Tony Brooks

Did you re-torque the head bolts under the rocker shaft - rhetorical question. First of all, apart from the lumpiness, that might just be cold air/gas between the stud and hole in the cylinder head expanding when heated and escaping (bubbles reduce when hot) so the first thing I would do is try to give it a good high speed/power run to see if it overheats or the bubbling gets worse or stops. I think this is a sea boat so needs to be reliable, so if it does overheat or the bubbling does not stop, then I think I would change the head gasket, but such bubbling can go on for years without problems. You can also but liquid that you mix with a sample of coolant that changes colour of hydrocarbons are present - that indicates a head gasket leak. If you do change the gasket use a straight edge and feelers to ensure the block and head faces are absolutely flat and not distorted. Also (if you don't know) ensure that you stick to the head nut tightening sequence shown in the manual.

Condensers in old style car ignition circuits, but as I said, that is an inductive DC load and the condenser also causes the voltage to "ring" (oscillate) after opening.

I think they have little to do with the builder unless they are fitting custom instrument panels. I assume Matty is talking about the diodes that allow one warning buzzer to service all the warning lamps. Normally part of the engine mariniser's package, and easily rectified by using additional buzzers. The only other ones that I can think of are in the alternators or as part of an obsolete type of charging system, typically when one alternator is used to charger two different battery banks. Neither are likely to have any relevance to your purchase.

No, because the engine thermostat will largely prevent circulation throughout the full system. To do it your way, having drained the system, one would remove the thermostat and replace the cover. Take the bottom hose off the skin tank (outlet) and cobble the fresh water hose into the skin tank. Direct the free end of the bottom hose into the bilge or cobble another length of hose to it and into a drain of some such. Then, with the block and any manifold/header tank drain open reverse flush the system until no more rusty water comes out. I just drain, refill with fresh water and run up to temperature so the water circulates and then drain it down. Repeat another time. Any residual antifreeze should be so dilute as to cause no problems. On a boat that is new to me, I would probably put some rad flush in a week or so before doing the job and use the engine normally so it circulates and hopefully cleans the system a bit.

On our Kardan "synthetic wood" effect flooring I give it a quick buzz over with Vax cordless vacuum cleaner (brush rotate on) to d the sweeping and then use an Ecloth pad on it's long handled "mount" wrung out frequently with Kardan/Amtico cleaner. Seems to do a good job and dries fairly quickly. I am always amazed at the amount of dirt that gets into the water, despite the pad never looking particularly dirty each time. I, too, do it in my socks rather than shoes. This one: https://www.dunelm.com/product/e-cloth-deep-clean-mop-1000011935?defaultSkuId=30072817 My wife puts a white pad on it that is designed to be used as a brush, rather than vacuuming the floor first. I don't see why it would not work just as well on smooth sealed wood. In fact, I then use an ordinary microfiber cloth with the same solution to clean the painted banisters, window ledges etc.

Are you sure that is correct for non-inductive DC circuits? Yes, capacitors are used on inductive DC circuits to absorb the transient surge crated by the magnetic field collapsing across the windings, but on noninductive circuits I would have thought a capacitor, that was charged the moment the switch was closed would have no effect. Very happy to be corrected.

I am not trying to nitpick, but that is potentially misleading. The engine cooling system and any other heating system, be it space heating or for hot water are very rarely DIRECTLY linked. They are normally separate, but a few boats use a heat exchanger to pass waste engine heat into the space heating system. Even fewer directly link the engine cooling system to the space heating system, so both systems use the same liquid, but a pressurised engine cooling system linked to an open expansion tank heating system adds complication. On hot domestic water systems the only link between the engine and domestic water is through a coil of copper/stainless steel pipe, so there is no direct connection. FWIW, I have never bothered too much about the type of antifreeze as long a sit was not methanol based, and I have not seen that for years. I tend to go for the longer life versions, but flush the engine really well at each renewal using fresh water.

It was not just you, unfortunately for far too many helpful people squealing = alternator belts and probably in 85% of the cases that would be correct, but not if the engine would not start. I think that you could well be correct that the 13V she mentioned was the charging voltage, probably from solar. Before I committed to a diagnosis I would want to know rather more than we have been told. Only then can we conclude that was a red herring, but on the face of it, it looks like it. Anyway, the OP's first priority should be to get the engine started, run for a good while and report back what voltages she is seeing.

I agree about the more information bit, but have already explained why, according to what the OP wrote, it can't be the belt(s). She said it was doing while TRYING to start, and it would not start, so the alternators can't have energised, so there was virtually no load on the belt while cranking. If this is not so than the OP needs to rephrase what she told us.

As long as you have not been regularly overfilling it when topping the cooling system up, this is as expected. Antifreeze contains antifreeze and corrosion inhibitors, it is the corrosion inhibitors that get "used up" in use, so just testing the antifreeze tells you nothing about how well the corrosion inhibitors are working. That is why Blackrose and others use Ankorsol which is a corrosion inhibitor.

That is because her words seemed to be "attempted to get it started, but it made a noise". That means she tried to start it, but it would not start, it did make a noise. If it did not start then the belt(s) could not squeal, especially as the alternators were not energised so provided very little resistance to turning. I can't think what would squeak or squeal under those conditions but sometimes when the battery can't spin a diesel fast enough to start the engine will make a sort asthmatic wheeze as the compression leaks away on each stroke. I have known dirty battery terminal arching inside to make odd noises as could a faulty master switch, but I think we should not be worrying the OP with the rare possibilities and concentrate on getting the engine started and then checking the charge from the two alternators. That way we can get more reliable information. @FifiXenia2926 This panel you talk about, any chance of a photo so we know what it is? If you are lucky in might be a battery monitor that lets you also read amps into/out of the domestic bank and that makes future diagnostic steps easier, but I suspect it is just two meters on a fuse/MCB panel or the instrument panel that is like the dashboard on a car. Sometimes more experienced members, visit new boater with problems to try to help, but we need a very rough idea about where you are if you would appreciate such a visit. Do not give an exact location for your own security.

True, but it is far from unknown to have a third identical switch, but wired as battery bank parallelling switch to allow starting from the domestic bank when the starter battery fails. If the OP has a third switch close to the other two (assuming there is not a single master switch in the negative) then the OP should investigate to find out what ti is there for. I very much doubt Collingwood would have fitted such a switch.

I know Google guesses at my location from my provider's server's location, and that seems to move about as the server does dynamic addressing.

@FifiXenia2926 If you do manage to start the engine then with such a low domestic battery voltage it is possible that the domestic alternator will refuse to charge. This depends upon how it has been wired up as well as battery voltage. If this happens: 1. Try giving the engine a good rev up, that might get it charging. 2. This could potentially get a bit "interesting" if you manage to touch either end of the cable I am about to talk about to anything other than where I tell you so take care. If you have access to a car jump lead it will be ideal, but almost any length of electrical cable would do. Bare the conductors at each end, and if it is a length of old two or three core cable twist all three sets of conductors together. With the engine revving at a bout 1200 to 1500 RPM fix one end of the cable to a domestic battery positive and push the other end onto the engine battery positive for a few moments. That should give the domestic alternator a chance to energise. Then totally remove the cable. Within reason the thicker the cable. That boat was either a show model full of bling, so practicalities did not matter, or it was designed for permanent connection to a shore line as a floating cottage. It is also well known from posts here that second hand boats are often sold with unserviceable batteries - especially lead acid ones that we THINK you have, but so far it seems we suspect under/no charging and excessive discharging. She did mention Collingwood which implies a fatty, so I presume she just means inside the cabin that she has to go down steps to get into. I think that may well be the case, with very flat batteries the alternator output voltage would be much lower than "normal".

Absolutely agree. If that is so then she needs to see if there is a fuse or switch or fuse on the input side of the solar controller and if there is make sure the switch turned on or the fuse is in place and not blown. @FifiXenia2926 6 solar panels could be capable of delivering anything between about 20 volts (very safe - it won't bite you) up to close to mains voltage which will bite you. It all depends upon what type of panels and how they are connected together and then to the controller. Does your solar controller have any sort of display? If so what does it show in sunshine. If you have a voltmeter set it to 200 volts DC and attach the insulated wire like probes. Holding the insulated parts push the probes tight onto the screw heads where the cables from the panels go into it and report the reading. Which way round won't matter, just give us any numbers. There should also be a fuse, closeish to where the solar controller positive cable attaches to the batteries, make sure this is clean and has not blown.

We are always happy to try to help, but I am afraid this is not much short of gibberish, so I, at least, I have no clue as to what you are asking. I am assuming lead acid batteries and no solar, if you have solar charging please give us an idea about how much. The starter battery should be reading well over 12 volts so as it is as good as flat, either you have not been charging the batteries enough or the battery has had it. Do I take it that you have 6 domestic batteries that are sitting at 4 to 5 volts, so we come back to gross lack of charging or faulty batteries. They seem well beyond flat and may well now be totally ruined. I also think that you have two alternators, If, and it is a big if, you can get it started set the revs to about 1200 to 1500 RPM or a very fast tick over and measure the voltage on both sets of batteries - that is if you have access to a digital multimeter. If you need instruction please ask. The report the readings. If they both show above 13V keep it running for many hours, or until 8pm today (Cart reg), then start again tomorrow and run at a similar speed all day. Report both battery bank voltages just before you stop. As you don't have much money DIY is the best way forward, but we can guide you. You mention an inverter and those come in many designs, it may be an inverter charger and if you are not on a shoreline then it may have been trying to use electricity from the batteries to charge them - that way points to ruined batteries. So please let us have the inverter maker and model. If you have just moved from bricks and mortar then inverters seem to encourage new boaters to use lots of 240V AC house equipment and that tends to lead to flat batteries if you do not charge for at least four hours a day and then 8 to 10 hours plus at weekends. I suspect some of this may look like gibberish to you, so please ask if you need anything explaining. Read the Battery Primer pinned at the top of the maintenance section here (I think) and ask for explanation of anything you don't understand. You may also find both sets of notes on my website helpful, free to download and print out, My website

I think they are the terminals that some solar controllers have that are designed to feed a load but ONLY when the solar is producing enough. I think some people have used hem to charge the engine battery while the main output terminal feed the domestic ones. I can't see how using this gives the facility to wit until the batteries are charged before turning the immersion heater on, so I think that whatever is monitoring the LFP's state of charge needs to be the thing that signals to turn the immersion heater on. Note - I may well not have understood what has been suggested.

And that leads us back to deciding if you are competent to do your own gas work. I would suggest that your papers say that you are because you dealt with gasses that are silent killers rather than very smelly ones that only go bang within a fairly small mixture range and needing a source of ignition. I would suggest that arguing otherwise looks very much like protecting a monopoly, but if the worst did happen, judges are not best known for understanding technicalities and being sensible.

Thanks, but the questions are: How much carbon disulphide remain in the finished product so will eventually be released to the atmosphere. How well/completely does it break down compared, releasing what nasties when compared with plastic films. Are there other ways of dissolving the cellulose, I am sure that way was arguably the cheapest, and can the production be made less unpleasant and safer. There are downsides to all packaging, but it is a question of finding the least damaging to the environment in the longer term, and I am far from impressed with plastics in that respect unless they are made genuinely 100% recyclable in PRACTICE, not in theory. Someone mentioned returning packages to supermarkets, when I looked into that in respect of plastic films it got very murky with no mandatory scheme to show customers exactly how their carefully recycled plastic films are disposed of. Is seems much of it may be dumped on the Third World to be released into the environment and the water courses to make microplastics. At the moment I think it is less damaging to send it with household waste for incineration -after all Swindon has to stop plastic recycling some years ago because the residents were so good at it the remaining waste did not meet the calorific value their contractors demanded.

Or make it so expensive for those who effectively create the waste in the first place (manufacturers/packers etc) that more degradable products are used. I don't see why so may things have to have flimsy plastic skins over plastic containers. Why not print the containers or use a sticky paper label, as used to be done. We used to have clear cellophane (cellulose from wood based) covering things that required looking nice, now it is oil based plastic polythene film. Why can't the different plastics be base colour coded so automated sorting is easier. I can tell you that egg boxes and the harder wood fibre trays for fruit rot down beautifully in a compost heap, so could be added to the green waste composting windrows, as could cardboard etc.

No need for apologies. That statement is exactly the sort of thing that gets passed along the towpath telegraph, and I suspect on YouTube etc. where the initiator either does not have enough knowledge to reliably comment or can't be bothered to make it clear as to exactly what they are on about, so the recipient gets hold of the wrong end of the stick. Much like the apparently common misconception that all lithium batteries can't be put out if they catch fore etc. I am in no way suggesting that you fall into either category above because you are asking and talking about it. I did not want you to believe than no external alternator regulator can be used if LFP batteries are involved. As far as I can see the ones you are talking about are very much more sophisticated than the "battery boiler" add-ons so as long as you can set their parameters or interpose a B2B that you can set to suit, they are no different to the Bosch/Valeo etc. on alternator ones.

It is still considered a hybrid system if it uses a long wire or a B2B as far as I know, but the long wire contradicts the manufacturers requirements (and likely future BSS regs) about not directly connecting different battery chemistries, while the B2B method is not considered a direct connection. I can't see how with either "solution" an external regulator would not operate identically to the inbuilt regulator UNLESS it is sloppy wording that is actually referring to an alternator "controller" like and Adverc etc add on, that boost the absorption voltage, possibly to an unsafe level for LFP charging. However, even with one of those the B2B should be in control of the voltage supplied to the LFPs.

This I fully agree with, and it is not just on canals. I have had some shockingly bad work done by kitchen fitters employed by a very well known department store and even new build houses suffer from incompetent work. My view is that the gas regs, ditto domestic electrical, and the RCR/RCD are just money making, cartel, scams that governments find easy to implement so they can wash their hands of dealing with incompetent trades people.

I would suggest it is also the fault of local authorities who make it difficult for people to dispose of rubbish in legitimate ways, charging for some, and also successive governments who have made responsible onward disposal expensive/very expensive, rather than tackling the problem at source - where the rubbish is initially made and/or used as packaging.

Yes, the raw water pup uses a rubber impeller, very much like outboards but no leg to split. The 1.5 is one of the easiest engines to change the injector pump on once the initial timing mark is set on major engine work. You can't fit the pump into the pump drive incorrectly, and then it is just a question of aligning a line on the pump with a pointer on the part the pump mounts onto. But overhaul definitely, in my view, needs a specialist. It is all in the manual. If you ever need to set the initial timing you need a special gauge but they are very difficult to find so many tune the engine by ear and twisting the injector pump (difficult) on the elongated mounting holes. If you want to remove the head you will need a crows foot spanner/socket. Read flush should do no harm, but I don't understand the jury-rig comment. The calorifier coil is fed from a hexagon that is on the back right hand of the head, but it seems yours is done from the front. I am more used to seeing ordinary car heater hose in that duty. The other side of the calorifier coil usually connects to A Tee inserted in the larger heat exchanger to ENGINE water pump. You will find more info that may help you understand the calorifier circuit (and more) in the course notes on My website The heat exchanger core and any elbows in the raw water circuit tend to block with debris fund in the raw water, so I would be inclined to take the domes end caps off the heat exchanger to clear any build up and "rod" through each of the small tubes.