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Post by peterb26 on Oct 7, 2011 21:12:39 GMT
The engine fan on my SO36i is on all the time the engine is running. However recently it has decided to fail to start on a number of occasions.
If you touch it when it is stuck like this, it immediately starts and will run all day long.
Anyone got any ideas as to whether I might be able to solve this please?
Many thanks
Peter
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maby
Full Member
SO33i Vixen
Posts: 44
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Post by maby on Oct 8, 2011 8:08:51 GMT
I would strongly suspect that the only real choice is to change the fan. The bearings are normally impregnated lubrication and don't respond well to the addition of more oil. I guess that a squirt of WD40 might put some life back into it, but it will almost certainly be a short term fix.
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Post by peterb26 on Oct 8, 2011 9:01:54 GMT
Thanks Maby - I tried the WD40 but it made no difference! I guess I could always add a dymo note to the Control Panel saying "Tap Fan" - since it runs fine once I encourage it!
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Post by Zanshin on Oct 8, 2011 9:27:51 GMT
But the worry for me is that is you forget to give it a "tap" then it might heat up sufficiently to start a smoldering fire and the engine compartment is not an ideal place for something like that.
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Post by davideso37 on Oct 8, 2011 9:53:16 GMT
Peter,
I too would be concerned with an electrical unit powered up but not running. I would check all the contacts in the circuit to the fan and if there is no corrosion detected then would try a new fan. Much cheaper than a new yacht.
Regards
David
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Post by peterb26 on Oct 8, 2011 16:35:30 GMT
Thanks for the thoughts! I wont be back out at my boat for a few weeks so I will investigate further when I return.
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Post by j on Oct 9, 2011 2:39:05 GMT
Have you checked if the fan spins freely by hand when the engine is off?
It's possible that it's not an electrical problem and there may be something physically stopping the blades spinning.
I noticed on ours that there were some wear marks and grooves from where the blades had rubbed against the inside wall of the housing when it was new, perhaps the fan blades were slightly askew, it works fine though.
If yours has rubbed there may be some tiny bits of plastic hanging off the housing jamming up against the blades, when you tap the fan you dislodge it enough to allow it to start spinning and the problem doesn't show up again until the fan stops running.
If that is the problem it can probably be fixed by running some sandpaper around inside the housing. Just a thought.
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Post by mkremedy on Oct 11, 2011 3:29:48 GMT
J,
That's a good recommendation. I wold clean the blades and the housing surrounding the fan blades. There is more dust in the engine compartment than you would realize. I haven't had that problem with my 2007 36i
Happy Sailing
mkremedy
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Post by peterb26 on Nov 16, 2011 18:38:33 GMT
Looked at the above suggestions but then found a brand new fan was £25 so decided that was the most sensible route.
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