So we are in Marathon for another week and will have to vacate our slip next Wednesday. I have a motor issue that I want to get sorted before we cross to the Bahamas, but I don’t know if I need to get it fixed here in Marathon or if we can go north to Stuart, Lauderdale area where it will be cheaper and there are more service choices.

The problem is an air leak from a turbo that is putting out soot at the flange where the turbo connects to the exhaust pipe. The clamp was a bit loose and I snugged it up, but I know the turbo needs to be demounted, have the surfaces cleaned and then be reinstalled. I would start the job today, but I am concerned about breaking hardware and getting stranded with only one engine and I would prefer to assist a tech as opposed to doing it myself for the first time.

Like I said, I have snugged up the clamps, the large one on the compressor flange was not loose, but I was able to get 1/4 turn on the bolt. The smaller clamp was definitely loose and I got perhaps a turn and a half on it. Is it safe to run up north at 1050 rpm to get somewhere we can have it repaired or are we stuck here? I have the turbo blanket removed now and there is no oil on it, just some scorching. Should I reinstall it for the trip north or leave it off. I intend to clean the soot off to be able to see if I have stopped or slowed the exhaust leak, but is there anything else I can do? I would prefer to leave the turbo attached to the engine exhaust manifold with the bolts as I don’t want to break one and disable the engine until I am somewhere I can stay while I wait for parts.

I guess what I am asking is if a exhaust leak from the turbo flange is enough to keep us from running that engine for a couple or three days at low rpm to get out of the Keys. And how can I check to see if I’ve minimized it by tightening the clamp?