Speedwell

Last time we went that way, possibly a couple of years ago now, fuel was available from Red Lion Caravan centre, just through bridge 27A. Their phone number in Nicholson (1997) is 01704840032. There is a fairly new marina opposite but I don't know whether or not they do fuel. Bit of a detour, but the 2 marina's at Rufford both do diesel. Arthur

Provided the river is not in flood it should be easy. Don't drink too much before setting off. Have your ropes ready to use in locks - you will normally need head and stern ropes - and you anchor ready to deploy in case of mishap. Arthur

Probably also true but it may well depend how much fuel, is it really fuel or could it be oil ? My 1.8 throws out sooty stuff on start-up. Even if it is fuel, it must have come from the cylinder, where it should have been burnt. Advancing the injection point will give it a little more time to burn. Even if this doesn't work, it's a free experiment and can easily be reset. Arthur

This is true. I had to grind some of the width off an open ended spanner to get sufficient access. Arthur

Have you tried advancing the injection timing a bit ? Worked for me when I had smoking when the engine was idling. Arthur

As has been said, it's a good list even if it seems a lot when written down all together. Arthur

I've looked at this thread and its mate in "General Boating" and nobody has mentioned that 1.5s can be very sensitive to throttle setting for starting. Most people seem to suggest using full throttle at starting but mine (some years ago) would only start at about half throttle. Compared with the 1.8, which I have now, it needed a lot longer time with the glow plugs. The 1.8 has always been an easy starter, albeit rather smokey for a few seconds after starting. Arthur

I use one like this with great success. It's a compact log aerial similar to the DM log in principal. Also remember that an aerial needs height to clear local obstacles. Arthur

Had a near miss here myself. It's not so much whether you give signals yourself that counts, it's whether or not the barge skipper does that really matters. I even had a lookout in the bows to listen for a signal but none was given. Arthur

Obviously wise not to lose any balls but there's no need to remove the bleed screws, just loosen them enough for air/fuel to escape, then quickly nip them closed again once the fuel is air free. Any delay and air will get back in. Arthur

I've kept half an eye on this thread and I believe that nobody has suggested downloading a BMC manual (although other threads have), so here is a link http://www.the-norfolk-broads.co.uk/downloads/bmc1500L-diesel-workshop-manual.pdf Other links are available in other threads or you can google BMC manual. There is also an owners handbook available. As you have run out of fuel, the whole system will be full of air so it is vital to work methodically from the fuel tank to the injectors, following the system in the manual, tedious though it may be. The earlier post with instructions and a picture is basically correct but it's the wrong pump. Arthur

If you engine has a header tank at a higher level than the Bowman (like my 1.8), the Bowman should have a sealing cap and the pressure relief cap should be on the header tank or water will come out of the relief valve rather than air (or steam) Arthur

Alde manuals can be downloaded from this website http://www.alde.co.uk/manuals.php Arthur

Fully agree with that. Problem could be anything in the cooling system or the cylinder head. You could easily invalidate any warranty you may have from the rebuilders if you try anything yourself. Arthur

Agreed - I've bookmarked it as well Arthur

The BMC engines use unified threads, so presumably it shoud be 3/16 UNF or perhaps 5/32 UNF. Should be worth a try if you can still find any. I,m interested to know how you can manage without the bracket, as you need to hold the ends of the cable outers somewhere. Arthur

Here is some info that I copied from an earlier post years ago. I have used photobucket but the method is similar. Arthur How to post an image on Canal website In order to use the image (img) tags, as explained here the image you want to show much be held somewhere on the web, either on your site, or elsewhere. - One way of doing this is to post the image in the gallery, copy the address of that image, and use that. The problem with that is every time the thread with the image in is loaded, the image has to be loaded from the gallery/forum server, this uses a lot of the forums bandwidth, which costs us money! - Another way of doing is to have you own webspace and upload your own images onto that, and link to them there. Or else anyone without there own webspace can use "photo bucket" or similar sites, such as Image shack as explained below. Using ImageShack - Load the imageshack website: http://imageshack.us/ - Then simply click "choose" to select the image you wish to upload. - Select the required image from your PC by browsing though your files and clicking "open". - You then have the option to resize your image if its rather large, 640*480 is a good size, or 320*240 for smaller images. (don’t forget to also tick the box) - Then click "host" and wait for your image to upload. This should take you to a different looking page, with a number of long thin boxes, and a preview of your image. - You then want to copy the entire contents of the "Hotlink for forums (1)" box, and paste this into your post where you would like the image to appear.

How can you blank off the end caps ? That's where the cooling water goes in and out ! Arthur

Just wanted to agree that there is no need to remove the timing chain cover. When I took my pump off, I wasn't aware of the mushroom device. Whether it hadn't been fitted or stayed in the pump, I don't know. Arthur I see Monkey 1 has just posted the perfect guide to fixing the leak at the throttle spindle. Arthur

Brilliant post. I think this is just what Jimfin needs Arthur

I bought a pair of 12x30 small binoculars from Lidl (Rocktrail name) and have been very impressed with them. Not in the shop at the moment but I expect they will be back. Arthur

Overhauling these pumps is a complicated job requiring special equipment. It's not really a DIY job, although I did replace the "O" ring to reduce the leak from the throttle area. The ring came from the overhaulers and they lent me a spanner to fit the odd sized nuts(bolts?), which held the sub-assembly in place. I've emailed a copy of a workshop manual although I'm fairly sure it's technically the same as the one in your link. Arthur

It's fairly straightforward but messy. Just detach all pipes and cables, undo the 3 mounting nuts and remove it. The timing chain is not involved. Prepare for diesel spillage and protect pipes and pump from ingress of dirt. The pump has a master spline so it can only be fitted in one position, although there is timing adjustment, using the slotted mounting holes. An arrow and line give the supposedly correct timing setting (check how your is set)but if the timing chain has any wear the timing will need to be a bit advanced from that until no smoke is emitted when running. If you haven't already got a workshop manual, you should get one. They are available on line - there has been a recent post about where to get one. I could email a Calcutt one if you like. Arthur

Mine is a leaking "O" ring in the throttle mechanism, which only started after I had the pump overhauled. (It's been back once which improved it but too much trouble to do it all again) Arthur

As you imply it happens suddenly, is there some play in the throttle cable or its linkage to the throttle arm on the injection pump ? Small amounts of air in the fuel system can have strange effects on running. This can be air getting in, air being expelled or air passing through the governer. My 1.8 has a slight leak in the injector pump and the air sometimes causes it to hunt at medium revs. A burst of high revs usually clears it. Arthur