paddler1

I haven’t changed any water pumps? it seems to have only started to dribble since I had the engine cylinder head refurbished last week, they also put in a new thermostat and the cooling system has been bled for air blockages using the tap on the top of the skin tank. i didn’t do anything to bleed any air from the calorifier i have now noticed that the calorifier seems to heat up the hot water a bit quicker now too. So when I give the red cap a turn then I can hear air escaping and the pump kicks in? is this correct?

My engine seems to be a lot happier now thanks to your sound advice. I have added the extra wire too to the oil gauge and all seems to be reading as you correctly predicted. i have cleaned out the bilge and now I have final question - when the engine is running I have noticed a very small trickle of clear water coming out off a drain pipe that is connected to the bottom of the calorifier (red cap) - is this just normal as the calorifier is pressured? I have never dared touch the red cap but it does turn and add ‘water’ I guess to get the right pressure? No gauge for my to worry about tho?

Here is an update by way of a thank you too. Added the additional wire as instructed and had a test sail today following my CH renovation. It went well and the temperature was accurate and stayed mid way around 80c which I think is about normal so it looks like I have no air in the system either. My only query now is following up from what Tony wrote that maybe I need to address the oil pressure gauge - do I need to put a wire to that too from the negative buzz bar? To be honest, Iv never paid much attention to this gauge...probably wrongly but what should it read as it usually goes up to about 100psi? Thanks all for your time and content.

Ok, so I have had a good look behind the panel as recommended and taken a few photos to help. Definitely only 2 wires to the gauge with none apparently ‘lost or missing’. purple wire goes to ‘s’ and red to ‘i’ with the middle nut screwed down tight marked ‘GND’ which I presume is the ‘ground’ that Tony spoke about. next to it is the oil pressure gauge. one brown wire from the sender.

I have taken off the panel but there does not seem to be any ‘spare’ loose wires that would have gone to the back of this gauge. I will have a closer look in the daylight tomorrow. I appreciate the information so far although even though you say there may be a wire missing on back of the gauge it was working perfectly well before the CH was taken off which mystifies me? I also spoke to the engineer who has now told me that he did not replace the sender so both the sender and the gauge remain the same that previously worked.

It’s a Faria gauge showing C and F with just 2 wires connected to it. hope these photos help?

This is good news indeed so thank you both! i had my CH refurbished and I think a new sender was added so it probably doesn’t match the gauge then now according to what u say as its worryingly showing to be 120 degrees after only ten minutes on tick over. However, I can feel the top of the heat exchanger is no where near that temperature!

Would anyone be able to inform me of the part number for a BMC1500 water temperature sender please?

Iv been a great fan of this forum and have lurked and read many helpful topics. I now have a problem with my engine I have now replaced 3 heat exchanger polar end caps in quick succession that split following the engine overheating. I have no leaks, I have hot water through the calorifier so presume the thermostat is working, no oil discolouration, I have bled the air using a tap on the top of the skin tank and with the rad cap off have seen the water moving so the pump appears to be working. Rad cap is 7psi. i ran the boat back to its mooring with the cap off so no pressure and got myself a head gasket test kit that turned from blue to yellow showing exhaust gases present in the cooling system= head gasket leaking?? this is where I am at... my local engine man has retired so can anyone direct me to a good engineer to help me? in the meantime I am considering a can of head gasket sealer only for now and repair in the spring..good idea? have I missed owt?

???

Ok, cheers biscuits, I may consider this but then I will have give some thought about then maybe voting...another pointless task I fear...I’m off to self-isolate as my head now hurts.

Ah, ok and thanks. 30 year old legislation that has not been amended I see but you have me convinced...I do move about a bit but I also live aboard for more than the stipulated 28days in a calendar year so as I have no desire to apply for permission to do this I will return my head under the sand and return to living in my own stress-Free bubble avoiding any confrontation or financial inconvenience to myself using only cash and a wink to get by....cheers all.

My I ask, Alan, what source re you using to quote the information you re providing? if it is written in law, which law?

Good to have ll the replies and I’m glad I shook the tree. to recap I think you are basically saying that even though I have lived there for over ten years I probably shouldn’t have been doing as the owner of the land does not have permission for ‘residential’ moorings’ so if I want to keep the worms in the can I should just carry on and say nowt to anyone...I get it. You are all correct with the responses and I respect them all but BIscuits, you are right, yes I do move my boat up and down for quite a few weekends a year and I also spend a few months here and there around Europe but legitimate or not it was and is my homecoming base and I would be foolish to poke my nose out further than I need to given lol the facts....I suppose I will just have to resign myself to not having/knowing my credit score in the end....ho, hum.