LEO

Hi, I think that most 2LW's came back from South Africa, apparently mine did - in a very sorry state, about 6 years ago. Yes, there are 2 thermometers, unless they are fitted properly it is easy to break the glass in them, replacements are available, send me a PM for details, they are about £9 each.. The change in engine speeds is the Governor trying to maintain a minimum tick over speed, others will advise on this. The engines do run more sweetly when warmed up. Send me a PM and I will forward a photo of mine before rebuilding I would imagine yours was in the same state. Leo

Hi, I think you may cure the cold starting problem with use of the excess fuel button (covered in another post). Mine is a 'Walshes conversion' and the paint is coming off the block in places. I touch this up with a good metal primer and finish with 'Gardner' Grey paint (available from Specialists like Gardner Parts of Gardner Enthusiast). It's possibly not an exact match. Hope that helps. It is probably no fault with the rebuilding, but is is difficult to get paint to stick on old rusty cast iron. Many of the engines were in poor condition prior to re-building - I know mine was by pics I have seen of it. Leo.

Hi, A manual is available from Gardner Enthusiast, there are two types covering the LW series (I think yours is a 2LW like mine) one is for general running instructions and the second a more comprehensive manual covering dis-assembly and rebuilding. The first would help you, if only to show the injector pump bleed points if you run out of fuel. The levers on the injector pump effectivley cuts out that injector when engaged and the engine can then run on 1 cylinder (if it is a 2LW) for testing so I can't see how they would help with starting the engine. Not sure if you have an oil pressure gauge but the oil pressure seems to increase slowly when starting from cold, I would start your engine at low revs and build up slowly. I never bother with the decompression lever, mine starts on the button even in cold weather Hope that helps, they are fine engines and the 2LW is the best size for a narrowboat. Leo.

Hi, Engine lovely, setup YUK!. Not sure how you polish all the pipework on waterpump side. Hope your sump pump is in a convenient position. Each to his own I suppose, under the circumstances don't bother with the expense of a Gardner stick a Beta in instead. Leo. PS - Not sure what experts will make of all the right angles in the exhaust sytem.

Hi, I note the prices of the batteries at Halfords. The best suppliers I found at competitive prices are Caravan Showrooms/stores. Agricultural suppliers come up with some good deals as well. Forget guarantees on batteries, most manufacturers will 'wriggle out' of honouring them. My experience of Elecosol batteries is poor and they do not lend themselves to sustained high charging levels. Treat the batteries carefully and don't drop or bang them about and watch for acid splashes or you will have lots of unexplained holes in clothing after a while. Leo.

Hi, Are you sure that the 'loss of power' is not due to leaves floating in the canal? - lots came off last weekend and are floating on or just below the surface. ATB Leo

True, but the quality of English and the narrative used in the Gardner manuals is glorious, sadly debased by the 'estuary' patois and 'chino' english we encounter all to often now in life and instructions. I rest my case and let's get back to the matter under discussion - the unhappy 4LW. ATB Leo

Hi, I agree, however Gardners did not make diesels but 'oil engines' fitted with sprayers I can only really follow the terminology found in the various workshop manuals prepared by Gardners. Steamraiser2 hit the nail on the head though. Leo. Hi, Walshes Engineering Ltd 0161 787 7017. my 2 Lw was re-conditioned by them. Leo.

Hi, Gardner-enthusiast.com do a good deal on replacement/service exchange sprayers. As the name suggests they are sprayers not injectors. Have a look at their website, I have found them very helpful and some of their Videos are reall gems-----------------------MG Lazylion films (LEO). Albi/Leo PS Sounds as if you are getting there, wise to order a special spanner.

Hi, Try 'googling' on Newark marina - full info and contact details. Some very expensive 'jellymoulds' in there so be careful. Charged me £10 for an overnight mooring, but were very efficient at the lift out and loading, You may face higher transport costs as your journey to Bristol will involve an overnight stop. Leo.

Hi, I had a 48ft boat lifted out at Newark 3 years ago, £180, good service. A46 to Leicester, down M1 to Northampton. good roads all the way. Albi

Hi, No problems with the engine room, slight smell of Brasso and elbow grease at times. no diesel smells. Engine room clock ticking a bit inconvenient when underway. Heat generated by engine very useful. (Gardner 2LW) Albi

Hi. Because the 'twonks' at BW who make the decisions don't go boating and have no practical experience. It's mind over matter -they don't mind and we boaters don't matter. albi.

Hi, Yes, you may get one from a breakers yard, but it may be suffering from metal fatigue which caused your broken bracket and within a short period of time you are back to square one. By making one up (easy), you will end up with a better product, hopefully without any possible metal impairment. Brackets like the one in question normally break because they are under engineered and badly designed. Albi

Hi, Consider making one up, not a difficult job, I would modify it by making it out of thicker metal and decreasing the lenght of the cut out section to suit your needs for adjustment. Albi

Hi, Confirmation that in any market a good, well presented product will sell fairly quickly. If it does not fall into that category the chances of sucess are slim. Albi

Hi, I used to have a calorifier on a boat moored in the same marina as you, I never bothered with draining the hot water tank it as I found they are very well made and insulated. It was shorter than normal, but with a greater diameter and was really efficient and sat on the swim in the engine bay, (Trad stern, containing BMC 1.5). I had a self contained draining bucket under the prop shaft seal and drained all my over flows to that, which activated a bilge pump. This facilitated easy draining of the calorifier (if necessary), engine overflow and drips from the Jabsco circulating raw water pump. All pipework was in Hep2o and fully lagged. If it got really cold (usually in late November or Januaury) I hung a small paraffin fired greenhouse heater in the engine bay, this ran happily for a week on one fill. If needed it is OK to run the engine with the calorifier empty. Albi.

Hi, All very interesting, further to my earlier posts I do think you are suffering with 'big enginititus' ie. a big 56 hp ehngine doing the work that a 28 or 42 HP engine should be doing. If it's puffing white smoke and not starting it may well be that the compression is poor. Gardners were very highly engineered and designed so that they did not need pre-heaters etc to start them - the high compression did that. Don't go near the governor without reading a manual, they are complicated and carefully balanced and some people seriously compromise them trying to get the tickover too slow. Bear in mind here you got a large engine, ticking over slowly and running slowly, below normal operating temperature when underway and you have a got a picture of clagged up engine innards, exhaust valves and pipes and sprayers. Check the sprayers carefully. I note someone may have done a compression test a couple of years ago, was that someone qualified to work on these fine engines? did they give a receipt?, will they come back? if the answer no, at least buy a manual and service tool for the sprayers and check them over. Best of luck - Gardners are fine engines, it's a pity that the big ones either end up in narrowboats or in Eygpt being melted down for scrap.. Albi PS a 4 cylinder Gardner in a boat would be Ok if you were pulling, say, 3 loaded butties up stream on the Thames or the Trent in flood. You can always tell if a narrowboat coming towards you has a big engine because it's always smoking badly, a shame - and I think Gardners are the finest of engines.

Hi, All my manuals are for LW's sorry!, I suppose no air is getting into the fuel system can you bleed it as easily as an LW?. It's still worth looking for a fuel enrichment plunger, they are quite well hidden away. But turning it over with a well charged battery bank will help. It's unusal as Gardners normally start on the button. Albi

Hi, Fair enough on the starter motor size, but the slow turning could be attributted to the condition of the battery. Albi.

Hi, It is doubtful that a 4LW will have a 12 volt starter motor and you will need 2 good 110amp batteries to turn it over when you have found out what voltage it is. The excess fuel button is a good tip, but be careful pressing it- it only needs one push. Not sure about it starting more easily in gear, best to keep it out of gear. A 4LW in a narrowboat is really too big an engine and it does not work hard enough, may be choked with carbon by too much slow running. Are you opening the throttle enough prior to starting the engine. Buy a workshop manual and place an enquiry on the www.gardner-enthusiast.com forum, where a wealth of experience will be at your fingertips. The weather is not really cold enough to make starting a Gardner difficult, I have seen a 6L2 fitted with small cups under the air inlets which can be filled with meths to facilitate easy starting in cold weather and that engine started by hand in April. Is the engine stop button fully dis-engaged?. I would suspect too much slow running has affected the injectors, might be worth having the serviced as these big engines struggle to get up to satisfactory working temperature on canals. Shall be interested to hear how you get on. Albi.

Hi Alan, Agreed, but the calorifier as fitted to my boat has connections to the Kabola and a 1kw immersion heater as well as the engine. When I had a gas fridge (Electrolux ) I had problems with the flame, had it serviced by Centre Caravans (now renamed) at Tiddington nr Thame and they replaced a filter in the gas line which was limiting the gas supply. I use the gas in orange coloured bottles and they said the filters took care of any impurities in the gas supplied in those bottles rather than the gas in the blue bottles which tends to be 'cleaner'. Fridge worked OK for years after that. Albi

Hi, Bung it. A fit a new one or better still fit a calorifier heated by the engine. Much easier and will you be able to test for gas leaks with a Mamometer after all these works?. Albi.

Hi, Bung it and fit a 'Whale Gulper', problem sorted. albi

Hi, The 'Anglers' probably get fed up because sometimes quite big prize money is involved and you (legally using the canal) have robbed the guy of any chance of winning - no excuse for the behaviour though. Fishing matches .... no way - a form of gambling - yes; - acceptable - no. Perhaps a photograph of the 'angler' showing the peg number and other details should be sent to BW and the Sec. of the Angling club that leased the rights to this stretch of water. Albi.