James May

Thank you all for your help, I have thus far managed to dig up an oil stained copy of the engines manual and shall embark upon giving it much scutiny. You have provided me with some good areas to look into....looks like its going to be a bit of a job. Its the model with the Dorman Gearbox and as has been pointed out the gearbox does indeed share oil with the engine.

Thanks, you have given me much to go on there and have been most helpful. I am at work again now for a few days but will get back with word of how I go on my return to the boat, thenks again.

Ah it needed a touch of easy start at first but I put that down to it being stood a few months....after that it started fine from cold with only a few turns needed ....but then it stopped starting as the starter motor packed up with the oil. I am loath to replace the newly reconstructed motor until i am sure the spill is fixed. I shall check to see if i can locate any other breathers lower down ....thanks for the advice

Oil does make its way out of the oil fill cap yes and it appears to under pressure , I have checked the breather on top of the engine that returns to the air filter but it was clear. Oh and thank you for the reply

Hello the good folk of canal world, I was wondering if anyone might be able to help. I have the aforementioned engine, oil is finding its way into the starter motor via the fly wheel housing. Ordinarily this would point to a breakdown in the oil seal where the drive shaft leaves the engine block. I am to understand that certain older engines did without such seals and in turn used an Archimedes screw type affair to ensure the oil was kept in place. Does anyone happen to know if this is the case with this particular engine? If this is the case the problem would lie elsewhere and save me having to remove the large gearbox and flywheel. Any information on this matter would be wonderful thank you.