velvety

Please find images attached of engine with cover removed, and an image of the diaphragm. Diaghram looks in good condition.

Yes, he unbolted the lift pump and took it apart, and looked at diaphragm. All looked intact. Also looked for perished/leaking fuel leak-off/return pipes to filter. Thinking maybe a trained eye may notice more as we are currently the blind leading the blind. He took some picture I will share once he sends them over.

After a thorough investigation with a good friend of mine who is familiar with engines, nothing has been diagnosed so I'm resorting to asking a professional. Would any of you kind folk be able to recommend a decent London-based engineer? I'm reluctant to call the RCR again after my previous experience.

I've taken more pictures of numbers on engine - this time in daylight. Do any of these confirm this as a TS2?

This is an air cooled Lister Petter diesel engine. Unfortunately all the numbers have been rubbed off and it impossible to discern anything from the number plate.

Hi guys, for reference this a photo of the engine. Any idea which air cooled Lister Petter this one is? Can't find a code anywhere that would suggest which one it is. Since I change the oil I have moved the boat and ran the engine on a few occasions. I checked the dipstick to find in a week it has already filled up to the hilt of the dipstick again. Also to add a message from the engineer that I have contacted: "From the engineer : Ok I understand now my suspicions were that the diesel in the oil was getting there because of a damaged diaphragm in the lift pump.. on the listers there is also pipework carrying diesel under the two covers on the top of the engine and this can also be a point where there could be a leak which is why I told the lady who was on the boat to monitor it and let us know if there was a recurrence of the problem...but is normally the lift pump. The job is not just changing the lift pump because of the age of the engine it can mean changing some of the pipework that goes to the pump as well as the pump as they now use an updated pump and the fuel lines enter and exit it from different angles , also engine oil has to be removed and engine flushed , oil and oil filter changed as well .." I am reluctant to use him again as he was a bit useless last time so wondering if this advice is sensible? He has quoted £500 for the repair so want to make sure I am making the correct decision.

Something similar happened to me while moving before the oil change. The boat started accelerating like crazy and an unbelievable amount of white smoke came out the engine. It was difficult to stop it but managed to drive back to the towpath moving very slowly.

Thanks for the link! Based on London but great that he has spare parts. Will look into this. I edited the post as I made a mistake - the CRC guy said if I was worried the fuel pump may need replacing, not the dipstick. This information was relied to me wrong by the person who was present during the CRC call-out. Called the engineer to clear it up. Yes it is one of the air cooled lister engines. Thanks for the advice. Will have to try this out.

Thanks for the link! Based on London but great that he has spare parts. Will look into this.

Hello everyone! I have created my account as I am dealing with a frustrating situation with regards to my engine and haven't been able to get any proper advice. I live on a 1930s trad stern narrowboat, with an old lister petter engine that is built like a tank - it rarely breaks down and has been running a long times without encountering many issues. However recently this good streak has ended - I recently pumped out a large quantity of water that had been sat in the fuel filter. The other day I went to check the oil which showed up all the way to the top of the dipstick (overflowing, basically). The solution was black and watery. I proceeded to pump the contents out the oil tank to find about 10 litres worth of what looked like diesel mixed into the oil - resembled Guiness in colour and smelt of diesel. I got the RCR over to have a look and they took the boat for a spin, and said to remove any more diesel if it came back, and call him again if the boat breaks down. He said if I'm really worried to change the fuel pump as it could have got in through there. This didn't exactly clear my conscience and I am wary that there must be a loose seal somewhere that needs replacing as diesel shouldn't be able to enter the oil. From what I can see online this is often through the fuel injector seal which can wear away. I'm also wondering if the water that was sat inside the tank may have rusted the engine from the inside, corroding a lot of the components so diesel could enter the oil tank. Had anyone else experienced this? Is it, as stated by the RCR engineer, not a problem? Or do I need to tackle the problem before the engine is permanently damaged? Confused. Please advise.