Once at the beginning of each season, I have to remove the cover of the heat exchanger in order for it to fire up. It seems to have something to do with too much vacumn in the chamber. After it fires up the first time, it's good for the rest of the season.
Talking with Jim Glandt, service manager at Blue Water Ships Store as part of the preparation for this article, he gave first priority on a maintenance schedule to a boats fuel system. To make sure that your engine receives a clean supply of fuel there are several things that you can do. Diesel fuel is not always clean to begin with and in many areas of the world it is sensible to filter the fuel as you fill your tank using a funnel with a filter in it, though here in the U.S. it should not be necessary. Fuel tanks should be kept as full as practical especially if the boat is to be left for long periods, as having a large quantity of air in the tank can lead to condensation and hence a build up of water in the fuel.
