Tony Brooks

Firefox 90.0.2 on Linux Mint 64 bit. Had a bit of trouble a couple of weeks ago but now fine. Thought - could Sir Biz be running a 32 bit system?

All true, but If a bit of equipment is not marked as suitable for use in a boat, then the RCR/RCD might be illegal or false. As Alan keeps telling us, the RCR/RCD is now for the life of the boat, so fitting a gas fridge for a post 1996 boat (when the RCD came into effect) would likely invalidate the RCD?RCR certification. I know that has little importance for many inland boaters and many are happy to ignore such things, but it could have consequences in the future. To my mind its typical EU type regulation for the sake of it for inland boats, but that is what we have and what we need to live with.

There are Peltier fridges and cool boxes, but these use far more electricity than a compressor fridge so are not suited for boat use.

I will jump in. Electricity away from a shoreline is basically in short supply and expensive to produce unless you have a lot of solar and the weather to suit so for me electricity be it 240v AC or 12v DC is the second choice. Propane/Butane was very popular, but The Boat Safety Scheme has more or less banned it for petrol powered boats. It is easier for diesel powered boats, but as far as I know there are no manufactures of fridges now that approve them for boat use so that causes problems for the latest set of regulations boats must conform to. So back to electricity. When away from a shore line, a 240V AC fridge requires another bit of equipment to convert 12V DC to 240V AC so that is an extra cost in electricity just to make the thing work plus the initial purchase. However, 12V fridges are expensive or very expensive compared with domestic ones so the cost of the extra inverter may still make a mains fridge cheaper and nowadays buying a quality inverter (12V to 240V) may not cost much more and if you ensure you buy the most efficient mains fridge the electricity used may be very similar. Finally, the clever boaters are buying small domestic freezers and fitting a fridge type thermostat because the extra thermal insulation makes that setup use less electricity than a fridge running at the same temperature. If I had an off grid property, it would be gas for me every time.

It would not surprise me if the B exhaust valves were a different alloy, but if so I suspect the duty in the diesel will be less onerous.

Sorry to revive this topic, but does the SR 2 have a cooling air baffle that can be fitted upside down so a cylinder overheats? This is a known problem on some of the multi-cylinder air cooled Lisiers.

I agree, off the command wire would be correct and it could still be a problem in the alternator. I think my next move would be to run another cable between the battery pos. and the command wire terminal on the alternator and see if the fault goes away. Otherwise, try a 21 watt bulb between the command wire itself, alternator end, and a negative. I am not sure a voltmeter would identify a resistive section.

At least we both agree that an external fault on a six diode machine could give at least some of the symptoms, and they do not match a nine diode machine. I am wondering if the switched non-warning lamp cable (assuming a six diode machine, is a sense wire. If so, and initial resistive section between battery and the alternator on the switched wire could well cause a high output voltage. If it has now developed into an open circuit, then all the symptoms can be explained.

Absolutely. Off topic but this is one of the reasons the throttle spindles leak on DPA injection pumps (BMC 1.5, 1.8 etc.).

Don't some marinisers tuck an inline fuse away close to the starter that feeds the ignition switch. If so, that is another potential problem area. Vetus seem to sometimes seem to mount it near the relay box.

I suspect the steel/iron sailing barges up the east coast are not epoxy coated. It looks like bitumen or tar blacking to me. They sit in the mud at each tide.

The person who can give you the best help asked for a photo of the alternator so he can identify it. He also suggested that when the problem occurred that you turn the ignition switch on and off a few times. Have you done either? He suspects that you have a six diode alternator, rather than the more usual nine diode model found in canal boats, so if he is correct you may get a lot of well intended but useless answers. A nine diode alternator would normally have the warning lamp on when the rev counter stops, but yours does the opposite. I have very little, experience of modern size diode alternators but I think that if they lost the feed from the ignition switch (not the warning lamp wire) I think the alternator will lose the magnetic field in the rotor. That would stop the rev counter, but with no supply to the warning lamp (because of a faulty ignition switch) the warning lamp would be off. I am only about 50% sure of this, so you really need Sir Nibble. With no reference voltage from the ignition switch, I am not surprised the charging voltage is all over the place, so I can't condemn the alternator at this time and with the present information. Please post a photo so Sir N can see what you have got and advise accordingly.

From me as well

Personally, I would photo the T for future BSS inspections and change it for a straight coupling. That way you get one less potential leak point and proof it is a necessary fitting.

Once he has had his fill of canals it seems he wants to moor the boat way up the estuary in a place that although tidal is much more like a river. Perhaps he already has mooring rights. I think he then intends to potter about the upper reaches, and as long as he changes his anodes for zinc I don't see much wrong with that as he seems to know the waters. Probably far less danger than on the tidal Trent, Severn or the Wash

That is a pneumatic governor, and uses the depression caused by a venturi acting against a diaphragm to control the pump. Rather a stupid idea in my view, but I think it might have been to get around a patent. The throttle butterfly and venturi (be it a very small one) did nothing to help such engine's fuel economy or their emissions. They will also do that if the pipe running from the venturi to the diaphragm chamber breaks.

Agreed, but not so sure on a sea boat. Anyway, the marine manual showed the tools you need to clean them and says it is routine maintenance.

First, if that "bulkhead" against the flywheel housing is a good fit to the side panels and case top then as long as the outlet hole in the case is of adequate size then things are not as bad as I feared. Apart from below engine bed height where there seems to be a free air flow. With the cooling air intake grill open to the air, I don't think any hot air getting under the "bulkhead" will be significant. I suspect we may be looking for something else here, like prolonged running with a fouled prop, possibly an oversized prop, or a tight/seizing stern gland, but much depends on the actual air temperature at the time. Our SLs had a very similar metal cooling outlet duct with flange. The carpenters made a pair of rectangular frames from plywood. The canvas was trapped between the two and the lot was bolted to the flange, However, looking at the photo I think that as long as the hole in the case is as large or larger and in line with the engine outlet it should be adequate. Edited to add: You seem to be drawing combustion air from inside the hot engine case. It would be better for engine efficiency and good combustion to draw air from outside the engine case.

Thanks, I think that you have given the answer. The only thing I can add is that some narrowboats have the engine bay vents through the outside of the hull while others have them inboard like in the downturn between gunnel and cruiser stern deck. Just to minimise the chances of a problem, I would go for the latter method.

No longer moor there, no longer have a boat. I did suggest the TNLI contact them and ask, but I have no idea if he has or will. He could also ask the "new" Thorneycroft company he was talking about but don't knowi f they will have the answer to hand. In any case, I suspect that getting the plates made before offering the new engine up to the beds and shaft will end in tears, but trying to help hm to stop him derailing other threads.

I think I would try to get in a low tide to investigate just how deep the mud is. It might be possible to lay some concrete posts or similar transversely along the mooring so they stand a little proud to allow the boat to settle on them. It's even possible tidal action might scour the mud between the posts. A sort of gridiron.

I know that a narrowboat was moored and fitted out in a floating "dock" dug out by a farmer upriver from Plymouth, and they published a bit about it somewhere. I don't recall them having suction problems, but maybe they did something like the chained tyre trick or the bottom was fairly hard clay etc.