Tony Brooks

I would suggest that f you take the screw which may have now fallen out a s per the photo out, you can then pull the red knob off. I bet there is a hexagon under it to tighten it back into its fitting. then replace the knob. If no hexagon, then I expect there is a shank that you can put some grips on.

Very unlikely. If it had stuck on "start" only an idiot would ignore the engine endlessly cranking, and I don't think you are an idiot. If it stuck on preheat the worst it might do is burn out the glow plugs, and you would end up with a flat start battery, both being, in my view, more likely than burned out wiring. Both those are supposed to be spring back positions, so I think those are the positions you are talking about, but if it stuck in the ignition on position (you did not physically turn it off) then over a period it would have flattened the battery via the alternator rotor plus the warning lamps and instruments, but all that would do is make the alternator warm to the touch and leave the charge and oil pressure warning lamp on. This has me baffled without a better description - smoke, liquid, dusty looking. If it is corrosion on the terminal area then unless it has had battery acid on it, or acid has worked its way down the conductor strands I would expect it to be greenish (copper), but it could be the residue of soldering flux which should have showed itself long ago. Does it smell of anything? I can't think of anything in either starter type that would produce white liquid, but see below, and I would expect any gasses from burning components to be more light grey to blackish and smell of fish or burning plastic/rubber. An exceptionally long shot is that you have an oil leak from the rear main bearing that is mixing with bilge water in the flywheel housing and being emulsified and thrown about by the flywheel. That could get into the starter and MIGHT leak out by the terminals, but although clean oil produces amber emulsification on most diesels the result would be an oily grey mousse. # If you have a two bolt starter or an earlier three bolt starter there should be a metal band perhaps 1.25" wide around the terminal end of the starter that is secured with a nut and screw. If you loosen the screw and slide the band along the starter body you can have a look inside it and see if the inside is covered with oily mess. Later motors have a slightly domes back cover that is secured by two nuts (from memory).

The only problem with that is that I doubt he has the detailed knowledge to pinpoint reliable firms on the maps.

Also look at Caversham boat services in Reading. They have hire cruisers and the last time I looked a couple of narrowboats, but I would have thought the two places mentioned above would be easier to get to.

All the time or only during/shortly after a change in temperature. If the latter it could be stresses built up by the cabin side expanding contacting more than the lining releasing the stress as your walking vibrates the structure. I mention this because we have just had a couple of warm days and hot sun.

Thank you for the extra information, that raises problems. Very early BMC 1.5s had a two hole fixing inertia starter which has just a single larger cylinder body, I have only ever seen one in the 70s they were impossible to obtain, so that would be an overhaul or a new engine backplate, flywheel housing, engine mounts and possibly work on the engine beds and possibly a new flywheel. Having scared you many of the "normal" 1.5s have a three hole fixing, but only held on by two bolts because of access problems. These moors consist of the larger "body" cylinder with a much smaller cylinder mounted on it. The small cylinder is the solenoid, and it will have at LEAST one thick battery cable, one thin "start signal" cable and thickish short black cable or a shaped copper bar joining one of the nut type solenoid terminals to the large cylinder. They are readily available, although you might end up with the solenoid differently orientated. Now a warning for others, although this does not apply to all or perhaps the majority of BMC 1.5s. Nowadays NEVER hit the starter, modern ones have permanent magnets that shatter easily and if you shatter then you will be buying a new starter. How did you ascertain the battery is fine? Just measuring the battery voltage means nothing. We need the battery voltage while you are trying to start, it should be over 12V., but other problems in the circuits can give a satisfactory voltage, but the stater still only click. If it is an OVAL two hole mounting bracket then you need to get it to someone to overhaul it, or, drastic as it may seem. prepare for major expense for an engine change or major engine work. I wonder if those two hole starters were actually off the B series petrol engine so things like Austin A50s and Morris Oxfords. Can you post a photo of the starter, the white "discharge", the starter wiring and the back of the engine. Put the motor back and connect, then measure the cranking voltage at the battery and then between the thick black lead terminal on the starter and any clean metal or battery negative and post them here. That way we can try to eliminate anything other than a starter fault. If it really is a two bolt starter then instead of hitting it with a hammer you should see a little square stuck out the back of the motor. If you try to twist this with a spanner it will either turn, be it with resistance, or lock. If it locks try applying a bit of force in both directions. if it has jammed you will hopefully get a click as you wind the pinion away from the flywheel, and then it might start, but that indicates pinion or flywheel teeth damage on an inertia starter - maybe a photo of the pinion as well. I am really hoping it is not a two hole inertia starter.

Yes, often think that a "canal plan" that shows things like agricultural and plant engineers with the engines they are agent for, alternator and starter specialists, and perhaps canopy makers would be useful for those who need spare and breakdown when away from base. Then, if we, here, could tabulate a list of popular marinised engines against the base engine and pin it, it would make things easier to perhaps get spares faster in an emergency. However, the just in time for tomorrow logistics culture may make this not as useful as it would have been when agents held a stock of at least the fast moving spares. And no, I am not volunteering because my detail knowledge of modern engines is sufficient.

And that is exactly why, on the hire fleet, we gradually re-engined from Listers and the odd Penta to BMC 1.5s/2.2s. Every larger town then had a BMC distributor garage so emergency spares when away from base were far easier to obtain at short notice. Things are not so easy nowadays.

Many thanks for coming back and telling us how you are getting on, I, and i am sure most other members wish you well in getting this resolved. Please keep us informed as things progress so we can all learn from it.

I feel that if using a radiator and fan it would be easier to use a roof duct to get cool air into a cowl in front of the radiator and allow the hot air to exit the engine room doors or, if it does into smell of hot oil/diesel through the boat. I get the feeling that a blowing engine fan (as per Mini) may not be as efficient.

Not thermo-syphon, but a DIY steel yacht hull did moor at the Thames yard and that had a unmarinised vehicle engine cooled via a radiator just in front of the engine, close to the engine fan, as in a vehicle, but it had the normal water pump. It seemed to work OK, but I always felt the lack of any ducting to get cool air into the bay and allow the hot air out could cause problems. In your case you will have a proper engine room, I assume, with side doors, but you will have height for a tall radiator that will help with circulation, but I think you may need a fan to draw air through the radiator. After all air cooled engines in engine rooms seem to be fine, although at least some seem to have cooling trunking from the roof.

If it is a genuine broker and not some Ebay/social media potential scammer then I don't see what you have to worry about. Once he has seen it he might offer to get the vendor to have it fixed at their expense or suggest a price cut to reflect the problems. I would not let the survey out of my sight though. The worst that ca happen is if you have made a reduced offer the broker may use the survey to beat the price up a bit.

As David asked, is it the motor or the boat's starter wiring that has burned out. If the latter the motor may or may not be at fault, and it could just as well be caused by a live wire touching metal. If you mean the motor won't work now then that in no way says it has burned out. However, if it smokes, gets hot when you try to start it could well mean it has burned out, although it might do that is just one of its four brushes has worn out or has stuck in its older. If there is no smoke and no click/clunk when you try to start then that is more likely to be a problem with the ignition switch or wiring. If you do get a clunk or click, but the motor won't run it is more likely to be a solenoid contact fault.