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Boat fire and diesel engine

tom_p

New member
We have 2 Yanmar 3GM30 diesels

We have 2 Yanmar 3GM30 diesels in our sailing catamaran. There was a fire in the starboard engine compartment. The fire started with a shorted out cable and spread to the fiberglass and became quite intensive. Luckily we managed to put out the flames using 9 chemical fire extinguishers. The starboard engine stalled in the process but the port engine kept running. The two engine compartments are connected and they both were covered with the chemical powder by the time the fire was under control.
The boat yard mechanic advises us that both engines must be replaced because once the engines ingest the chemical extinguisher powder it’s only a matter of time before they will seize. The surveyor for the insurance company insists that if the engines can be started there is nothing wrong with them.
Does anyone have experience with this kind of problem and could tell us who is right?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
 
That does not seem right. I wo

That does not seem right. I would think that changing the crankcase oil would be a good measure to remove any possible contaninates but I find it hard to believe that a trace of extinguishing residue could be that caustic.
 
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