D.I.Y Diesel Engine Maintenance & Troubleshooting with Mardesich/Beemer

Cruisers College will offer an all day course about your diesel propulsion engine. Having your Diesel engine fail while underway can ruin your day. Worse, it could put you and your crew in a dangerous position. In general, marine diesel engines are incredibly reliable. They seem just to need, air, fuel, and water for cooling. You could add electrical power for starting, and you have covered the range of needs for a diesel engine. Most engine problems are due to fuel issues or keeping the engine cool. Using the Marine Tech Centers diesel engine lab, we will work with live diesel engines running where you can walk around the engine and see the different systems. You can look at the injectors and even learn to bleed the engine before starting.

Sample of topics covered:

• Annual and Regular Maintenance:
• Changing the oil and oil filters
• Changing Fuel filters
• Overheating can kill a diesel engine. Make sure your cooling system is maintained regular to avoid overheating and costly repairs.
• There is no warning for salt water incursion in your transmission cooling system. Gear coolers should be inspected it annually and replace or cleaned every 5 years
• Impellers should be inspected annually and replaced every 1-2 years depending on use
• Replacing hoses and belts every five years

Learn how to troubleshoot:

• Electrical systems on your engine for starting or charging.
• Vacuum gauge installation in your fuel system after the primary fuel filter to tell you if the system has a blockage or if the primary filter is dirty from bad fuel or a problem in the tank.

This is one of our most popular courses.. After this one day course you will have a good understanding of how your diesel engine works and the basic areas for good maintenance and troubleshooting.

Matt Mardesich is the primary propulsion instructor at Skagit Valley College. Matt has been around the water all his life and still does some commercial fishing when not teaching at the technical school. Matt is an ABYC certified Master Technician and holds certifications in Gasoline/Diesel engines and electrical. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, gasoline engines, outboard motors, and hydraulics.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College’s marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for almost 20 years and holds a master’s degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He and his wife have cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on their motor-sailer. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as “The Boat Doctor” who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.