FPB Series

A New Paradigm for Cruising

Design Objectives

FPB 64

FPB 83

FPB 83 On Deck

FPB 83 Interior

FPB 83 Systems

Passages

How Things Are Working Out

Engine Setup

We've always been fussy (OK, anal) about how our machinery has been configured. We've learned the hard way that if things are done right in the beginning, reliability is enhanced and maintenance reduced. The fact that the propulsion engines are now our (almost) sole source of motive power has done nothing to diminish this approach!

In the past we've ordered our engines and accessories separately, and then specified how they were to be assembled by the building yard. This time around, we have taken a different approach. The engine supplier, Cascade Diesel, has set up the engines to our specification. Actually I should clarify that - Jim Trelstad at Cascade, a very experience seaman and engineer, helped us to spec out the engines (you can contact Jim via e-mail at jtrelstad@cascadediesel.com, or via phone at 206 764 3850).

As long as you trust the engine supplier - and in this case we do - this approach has the advantage of the engines being ready to drop into the boat when they arrive in New Zealand. No special brackets to be made, no special fittings to be found - just drop in the engine, make a few hose and wiring connections, and we're ready to go. The following photos will give you a brief tour of what we and Cascade have done. If we were were doing a medium to large sailboat today, we'd take the same approach.

Let's start with the alternator installation. Diesel engines have a very strong power pulse each time a cylinder fires. These are called "torsionals" by engineers. Couple these pulses with the load of a big alternator - in our case as much as eight horsepower - and you have a recipe for disaster if the brackets are not very, very strong. Welds are to be avoided where possible, as they are subject to fatigue. Notice the thickness of the mounting brackets. While this may appear oversize, it looks just right to us.

Note the "poly-V" belt (with seven ribs) shown in the photo. Towards the lower right side of the photo you can see a spring-loaded idler pulley which tensions the belt. These belts are much more efficient at transmitting power than the old-fashioned V-belts.

As we've done with our sailboats for years now, the crank case vent system on these engines is closed. A closed system has several advantages. First, it reduces the amount of oil in the engine room air supply, which eventually coats all engine room surfaces. Next, it quiets the engine. And finally, it reduces (or eliminates) condensation on the inside of the engine after shutting down a warm engine. In this case, at Jim Trelstad's suggestion we're using a Racor crank case vent system.

The black canister at the middle (to the right) on the engine is the Racor Crankvent. The crankcase breather feeds into this, and then it outputs the pressure into the top of the Racor air cleaner at the right of the photo (also shown below).

A significant amount of the total engine noise actually comes out of the air intake. Using a large size air intake (designed as a muffler or silencer) helps to quiet this noise level).

The Murphy Gauge company makes some very cool engine instruments for industrial use. We've been using these for years on our sailboats as a back up for engine oil pressure and water temperature (for more info, see Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia page 777). For a power boat, where we will want to keep track of levels underway with the engines running, we've added Murphy gauges to each engine for both oil and coolant level.

The image below is of the coolant level. These gauges also give us a pair of switch contacts which can be used to trigger an alarm. We'll set these contacts at just below normal - giving us plenty of time to do something about any incipient problem (before it becomes a crisis!).

Below is the oil level gauge.

It has been our practice for many years to have a start and stop system mounted on the engine. This makes it a lot easier to bleed injectors and perform other maintenance procedures. In the case of this unsailboat, we'll make it a habit to start the engines from here, so we can check everything every time we get underway! These panels also have the Murphy gauges for engine oil pressure and water temperature. In addition, the engine hour meters and transmission oil pressure gauges are installed. These panels, one for each engine, will be mounted on the deckhead, so they are not subject to engine vibration.

Below is a close up of the Murphy gauges and their switch contacts. Using a small Allen wrench, we adjust the contacts to change the point at which they send their alarm signal. We'll set oil pressure at just below the normal operating range, and water temperature at just above. These will be tied to a warning light, which tells us we need to check what's happening - well before a major problem develops. Murphy gauges like these can be ordered at most auto parts stores.