Tools for changing Yanmar engine zinc

[scubabob]

We have a Yanmar YB180 and I am trying to check the state of the engine zincs and while I can remove the lower zinc with a 22mm socket (extended), I cannot get at the upper zinc. What am I missing? How does one get at it?

Thanks.

Bob McKane
Pocket Edition
C26

 

[Brian B]

You will need a stubby box end wrench or cut the length of a wrench to fit. Use the box end so it doesn't slip. My experience is the bottom zinc lasts about 3 months and the top one about 6 months. The top one does not sit in water when the engine is off whereas the lower one is always in water.
There may be a difference in mm size between top and bottom zincs.

 

[Osprey]

What I did was buy the appropriate size metric wrench, 22mm or 23 mm depending on the Zn, and cut it in half to form two 1/2 length wrenches. There is room on my R27 to slip the shortened wrench onto the Zn's head. I also cut a length of 1 " diameter SS tube ,length about equal to the new wrench handle, perhaps a fit more. What tube length you need depends on the residual wrench length and the working s space near the Zn. I slip the SS tube over the wrench handle, fit the wrench onto the Zn, then slide the tube out as much the space allows. The purpose of the tube is to produce sufficient leverage to turn the Zn nut.

 

[R Baker]

Sounds to me that the design and installations of marine engines has been relegated to the land of Oz. Why can't they be designed with owner maintenance in mind and why can't installations consider this ? I know, the engine is often, almost too big for the space. Marketing requires big engines (because the buyers want to go at such and such a speed) which is in direct conflict with maintenance or installation considerations. So from my perspective, my Tug is over engined, difficult to access systems, and ultimately expensive to maintain. On the other hand,I have owned boats that were designed to be more readily maintained - physically smaller (and slower) engine mind you; but all in all very acceptable designs. For me the difficult access to systems is a continuing problem. I'm not willing to accept, 'that is the way it is' , but am of the opinion the designers (of engines and boats) need to do better. To have to cut a spanner in half to access an anode is simply unacceptable.

 

[Osprey]

Views from a "toolnut" - A person who likes to fix things, sometimes even before they are broken, an activity often referred to as "maintenance". After spending most of my working life in academic pursuits, working on my tug is all "party time" for me.
Special tools for specific machine/engine repairs have been required for a very long time. I can think of many instances when special tool would have made my efforts at repair of many items (cars, boats, appliances...) much easier. I have had to buy a few and rent a few special tools in the past. Cutting a $10 spanner in half was a nonissue for me. As to tight spaces it is not uncommon when doing machine repairs to not have much room to work. Many times one has to take nearby components off to reach the area of interest.
If my R27 had been offered , say a 100 HP engine as an alternative to the 180 would I have selected the smaller engine? Nope. More room sure, and I hardly ever run more than about 60% power with the 180. There are situations though when going to 90%, or more, is a real benefit.
Now could Ranger have improved access to some areas of the 180 engine? Yes! For example, access to the front of the engine is awkward almost beyond belief. I found that modifications to improve access to the front of the engine are readily done by an owner. However, it would be much better if Ranger made the modifications during the boats' manufacture.
Another problem area is access and repair of the stern thruster. Many posts have addressed this issue. I expect it would be possible to incorporate design changes to improve access to the thruster. Even so, access here is never going to be easy. From various posts, I understand that water intrusion into the thruster electronics happens occasionally. The result seems to be that the thruster spontaneously turns on. This issue would be much less common if improved drainage for the thruster compartment were added. Some owners, once having once experienced the spontaneous on issue, have installed a bilge pump in the thruster compartment.
Some negative comments here for sure, but I am still happy to have the thruster option even with the present design. In fact, overall, warts and all, I am pleased to be a Ranger Tug owner. (You can decide if "warts" refers to tug or this owner or both.) When asked by others, happens often at a launch ramp, for example, I recommend the tug.

 

[rpmerrill]

I'm like Osprey... Party time. An engineer that did some theoretical desk time but also field work... but I could never resist sticking my fingers into the machinery and checking stuff out for myself.

I did cut down a wrench to try to loosen one of my zincs. Can't remember which one. Bought wrenches for each (two different sizes) and sockets which wouldn't fit in the tight space. However on the cut down wrench I couldn't get enough ass behind it to break it loose. Luckily, sort of, an engine problem intervened and I delegated the zinc replacement to the boatyard when they fixed my other problem and did my routine service.

The issue of simply looking at the zincs still has bugged me in those middle-of-the-night moments (or hours).

I did learn something a short while ago and haven't had a chance to experiment with it.
Open end wrenches always (I think) have cocked heads. Apparently on purpose.
What I heard is that if you put the wrench on the bolt/nut and hold it tight in the direction you want it to move. (Orienting the cocked head in that direction as well.) THEN hit the end axially directly towards the bolt/nut, the geometry of the cocked head will act as an impact wrench and loosen a tight fastener. I saw a guy do it on TV, or maybe it was on the internet (It must be true) but haven't tried it.

Anyone else ever hear of that?

I'll put it on my task list and issue a final report.

 

[stwendl]

To all complaining about access in the ranger series

You may not have worked on diesel trucks for instance a f250. In order to access the engine for certain work the cab is usually lifted with a story lift.

While this is probably not possible on a ranger tug access to the engine is not as bad as such a truck

In regard to cutting tools in half, there are already tools short enough to this task, called stubbies, and even shorter ones called crows feet which work with a nut driver ratchet handle. The times where a screwdriver and fixed all problems are over. Some tasks need special tools to make it easier to perform them. If you don't have those tools because they are rarely used some people improvise. But it doesn't mean it's a bad design

 

[knotflying]

Standard open end wrench. One quarter turn and rest by hand works for me.

 

[Osprey]

Well stwendl, thanks for the tip not to buy a F250. Guess I will stay with my 1996/Cummins/Ram a while longer. Still pulls hard and a straight 6 leaves room for easy service. Served me well from North West Territories all the way down to Mexico with lots of places in between.

 

[stwendl]

And I drive a 2500 ram with a cummins myself 🙂

 

[Boont Boater]

I've been fooling with my engine zincs on our Yanmar 260 hp engine. I appear to have 3 different head sizes between the two that are on the engine and my spares - 22mm, 24mm, and 15/16". Eventually I hope to have them all supplied by Boatzincs.com which appears to be the 22mm one. Much better pricing and they come with the crush washer.
Access with a big combo wrench doesn't seem to be a problem, once I got the right size on.

We live over a 100 miles from the marina so when I don't have the right tool it gets a little frustrating. Best thing I can do is make notes in my boat journal cause I sure can forget specifics very quickly :roll: