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davidk65

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About davidk65

  • Birthday 26/03/1937

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  • Occupation
    Retired
  • Boat Name
    Kingfisher
  • Boat Location
    Orchard Marina (Trent & Mersey)

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  1. I have just been reading, on the forum, comments concerning the quality of Shanks Engines. Most of the entries are from around 2008 /2010 and concern price of the kit but also other concerns i.e. noise and smoking. Does anyone have more recent experience of these engines (2012/2013) to enable one to make an informed decision as to replace a Penta with a Shanks. Based on the earlier comments on the form and in the absence of more update info I would be inclined to walk away. What do others think? The 37 hp version which comes with gearbox is quoted at around £2000 + fitting.
  2. Does anyone know the latest about boat certificates. One of the waterways authorities threatened to deny passage because it was said the boat cert was out of date according to their records, Apparently an examiner, having completed the examination, does not have to issue anything in writing as he enters the report on the the computer system of BSC. This system is supposed to notify the licencing authority automatically providing them with a unique reference number for the examination and the boat in question. Unfortunately the automated system has not been completed and so the authority does not receive any notification of pass or failure. The bit which is less clear for me is that the BSC does send a letter to the boat owner enclosing another piece of paper with a number on it. I believe you then have to ring BSC with this special number and then and only then, apparently, the boat details are recorded. Any Comments on the above?
  3. Is anyone aware of a conversion kit or know of a method of converting a Volvo Penta 2002 to take Hurth gear box? The details behind this question are: The Penta engine complete with gear box, model M.S. 2B, was bought at an attractive price to replace a knacked engine (of a different make) in a steel canal boat. When the engine and gear box arrived it was noticed that out put flange from the gear box was angled downwards and did not meet up with prop shaft flange. The installer, being a resourceful soul,lowered the front engine mounts and lifted the rear of the engine to allow the output flange of the gear box to line up with the prop shaft coupling. The problem now, after some months of operation,is the gear box has failed and it is to expensive to repair. As the engine is OK, the plan is now to fit a Hurth gear box, or some other,to the engine so that when the engine is lowered the out put flange and prop shaft coupling will align correctly. Has anyone come across a kit or a method that would allow this conversion to take place and be effective? Any helpful comments appreciated.
  4. Thanks Ditchcrawler. I am following the up Midland Chandlers. They do have them and I have to ring back on Monday to speak to the person who apparently sources used props. With regards to the imput from Mike the Boilerman & Blackrose. Interesting comments, but is not my boat I am just trying to help by looking for a prop!! But thanks anyway.
  5. I have been asked if I can help source a used prop for a canal boat that is urgently in need of a replacement. The boat is away from its mooring and they do not have internet access, hence my involvement. The boat has just had to have a replacement (used) engine fitted. The owner thought he could use the existing prop and shaft but he now finds the prop is wrong for the engine. He did manage to find and fit a prop, but it is the wrong size (I assume he knows this through contact with Crowthers). I have looked on the net but so far have not found anything. The prop required is a 15x11 to fit 1.1/4"inch shaft Right Hand. Can any one help with details of possible sources? Any Suggestions please.
  6. Alan. It was the two +ve battery leads that where connected to the main studs of the relay. i.e. the cable from starter battery +ve lug that went via the relay to the domestic battery. I joined the lugs of these cable together using the only suitable thing available to me i.e. a new a Durite battery isolator switch. I have now found the time to pries off the cover from the relay, what a mess. It looks as if it had spent a lot of time submerged in water although it was well clear of the wet stuff. It was fitted to one side of the engine compartment and tucked under a overhang of the deck. Perhaps the deck drain had overflowed (regularly) and slopped over the relay as the connections to the relay faced upwards. Downward facing and they would have had some protection from ingress of water. The relay was a charred mess. This undoubtedly played a major part in the failure of the original alternator. When I had that one bench tested and then stripped they told me the regulator had blown as well as some other damage. I guess we are lucky we did not blow the new alternator. However; Gods in his heaven and all is good!!
  7. Having returned to the "stranded" boat, I was able to establish that the reason the battery charge light was staying on was that a second wire, connected to the "ind" terminal (D+) had a -ve feed on it. with this wire disconnected, on starting the engine the light went out and the alternator was charging. The disconnected wire was used, when the alternator was charging, to provide a +ve feed to one side of the relay coil. The relay was used as a split charge device to connect the domestic battery and the starter battery together for charging. Removing the relay, I found heavy corrosion between +ve and -ve connections (not the battery leads) to the relay with the -ve tracking across to the +ve putting a -ve feed to the "ind" terminal (D+) which kept the charge light illuminated. The relay is one that I have not come across before i.e. "TYCO" 12 volt relay. Later, I found a description of this relay on the internet and it has a capacity of 150 amps and is without any degree battery voltage sensing. As the boat has minimal amount of electrics, and time would not allow me to source another relay, I joined the two the battery leads together. All now appears right with world of boat electric?? Thanks for all comments.
  8. Hi Thanks for the replies. I had a brief conversation with the "stranded" boater early this morning ( I am still not able to attend until some time Saturday) and things are as they where i.e. charge light comes on and stays on with engine running. He confirms that the fan belt is still in place and because it is a single cylinder Saab he can move the alternator fan and it just about turns the flywheel. I asked him to remove the two leads on the "ind" terminal and turn the key. With both leads removed the charge light did not illuminate. I took this to prove that the charge light wiring was not shorted to earth. I then asked him,in an attempt to establish which of these leads was for the charge light, with the key on and the engine not running, to touch the terminal with each lead in turn. I expected to be told that one or other of the leads (but not both) caused the charge light to come on. The result of this test; the lamp illuminated no matter which lead touched the "ind" terminal. Without physically checking the wiring I cannot understand how both leads can be connected to the charge light? My understanding is that the charge light is fed positive and finds a negative via the rotor until the alternator voltage builds up becoming positive hence the light goes out. I would then have expected that the "solid state caravan type split charge unit" would, also connected to the "ind" terminal, have responded to the rising positive voltage at the rotor and would then have operated in what ever way these things do. I am speculating that this unit may have a fault and when it switches on/over it allows an earth connection to reach the "ind" terminal? Does this make sense or is the theory all wrong?
  9. I have become involved in helping a friend to fit a new 12 volt alternator to his boat. The original fault was that the charge light started to flicker and eventually did not come at all. The engine compartment is very confined and you can just get a hand down, with a spanner, to get to the alternator.It was necessary to remove the alternator fixings to enable to get access to the connections, a note was made of these before removing. The wiring around the engine and to the batteries was a bit of a mess and it was difficult to trace out some of the wires. Eventually we removed the alternator and took the unit for bench testing. Verdict, alternator faulty. Replacement alternator obtained and after a struggle it was fitted. The cables to the new alternator where fitted to the correct terminals and corresponded to the connections to the original alternator. On switching on, "red" charge light on, engine started, light goes out. Voltage at starter battery with engine running 13.75 volts. After about an hour of running the engine it was time to clean up and go home (for me). My friend stayed as he was to move his boat to another mooring. Later, I had a phone call for said friend, having relocated, he is concerned that the charge light has come on and is staying on. Unfortunately, due to my commitments, I can't get back to check things out for a couple of days and therefore can't confirm any readings and find it difficult to direct my friend over the phone what he could look for our check. I accept that it is possible the "new" alternator could be faulty but I tend to doubt this. One the other hand I am confident the connections to the alternator are sound and correct. On the charge light connection at the alternator, there where/are two wires. One wire was for the charge light the other went to a split charge unit which appears to be one of those electronic units used on car/caravans to charge another battery in this case it is connected to the domestic battery. I wonder, trying to diagnose from a distance and to instruct my friend how to use a test meter, if this unit was faulty could it provide an alternative a negative feed to keep the charge light one? Is it possible that the alternator could be charging in spite of the charge light being illuminated? Any comments or suggestions please.
  10. Thinking of taking the Ribble Link this year, Tarleton to Preston, Preston to Savic Brook and then onto the Lancaster and finally back to Tarleton . With this in mind I have been reading up on boaters experiences on making the crossing, based on what I have read I am beginning to have second thoughts. Hence the question does size matter? Or to put it another way, is there an optimum size of a narrow boat and engine for this trip? How do you think a 32 foot steel narrow boat with a 27 hp diesel engine cope?
  11. How do I go about changing my "User" name? I can find information on changing my password but not my user name.
  12. For sometime a friend has had problems with loss of coolant. Apparently after a couple of hours running he has to stop and when the engine has cooled sufficiently top up with water. How much water is needed I am not sure. The mystery is where does the missing water go? The bilges and everything else are dry but the expansion tank for the engine is empty. The calorifier was suspect. But if the heating coil in the calorifier was leaking inside the hot water cylinder I would have thought any hot water drawn off at the taps would in some way be tainted with engine coolant but this, I am told, is not the case. As well the calorifier, all the usual suspects have been checked i.e. Head gasket. Water leaks from system. But all to no avail. The latest thinking is could it be a skin tank problem? Of the two hoses connected to the skin tank, the top hose gets hot quickly. The bottom hose remains cool for quite a long time but eventually heats up. I think of a skin tank like a central heating radiator. i.e. If the rad is warm at the top but cold at the bottom, it nearly always turns out that the radiator requires bleeding. Could this be the case with the skin tank? I understand that the tank does not have any means of bleeding air from it. Does anyone have any other ideas on what it could be? The engine fitted to the nb is a very old Canal Star diesel.
  13. Thank you for your reply's. I am following up all the contacts. David.
  14. Can any one point me in the direction of where I can obtain prices and specification of "Power Posts". These are the kind of posts that are found in a marina and caravan parks. They have RCD protected socket and incorporate a supply meter. I have tried Google but have run out of descriptive words. My electric catalogue does not show anything like I am looking for. Thanks. David
  15. Thanks for that, Johnno is a nice chap.A conversation with him was well worth tracking him down. He confirmed that oil should not be added to the engine via the rocker box cover. Thanks Again.
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