springy

Usually the accumulator has a rubber membrane which separates the air from the water so it doesnt actually matter which way up it is - mine is on its side, but there may be good reasons why vertical with the inlet at the bottom is 'prefered' springy

Plug goes back in at Chasewater BBC linky good news for the BCN (in a couple of years !) springy

I thought hinny was an affectionate term for a north eastern lass ? rugged hinny ..... ? hmm, risky territory springy

The Flying Scot(sman) is looked after by Dudley Canal Trust (not BCLM) and is normally worked with the Stewarts & Lloyds tug Bittell, unfortunately the combination is just too long to fit in a lock together. She is used for all sorts - including bonfire timber, rubbish on BCN clean up, as a Skittle Alley at Titford Pump house gatherings - yes you have to stand quite still as you aim (and you may still be subject to malicious tilting !) and even "posh" people as seen in the second picture down on this page from DCTs site DCT News page. springy ETA just found this clip on youtube

Superb photos, truly showing "the colours of the cut" ! springy

I think you have to have an "acceptable" boat to be able to moor Inside the museum arm, i.e. historic boat of visibly appropriate appearance, in working trim - this does exclude some boats which are arguably "period" in original working trim such as Blue Tops, visible loads of plastic bagged coal etc. Modern boats such as the tug Joanna whilst looking ok would probably not pass muster, and conversions are also excluded, though you would probably get away with short cabin extensions - such as Minnow. Mooring outside the museum arm is "freely available" though the harbour master will arrange Historic boats to "fill up the space" nearest to the museum - but you can get away with converted historic boats, modern built working boats, coal in plastic bags etc. springy

Alan Faulkner's & Roger Fuller's lists show it as being ex "Imperial Chemical Industries (General Chemicals) Ltd.", registered & gauged late 1924, purchased by Tho's Claytons in 1949. springy

Hi Generally your description/assessment is correct - the skeg usually supports the weight of the rudder assembly, the cup stops the bottom of the rudder post moving sideways off the skeg, and the top "bearing" provides vertical alignment for the post - however occasionally builders do have "other" ideas. Is there a hole in the top of the rudder blade ? If so thread a rope through the hole and make fast to the stern dollies before starting the job - once the swan neck & bearing are removed there is only the cup & if the rudder post was sitting on the edge of the cup it would only take a slight nudge before the whole rudder & post is lying on the bottom of the cut ! It is usually possible (given sufficient depth of water) to actually remove the rudder completely without docking - simply attach another rope to the top of the rudder post - using an eye bolt - lift the rudder out of the cup, lower to the bottom of the canal & then retrieve using the first rope attached to the rudder blade, leave the second rope through the rudder apperture to allow you to pull the rudder post back up when you have finished. Any idea why the bearing has broken up ? - some builders only fit a plain sleeve at the top - this allows the rudder post to vibrate more BUT if you do catch a cill or something else on the bottom then it just slides up, however if a bearing is fitted & clamped or pressed on to the rudder post, then any cill or other obstruction which lifts the rudder blade may actually damage the bearing or part the races allowing the balls/rollers to escape ? springy

Have you topped it up recently ? What engine is it ? As the water cooling the engine heats up it will expand & so it is normal for the water level in an open header tank to rise (it will happen in a closed system but is often less noticable) - If you have "overfilled" the system then as the water expands it will overflow the header tank. This should only happen once & subsequent engine hours will only expand the water to not quite overflow level. If this happens repeatedly, without topping up inbetween, then a more serious problem must be suspected - thermostat, head gasket, poor circulation - does the engine run hotter than it used to ? springy

Swallow, Buckden & Sagitta all left Brewood on Monday heading that way. springy

My boat has a 1.8 bmc which is a smaller bolt than the 2.2 - thats why I had to borrow a socket to replace the crank seal on a 2.2, dont know if the 1.8 is the same size as the 1.5. springy

IIRC i measured one about 6months ago as 42.5 mm - the nearest sizes are 1"W = 1-1/8" BS which is 42.42 mm or 1 -11/16" AF which is 42.86mm - I managed to borrow a 1-11/16" AF socket which did the job, however as richard sugested turning the flywheel with a lever in the ring gear is hard work but if you can turn it then it isnt seized solid so I would go along with the idea of sorting the starter and see where you go from there springy

All "Propane" bottles from all suppliers use the same fitting - a left hand POL fitting (also used for acetylene), "Patio Gas" (AIUI) is just propane in a bottle with a "company specific" quickfit coupling, most Butane bottles have company specific quickfit couplings. From calor's site - 3.9Kg - £15.49 = 397 p/Kg 6 Kg - £ 19.99 = 333 p/Kg 13 Kg - £25.49 = 196 p/Kg Quite a difference to my mind. This page shows the exchange options calor exchange groups It seems that anything is freely exchangable for anything, except 6Kg bottles which can only be swapped for 6Kg bottles !

Depends on the size of the fittings on the coil - they are probably either 1" BSP male - in which case you could use http://www.screwfix.com/prods/50777/Plumbing/Compression-Fittings/Flowflex-Female-Coupler-22mm-x-1 or http://www.screwfix.com/prods/96133/Plumbing/Compression-Fittings/Flowflex-Female-Coupler-28mm-x-1 with a 28-22 reducing bush Or they may be 3/4" BSP male in which case you could use http://www.screwfix.com/prods/81402/Plumbing/Compression-Fittings/Flowflex-Female-Coupler-22mm-x elbows are also available and screwfix list several brands - prices vary & I can't comment on quality springy

If you hav'nt located BS3212 hose yet these people list them http://www.bes.co.uk/products/066.asp just a question of size / fittings springy

That would probably do it ! springy

I would try forward flushing the pump - connect a hosepipe from a tap to the pump inlet & water should flow through the pump valves - hopefully washing any grot off the valve seats. If you try to back flush the pump the water pressure will try to hold the valves onto the seats and any grot will be trapped. springy

I would suspect a non-return valve - probably in the pump itself - maybe a bit of grit/grot picked up when the water tank ran out ? You could try flushing the pump through with a hose. springy

A quick google gave the following pdf braukman instructions though there does seem to be several different models. It is supposed to allow any air bubles/pockets to automatically vent from the system, AIUI the red cap should be on tight, and the body set to the open position. Are the radiators hot all the way to the top - if not you may need to bleed air from them as well (assuming the auto vent has been closed). springy

It would also sound completely different !

My silencer is wrapped with 2 (or 3) layers cut to shape from an old unused fire blanket, held in place with galvanised wire (the kind you get left with when you strip back armoured cable IIRC) and it is pretty effective. It has never been questioned on BSC springy

Sounds very familiar ! My BMC 1.8 did the same thing a few years back - first the unexpected rev increase, then the stopping/refusing to start until it had been bled, gradually getting worse/more frequent. In my case I eventually traced it to a cracked lift pump housing - intermittently sucking air into the system (though not until I had checked everything else except the injector pump and injectors). Certainly sounds like air is getting in somewhere, probably on the "suction" side i.e. up to (and including) the lift pump. springy

Taking your second question first - Yes the positive and negative cables should be the same size. As far as the actual size goes - it depends on the load/charging current - you may have 350Ah plus of battery capacity but if you only ever draw 2 Amps then quite skinny cable will do, on the other hand if your charger is capable of putting 30-40 amps into the battery bank then much more substantial cable is required, and it is probably this side of the system which will determine your needs. springy