Marine Diesel Engines

Book excerpt: Nigel Calder, a diesel mechanic for more than 25 years, is also a boatbuilder, cabinetmaker, and machinist. He and his wife built their own cruising sailboat, Nada, a project they completed in 1984. Calder is author of numerous articles for Yachting Monthly and many other magazines worldwide, as well as the bestselling Boatowner's Practical and Technical Cruising Manual and Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, both published by Adlard Coles Nautical. Here, in this goldmine of a book, is everything the reader needs to keep their diesel engine running cleanly and efficiently. It explains how diesel engines work, defines new terms, and lifts the veil of mystery that surrounds such engines. Clear and logical, this extensively illustrated guide will enable the reader to be their own diesel mechanic. As Nigel Calder says: 'there is no reason for a boatowner not to have a troublefree relationship with a diesel engine. All one needs is to set the engine up correctly in the first place, to pay attention to routine maintenance, to have the knowledge to spot early warning signs of impending trouble, and to have the ability to correct small ones before they become large ones.'