sassan

Always call Netham lockkeeper, since you need to know the tide times to get into Bristol anyway. He's liable to also know about the flow rate. Nice chap, always helpful. You can find his number on the Bristol harbour website. At a cursory glance out of the train window this morning, it didn't look too bad.

Problem still ongoing. Have checked valve clearances. Am rigging up an alternative fuel supply (jerry can, piping, filter) to rule out low quality fuel and inadequate fuel pressure to injector pump, hopefully tonight or tomorrow. Will report back on how it goes.

When I started reading this story, I thought the boy lying down was going to turn out to be dead, or examining a floating body.

Found my boat (it helps that it says what date the images were captured at the bottom of the screen). They've clearly tried to blur out boat names but the job is only partial. It caught and blanked the name on the bow, but the one on the side it didn't get (funny writing probably made it quite difficult) but did manage to blank out random bits of decorative paintwork. A decent effort overall. I am concerned that no effort seems to have been made to blur out windows (although in my case you can't see anything much).

They are indeed. They're in thousandths of an inch, with mm marked on them as well. Assumed imperial was best, since both the manual and you good folks seem to be that way.

Hmmm, I must admit that I have not checked the fuel lines since my initial attempts to start it. I shall test it again while cold tonight or tomorrow. I'll exhaust the other possibilities and do a great deal of reading before I start messing with the tappets and spill timing. Wouldn't problems with either be apparent when running though? Edit: ordered a set of feeler guages, just in case I do need them (at a fiver, might as well have them in the toolbox).

The fuel filter in this case is one of the big sock-like ones that you clean rather than replace. There are also two, with a changeover lever. This has allowed me to switch back to the one I haven't messed with and rule out problems with that (except of course air introduced while changing). It's odd that it would work fine once started (with the easy-start) but not from cold. Perhaps there's a small leak that's allowing fuel to leave the pipes and be replaced by air overnight? I'll give it another check over and perhaps try starting it, immediately stopping it and then trying to start it again (which I think might help to rule out this possibility?). It has indeed required only the barest whiff. I'll add piston rings to my list of things to check.

Will have another check on Saturday. I see other threads in this forum recommending A: opening them for a while when hot and then closing and running for a while before stopping to clear soot and reseal; B: a little oil (on the threads, I presume? Or take them out and oil?); and C. tapping them with a rubber mallet while turning to get them good and tight. Did this. Did this. Correct, it's on the return pipe to the tank. Oil pressure is normal (after it's going, obviously). Can see oil flowing from engine back to tank. Is that something I ought to do now? Or advice for next time? I also didn't use the full 25L, just got it to a good level such that plenty was there to be taken into the engine from the bottom of the tank (a bit over half). Maybe the fact I didn't empty the sump is the reason I didn't need it all. I'll certainly do it properly next time (or before, if recommended).

We went through clearing the air over and over again (pretty confident there's none now). We can hear a good injector creak from each of the three which indicates fuel getting through. No such luxuries as heater plugs. Thank you anyway, maybe I will do as you suggest and give it a few more runs before I worry. People often say it's bad to use easy-start a lot, but noone is clear on how often is a lot. Will a 3rd, 4th, 5th time hurt? Or is this something that becomes a problem over months and years? I'm only using the tiniest little bit (see, I'm starting to sound like a drug addict already!).

After 6 months of winter inactivity (winter mooring), I replaced the oil filter, oil and fuel filter of my JP3. The thing then wouldn't start. I (and the various kind folks who offered a look at it) assumed I had let air into the fuel system when changing the filter, so our efforts mostly centered around bleeding it out. No luck. Got a mechanic out and after making the same checks as us, he reckoned that the oil had sunk to the bottom of the cylinder bores and therefore wasn't giving a good seal around the pistons which meant too little compression. He sprayed a little easy-start in and it went immediately. He reckoned a good long run would let everything get relubricated and then we'd be fine. He said to seek further advice if it wouldn't start by itself under normal conditions. Didn't start the next morning, gave it the tiniest spray of easy-start and it burst into life immediately. If I turn it off and start it again while warm (tried up to half an hour later) it starts perfectly. It also runs absolutely fine. I thought I could see a bit of exhaust coming out near the tops of the cylinders (around the changeover valves / fuel lines), but really hard to tell as there was also moisture rising off the exhaust cladding when warm. I double-checked the changeover valves and couldn't see any afterwards, but not 100% I saw it in the first place. Keen not to keep using the easy-start, since A: apparently it's really bad for the engine long-term and B: I'd like to get to the bottom of the real problem. Any advice gratefully received, thanks in advance. Edit: Forgot to mention, have tried both with and without the overload pawl (although I've never needed it before). Always started within about the first rotation before. Batteries seem fine and the speed they turn it over seems in line with what it was before. Another edit: I think it previously had "cheap" oil in it. I replaced it with Morris Golden Film SAE30 (only pumped out the oil from the tank, so there's a mix of oil (which I'm told is ok)).

Good to see more of this sort of thing on here. I'd love to help but I'm completely the wrong end of the country.

I've hit other boats and been hit (never very hard). My policy is if they apologise then I tell them that's ok, or offer some advice on avoiding it next time; if they don't then they may get an earful. The one that annoyed me most was actually a rowing boat on the river. I was going along nice and straight, not weaving or dawdling (5mph or so) and suddenly I hear *splash* *splash* *SMASH*, they had rowed straight into the back of me. I wouldn't have minded if it'd just been the three chaps facing the wrong way, that I could understand, but they had a cox on board (who, as far as I understand it, is there to prevent this type of thing. The problem seems to have been that in order to save weight they'd found the tiniest girl they could for cox and she wasn't able to make herself heard over the oars (isn't that what megaphones are for?). What irritated me particularly is that they didn't apologise, or even acknowledge me in any way. I offered them a tow to shore, or to allow them aboard if needed, they didn't even look up. Another, more friendly, rower who saw the incident was kind enough to confirm that they were indeed A: in the wrong and B: arseholes. Still, can't complain, didn't even scratch my paintwork but completely totalled their expensive looking racing rowing boat. It gave me some satisfaction to watch them struggle to the shore in a rapidly sinking boat.

I've had to push plans back to Monday now due to lock closures. The filter should be with me by then (in theory), hopefully it turns up early enough in the day! I'm still going out today to search for one, just in case. If all else fails, I may end up whacking the old one back in, so thank you all for the advice!

It's a lister JP3. The oil system isn't original. It's an odd sized fitting (apparently).

Further to the previous thread, I'm now in a bit of a fix due to a shipping problem on my new oil filter (engine). I'm going to try a couple more local places tomorrow, but I'm not holding out much hope as it's been impossible to locate something other than online (and I need it by Sunday). I removed and drained the previous filter to take with me to check thread sizes etc, this was probably a mistake. I'm concerned that if I put the old filter back on, all the disturbance will result in the collected muck getting on the wrong side of the filter and back into the system. There are alternative plans I can make, I'm looking to get opinions on how bad it would be to stick the old filter back in for the journey (my gut instinct is that it isn't a good idea, probably better to have to take an extra day off work than to risk damaging my engine). Any thoughts appreciated.

You don't need the polling card in order to vote. If you are registered then all you have to do is turn up at the right polling station and give your name.

Found one, thanks to all who replied. In case anyone's curious, it's an LHH1518 bought from "filtermania". Thanks to the member who suggested that.

It's a Lister JP3, but I'm pretty sure (sure) that the oil system isn't original.

Unfortunately not, since I'm looking for a similar but not identical filter (engine oil instead of hydraulic). Thanks nonetheless .

Hi folks, My engine was previously fitted with a hydraulic grade oil filter, but I have been advised (both by previous owner and by mechanic) to replace it with an engine oil grade filter. The trouble is finding the equivalent filter. The current filter is a FRAM p6809. Can't find it on the FRAM website. The WIX replacement for this part is 51546 (details here: http://www.wixfilters.com/Lookup/PartDetails.aspx?Part=51546). Both myself and my local car parts emporium have called WIX to enquire about a compatible replacement. WIX have responded that they have no engine oil filters with this thread. I don't require it to be the same size, only to have the same thread (according to WIX, this is 3/4-14, I haven't measured the original part, will do tonight). Can anyone help? It seems surprisingly difficult to search manufacturers without knowing an existing part number. Many thanks in advance, Sass

This one wasn't in a lock, it sunk in the middle of the channel after apparently being overloaded. Sitting nice and flat on the bottom, just a foot or so poking out the water. Saw the same boat almost sink again with 20 tits not only overloading this 30ft boat but also rocking it from side to side. They did stop after I informed them that sinking was a possibility, they seemed to have not previously considered it.

I've seen one of the hire companies near us re-float a boat and have it hired out again before the end of the week. Either they're very efficient workers or they just have a huge stock of febreeze.

We've strayed wildly off topic, but in doing so have avoided the customary fight. We should do this more often!

There are non-restricted moorings within easy reach of Bath (top of locks), Limpley Stoke, Avoncliff, Bradford on Avon and Semmington. I assume it's the same most of the rest of the way. Although it's not always easy to find the right spot if you're new to the area. Local boaters are usually very happy to suggest suitable spots if you stop and ask them.

As a local (boater) to the area, I can tell you that there is plenty of "wild" mooring available. There is however, in my opinion, a shortage of non-VM spaces available that are suitable for access by the disabled/elderly (low depth near bank, frequently poor bank state). Do you have mobility issues? (I don't ask this question in any negative way, I just want to understand what makes you say there's a shortage of mooring space). Also, I can only think of a small number of 7 day moorings this would affect (and an equal number of 24 hour moorings which will be extended to 48hour). I would imagine that the effect of this will be to reduce use of those previously 7 day moorings and as a result in future examination they will be removed and reverted to normal 14day (probably good).