# steam in Westerbeke exhaust



## Sabre38 (Jul 22, 2013)

I'm a just new member and my problem of the moment is that steam comes out with the exhaust if I push the Westerbeke 33a diesel (1988 original with boat) above around 2400 RPM. Max HP is rated at 3000 rpm. 

I checked in with distributor Hanson Marine while visirting Marblehead, MA in 2011 and the head mechanic (owner?) told me to measure seawater flow in exhaust at 3000 rpm at the dock with a 5 gallon pail.He said it should discharge 7-9 gallons per minute. We got about 3.5 gal in 30 secs, so 7 gpm. But it still steamed.
In winter of 2011-12 replaced raw water pump and cleaned out heat exchanger (some crud such as odd impeller chunks etc were in it), and inspected raw water injector into exhaust. Summer of 2012 it still steamed. this spring, on advice from mechanic in Rocikland, Me, cleaned growth out of raw water intake cover plate on the hull and drillled out the 40 little holes in the plate to a slightly larger diameter with drill press. steam still comes out exhaust despite now getting 9 gallons plus per minute seawater flow form exhaust at 3000rpm in neutral. 
I've had the boat around five years and this did not happen for the first 2-3 years. One change we did around the time this problem started was to have the prop detuned so that we now can turn up to 2900 rpm in gear/ smooth water. Before, Pitch was too great and could get only around 2500 rpm at full throttle. I wonder if its possible that by detuning the prop, but not enough to get a full rated 3000 rpm full throttle and in gear, I am now burning more fuel at the higher rpm while at the same time the governor is calling for full throttle and I'm in effect lugging the engine in "too high a gear" and this is causing it to overheat (around 200 deg.) T-stat is 180. I bought a 160 deg t-stat but have not installed it. for now I just don't push the engine. Can anyone help?


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## jsaronson (Dec 13, 2011)

Steam is water leaking into a cylinder. If FWC, check coolant level. Probably need a compression test to rule out bad head gasket or worse.


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