Useful sawmill mods

[Magicman]

I have a cover over both my fuel and lube jugs.


The cover also protects against Sunlight/UV damage.

[TimW]

Here is the tank installation...
Woodmizer says DOT made them make a more secure tank!
After a morning rain, this water was still around the fuel return grommet....

I definitely need to cover these fittings and get that shed built.

[TimW]

I will look into Racor water separators.  Thanks Yellowhammer!

[YellowHammer]

That puddle of water around the grommet joint is definately a bad sign.  Seems like bad place for a low spot where water can sit.  I would remove and reseal it, and then put a little gradient slope with 5200 on to seal the joint to drain the water away.  Nothing gets through 5200.  A cover would also help.

   

[Southside]

What is 5200? 

[TimW]

I ordered this fuel cell, along with weld in bungs and fittings from Summit and Amazon to work mostly like Woodmizer's fuel pickup and return, along with a tube fuel gauge.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/RHC-18-0205

[YellowHammer]

3M 5200 is the gold standard for marine sealants that make traditional caulk and sealants look like silly putty.  Pretty inexpensive, incredibly strong and will never, never leak.  It is the equivalent in fame and performance as Red Locktite in the marine industry for stopping water intrusion, sealing through hull fittings, screws, anything above or below the waterline.  They sell fast cure, slow cure, etc. 

[Southside]

Is it fuel / oil resistant too? 

[customsawyer]

Yup that is where your water is getting in your fuel. Easy fix. You own a sawmill, cut the wood and build a shed over the mill. Rain can't get in it if it can't get to it.
I was scratching my head for a bit because I've never had a water in fuel problem. You can't have much more humidity than I do. Sometimes in the large bulk tanks I have to deal with a little bit of water due to condensation but that is easy to catch.

[TimW]

I want to spend more time working on the sawmill shed, but life and customers keep getting in the way.

[barbender]

I've been saying that for about 15 years now, Tim. Sigh...😊

[TimW]

I ordered a small tube of 3M 5200.  This will help in the short term.  Thanks Robert!

[Hilltop366]

That makes sense as to were the water could be coming from.

I guess you could start with a tiny sawmill shed over the fuel tank.

[TimW]

Already there.  I just sit a 1x12x12 on top of it for now.

[TimW]

I dumped the fuel out of the tank and the separator bowl, changed filters and topped off the tank with fresh on road diesel with Peak Blue Agri Clean added.  It flew through the 22 inch slab I was cutting like butter.
The Peak adds 5 numbers of cetane.  The Yanmar was running stronger than it ever has. 

 Kinda like Magic Man changing engines from the non turbo engine to the turbo engine.

  That Yanmar was singing!

[SawyerTed]

A clam shell type cover (clam shell vent) over the tank fittings would help keep the rain out.   It might need a little flap on the opening side to keep splashing rain from collecting on the fitting depending on how it's installed   Adding the clam shell would be after sealing the fittings as mentioned earlier, of course.

[YellowHammer]

Is it fuel / oil resistant too?

Like most things, 5200 doesn't bond on oily surfaces, they must be clean, and it is used as a universal gasket sealer and adhesive by OEM boating manufacturers.  It bonds to metal, plastic, fiberglass, and wood. It's universally used to bond transoms, seal thru hull fittings, seal bolt holes, thread sealant, pump parts, pretty much any where water intrusion is not acceptable.  I wouldn't use it to do a permanent fix on the side of a leaking fuel tank crack, but I wouldn't hesitate to clean off the top side of that whole grommet area and spooge it on and make an "umbrella" or waterproof shield.

They make two kinds of 5200, a 5 minute fast cure and a 24 hour long cure.  Each has its uses.  The slow cure will very slowly flow and level, and goes where the water goes, before it cures.  It doesn't drip, but it "droops and flows."  So if it's applied to that grommet area, it will slowly flow into the cracks and crevices and they will never leak again.  The fast cure will also flow a little, but as its name implies, not for long.   

I have tried to take it off after it's cured with gasoline, alcohol, pretty much anything, and the only thing that works is a razor blade.  3M has made a 5200 remover chemical.

3M makes a less permanent version, 4200, which does't stick quite as hard, and is removable with some effort. 
   

[TimW]

The fuel cell and most of the bungs, pickup straw and fittings showed up today.  I thought about sending it all back, after all I did yesterday and how the Yanmar sung back in post # 1964. 

However, I wanted to run it today.  I only got to cut about 100 stickers from already cut 1.12" boards.  So not long at all.  First hint was at startup.  It idled at 1470 rpm instead of 1480.
But I engaged the clutch and the Yanmar sung for just long enough to start sputtering before finishing the stickers.  By the time I shut down I was down about 500-600 rpm with the clutch engaged and around 200 rpm low at idle.

So looks like I will be poking some bung holes in the new fuel cell and taking it to the welding shop Monday.

Tomorrow, first, I will crank the Yanmar up to see what it does.  I probably will go get another 5 gallons of fresh diesel and empty the tank and filters and put the fresh fuel  it in without any additives.

[Southside]

Fuel additives aren't a magic, work every time, solution. Same but different case in point.  Years back i was heading north out of Ft Collins, CO to Laramie, WY through the valley. Actual temp was -40F or lower and I was having fuel gelling problems.  Pulled into the Laramie fairgrounds at zero dark thirty and grabbed my sealed jug of "Guaranteed not to gel" Power Service fuel additive.  Well when I went to pour it into the tank it looked like Lucas oil additive so that plan stopped.  Can you imagine what that would have been doing to my filters?  I knew the Safeway in town had K-1 at the pump and I could get in with my truck and trailer so I headed there.  Pulled up to the pump and began to get fuel.  Poor overnight guy in the booth came running out trying to put on his jacket waving his arms and yelling "You can't do that, it's not taxed!!!" My response was "Do you think the tax mans truck is going to start up in this weather?" and I kept on pumping.  That kept my engine running all night without issue and the next morning rolling through town the auto parts stores were lined up.  So your additive may have allowed the fuel to burn, but not burn well enough.  

[TimW]

That is what I am thinking.  I am gonna purge existing fuel and put in fresh fuel with nothing added.

[TimW]

I bought 5 more gallons of on road diesel today.  But I didn't put it in the mill.  Instead, I cranked the Yanmar up and it idled at the correct rpm, then engaged the clutch and it ran at the correct rpm.
I then shut it off, as today I had to mow.
Hope to saw a test log tomorrow after church.

[TimW]

After Church and a nap, I tried to saw a log with fuel from the Friday.  I engaged the blade and left it on.  It ran 14 minutes then started loosing rpm.

Pulled the fuel tank and drained all fuel, shook out the water separator filter (replaced 2 days ago) and reinstalled it.  Replaced the fuel filter.  Bled the lines and let it run to purge any old fuel.  Fired it up and kept sawing for 12 minutes, then started loosing a few RPMs.

Shut it down and started packing the mill for travel to the Yanmar dealer, 50 miles away.

[Magicman]

Sometime biting the bullet is the proper thing to do.  Hopefully they can get right to it without a long wait.

[TimW]

.........and you were hinting at that the other day on the phone.  I see $$$$ going bye bye. 

[Southside]

Have you been tracking the coolant temperature when she is running?  12 and 14 minutes sounds to me like a mechanical event is happening or not happening, say the temp is running hot and the ECU is reducing fuel as a safety response?