Camanos 31 Owner's Handbook Manual - page 6
1
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Name
The Camano started out with two models – the Troll (with a flying bridge) and Gnome (without the
flybridge). The Gnome was later discontinued and the Troll was called a Camano 28 and renamed the
Camano 31 for marketing purposes in the early 2000s. The boat is 28 feet length on deck and 31 feet
overall, including the swim platform and anchor roller.
Engine
The Camano was designed for diesel power. Most of the Camano 28s (now called Camano 31s) have
been equipped with Volvo diesel engines. Very early Camanos had four-cylinder Volvo engines but
this soon gave way to the 150 HP six-cylinder turbo-charged engine, and more recently, a 200 HP
Volvo six-cylinder turbo-charged and after-cooled engine (TAMD41P) was installed as standard
equipment. The TAMD41P was replaced with the four-cylinder D4 in 2007. In 2009, the Yanmar
6BY was standard with the Volvo D4 optional. This manual refers to the TAMD41P, because it is the
most common Camano 31 engine.
Fuel System
The standard fuel capacity of each Camano was 92.4 US gallons through hull 179. The twin port and
starboard aluminum tanks were increased in size beginning with Hull 180, holding a total of 130 US
gallons. For purposes of calculating range it is normal to allow at least 10% reserve for fuel not picked
up at the bottom. The outlet valve is located at the aft, lower inboard corner and the engine can be run
with both valves open. The fuel is then supplied to the Racor fuel filter (newer Camano 31s have twin
Racors), the lift pump, the engine fuel filter, the injector pump and the fuel injectors. Excess fuel is
then returned to the fuel tanks via the fuel return lines. The fuel return line is fitted with valves to
control the return fuel flow to either or both the port and starboard tanks. Regular scheduled servicing
of the engine requires the replacement of both the Racors and the engine fuel filter. Whenever this is
done it is always necessary to vent the fuel system. Single Racor filters have a central plunger that
allows you to manually fill the filter with fuel. When changing the fuel filters on the dual Racor filter,
the lift pump on the engine must be used to re-prime the system since it does not have the plunger type
priming pump found on the single Racor filters. Be sure to open the vent first in order to bleed off the
air. Similarly, the engine fuel filter can be filled with fuel by using the lift pump adjacent to the filter.
Again, be sure to open the vent at the top of the engine fuel filter in order to bleed off air trapped in the
system.
If you run out of fuel or do other repairs that allow air into the injector pump or the injectors
themselves you will have to bleed them before you can start the engine. At this point it might be wise
to call in the cavalry and watch how this is done. At some point, you should learn how to bleed the fuel
system yourself.
Useful Tip: When underway with your boat on plane the fuel gauge readings may be misleading since
the fuel tends to collect at the back of the tank. Bring the boat off plane to get a more accurate
indication of the remaining fuel on board.