Diesel Maintenance

Prerequisites:

This class is designed for both the recreational user of marine diesel engines and the professional user of these engines.  Class size is limited to a maximum of 8 students.

Upon Completion:

You will understand the dynamics of how your marine diesel engine works, all of it's different systems, how those systems interact and all of the different maintenance procedures to keep the engine in tip top running order.

Dates:

Classes typically run 9am-3:30/4pm.

The 2024 Sessions

• January 13-15 (FULL)
• February 9-11(FULL)
• March 1-3(FULL)
• September 6-8 (3 spots left)
• Oct 18-20 (6 spots left)
• December 13-15 (8 spots left)
  

If none of these dates work, please send us an email - Tibor@victoriasailingschool.com - and we will try to set up a class that will work for you.

Included:

• The textbook - Marine Diesel Engines:  Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repair by Nigel Calder.
• All tools and safety gear.
• We will supply coffee & water, pastries for breakfast & pizza or sandwiches for lunch.

General Description:

Day 1 of 3 days - Introduction to Marine Diesels:  Covers the basics of how all internal combustion engines work and the specific differences between gas and diesel engines.  We will also cover all of the different systems that are typically installed on a modern cruising sailboat reviewing the pros and cons of different models.  This day also covers the basics of using a multimeter to diagnose battery and electrical issues.  We will finish the day by going through the procedures for winterizing a marine engine and how to configure the engine to operate as an emergency bilge pump.

Day 2 of 3 days - Troubleshooting a Marine Diesel:  Designed for graduates of the 1 day course who wish a greater understanding on the intricacies of a diesel engine and gain more experience in troubleshooting problems.  When the students arrive, neither of the 2 diesel engines will be running - each one of them will have numerous issues.  It is the students job to go through the engines, diagnosing the problems and fixing the issues.  It typically takes about 3 hours to get each engine working properly and the problems are divided evenly between electrical and mechanical issues and we try to have issues that are "common" issues.

Day 3 of 3 days - Advanced Diagnostics:  This is the day we take the engines apart, using compression testers, leak down testers, pop testers to diagnose the general health of a marine diesel engine.  We will take the cooling system heat exchanger apart, disassemble the fuel injectors, modify the shim packets in the injectors and generally and discuss how to test the timing of the engine.

Check out reviews from previous students:

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"This was an excellent class! The instructor was knowledgeable and made the 3 days an enjoyable learning experience. I would recommend this class for anyone for anyone wishing to charter or purchase."

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"I just finished Victoria Sailing Schools Marine Diesel class. Tibor did a great job of teaching us everything we need to know for basic diesel maintenance and troubleshooting. Being able to spend the weekend with my hands on one of their marine diesel engines, I feel much more comfortable with my knowledge and skills."

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"I took the 3-day diesel engine course in Jan. 2024 and it was amazing! Tibor did a great job in taking us quickly from theory to hands-on work, and we spent the entire 2nd day troubleshooting cleverly-created artificial issues on two different engines. This work in particular dramatically increased my comfort level in understanding the key systems of a marine diesel engine, what can potentially go wrong, and how to find and fix it. The 3rd day took us into more advanced maintenance procedures which were a lot of fun. Fantastic class!"

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"I took the diesel engine repair class 2/2024 and it was amazing. I admit to having some concerned about any attitude I might get as a woman taking this class (there always seems to be one) but the entire class was great and Tibor is an AMAZING instructor. His method of instruction, looking at the written material and then looking at 2 different engines system by system really solidified my understanding. We then spend an entire day trouble shooting both engines. It was very clear that an enormous amount of thought and planning was put into the organization of the class and then hours after the class to present the engine issues to be diagnosed and repaired. It was all very clever and extremely educational. The third day was hands on. I can now say confidently that I can rebuild a fuel injector and adjust the valves. An incredibly practical class that I would recommend to everyone who wants to be able to fix their own engine!"

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"Took the Marine Diesel class last weekend with Tibor. Really amazing combination of well organized lectures and hands on experience on the diesel engines. You can tell Tibor really enjoys teaching. I highly recommend this class to anyone who plans to spend time on a boat with a diesel engine."