casper ghost

Thank you for that, very interesting, though, as you state, I doubt it would tell me anything useful.

This was in the day tank, which I have now removed to clean out. I plan to cut off the bottom so I can get inside and give it a good clean. I'll then weld a new bottom on with a lower section with a drain in for future use. I haven't looked in the main fuel tank, but that has the take off pipe quite high so it would take an awful lot of crud to reach that. For the past 2 years I have not pumped fuel from the main tank, I've just tipped fuel directly into the day tank from jerry cans. I started doing this as the water seperator started getting a lot of water in it and I wondered if it was from the main tank, but this crud now makes it look like it was the day tank getting water in. It's a shame we can't have the tank breather inside to stop the cold air getting in.. One question: is cleaning the tank sufficient to remove what ever it is, crud I can clean but is it good enough to just clean it thoroughly if it were bug? Oh, also should add that the fuel from the top looked perfectly fine, nice and clear. Would bug normally make all the fuel go cloudy, or does it tend to sit at the bottom. Thanks.

It is as brown as it looks and some of it is thick. This is below the height of the take off pipe, and the diesel above it is nice and clear. I had drained a bit of diesel from the tank before the filter and, after settling, it did have some water drops in the bottom and some dirt, but the rest was nice and clear. I have removed the day tank for cleaning.. Is this just a lot of crud, which seems odd as the tank is only 6 years old, or is it diesel bug? Casp'

Refitted the injector as it was tested and found to be fine. Sorted the diesel return pipes, as the previous owner had used plastic which had kinked and was blocked, just need to make a bracket to hold the tub to collect the return diesel in. Drained off some diesel from the day tank and left it to settle, it had some water in the bottom and some dirt, but the rest was nice and clear, even so I decided to remove the day tank to clean it out. Once removed I turned it over to see what the diesel was like below the take-off pipe, it was not good, Brown, mud like... Quite a lot of it.. I made this tank about 6 years ago, and it was, obviously, clean then, so can't see why it should have so much crud in it now.. Is this diesel bug or just crud? The rest of the diesel above it was nice and clear, which makes me think it isn't bug... I think I will cut the bottom off the tank so I can clean it thoroughly and fit a lower section with a drain in for future use. Casp'

Haven't been to the boat for a while, but I have had the injector checked and it is fine. The chap who checked it says that these single cylinder engines can run as though they are missing! I also spoke to a chap who has the same engine, but running a genny, he said that his is the same, sounds fine next to it, but his exhaust runs about 10 feet out of his shed and from there it sounds as though it is misfiring, he said they just do that at certain revs.. So maybe i'm worrying over nothing.. Anyway i'll still check the fuel next time i'm there and i'm still searching for a smaller propeller for it.. Casp'

Hi, I did look into whether your propeller would be ok to use. It's obviously too small, so I enquired about getting it re-pitched, but the cost of that made it a no go.. Unfortunately.

The chart I found on the net quotes the shaft diameter and then gives all the corresponding measurements, indicating that they are all the same, but I bet there are odd ones out there. The one I was interested in will not fit, and I don't fancy getting it on a lathe to correct it.. I'm wondering whether I could get away with putting a 19" prop on my boat, but I seem to remember thinking 18" was the maximum..

My Sabb had a splash system with no oil pump and a oil pot on the top. With no pump or oil pipes the oil couldn't really go anywhere so monitoring the pressure wasn't an issue. Mine was a single, of course, think it was a model G. Casp'

My Sabb didn't have an oil pump, so I'm not sure what the benefit of a gauge will be.. Casp'

Just looked on net, and managed to find a chart. I don't normally have any luck finding stuff.. Anyway, according to this chart the propeller in question is no good, so I still need a prop.. Casp'

Found a propeller that may suit my needs, but the owner doesn't know what shaft and taper it is for. I wondered if someone had a propeller handy that they know fits a 1.5" shaft with a standard 1:12 taper. If they could measure the hole diameters either end and the length of the hole/boss, then I could check those measurements against this propeller.. Thanks. Casp'

I thought banters had pretty much come to an end, been quiet the last couple of years..

Yeah, 4 stroke.. I expect it is misfiring, but I just can't tell when right next to the engine.. Work and holidays mean i'm not at the boat for a few weeks, but I will have to look into it more. Casp'

This dog has now been found... Someone picked it up and took it to a vet in Wrexham where, as it was chipped, they could get the owners details. A happy ending..

An odd question... My single vsh has a large expansion tank in the exhaust and I notice that under revs the exhaust "pops" are not regular, as though the engine is miss firing. Could this be the exhaust, or is it miss firing. When standing next to the engine it sounds perfectly fine, no sign of any miss fire..? Casp'

Fixed up the throttle and gear controls this weekend. Started the engine, but it took a fair few turns to start, as though it needed bleeding again! Put it into gear and it was fairly obvious that the propeller is too big for the little engine. I have an 18 x 19 propeller which the old twin ran with fine, but this single was not too happy, the governor kept the revs up so I think it will chug too fast passed boats. I will look for a smaller propeller as the boat is coming out for blacking in a few months. I thought the engine was missing a bit, while standing right next to it, it sounded fine, running nicely, but going outside the exhaust pops were not even.. I don't know if the large expansion tank exhaust could cause this affect or whether the engine is missing..I've taken the injector out to get it checked, just in case.. I did see that the fuel return is leaking fuel onto the top of the head, which is then sitting around the injector, I don't know if this diesel could cause trouble, but i'll have to make a new return pipe up anyway. The diesel in this return pipe was a slightly orange colour? and cloudy? It runs off a day tank, so I'm wondering whether I should drain and clean that and start with fresh diesel? Casp'

I'm struggling to read that, we need a clip of someone reading it, I can't get the rhythm right.. Casp'

It's the Canalworld page.

No, I will do.. Ta.

A chap who comes to the farm regularly, and uses his dog to round up the sheep, was there yesterday evening, when his dog went missing. He's still looking for it. It's called "Fly" and is chipped. If you're about that area please keep an eye out. Casp'

Starter motor lined up rather easily, just added a shim and that was it.. sorted all the wiring, which I had labelled as I took it down.. I had to replace a connector in the fuel line as it was leaking! filled the water system, put oil in and thought I would try and start it. I put my camera down to video it. It started fine, but I should have put the camera on something a bit more solid as the engine was shaking it.. Casp'

That's all I hear going passed my mooring, loads of Mitsubishi boats, hardly ever does a nice pop pop go passed. It's very disappointing while i'm sat out with my cider.. Casp'

I guess if they started fitting 3-1 gearboxes then this might help.

I guess either engine will be too powerful for normal canal conditions, but that is the modern way. My Dad's 66' boat has a Lister SL2 with almost no power, and yet it was fairly standard when it was fitted 30 years ago. People want to chug much faster these days.. Casp'

No risk of leaking after peeling as it's only the side that it galvanised. Just looked on Midland Swindlers site and they are selling galvanised exhaust pipes.. They're silencers look galvanised in the pictures but it doesn't say.. I'll ask them.. Casp'