Alec Gatherer

This link is on here somewhere. AV2 but so similar..... http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p203/Do.../Picture497.jpg

Metalfast, Unit 1 Cromwell Road Trading Estate Cromwell Road Bredbury Stockport SK6 2RF Tel. 0161 494 3636 Fax 0161 494 3649 sales@metalfast.co.uk

Apologies in advance, but as I am a bit slow computer-wise, can a kind soul direct me to the postings in this thread that refer to general boating?

I bought a "Mikomi" 15" LCD TV from Argos for £89; that had a 12v transformer and in practice works fine on a 12v supply. Maplins sell a 12v Freeview box for not a lot of money. For reasons of cowardice I run them through an Amperor voltage stabilisation gizmo, but I have heard of people just running them from a 12v battery.

Simple on the face of it; but if you could provide a piccie of your boat roof in the place where they are to fit, it would avoid a lot of speculation about possible problems that don' in fact exist. Or leaving out some vital point that does exist but wasn't forseen. By the way, I have fitted a total of six mushroom vents so far in my life; there may just be someone on here who can beat that.

When I used to uphold the law in Cornwall I returned to single mens' quarters after a 6-2 evening shift,, switched on the standard issue one-bar electric fire, and went for a wash in the shared bathroom. When I returned I didn't think the bar was glowing, so I touched it to see if it was getting hot!!! Big mistake. Thank God I touched the downstream end! My only excuse is that I was quite drunk.

A common problem with Listers is that the cooling air, having passed through the fins, is not expelled out of the engine room but is able to recycle back round into the cooling system. In other words, the air must be ducted outboard straight from the cooling jacket, not just discharged into the engine area. Also ther must be an adequate inlet for cool fresh air for the fan to drag into the cooling jacket. Another thing to check is that the cooling fins are clear; you will see in the Workshop manual a special tool, a purpose-shaped rake, for dragging through the fins to shift gunge and debris. Plenty more things to suggest, but check those first.

It's as good a hobby as any. As a failed build-from-new-hull er, -er I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and can't wait to have another go when circumstances permit. Probably easier than refurbishing an existing, and if you're ingenious it needn't cost that much. I ended up spending £18k in total incl. hull (a few years ago!) so I suppose about £25k total would see a reasonable boat. If you keep it simple there's nothing rocket science about the job; most important item is boundless enthusiasm and patience. It the time was right I'd have it. Mind you, I do have an engine!

Yes, diesel in the sump oil is a problem. As Magnetman quite rightly says, the engine (through a combination of worn bores, rings, and gaskets) can start running on the oil/diesel mist, which gets up past the rings due to worn pistons/rings/bores. Only way to prevent meltdown is to throw in the decompressors, so make sure they're working and set as per the manual. Leaking copper washers in the HP fuel injection pipes is the main reason. Lister in their wisdom routed them internally through the timing chest.

These SRs are practically bombproof. I would change fuel (& oil if fitted) filters, change oil, ensure fresh diesel is being used, then go for it. Spin it a few times with the decompressors enabled (if you have an oil pressure gauge maybe spin it decompressed until you get a reading) then just try. After it fires and runs well (which it will) how much use will it get? I am thinking that you could do with warming it up then changing the oil again, but I'd gauge how dirty it gets before deciding. That's what I would do as an opening gambit.

The guy I have just sold my boat to has downloaded a change of ownership form from BW website; I will get the url for you on Sunday. Edited to say: Look at me; Mr. Lazy. Here, I have looked it up myself - on Waterscapedotcom "useful downloads" http://www.waterscape.com/media/documents/1858.pdf Hope this helps.

I am sure you will have a really enjoyable time. Virtual wave from me. As I will be away I am arranging a little welcome for you - in most of the pubs you will visit, I am asking the landlord to put an imitation set of cricket wickets on the bar, as a tribute to the Aussie domination of the sport. Drawn to them, and after realising that they have been adapted to dispense cask-conditioned real ale, you will doubtless return home with a new appreciation of what makes a good pint. I find it heartwarming that so many good people of refined taste from around the globe share our appreciation of the canal network and the way it gives a unique insight to the British countries.

To combine economy, ecology, and job satisfaction, I can thoroughly recommend the air iron. You can buy them at the same shop where you get your air guitar. There is an air ironing world championship. You can see practice heats at any students' union bar.

Too right it does. With my stable of elderly cars with varying degrees of age decay I need to be mindful of the length of time that the petrol has been in the tank. And on many occasions I have cured a customer's non-starting problem by draining off the old fuel and refilling with new. This after leaving the vehicle standing over the winter months. A little tip - can also be handy if there has been an accidental use of the wrong fuel (i.e. fill with petrol in a diesel vehicle or vice versa). Carburettor engines only. I have a one-gallon fuel can which I have fitted with a 5/16" spigot fuel take-off near the bottom. To pump out a tankful of fuel on a vehicle with a mechanical pump, disconnect the fuel feed downstream of the pump and bodge the feed from the portable tank into this, positioning the small tank so that the fuel syphons into the carb (stand on the roof maybe?). Then bodge a tube from the now-vacant downstream outlet into a suitable drain-off container. Start the motor; the engine is now running on correct fuel supplied from the small tank, but the mechanical pump is churning out the contents of the fuel tank. Saved a few of my mates a good few bob has that. Never needed it myself of course, oh no, I just had an hour to spare one day so I thought I'd make the tank. To help my mates out.

My stalled project (sale agreed) has the red diesel that I put in when we arrived at the moorings 4+ yrs ago. The Lister still cracks up instantly and runs & idles on it. Mind you, that's one reason I chose a Lister. I have not found diesel to deteriorate with time, unlike the new petrol. Spent all yesterday pumping out the tank on a Riley using the manual lever on the lift pump, so that I can put new (i.e. under a month old) petrol in to start it. 10 gallons! Couldn't have had just a gallon or so could it, oh no.