gbclive

Another vote for T.Norris - a reassuringly old fashioned company. Very pleased with their workmanship last year reducing the pitch of our prop.

This was one of the programs I downloaded to my iPad at home to watch on the boat TV this week using an Apple AV adaptor. Really enjoyed it - the amount of contamination in their diesel was truly horrific☹️ As you say, their great teamwork and morale were noteworthy. We also enjoyed “The Weekend Sailor”, again from Amazon Prime. An entertaining documentary about a Mexican yacht competing in the first crewed sailing race around the world in 1974. Definitely the underdogs when pitted against the best the Royal Navy could muster and many other expertly crewed teams. Highly recomended?

We fitted our rigid panels 5 years ago on the common type of bracket that allows a limited tilt. They have been a huge success story for us, but if I were to do the job again, I would use this clever system to enable a much greater degree of tilt. I’d be happy to trade the slight increase in time needed to set up and take down against the extra efficiency that would be achieved.

I thought I had watched all of the Kelvin flavoured YouTube’s, however this short one had somehow evaded me. It helped quell my withdrawal symptoms for a few minutes?

Nope - this is more your style? (Thanks again Dave, hopefully we’ll be able take it to its proper home on the boat soon).

A while back, after breaking off a grease nipple, I purchased one of these - a G.Coupler. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0133NDH6E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Easy and quick to use and it’s especially useful where tight access limits tilting the coupler to one side in order to unlock from the nipple.

Some more info here from an earlier thread - in short, good for 2 years but would then need changing.

Thanks Mike and thanks Alan. Classic Oils it is then?

I’ve just ordered a 25L can of Morris Classic Golden Film SAE 30 for £110.86 inc VAT and free delivery, direct from Morris Lubricants. (Their online quoted prices are without VAT). For me it was the most convenient option.

Thanks - that makes sense. I might have over tightened it as it’s as tight as I could comfortably do it using two steel pins. This was to try and stop the thread from weeping, rather than the ram, so I’ll back it of a tad, then adjust after its bedded in. Thanks.

Update: Other jobs on the coolant system now complete, so today I topped up and bled the engine coolant, then turned the engine over by hand to see the initial result of reverting to two rings of conventional packing after the experiment of using a composite seal made of a hydraulic seal + a single ring of conventional packing. (No room for 3 rings due to an earlier modification). So far no weep between the ram and the gland, but a slight weep up the thread between the gland and the body. Would it be beneficial to use something like Boss White Pipe Jointing Compound on the bronze thread? Thanks.

If tilting solar panels fitted, adjust low, flat and tight?

On our J2 I find the aft, port side crankcase door gives the easiest access, but be carful not to damage the oil test cock. A Lidl oil suction pump makes quick work extracting most of the oil, then finish mopping out the last dregs from the sump with some lint free rag. Used engine oil is toxic, so be sure to use suitable gloves for protection. Don't overfill when topping back up. I was recommended to use Morris Golden Film SAE 30 classic motor oil - needs to be a low detergent/dispersant monograde lubricant (Other oils are available). Have you got a copy of “The Running and Repairing of Model J”?

Cratch cover?

WaterNav Update - just spoke to Alex at RCR and the latest info is that the task of recoding the app to run on the latest version of IOS hase been out sourced to a contractor and she is still hopeful of a resolution by the spring.

A couple of other points to consider. It may well end up in the cut? Phones are surprisingly slippery and thus easy to drop and either break or drown. So perhaps avoid spending too much on it and get a shock resistant frame. Many smart phones these days can’t easily have their battery replaced, so become obsolete sooner than those that can.

I spoke to RCR this afternoon, however Alexander was not at work today, so I was promised a call back when she next is.

Will do. It’s on my to-do list for January, to contact Alexander for an update on her progress. Watch this space?

Top tip? Read each and every reply you get carefully, then try to answer each and every question that is asked. Progress will then be made efficiently Failure to do this inevitably results in some inappropriate advice and eventually some frustration. Good luck?

Thanks Nigel. The packing is actually sold as stern gland packing, so I reasoned it would normally have to cope with grease. I also searched on line for any mention of either cotton flax or PTFE being incompatible with grease, but found none. But I like a belt and braces approach to these things, so I’ll test an off cut over night as you suggest. Incidentally, I proceeded as you have suggested and found that with just one ring, quite a lot of pressure and gentle wriggling was needed to ease the ram past that ring. The PTFE feels very slightly tacky rather than slippery, which surprised me. Based on that I held back from installing the ram a second time past both rings, as I thought it needed some grease, but wanted to check first. Cheers.

Update. Unfortunately, James Walker could not spare the resources to give me any advise (which I sort of get), but referred me to their online compression packing charts and a couple of their dealers, however 8m was the minimum order. So I bought a meter of cotton flax packing with Teflon (PTFE) lubricant off eBay for £12. Two 10mm rings skive cut and fitted (all there is room for). So a further questions please: Is it best to add some stern gland grease to help ease the ram into place and also to minimise initial wear? Thanks.

Thanks, the static is about 7’ so about 17’ total should be OK. I’m going to mention that minimising further wear is a priority. I’ll report back with their recommendation.

Great information - thank you. So probably go for cotton with PTFE. Re contacting Walker, they will probably need the materials of the body, gland and ram - bronze or brass (in addition to the chrome)? Also pressure involved - low, but care to hazard a guess?? Sorry for so many questions!