glitterhotdog

hello there, Hope you're all well, and enjoying the glorious weather we've been having! I've just got a question about my tiller handle. When the boat was sold to me there was no proper tiller tube, just an oversized aluminium tube which doesn't offer much control. I've ordered a 1" tiller tube, but it's a 20th of an inch too small. Does anyone have any experience of weird sized tillers? It's 1 1/20 inch and I'm not sure where I'm going to find a perfectly fitting tiller tube. Can brass be stretched at all, if I could heat it up, or would that weaken it too much? Many thanks, Lucy (Convair)

Heading back to Boatie now, have printed off yer instructions and going to give it a go. Spoken two motor factors places and a couple of chandleries that supposedly do this sort of thing, but will try looking for a local reconditioner, ta! Spoken to a bloke at ICS Online LTD about it and he's offered me a new one(same model) for £150 inc delivery, with part ex of old one. Good idea, or is it like giving him an almost-working one for free and buying a working one off him at full price? http://stores.ebay.co.uk/icsonlineltd?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 I'm based in West Yorks, bit of a trek. I doubt they'd fancy picking it up, and it'd cost a bomb to post. Anyone know anywhere local? Naww that's a kind thought anyhow! Will give finding an auto electrician another bash before I go down the route of getting a reconditioned one from ICS. Many thanks all for your wonderful advice.

This is the starter motor...got some burnt out wires, three places now have failed to identify it or be able to repair, so I've reverted to trying to find out what would be an appropriate replacement. https://www.dropbox.com/sc/tb3c0lb8v7lk7du/AABJFo6jIJFVnFOQAYwbMNbAa

Correction: Serial: 1431 SR3 23 HP: 19.5 B.S. 649 RPM: 2000

It was turning over a bit, but sounded thoroughly displeased, then the solenoid stopped working and the whatsit wasn't actually moving that piston that engages the teeth. (apologies for probably entirely unintelligible explanation) My dad has had a bit of a play with it and reckons that it sounded like the whole thing was in need of reconditioning or replacing. Tis very old. The engine is still in lovely nick despite a sinking and some neglect, but the electrics are a bit sad looking.

Uhhmmm I can go check, thank you! Engine number is Lister 9870SR20 does that mean anything to anybody? Judging by this: http://www.stationary-engine.co.uk/EngineDating/Dating5.htm I'm guessing 9870 = serial number within that year SR = model number 20 = year of manufacture + 1950, so 1970? So it's a Lister SR3 from 1970?

Hey there, Thank you very much for this, much appreciated, but this is the Operation Manual (what I meant by instruction manual) rather than the service manual. Does anyone know where I might be able to get hold of the service manual pretty please?

May be a daft question, but... this rcr (http://shop.rivercanalrescue.co.uk/shop/default.aspx)?

Thank you! Bloody brilliant lot you are! :)

Hello hello lovely people, and a happy bonfire night to all! == As is often the case I have spent many an hour scouring the internet and googling like mad over these past few weeks, and I've found some conflicting information, and wondered if any of you kind folks could shed a little light on the matter. I'm trying to get the Lister SR3 going on my 70s Narrowboat, with the assistance of my dad (who is much more au-fait with engine things than me, though his experience is with motorbike and car engines). He's established that the starter motor is knackered, but we're having trouble identifying it. We've taken it to a Lucas-recommended servicing and parts place (SAS motorfactors, Bradford) and they couldn't identify it or get parts to fix it, and we've taken it to Puffer Parts too, with no luck. Collecting it tomorrow. The number on the starter motor is rubbed off at the end so that's no help, but it looks a bit like the Lucas LRS555. So when I finally get round to it...my questions are; is there more than one kind of lister sr3? I have seen some information that suggests LRS555 is suitable for Lister SR3, and some that suggest not. Does anyone have any advice on figuring out what my compatible starter motor options are here, and whether it's anticlock or clockwise? (Ps. Does anyone know where I can find a service manual as all I have is an operation manual? ) Many thanks for bearing with my rambly ill-informed queries. ==

Ooh just had chance to have a proper look at this. This might be a sensible goal. a fairly high aim, but I've got a birthday coming up, I could have a collection to swell the coffers a bit. Mike the boilerman, Are you just talking about home boilers or does this include Alde and Morco combis? Thank you

I'll have to have a proper nosy at the stove, see if I can find any identifying features. I've got a rubbish photo of it here but might not be much help: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/76/d7/19/76d71990424ec9820c58310a14b6e0ea.jpg I think it is air cooled yeah, so that's out. Going to look into this diesel boiler situation. Links welcome. Would there be a separate tank(calorifier) with a diesel or gas boiler(morco/Alde) either way? Any further info about the gas boilers much appreciated.

Sure, Alan! Jump in For Alde type boilers, are these morco ones also hot water and radiator types? http://www.morcoproducts.co.uk/stock-6-38/Combination_Boilers/GB30LPG.html I'm particularly enamoured with this type for days when the fire isn't needed, but maybe a little blast of warm in the half hour before getting up, or a bit of heat while getting out of the shower are needed. I suffer from fibromyalgia and get a bit stiff if I can't warm up sometimes, but it eases off once I'm warm and dressed and moving about. Going to definitely look into fitting a back boiler on my little stove, for hot water during the winter when the stove is running. Do I understand correctly, that to utilise engine heat, you need a calorifier? This is where the water is heated up? Same with the back boiler unless it's just in a sealed system going round radiators? Thank you all so much for the advice, you're a great bunch. Regards, Lucy

I'm thinking the best option for me would be to swap my morco water heater for a morco combi boiler. I did look at the diesel ones but I'm just not there yet on savings, and won't be til after I move on as I'm paying two rents and there's a lot of materials costs going on every month. Has anyone got one of these? Good?

Thank you so much for your suggestions, I think I get it now! I also found this. (Might be useful for someone else if searching for info) Q & A Heating/hot water Hi Are there any rules or regulations or reasons why I can not fit a small LPG domestic combi boiler in my narrow boat. David Asked by: David Anderson | 1.27pm, Thursday 16 June WW says: In principle, there is no reason that you cannot instal a combi boiler, provider the manufacturer has warrantied it for installed on marine craft. If they do not allow it to be installed and will not warranty the boiler, then it is not type approved and cannot be installed. Some manufacturers will, but most won't. You also need to be able to safely accomodate the flue- you must use the manufacturers fitting and terminal ends- and also the maximum (and more importantly, minimum) lengths of flue- which can be difficult to fit in a boat. If the boiler is not room-sealed (as some models aren't) then installation is much more difficult- read the BSS guide. To pass the flue spillage test, may require a much longer flue than can be accomodated. A room sealed unit would not have those issues. Also, the gas input loading would mean that, to avoid pressure drop, you would have to fit a sizeable diameter pipework to the boiler- and the marine GasSafe engineer that you use to fit such a boiler should be able to advise. However, even the smallest domestic combi unit is vastly overpowered for use on a narrowboat- a narrowboat needs a maximum of around 5KW to heat it- and actually a lot less- around 2.8KW constantly for a 60ft narrowboat, maintaining an interior temprature of 21dec C when its -1C outside... This means that the boiler will be constantly cycling- which doesn't do it much good, as it will be lighting, burning and shutting down within a very short time. Also, it would require a constant pure sine wave 230V supply operating- and the consumption when pumping on heating cycle is quite high, compared to a extra-low voltage (12 or 24 V) diesel heating system, for example. This would mean a landline or inverter running constantly. So, you might be able to fit one, given the above constraints- but think why they are almost unheard of on boats- if they were easy, simple and effective, they would be far more utilised. I have come across two boats (one narrow, one widebeam) with them fitted and the owners were not happy with them on both occasions- it had cost them a lot to maintain (due to the short-cycling)- one was planning to remove and fit a smaller caravan/marine LPG burner unit.