Tony Brooks

That is a perfectly reasonable method, except you are likely to be leaving the bank somewhat discharged for longer, but that goes for anyone who uses the Smartgauge or any other monitor % reading to decide when to start charging. As discussed above, it is not a lot of help in knowing when the batteries are about as fully charges as you can economically get them, but as long as you charge for a good number of hours what you are doing is practical and sensible.

But is that important for many boaters? What they need to know is if their battery capacity adequate for the load they place on it and the Smartguage will tell you that. When the first thing in the morning state of charge is (say) 30% you know your batteries are getting on for end of life. Even if you are not charging adequately, it still warns you that you need to pay attention to the batteries and/or charging. Like Bizzard, I had 20 years just using an ammeter and voltmeter plus a bit of knowledge with almost no domestic battery problems because I knew when they needed attention or changing.

Please clarify what you mean by seals. Do you mean whatever seals the frame to the cabin side or the rubbers that seal the glass to the frame. If the latter, then you may struggle to get the frame apart to fit the new seals. Usually little tiny screws and easing the frame apart without distorting it. if you only mean the rubber section along the bottom of the opening section, then seals are us can probably supply the rubber and you glue it in place. Eagle Marine Windows offer a refurbishment service according to their website.

I agree, the topic got pretty silly in my view once that was pointed out - especially as it is in the manual.

and it is far from unknown for it to end in tears when CaRT start taking legal action. The situation not being helped by a relatively new association that use unfortunate boater's predicament to further very partial aims to the detriment of the said boaters. Please, if things go wrong be very careful about who you seek help and take advice from.

Sorry to go on about this, but here is the cut and paste of the instructions I have: We know the instructions have been altered, so Bizzard may be quoting the latest, but perhaps it is an earlier version. I would say adjust it as above and if the band did not totally free it would wear prematurely, whereas six turns is far more likely to free it and if it did slip in astern it is easy to tighten it a bit.

For information. I have had one of these boxes that did not operate properly and found that the screen around the oil pump inlet had clogged up with fibres and muck from the worn brake band and ahead clutch, causing low oil pressure.

Just found my manual and it says undo three complete turns, I actually don't think it will matter that much, but I would err towards six and tighten it a bit if reverse slipped.

Trouble is that I don't know, been 60 years since I worked on them, but basic principles say that with no pressure in the system (which you won't have with the top off) the band needs to be just clear of the drum. Otherwise, the box would lock with both ahead and astern engaged. I think there should be another paragraph saying "undo the lock nut by X turns". No idea what X would be. That is why I pinged Bizzard and Richard. Maybe @Tracy D'arth will know.

That is why I specifically said when cold. It should not affect it going into reverse at that time. It may allow the oil to overheat and thin too much, so as the OP says it will need sorting once it seems to work. I think your instructions may be missing a paragraph, because as shown the box would be locked in astern. Yes under the bulge. if someone has lued it in place with gasket goo, but it was, I thin, a special rubberised fabric rather than paper sp if you are carefull they will usually come apart without damage. Torque - no idea, use a normal spanner and tighten it using two fingers, that will be about right. Note, I have a concern that Arthur's instructions may not be complete.

A hydraulic gearbox uses oil pressure to change the gear. the actual gears themselves are much like car gears so are reliable. A hydraulic drive is totally different, although some people get confused. A hydraulic drive, or to give it the full name hydrostatic drive, has no actual gears, just a hydraulic pump, a motor, a control valve and a pressure relief valve. The pump moves oil down pipes into the motor where it turns the motor. It is the pump and motor the MIGHT be expensive, depending upon type and quality. The more efficient ones tend to be the expensive ones. Hydraulic drives are not unknown on canal boats but they are rare. PRM Hydraulic GEARBOXES are probably the most reliable on the canals, one of those would be my first choice. Hydraulic gearboxes control the speed of gear engagement all by themselves, a mechanical box, using cables and levers, can be wrecked by a heavy-handed idiot fairly easily.

There is a lot of wasted space with that front tug deck unless there is a double bed under part of it. The engine is a very common and well respected one, but with a scan read, I can't see the gearbox make and model. Basically PRM mechanical or hydraulic gearboxes good, Hurth mechanical boxes, not so good. Not many hire fleets use Hurth boxes. Please note that I said REPUTABLE hire fleet, here are or have been some shockers, maintenance wise, around.

OK, my thoughts, and thanks for trying to help a fellow boater. I doubt overfilling the LH150 would be a problem when cold and i think it started life requiring SAE 30 engine oil, so unless the iol is a stupid synthetic very thin oil I can't see that being a problem re diagnosis. I don't think that you can take the fact that it will go into neutral can be taken as meaning the hydraulic pressure is OK. The reverse brake band operating piston is smaller than the neutral piston, so ideally you would check the hydraulic pressure via the screw in the centre of the neutral piston cover. The "triangular", 3 bolt thing on the back of the box. However, you need a pressure gage and a suitable adaptor to fit into the hole to do that. It is possible that the reverse brake band needs adjusting but don't have a manual to hand to copy the procedure but from MEMORY Take the cover off and use one of the cover bolts through the bolt hole in the centre of the neutral piston cover to jack the piston forward to put the box in neutral. Hold the slot in the threaded brake band rod where it comes through the reverse piston and tighten the nut on the rod until the box locks into reverse. You may have to turn the engine or shaft coupling to see when. Unscrew that nut until you can turn the box without the brake band rubbing in the drum. I am sure there is an X number of turns for this, but I can't remember. Replace all parts and try it, you may be lucky. @bizzard and @RLWP can you confirm or put me right.

Have you read and understood what CaRT requires from people who licence as CCers? If you don't "satisfy the board" that you are moving far enough, it is possible that you could lose the boat to CaRT - you would normally get plenty of notice that CaRT are not happy with you, long before court action. You can't stay in one spot for more than 14 days, or less if the notices tell you (there are afew with only a couple of hours, but usually near shops). If it helps, I bought an ex hire boat and was very happy with it for over 20 years with no major issues. Those from major hire fleets usually make access for servicing and repair far easier than boats built for the private market, and from reputable hire fleets are usually well maintained, eve if they have a lot of engine hours on them. Those hours are likely to have been done actually moving on the canals, rather than sitting by the bank running at idle in neutral to charge batteries or get hot water. \that is not good for engines. Others here have ex hire boats.

But the colour rendering onscreen will be different to real life unless he calibrates hi screen and printer if he wants to print the image off. He needs to see the colours by reflected light from the surface, rather than by relatively filtered light from LEDS or florescent tubes.

It is part of the fuel lift pump and is pivoted below the wide part of the pump body. It may be pivoted on just one side of the lever may be forked so both sides are fitted to the lower body section as per my photo. Other images showed a lever just on one side of the pump, but still within the area covered by the wide part, whichever it will tend to be hidden by the pump itself.

Two things I noticed. 1. It only has 6mm hull sides and if they are pitted by a bit over 2mm the boat may be uninsurable fully comprehensive, although you could get third party. I fell that in 1998 a 15mm baseplate would be a bit unusual, so wonder if it has been over plated. 2. The Alde 2928 is obsolescent, if not obsolete, so spares may be difficult to source. They also tend to be rather gas hungry. There is nothing inherently wrong with a hydraulic drive, but they are less efficient that a conventions gearbox and shaft drive so will burn more fuel, depending upon the type of hydraulics this may range from not a lot to perhaps 30%. It may not be the best system for someone with few practical skills and little knowledge of them. Again, depending upon the type of system, if anything goes wrong it could become expensive and suspect not every engineer will be familiar with them. If a hose bursts, it will empty several litres of oil all over the boat in the vicinity of the burst.

Large injector pipe union NUTS, not bolts. Priming lever on pump marked X

They sound like proper bangers where when you fry them you can get the split bits nice and crispy. At one time all sausages were like that, but not now.

I am not sure the white spirit is such a good idea, it does not evaporate particularly well at ambient temperatures s you could be applying the adhesive to a film of white spirit. Maybe that will be OK, but I would not risk it. I think I would use spirit wipe/panel wipe that evaporates readily.

Whether it is an energise to stop or energise to run solenoid, it must be given a feed at the appropriate time and in all typical installations that would come from somewhere on the control panel, be it a push button for energise to stop, or the ignition switch for both cases, but with different switching and terminations depending upon which it is. If there is no stop button, then the solenoid feed is likely to be from the ignition switch. To see which it is, you need both the engine and the panel wiring diagram(s), but my guess is that it is an energise to run.