Tony Brooks

I would go to a few independent garages/workshops and ask them. I was happy to trust certain Motor Factors in my area until Europarts seem to have taken most of them over. I used to know the brands I felt I could trust but not any longer. Do what Tracy said and look for an industrial/horticultural/agricultural agent.

If you have two alternators you do not need any split charging system, it is only used on single alternator engines. Some split charge components might be used for special purposes on twin alternator boats, but it is far from the nor.

I think so, although I am still trying to work out what Tract was talking about with a split charging system. This is not saying she is wrong, just that I don't understand. If you have any domestic loads wired earth return they will not be monitored in this diagram, but you should not.

attery. This diagram will prevent the shunt from showing any charge or discharge for the domestic batteries but would show for the engine battery.

I would have no worry about a non-genuine one as long as it is from a brand that is accepted in the vehicle repair trade.

I used the bracket that you an screw to the wall for a tap with a 1/2" BSP and a 15mm compression connection. Suitable reducer(s) in the 1/2" BSP and a short pipe from the 15mm compression to a compression T in the main pipework. If you have suitably clipped copper pipe you could use a 15mm compression I with a 1/2" BSP arm with reducer(s). I can see no reason to connect the pressure switch with a hose.

FWIW. The position of exhaust manifold cum header tank makes it extremely difficult to check that the rocker cover gasket on the manifold side is not leaking - usually because the gasket has slipped inside. I tend to glue the gasket to the cover using silicon sealer before fitting to prevent it slipping. It is difficult to see but try, it will put oil down the side of the engine.

FWIW I think (only think) that the plastic version of the tin cap will fit a breather type rocker cover, but can't be sure. If he has a way of "gluing" the filler cap back together I suppose he could cut it part to get at whatever i supposed to trap the oil mist. Maybe drill a hole through both parts so a long nut and bolt holds it together.

Both Tracy and I are talking about one of the engine side covers held in place by a single centre ol each. Take the one with the pipe on off. I think all you have done is taken the intake air filter off and cleaned it. Unless the engine is running so it can suck rag and stuff into the intake you can do pretty much what you want with the air filter and inlet manifold but I would not use petrol/carburettor/ brake cleaner to clean it unless you ensure it is dry before starting.

Definitely this ^^^^^ if it has a deep filter style cap. If anyone has hanged the rocker cover it may have a simple cap that seals tight. If so I would try to get a pipe stub welded over a hole yuo drill in the top of the cover.

First question: is it the correct dipstick and/or is the sump overfull? Google seems to be being misleading here. If the breather system was blocked the oil droplets would not be getting to the oil filter, but it is likely that oil would be blowing out of various gaskets and oil seals - you say it is not. Certainly take the side cover with the pipe in it of and ensure the path to the breather pipe is clear. I very much doubt it has anything to do with oil sludge (apart from in the oil mist trap on the side cover) so engine flushing agent is unlikely to make any differnece. You use engine cleaner to clean the outside, you use flushing oil or an additive to clean the inside. I think the 1.8 has the "thick" side cover with the breather pipe for the hose on it. I think the part that is a bit like a with the pipe welded to it may be full of a sort of steel wool. I know that on other BMC breathers that wool rusts way over the years and becomes less good at trapping oil droplets. I can't be sure because I have never had one apart, but on the other BMC breathers I have cut them open and filled them with part of a stainless pan scourer. Try running with the oil filler cap off but tie a bit of rag over it in case you get oil splash. If that reduces the tendency to oil the filter then it speaks of excess back pressure and that in turn suggests worn pistons, rings, or bores, but there is a chance of it being an injection timing problem (advanced), but I feel that is unlikely unless someone has been messing with the injector pump. Because you are losing oil rather than gaining it I have discounted an over full sump caused by a leaking lift pup diaphragm or injection pump shaft seal. I doubt continuing to run the engine will do any quick harm or make it more likely to fail, but it is unlikely to get any better over time, it is likely to get worse.

Just to point out that shorting the Adverc (green) fly-lead to negative and getting that high voltage does rather tends to indicate the alternator and thus the brushes are OK. That means that for some reason the Adverc is not taking control by shorting out the inbuilt regulator. Why I gave no idea but if all the other connections, and the thermistor check out as OK the Adverc itself is the most likely problem.

I could not understand why he had asked that but thought he may have an electrical blind spot. I have just looked on my large screen desk top computer and can see what he was on about. Dammed cataracts.

I think it is the logos that will be the problem, but I would hope that you could find some without logos. Say red for charge green for oil, blue for overheat and yellow for heaters.

Not exactly. Assuming the common 9 diode alternator. It will come on when the current from the field diodes are delivering less voltage than battery voltage with a difference that is large enough to illuminate the lamp.That might be caused by brushes making poor contact or a number of other things. If the brushed made no contact at all the pre start up warning lamp circuit would be broken so the lamp would not come on. On a six diode machine the lamp may well not come on with worn brushes once running but provided there was sufficient charging voltage to be detected by the electronics the lamp would go out but that may not mean you have proper charging taking place. It would come on with worn brushes on a stationary engine. Charge lights are normally red and occasionally orange. Once a few owners have been at them the colour is anyone's guess.

You may well find a supplier like Vehicle Wiring Products or 12 Volt Planet etc can supply a suitable diameter replacements at far less cost. Just don't use one with an LED or grain of wheat bulb for the charge waning lamp.

However, the OP stated that he has a twin alternator engine so I can't see why one would fit a passive split charge diode system. If you wanted to use one in that scenario both alternator outputs would need connecting to the input terminal. The VSR seem to me to be a far simpler solution and if needs must simply by disconnecting its negative cable puts it out of operation. Still does not later the fact that the produce up to about 0.7V of volt drop.

The bearing is unlikely to be an ordinary ball bearing, possibly a split trach angular contact bearing. There are usually collars around the shaft on both sides with grub screws in (as shown by Alan's post). The screws go into dimples drilled into the shaft to transfer thrust from the shaft to the bearing. Even if you do have a thrust bearing in the box it is far from a good idea to expect Hooks joints to transmit thrust with the cardon shaft angled. At the least it will transmit side thrust onto the plumber block bearing. (I know it is common on narrow boats). Anyway, if it had run for years with the Metalasic coupling there is no reason to suppose it won't go on for many more years with the solid coupling.

I am hoping that during his waterside walks he gets hit by a few cyclists, that might concentrate his mind on the problem.

But that would be domestic water, not coolant. However, the earlier talk about the domestic water pump cutting in and out a bit more frequently might indicate the leak is from the domestic water, but if so it does not explain the apparent loss of coolant. I would be smelling/tasting whatever is leaking, if there is any antifreeze left in the coolant LadyG should be able to taste it.

Assuming the calorifier is close to the engine and the radiator is at the front. Well, it looks like the calorifier is linked to the other pipework by 15mm legs so that will tend to restrict the flow, especially a s there seems to be a 22mm bypass. If the boat trims as narrow boats typically do, down by the stern, then if your diagram is anything like to scale there is a long downhill section (top pipe) between stove and calorifier that will do nothing to assist circulation, then similar applies to the calorifier return leg. Because of where you have the vent pipe (lowest point of the top run) there could well be airlocks in it the calorifier coil. I would try to move the vent to T into the calorifier feed so air can escape. If you have a compression fitting where the calorifier top leg joints the top run try loosening it to see if any air comes out.

For information. It seems common on mid-engine room narrow boats and I have seen it used on some Broads cruisers. Before the Aquadrive type coupling came out it was about the only way to avoid alignment problems. Still agree not well suited to be mounted low down in a boat, too much danger of water ingress into the needle rollers and the sliding joint if one is fitted.

Basically that is as it should be because the calorifier coil (until the calorifier is hot) and the radiators(s) take heat from the circulating liquid and use that heat to warm the air or domestic hot water, BUT I would expect the lower pipes to get warm, but not as hot as the top ones. Has neat antifreeze been added to the system without diluting t to the required strength first? If so that can prevent circulation. It also depends upon the heat output of the boiler. If the heat output of the back boiler is low then the radiator may well get hot at the top and progressively cooler as you move down and similar in the calorifier. I think Blackrose was trying to gently point out that the first priority for the use of solar (which is limited on a narowboat) is to keep the batteries fully charged. Only once that is done each day can you afford to use the then waste solar energy to heat water. More batteries are wrecked, some in as little as week or two, by consistent undercharging. Doing what is proposed means your friend needs to have a reliable way of establishing when his batteries are all but fully charged so he can switch to water heating.

Those big nuts - the ones that screw onto the fitting with another hexagon that is then screwed onto or into the calorifier coil connection. The answer is that as we did not build the boat I doubt anyone here can answer the question. As I see it there are two likely possibilities. One, a normal compression fitting with an olive in the reducer solder fitting that has been soldered onto the main pipes. Two a bathroom style (3/4") tap connector that seals using a fibre or rubber washer between two parallel faces. If it is the second then the washer may have degraded over time and with vibration. If it is the first then the olive may not be correctly fitted onto the pipe stub or it may have been crushed. With both solutions the big nut should not be close to the calorifier because if it were it would bean that it had "bottomed out" so could no longer compress the olive or the soft washer. I am afraid the only way you will find out is to drain the cooling system down and take the joint apart. You should only need to drain down until the level is just below the coil height. However, I have already advised that you carefully inspect the area to find out exactly where the leak is coming from. It could be: 1. from the thread where the adaptor has been screwed into/onto the pipe coil 2. from between the big nut and pipe OR down the big nut thread. 3. from the solder joint. If you take it apart without establishing what is leaking you will not know what you are looking for. 1. might be cured with a few turns of PTFE tape on the thread or silicon pipe sealant. 2. will need further inspection to see what type of coupling device has been used. 3. may need new parts and re-soldering.