selling points. If nothing else, you could stick it to Volvo by putting out the specs and instructions.
As always, a great video, and your Doomsday Box™ is one awesome bit of kit.
Well done Ava spiffy oil removal service oh and Madds you did ok too
"Comes across as if Volvo doesn't really care", from my experience, that is a very accurate position, certainly for Volvo marine.
Love the new pretty dang spiffy stuff Mads, and the T-shirt.👍👍💚⛵
Very neat stuff! Pretty dang cool installation as well! 😎👍🏽
Very good back up job mind could you not have just bought a extra mdi box
If Ava ever feels intimidated by all she needs to learn, remind her of how long your head start was on learning these things. I would suggest you give some thought to the manual engine stop. I have always liked the idea of a morse cable being led to the cockpit so in case of failure or emergency there is something to pull right at hand.
I would absolutely agree with this point as panic thoughts will inevitably be occurring in Ava's mind if this was necessary. To that end you should fairly easily find a web site that will offer a pull-to-stop flexible long cable and sheath which you mount the sheath in an easy access position and run around to a position near the stop control lever on the injection pump. I noticed when you showed us on the video it has a simple cable pinch bolt, so secure the sheath near by but in line with the movement of the stop arm. Attach a spring to the arm which moves the arm back to the run position once the knob is released. To find such a wire, knob and sheath mechanism look for older diesel engine sites for spares as they were very common on older tractor and truck sites or you might find something like this at a bicycle repair shops sold for brakes or gear changing.
Great job captain !
Your a gadget genius !
Sail on !
Cheers
Nice video as always ... love your doomsday box .... 👍👍😁
Those adaptor plates between engine and oil filter can also be used to run an oil cooler. This can be useful on land vehicles if you're driving in outback Australia, or in remote parts of Africa, for instance. I'm not sure if there is a marine equivalent. An oil cooler (effectively a seperate radiator for the oil system on land-based systems) not only prolongs the life of the oil, but it increases the volume of oil in the system, which gives useful redundancy and thus peace of mind. And of course, it's principle purpose is to help keep the engine cool, which obviously prolongs the life of the engine.
Good job! See you next week😉
additional small servo and your doomsday box may have a kill-switch feature ...
I've seen a boat where there was a spare breaker on the panel, labelled "Scuttle Charges".
Great video and thank you sooooo much for the info. I have set up this system but am curious what temp to set the gauge at to alarm? Great work!
Just fitted a new Volvo D1-20 to my yacht, and guess what - the MD1 box is mounted off engine and I've wired in a start button!! Must admit I was wondering why you didn't use the oil extraction pipe 😂
You could add a momentary switch to hold down to disable the horn while you backup start
Nice job on the "Dooms Day Box"...John
Something you might consider about your oil change If the motor is above the pump head and the Palm head leaks then it doesn't run down into the motor just assault we normally put motors above the pumps
...watches in awe as Mads casually makes what is probably a required addition to every boat with a volvo diesel. :)
I love that statement," VERY SIMPLE" LOL there is nothing simple about it.
Doomsday box. Very apt at the moment 😀