BEngo

Isuzu and Kubota probably make the majority of the engines in modern boats. They are marinised by various people so have individual foibles, butt I would expect that the basic units would be available in SA. Look for the sort of thing that powers small diggers, dumpers etc. Spares availability for these is likely to be good. If you fancy something with a little more pedigree then there were a lot of LW series Gardners exported that way, though some have been recovered and there are a lot of 2LW and 3LW units in narrow boats. Lister JP or even FR's should have been exported though while the JP is quite common, the FR is less so. For a reasonably uncommon narrow boat engine which might still be found look for a Kelvin J or K. Petter, Ruston and Hornsby, Dorman are other names you might find which can also be found in narrow boats, though they are not common. N

Try Sleeman and Hawkins. If you only need paper and fibre gaskets they are easy to make with the right paper, from Walkers, and a small ball-pein hammer. Or try Gaskets-to-Go. They need a sample but will make anything, including copper sandwich types for a reasonable price IME. N

Inline filters are usually pretty good for filters. They tend to supply Baldwin, but their site cross-references all sorts of other makers numbers. N

Because when the BCN shopping trolley/oil drum/nicked car reef rips the designed for salty water with no lumps keel cooler off you don't have a fridge. Just lots of bubbles in the cut. Because if you put the keel cooler on the swim to avoid most of the cr@p it makes for a very long inefficient refrigerant circuit and needs a lot of refrigerant. Because every installation in a canal boat would be different so they'd need to be installed and gassed-up by a professional.(Expense, boat builders not familiar so more expense.) Yots which are often built on a production line can have a 'standardised' set-up which can be installed by the builder. If it isn't standard then at least the builder understands the basics. Yes they are more efficient- but what actual increase in the Coefficient of Performance would be achieved? A keel cooler is a lot more expensive than a fan driven by the existing terminal on the common Danfoss 12/24 V electronic unit. I'm not sure whether a near freezing cut might not provide too much cooling in a unit designed for summer water temps- I guess that would depend on the exact set-up, but might involve more complication. I think the 'Is my skin tank big enough for my fridge/freezer' thread could be quite interesting, but I'm not expecting to see one any time soon. N

There are some answers in your list. For some reason the editor doesn't want to do pretty colours today I'm afraid. N

Undoubtedly not, but now anyone who is less skilled and experienced now has pictures of how it is done, and can either have a go themselves or, at least, knows that it's not a dockyard job costing squillions. In return for the time taken to post pictures and educate folks, Richard also gets to remind those who might buy his services of his capabilities. As one who harks fondly back to the days when everyone did their own maintenance (perforce), buying a canal boat usually meant fitting it out oneself and people would stop if they saw someone tied up with deck-boards up or other obvious repairs underway I think letting people know how simple some things are can only be a benefit. N PS Too much thinking- Tony has said it before me.

It is not possible to have the water flow too fast through a Morco. The heater controls the water temperature by controlling the water flow through the boiler to ensure a constant pressure drop. The pressure drop is controlled by the temperature knob. . The pilot light should not be affected by the water flow- only the main burner. Check the flame failure thermocouple is in the right place in the pilot light. Check that the pilot light flame is the right size and burning properly (blue flame) Manual here: http://www.morcoproducts.co.uk/resources/English_Copy_of_D61B_D61E_and_G11E_Manual_31032010.pdf Does it go out at all water temperature settings? N

The Aylesbury Canal Society Launderette list is still going strong. Available from the IWA's sales folks: IWA Sales, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA Tel. 01494 783453 Cheques for £4.50 payable to IWA Sales Includes postage in UK. Free Updates on the ACS website. I was never convinced it was BW/CART's job to be providing washing machines since they are frequently broken by mistreatment and it's near impossible to make any money out of less than a full-scale launderette with extra services (ironing etc.). N

The local yoof periodically drive cars into the water at the bridge just north of Willowbridge marina. There's a convenient foot path runs from the road to the towpath. Saves torching them and no-one notices till the morning. BW used to have a contract with one of the local recovery companies but first the law and the fire brigade have to make sure the vehicle does not still contain the remains of a local. N

The fuel does not reach the ground as a liquid when dumped. It evaporates on the way down and is dispersed by any breeze and the movement of the air caused by the aircraft. In a 747 it comes out at the wing tips which helps a lot with the dispersal as it comes out into the tip vortex. N

Martin of Kedian Engineering. Posts as Kedian on here. Usual disclaimer. N

But it's not really a Bullied- it's the Riddles(?) BR rebuild with that Belgian I can't spell's valve gear. Still Bulleid's boiler though. Super steam producer. The exploits of un re-built MN's and West Countries on the interchange trials in 1948 showed what they could do working hard, even if they did burn a lot of coal to do it . N

Take the fridge out. Turn the gas off but don't disconnect it unless you have to. For an Electrolux: Remove the two (?) tiny cross-point screws that secure the open-topped metal 'box' around the burner area at the base of the flue. Remove the gauze burner bit over the jet Remove the twisted metal and rod from the flue Clean flue with a small bottle brush or similar Clean gauze- an air duster helps or a stiff brush Clean burner jet (small piece of 5A fusewire or a proper jet pricker, plus air duster) Check that the thermocouple is secure and in the right place Check the spark electrode is sparking OK and in the right place Check the flue insulation is OK and secure Clean inside the box thingy. (Hoover and scraper possibly) Refit gauze Refit metal box Refit twisted metal and rod to flue Refit fridge. Re-connect if needed and turn on the gas. Check for (and fix!) leaks if you have disturbed or strained any connections. Check it lights OK and burns with a blue flame. If it's yellow there's something not yet right- try again. Orange, briefly, is just the rust dust burning off Retire for well earned beer. Check periodically that it's still burning blue. N

Heldite is damn good stuff, but it sets like rock. I used some on my gas test point and it was a bugger to get undone. N

Forgot that one- it's too long ago I was living that way. N

It's rumoured to be a great place to meet collectors who specialise in car wheels and wheel trim. You used to be able to buy anything under the sun (and other things) in pubs down the dock road but they are probably all trendy bistros and tan parlours these days. Have a ride on the Wallasey or New Brighton ferries for a good view of Liverpool (and Birkenhead)from the Mersey. Have a look at the Catholic cathedral (aka the Mersey rocket) and the perhaps the Anglican one (the longest-running cathedral building project though they have, probably, finished it now). Town Hall is worth a look as is the Liver Building. Various Beatles places. Too soon for football games but Anfield and Goodison are either side of Stanley Park if you are into famous Football Clubs or stadiums (stadia?). The Liver Grease Oil and Chemical Company Ltd are a good place to buy real creosote for treating any natural fibre rope fenders you may have, or plan to buy, and bitumens for touching up the black bit. N

What are the individual cell Specific Gravities? If there's one low then that battery is duff- a failed cell. If they are all much the same but low then the batteries are discharged and need a good long charge- but some damage will have been done reducing their capacity. Changing the batteries is OK short term, but something caused the present set to get like they are. if you don't fix that the next set will do the same. How old are the batteries? 540 W of solar is a maximum of about 20A so over a 10hr day you won't get more than 200 Ah, realistically quite a bit less - probably only about half of your 330 Ah capacity. Allowing too for charge inefficiency you are possibly not getting enough solar input to match your daily usage. The batteries then steadily become more discharged each day, and more sulphated, so their capacity falls and your usage is greater than 50% of the remaining capacity so they are sulphated faster and the vicious spiral tightens. Give them a really long charge until the charge current is down to about 10 A or stops falling. Try and get it up to equalisation voltages for a 3-4 hours too- 30-31 V in your case. Check the water levels afterwards. N

BSS says you may not extend the vent and still pass the BSS. The unit has to be installed as it was built, optionally with the manufacturers vent kit (which is not much use anyway) also unmodified That said, if you were to put a ventilator tube say about 2 in diameter above the top of the flame tube by say an inch so that it doesn't touch the fridge vent and has an air gap then take that nearly vertically to the outside with a vent cover on it I think that would just be local ventilation and the fridge has not been modified. N PS Insulate the outside of the local vent as it will probably get hot and will work better if it is insulated.

I have to agree with Tim and Steamraiser. There are significant problems with oil flow to the top end so it is a safe bet that there are plenty more part blocked oilways and no doubt a few just looking to become fully blocked as soon as a bit of use stirs up some gunge. The LK is a pretty robust engine, but it ain't unbreakable. You may get to Tamworth and back again. At best you will have inflicted unnecessary wear on the crank, camshaft and rocker gear, At worst you are likely to break down en-route and be forced to do some serious remediation where you don't want to. Either get a tow to and from Tamworth, go by bus, train or car or fix the engine whilst it's still fixable. If you can deal with an aircooled VW engine and box then an LK won't be any more difficult. The top end is much the same as a petrol engine, but there is a sprayer (Gardner speak for injector) instead of a spark plug, and the tops of the pistons are different. All the injection equipment is a specialists job. If you take the heads off complete with injector then I'm sure that someone with the right gear will be able to take the injectors out. The bits are bigger so you might need a lift with some and I doubt that you will need a Torque wrench- the tightness is usually measured in 'White Knuckle ' units. You will need a big bar for your sockets and at least 1/2 inch drive is recommended. N

The style changed very little. The thickness increased and a semi circular stern (as opposed to the 'pointed' transom) was available from about 1975. I once owned what I was told was the very first of these. The water bugs appeared about the same time, but again changed little in appearance during their production life. Engines varied BMC 1.5's were popular choices as were SR2's and 3's. At one stage single cylinder Lombardinis were 'standard offer' but many of these were replaced as they were not very successful. Because the two chine angles were bent rather than welded up they were prone to corrosion on the bends and the counter plate was as prone to internal corrosion as it is on most cruiser sterns where water is allowed to lie on it. Some people cut off the 'moustache' that was the most obvious visual feature, but the hull shape and the bows were still unique to springer. The original stern gear was of Sam's own design, consisting of a piece of gas pipe lined with bearing material and a single nut running into a thread inside the pipe to compress the packing (if any was fitted). Welding was solid and well done, but no attempt was made to pretty it up. Damn good boats for the money, an even more characteristic look than 'Udsons and before the clonecraft boom must have put many folks a-boating that would not otherwise have been able to do it. N

Be very careful of shot blasting the roof. They are usually quite thin and shot blasting compresses the surface of the metal to some extent. If the yard are over enthusiastic with either the blast medium or the blast pressure the roof WILL change shape... Be prepared for a lot of mess internally. N

If you look through Phil's thousand odd posts on here, which I recall range in scale from the basics of painting, through scumbling for beginners to the causes of microblistering in coach enamels and which do not shamelessly plug PS signwriting, R&C, or paint services, I think you will agree that he shares his knowledge pretty broadly and for free. For £95 including materials and the hire of a venue at Ellesmere Port I don't think he's making much out of his course, especially if you allow for travel costs (how many Alfas Romeo does it take to get from Scotland to Ellesmere Port and back anyway?), somewhere to sleep and the additional costs for Scotch consumption that would not be incurred when you live handy for the makers. N

Look for a good spirit based sanding sealer for the first coat. Don't use a cellulose based one. The sanding sealer soaks in better than thinned varnish and fills all the pores so that 3 coats of neat varnish afterwards makes a really good finish. Seal the backs with a 50/50 mixture of varnish and white spirit. Water based varnish is cr@p, in my experience. Use a good alkyd based one . International Yacht Varnish is not bad, though it does say it is not suitable for exterior use, Epifanes is brilliant but pricey and I have had good reports of Le Tonkinois. The Oak layer is mighty thin on most faced ply, so go very carefully with power sanders. N

I reckon there is absolutely diddly squat chance of any new legislation for CART. I don't know what sort of Bill they would need because I'm not a parliamentary expert but there are 4 sorts: Government Bills, Private Bills, Private Members Bills and Hybrid Bills. Government Bills normally get announced in the Queens Speech, go through with a whip or three and are 'guaranteed' to pass. CART asked DEFRA and DCLG if they could have something to clarify their powers put in the Bill that enabled the transfer from BW to CART and were firmly told to go away and shut up. There wasn't the Parliamentary time and the Government didn't want to go there on principle because it would open a political can of worms. Private Bills are brought to Parliament by outside entities (individuals, companies etc). There are no whips on a Private Bill. They are subject to serious delays and ambushes on the way and at the mercy of parliamentary diversionary tactics and amendments. BW's 1995 Act was a Private Bill: It took years to get through and was badly mauled on the way. DEFRA told BW that never again would they be allowed to bring in a Private Bill. If CART tried I think DEFRA would warn them off, but if not (or if they ignored DEFRA) the same activities as mauled the BW Bill will come back into play. CART know this. Private Members Bills require Government support to become law and there are very few which make it to Royal Assent. There are just too many ways to make one run out of time even if you can find an MP who both wants to sponsor a bill for you and wins a place very near the top of the ballot for the order in which they are debated. Hybrid Bills are a cross between a Private Bill and a Government Bill. They are not quite as easy to divert as a Private Bill and require Government (DEFRA) commitment but can still be delayed ambushed and diverted. See also Government Bill thoughts above. Again, CART know all of this. The Trustees do seem to want progress, perhaps because improved clarity will ease relationships with Local Authorities (who have to rehouse any homeless people arising from CART actions) and may make LA's easier to tap for income streams, perhaps also because the groundswell of noise from some organisations and some boaters is becoming louder. Perhaps even because they have been told by the executives that 'Something needs to be done'. That means they will have to define the law through the courts. Expect to see more cases. Expect to see the guidance being 'updated' and 'reviewed' in the light of each case. N

If the current studding is 5/8 and the hole is 5/8 then its fine to fit a 5/8 bolt. I think you are in France?? If so M16 might be easier to get and should fit. It looked to me as though the hole was larger. Sorry. More of a bolt will have the full diameter than studding, which is only the thread core diameter all along. Add the largest diameter 5/8 (M16) washers you can find top and bottom. I still think that if you just remove the rubber then the engine will go down so the red bit is touching the steel insert. I could be wrong- I've been wrong once already to day! However, if you put a 1/2 or even 3/4 piece of hardwood in there the engine won't drop anyway. They tell me that good oak is grown in France so that would do. An 8mm or 10mm gusset either side of the bolts would be excellent. Doesn't look like easy access to weld them in though. N