Denis R
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Posts posted by Denis R
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Jabsco Direct have got some replacement parts in stock, depending on what's failed. Clicky to Jabsco
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The downsides of soldering a connection are that if you use a multi-core solder, it will often contain copper which leeches out over time and corrodes the joint, and the soldering sets up a stress raiser where the solder ends - you'll often find that wire subject to vibration breaks off at the connector.
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Quick way to test for residual unburnt fuel is to disconnect the fuel feed and let it go through the start up sequence a few times. You should find that the exhaust runs smokey for a few starts and then begins to clear. Once it blows completely clear, reconnect the fuel pipe. If you don't get back to a slight smoking as it starts followed by it rapidly clearing, delve deeper.
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I've got 2-pack etch prime on bare steel with 2-pack epoxy over the top. Last September the damaged bits were re-treated with etch prime and then the whole hull re-blacked with 2-pack epoxy. The local boatyard told me that was the way to go and never to put bitumen over epoxy. The guy told me that they can tell when a hull has had epoxy for its first blacking and bitumen thereafter, as the jet washer peels the bitumen off like sheets of wallpaper, leaving the now exposed original 2-pack intact...
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Anyone had extreme trouble removing their oil filter on a B38? Mine is absolutely solid, underneath pipes and generally very difficult to get a grip on. I've heard of ramming a screwdriver into it. But would hate to have a broken filter on the engine which I still can't remove.
My last but one oil change on my Beta was a total nightmare, exactly the way you describe. Even the filter wrench just slipped round the casing. But it's one of those crappy chain types that's only any use if you've got bags of room. I'd recommend the '3 finger' job.
In the end I resorted to a screwdriver through it... The simple reason was that it'd been screwed on way too tight. The filter only needs nipping up. A film of oil on the seal and screw on hand tight is all that's necessary.
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We strongly suspect that this picture is post 1956.
I concur Laurence - the houses in Hillside are just visible through the trees - they were built in the fifties. I was brought up and my family still live in The Furrows, part of the same development.
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My original regulator lasted about 3 years before failing - and not a nice failure mode - high pressure straight through into the gas circuit which caused quite a sheet of flame from the hob.
And I've replaced both pigtails too in that time as the internal check valves failed shut in both.
Having a very low front deck and gas locker, I've only got room for two 3.9Kg bottles and they seem to give off a lot of 'liquid' which I'm sure gets into the regulator - the regulator isn't much higher than the bottles because of the lack of height.
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Lois, I agree with Geoff. Before I fitted a Smartgauge I had absolutely no idea what was really happening with my batteries. The Smartgauge will tell you the painful truth...
I was totally deluded by my perception of the the state of charge of my batteries and the current draw of the 12V fridge before...
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Thanks for the replies everyone. Just to 'close the loop' on this, I got a message from Chris which answers the original question "Does the unit know if the glow plug has burnt out and is open circuit, and therefore goes 'directly to jail'?" The answer is 'yes'.
All the symptoms I have point to the glow plug, so it's burner out time...
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Useful, thanks. Well after the 30 second purge the fan momentarily stops, but not for 3 seconds. The fuel pump doesn't start either. The fan stops for about a second then goes to a 'full blast' purge then shuts down. There is no re-start attempt. It shuts down completely but the flame indicator stays lit on the Webasto timer.
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Well, a couple of months back I decoked the Webasto following Chris's guide - thanks for that, it's really helpful! Flippin' amazing the thing was still running! Anyway, yesterday it was running fine and this morning it won't fire up.
It goes through the 'purge' phase ok, fan winds down as usual. Normally I then get a slight dimming of the lights (I guess as the glow plug comes on) then the fuel pump kicks-off and we're away.
This morning it goes immediately from the purge then slow down phase straight to a 'post non-start purge and shutdown'.
Questions:
Does the unit know if the glow plug has burnt out and is open circuit, and therefore goes 'directly to jail'?
If the plug is still heating and the pump's failed, will it still give the impression it's going through the light-up phase or again, does it go straight to shutdown?
I suspect the glow plug, as when I stripped the burner for the decoke, the plug looked very heat affected on the outside of the burner and the white ceramic looking insulator was cracked. The plug wouldn't extract from the burner tube it was so glued in, so I left it where it was...
Before I go off and buy a new burner assembly, ideas anybody?
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Another possible reason for the noise on start-up is intake/combustion resonance. Mine always has made a shocking noise on start up, which my tame boat engineer (whom I trust) assures me originates from the air intake.
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Does anybody have the tappet settings for a Beta Greenline 35 and does the traditional 'rule of 9' apply?
Any snags or foibles on this engine?
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That's the one. Have a poke around ebay and you can get them for £65 or so. I had a bit of luck and got one for £48. I think the Beta price is somewhere in the region of £185 or so. As I said before, I had to drill through the front mounting hole 11.5mm to fit the bizarre socket head cap screw Beta had used to mount it and swop the pulley over but that's little effort for the saving.
Repair will be effected in due course.....
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Can't see it, site blocked. If it's the one I think it is there's a 120A version too.
Hmmm.... I just tried the clicky again and it worked. I think I set it up correctly. A 120 Amp version may interest me, I might have a surf.
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It's a fairly straightforward job with soldering iron and a female torx bit set, that is IF it is the alternator I think it is.
It looks exactly like one of these:
In fact the alternator that's just blown IS one of these - cost me £48 off ebay too, form and fit the same as the original fit, just needed to change the pulleys over and drill the front mounting hole to clear the 7/16 UN bolt that Beta used on my engine to mount it. (What a bizarre size, did they have a job lot in the parts bin?) I only bought it because my owner's manual from Beta told me I had a 70 Amp alternator and I fancied an upgrade. As it looked form and fit the same I went for it. The reason it's form and fit the same is that my engine had been fitted with a 100 Amp alternator from new.....
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A quick update on this. No it doesn't smell it just got flippin' 'ot. The spare alternator is working fine and everything is doing 'wot it oughta'....
Next job is to research repair parts.
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Alternator is Remy 100 Amp on Beta 35. Last week:
Tuesday noticed fluctuating voltage on Smartgauge, both battery banks, settled down again.
Wednesday engine wouldn't crank, replaced battery as battery tester indicated low cell, no improvement, found broken engine earthing strap. Changed strap and all well.
Sunday, engine suddenly starts hunting on tick over in Buckby Bottom Lock. Settles down again. Half hour later, discover engine cover is red hot, alternator is boiling, Smartgauge Domestic bank reading 97% and 13.65Volts.... (Usually a steady 14.4V at that charge level)
Switch off engine, no alternator warning light on Domestic..... Disconnect alternator drive belt.
Next morning batteries are down to 48% and alternator warm but not boiling. Guess the batteries are discharging through the alternator. Disconnect alternator completely and charge batteries through generator. Smartgauge giving sensible readings.
So, here are the questions:
1) What is the likely failure?
2) Is there a chance the windings have survived?
3) Before I put my spare alternator on, is there anything in particular I need to check first?
4) Is this a 'user serviceable' alternator?
PS I got an alternator for £48 off eBay - it's the same as used on many Vauxhall Zafiras. The pulley is wrong and needs changing over but it's form and fit the same.
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Two of my friends have had their boats stretched recently and I think the decision to go this route over buying a different boat was more to do with an attachment to their existing vessel than a purely financial calculation. One was done at Streethay the other by Dave Roberts at Braunston (which was a steelwork only). Both report total satisfaction.
Why not give them a ring and see what they can offer?
I enquired about having my Peter Nicholls boat stretched 12ft with a revised bathroom, an extra bedroom and changes to the heating and electrical systems for which Peter was quoting I think £17K or so. But of course Peter isn't the cheapest and works to a quality level not a price.
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In comparison, mine (which I always thought wasn't a bad job) looks slightly untidy!
And still looks a million times better than many of the installations I've seen, including some 'professional' ones....
And it's nothing a bit of trunking wouldn't 'prettify'.
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I spent 6 months with a shore hook-up before moving to an on-line mooring with no mains and the difference is staggering. As other posters have mentioned you do need to be very aware of what's taking your power. I'm also staggered by the rate of deterioration of the batteries with the constant discharge/charge cycling. I recommend Gibbo's SmartGauge as it will give you a very good indication of how quickly you're using the juice and what the state of charge is. You have to be prepared for it to tell you some nasty truths mind you!
I've failed miserably to manage an effective discharge/charge regime so far as I'm often not home in time to avoid the 8pm curfew and it's showing. Gibbo will probably tell you that batteries should be considered consumable and from my experience, he's right.
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Absolutely, and if BW have allegedly gone on price alone, in about 12 months time when it is alleged that the allegedly hapless, tender 'winner' discovered that they've drunk from an allegedly poisoned chalice, somebody will pop along to quote the fabled Red Adair attribution at BW.... How does it go? 'If you think it's expensive to hire a professional, just wait 'til you hire an amateur' or something like that.
Italics to avoid an 'Allan Effect'
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Hi Kristian!
You running it on some old clag mate? Mike'll be through on Sunday and if you've not got any, maybe a sack of Taybrite from him'll do the trick? Else ask him what he uses - I've an idea that it's anthracite.
We've got a Premier and Taybrite really does the job - in the early days I had Matt knocking them down into half-size nuggets but now we don't bother. However, I can't keep it in all night and early morning usually needs some kindling on the embers to get it moving again.
Another thought, it seems to perform much better with a properly lined chimney. An unlined one or the current one I've got, where the liner is too small to be a snug fit in the collar, just don't seem to draw the fire the same way. It may be co-incidental, but sometimes we get blow back into the firebox, which we never had with the original chimney.
Check over the installation, but if it's the original Hudson, I can't imagine that there would be a problem with that - I really don't think you need to change the stove.
Denis
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It seems a little worn??
Huh?
Looks to me like it's been very sympathetically and fastidiously re-built.
I love it. Now, if I could just find that missing stash up in the attic....
Engine Headaches
in Boat Building & Maintenance
Posted
A minor additional complication with removing the head on this engine is that there are two different designs of head bolts in circulation. The 11mm Allen socket type can be re-used, but the other design is a yield-point bolt and you have to bin them and fit new ones if you remove them. They're less than a couple of quid each from German & Swedish, so not a bank-breaker, but a potential problem area if you skimp and re-use them.