Kieron G

Thanks for info and pictures on this. Something I would really like to do, it must be a special thing to see York from the Foss.

There is a good pub at Linton where you can moor onto a floating pontoon , also the pontoon for the lock is really long so I guess it would be ok to spend some time there. Boroughbridge is nice with moorings and diesel cheaper than Naburn. I have also moored around Newby hall. From what I remember there are moorings onto the gardens but signs prohibiting their use. also a rusty metal structure just under the surface on the opposite side to the hall so be careful if you or your dog plan to go for a swim around there. It was 2014 since I went that way so things may have changed.

Just to conclude this thread . Tony was 'on the money' with the diagnosis of crank case pressure causing this noise. Just by cranking the engine over with the oil filler cap removed the noise is gone. when I installed the engine I ran a 6ft small diameter breather pipe to the stern of the boat which is causing back pressure in the crankcase. If I reduce the length of this pipe to just outside the engine bay and increase the diameter I think all will be ok. The engine is obviously creating more crankcase pressure since being stripped down for some reason. Not blow by because the effect is the same when decompressed. It seems to be running well with the repitched prop. Might be a bit too fast at tickover for some sections of canal now though. Any way thanks for help on this.

It's ok. Hauptmann is on shore leave at the moment along with most of his mooring rope dwelling spider crew. Something about needing schnapps for his headache.

Thanks for that , will have a good look and listen 'Das boot' style with a stick when i'm there next. It's doesn't seem to affect the starting & running of the engine . I'll put it down to ' character '.

Hi Tony, It's more pulsating and in time with crankshaft rotation , it doesn't change note and is only noticeable at lower engine speeds I think because the volume of the engine over rides it at higher speeds. I'm just off to work now but will catch up with any new posts first thing (if there are any). thanks in advance.

Have also tried removing alternator belt because I thought it was that to start with.

I've just had heads and barrels off and checked rings out including position of gaps. Was thinking that stopping engine with decompressor would discount escaping compression. I have though poured a bit of diesel into the gap between injector and head and it doesn't get blown out so the injectors must be seated ok. Spent some time on grinding valves and was confident that they were good. I have got a diesel compression tester for the Landrover but not the right adaptor to fit this engine, but like I said it seems to be running fine. It has developed this new noise since I had it apart though. Thanks for suggestions.

Finally got this boat back in Derwent and at weekend and had a good four hour run up to Elvington against flow. Really pleased with how she performs. The only thing which is perplexing me is a 'shushing' noise which sounds like escaping pressure. As a trial I used decompressor to stop engine and the noise continues until it comes to a stop. I hoped a good run might clear this but it's still there. Have heard that a broken ring can create noise but i'm sure that they are all intact. Could an injector create this noise ? It is in time with the engine speed. Everything else fine ,good power ,no smoke ,running cool. Any suggestions ? Thanks , Kieron. Just thought that it can't be an injector because the noise continues after fuel is shut off at pump.

A&E Woodward's at Hull would do a good job on your prop for a very reasonable price ( Posted by a satisfied customer ).

That's all good to know. It does look like a heavy duty piece of kit and would be good to fit it in a boat some time, just non availability of spare parts that would put me off running it, if anything wore out and needed replacing.

Ok , Thanks for that. I couldn't find a matching gearbox when I fitted the engine in the boat so it's coupled to a Hurth box . More recently I found another marine HDW ( Mk 1 I think ) on a frame coupled to a heavy item of a box with no plate but I've been advised by 'Suigeneris' that it might have been made by a company called BRB. Would be great in a narrowboat but maybe too heavy for my small boat. Hope to get that up and running sometime this year.

The engine is the water cooled marine , the heads have a self contained cooling jacket separate from the crankcase so the method of cutting out unwanted shims would work , or I could remove the head / barrel as an assembly and alter the amount of shims that way . In any case time is not an issue to me on this and i'll go with what is considered to be best practice on this thread and use more than one point on the piston crown to get a more accurate reading . If I had all the best answers I wouldn't be asking the questions. Thanks again for all the input / suggestions on this.

Hi , Yes heads are off & valves have been out. I haven't decided that a single length of wire is the best way . Just the method put forward in the workshop manual. The shims for the bump clearance are sandwiched between the base of the barrels and the crankcase so once the heads are torqued down they won't need to be disturbed again , maybe this is why it is the Coventry victor preferred method.

Just revisiting this thread to correct a mistake I made when stating the engine is direct injection. As stated by Tony it is indirect . The lead through the injector hole works because it is directed onto the top of the piston by the shape of the separate cut away in the chamber. Made a statement through what I thought I remembered rather than having a proper look.

Hi Ian, I think I would make the order up to £18 with some spare filters or a belt.

Apologies for late reply ,Just noticed later posts on this thread. The procedure of using lead rod through injector hole to take bump clearance is how manual describes to do it. The engine is direct injection. I've just got gaskets delivered from 'Gaskets to go' so i'll see which method works best. Thanks for suggestions / comments on this . Can't wait to get it up and running again and try out the repitched , reworked prop.

That's great, thanks for link for plastigauge. Have ordered solder so should be ok. I've got bump clearance figures of .060"-.065" provided by Surgeneris from the Coventry victor manual. Piston crown isn't flat though so I think that's for the low area.

Have just been looking at different diameters of solder on ebay myself . Re the three positions on the piston crown, do you take the average reading of the three and is the reason to spread the load evenly and give more accurate readings ? thanks.

Yes , I didn't think of solder . I've got a few possible solutions there to get me moving when I get my gaskets delivered now. Thanks.

Problem solved. Thanks for that.

Hi Blizzard, I think i'll need a length of lead to feed in and remove after the engine's over TDC with the cylinders being horizontal. This is how the manual instructs to do it. Unless I glue a pellet to the piston crown and scrape it off to measure it.

Hi, does anyone have an idea where I might be able to get hold of some 1/8" dia lead rod to feed into the injector holes in the cylinder heads on my flat twin to measure the bump clearances. I haven't tried the vintage engine specialists yet but not sure if they'll stock lead rod in lengths.Thanks in advance for any ideas / suggestions. Kieron.

As long as the combined weight of the boat and a strong trailer is less than 3500kg you could slip and move it with a Landrover or Landcruiser ( not sure which other 4x4's are plated for 3500kg ) as John commented. My boat is only 3mm steel , Any rusty sections I cut out with an angle grinder and fitted new steel in, welded with a 180 amp mig which coped fine.