Way Off Topic - Boat Motor Assist Please.

Sorry for the cut and paste job but here it is anyway....

Excerpted from article by
STEVE D'ANTONIO on January 7th, 2015

http://www.passagemaker.com/article...ark-the-argument-for-marine-gasoline-engines/


"Two final notes on safety:

1. A common oversight of many service professionals and do-it-yourselfers during repairs is the need to maintain ignition protection in the engine compartments of gasoline-powered vessels. The mandate calls for all-electrical gear installed in these spaces to be ignition protected, which means it is incapable of igniting flammable vapors. Gear that is ignition protected will often be so marked or labeled “SAEJ117.”

Among the most common violations of this requirement are starters, alternators, and distributor caps. Unlike their seemingly identical automotive counterparts, ignition-protected alternators and starters isolate spark-producing components from the atmosphere around them with gaskets or flame arrestors. Therefore, regardless of what an auto parts store clerk may tell you, never replace one of these components with a unit from an automotive equivalent, under the mistaken impression that the only real difference between it and the marine-specific version is the price. "
 
RE "ignition protected", absolutely agree with you, In petrol (gas) boats it is essential to have all electrical equipment and anything that could ignite vapour out of the engine compartment! That is what I meant about getting up early to run the engine compartment extractor fan in my earlier post. It dumps the vapours over the side! It is also essential to have the fan itself outside the engine compartment, a rule which I have seen broken on some occasions. As I said above petrol boats always make me nervous, and I tend to be hyper-vigilant about turning of petrol and gas systems every night
 
Ok, the later post just appeared, I can only speak from my experience. Having fitted electrical equipment to petrol station forecourt equipment, I am very familiar with explosion proof equipment, which in the UK is or used to be called "Buxton certified" and was designedto contain any internal arc or fire without igniting gasses outside its case, or allowing gasses from outside to get inside. I can assure you that the alternator we were offered at the Volvo marine dealership was not at all explosion proof or sheilded in any way. Remember I am in the UK, your regulations may differ, as may the products in your market place. As I have said, gas powered boats are not popular in the UK. Everyone with a gas powered boat should know that they run the extractor for ten minutes before they turn on the ignition, then lift the engine cover and do a quick visual check. The starter motor also had the normal wrap around brush cover with a gasket, as in the above post, but then so does the automotive model, it also had a full metal dome cap over the end of the shaft, so does the automotive model.
 
Just looked at the picture of the alternator in the above D'antonio article! Putting a plastic cover over the brushgear whilst leaving the rest of the alternator windings open would not pass Buxton certification in a millenium! This is an example of what I mean. It may be marginally safer, that is all. Sesible boaters stay alive by checking before EVERY start!
 
Honestly I did not thoroughly read thru all the prior posts. Looks like the issue of vapor ignition was already brought up. As long as the OP is aware of the issue he can look into it further and decide. As an avid boater for the past 25 yrs, I feel your pain (often) on the blatant up charge for "marine" designation on items!
 
Agreed Cheeseking! far to many get up in the morning and put the heating on before air pumping the bilges, completely ignoring the old warning "Petroleum spirit giving off an ainflammable HEAVY Vapour"
 
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