Tony Brooks

True re the micro switch, but I think the knob turns the micro switch OFF when set to the off position and on in all other positions. As said earlier in the topic, the igniter in some way detects when the spark gap is in the flame and the turns itself off until the flame fails. Then is sparks again. A misshaped or small pilot flame is known to cause constant sparking, as is a faulty igniter, so as long as it sparks when the nob is in any position but off and it stops sparking when it is off we can conclude the microswitch is working.

That is all good then

If you are stopping charging at 20 amps charge or higher, then you are destroying the batteries by sulphation. You need to go on charging until the current has stopped dropping over about an hour at 14.2volts plus or when the current has dropped to 1 to 2% of batery capacity, again at a voltage of 14.2V or higher

I think the front mounting bolt holes on Velvetdrives are a standard SAE configuration and if so, another box should be a straight bolt on job. However, I have never seen a Velvetdrive with extra mounts on a 1.5, even the ones with the reduction box on the back, but I have seen illustrations with them. Maybe try to find out why they are used and if they are needed in your application. As far as an instrument panel is concerned, unless you know what standard your senders are built to (European or US), you will need to buy the instrument kits, so you may as well make your own. Not difficult if you use thick coloured perspex, aluminium, or "Formica" faced ply. You will need a 52mm/2" hole saw and suitable drills for the warning lamps and switch apertures. Edited to add: Calcutt may sell you a branded one with or without gauges, lamps and switches. Edited again to add: Chertsey Meads Marine seem to deal in second hand engines, so they may have one.

Well above 20 - what? Starting charging at 12v is probably a bit on the low side. I would suggest you get the alternator to an auto or marine electrician to have the extra cable fitted. I think the Adverc website has instructions for DIY fitting the wire on the more common alternators. You will never get the batteries properly charged until you: get the wire fitted, get a battery sensing alternator or maybe a battery sensing regulator is available for your alternator, or get rid of the split charge diode and either fit a "zero volt drop" electronic version or a decent VSR and rewire.

All true except the OP really needs the rested voltage, so he will need to turn all the loads off. This probably means that he wants just to keep an eye on the voltage so he knows when it's time to stop using electricity and start recharging. To know that and start charging he needs to go to the back of the boat where his accurate meter is, so in my view no need to worry about extra wires. He will soon get to know by how much the front voltmeter differs from the accurate one.

I think hey are from a Hunter like mine at home. Hunter from home or the Brunel I had on the boat - Brunel every time burning and slumbering wise. When I found the Hunter would not burn anthracite without adding another fuel, they told me that anthracite is wet, not our stove guv!

My 2928 installed in accordance with the Alde diagrams and instructions use three wires between the boiler and thermostat. One is a positive from the batteries, one is the switched supply back to the boiler, and one is the thermostatic switched supply to the pump. It is true that the battery positive supply goes to the multiplug on the boiler, but that is only used as a bus bar as far as can see.

I think that you may be correct, I have never been too happy with a 13.8V float that I have seen on occasions

I don't fully understand what is proposed. The pump and the whole heater is switched via the thermostat switch, not one on the heater, unless perhaps it has the optional mains heater, so I don't understand what the pump switch is unless it is the actual thermostat. By all means replace the switch on the thermostat that controls the whole heater with a separate one, and adding a pilot lamp to know when it is turned on won't do any harm, but I am not sure how it will tell you that you have a good spark. We don't know for sure which tall Alde Opener has. Some earlier ones did, I think, need two hand to light (gas valve and igniter button). I am sure my 2928 only needed one hand to ignite once the thermostat switch was turned on. Turn the control knob to the star or lightening flash position and push down to open the gas valve.

I get the feeling that whoever made that comment still thinks battery chargers have no voltage regulation and no ability to drop to a float voltage. Unless there is a cell starting to short, leaving batteries on charge from a modern multi-stage charger is normally perfectly safe as long as the Combi is set properly so it can't use battery power to charge the batteries when the mains fail and whatever it's voltage profile is matches the batteries under charge.

The yellow lamp almost certainly has a grain of wheat bulb in it, they often do not pass enough current to energise the alternator and for some reason the blades have been badly bent - I don't know why. Do this test after trying what Sir N said, although I think the alternator looks nearly new. Refit the lamp. Turn ignition on and make sure the lamp illuminates. Do not start the engine. Pull the black plug out of the alternator. The lamp should go out. If it does not then There is something wrong with the wiring. Run a new cable from the bulb to the alternator. Use the small blade on the alternator but make sure the terminals are tight at both ends. If the light did go out, refit the plug. Start and run the engine at about 1200 rpm and then join the two terminals on the wires that are connected to the warning lamp. I hope the battery voltage will jump up, and the engine come under load. If it does, then it's charging, so get a new warning lamp with a removable bulb. Other versions of that lamp that cost a little more use a 1.5 watt bulb. They will usually do. Anything up to about 4 or 5 watts will do. See below* I would take the three wires out of the plug so you can make sure they are tight o the blades, There is a hint that they are loose and have been overheated. On NO ACCOUNT allow one of the large terminals to tough the alternator body, if you do, you will get a big spark. Personally I would put both thick cables into an eye terminal and fit it to the B+ stud, it's a far better connection, but get it charging first. * Normally one would make a temporary connection between the B+ and the small blade on that alternator, but with the plug it is likely to be easier to do it at the warning light end.

The RCD is not a renewable inspection like the BSS, it expects the boat owner to keep the boat compliant. This allows those who counter what Alan says to go on doing it. RCD/RCR only requires a reinspection when work is done that counters the original certification. Alan is only warning about what the consequences MIGHT be.

I THINK, from memory, the dimples on the sprockets should be close to each other, not on the far side of the sprockets but, please check the manual - image below. I don't understand your comment about the fuel pump being at 5 o'clock at 22d BTDC unless you are talking about the master spline on the pump skew gear drive shaft. But unless you have taken the cam shaft out, that should still be in the correct position. If you have taken the pump drive shaft out or taken the cam shaft out, then you will need to set the engine to 22 D BTDC to refit the drive shaft AFTER you have timed the cam shaft. Pump timing is done with a gauge in the pump drive shaft at 22d BTDC, turning the gauge clockwise to take up the backlash in the drive and chain, and then aligning a pointer on the pump hub. The injector pump is fitted so the line on one corner of the pump mounting flange lines up with the pointer. Unless there is a lot of wear in the cam shaft drive or pump drive skew gears, you can usually get away without resetting the pointer in marine use.

Not the photo that would have allowed us to identify the alternator, that is why I asked for a photo of the end where the wires attach. It looks a bit like an A127 but as I can't see the wire end nor read the numbers on that label so I can't be sure. If it is an A127 then take note of what SirNIbble said about brushes. Once we can see the wire end, we can tell you if you can check the brushes. The charge spitting is done by a B1, B2, Both and off manual switch and they are normally tolerably reliable but they too have "brushes" rubbing on a brass or copper ring, be it that the "brushes" are bent bits of bronze. If it is not set to BOTH then one battery bank, the other, or neither would charge. I can see a small wire associated with that switch, and some of that type of switch made provision for turning the alternator off as the switch is moved. I don't think your alternator would allow that without modification so that wire may be unused or a feed for something else. If the switch is worn, it might cause odd charging symptoms, but it is also likely to get hot when starting and smell - often a bit fishy. I also asked for a photo of the warning lamp because some cheaper types are not suitable for most alternators. Let's have the photo of the wire end of the alternator and the warning lamp, then we might be able to advise further.

Never gave it a thought. BMC put the dimples there so as long as they align it should be fine but get the manual so you know where they should be so you don't get one 180 degrees out. As you are altering the camshaft timing (new chain) your major problem will be getting the gauge to set the pump timing pointer but it will probably run if you use the pointer where it is, its just not best practice.

Even digital voltmeters demand all but zero current so a cheap plug in 12V socket voltmeter should be as accurate as you need as long as the wiring is not undersized for any other loads you are putting on the circuit - KIS is king on boats. I would not suggest it would be 100% accurate but more because it is cheap far eastern stuff rather than because of cable resistance. It should be fine to tell you when you rally need to go and check the voltmeter at the back. In any case, blue tooth, Pi, or not no voltmeter will allow you to accurately infer state of charge either while charging or discharging.

Tends to be my feeling as well for the next few years.

I would suggest that the OP would get far more information and knowledge by searching the forum for LiFePO4