Mike Poole

Sorry for the delay. Ran out of phone credit. The logistics of getting a pump quickly without transport and then hoping that would cure the problem was too much to bear. Unfortunately I hadn't read the later postings due to the lack of access so still assumed the bits were in the sump. I did have a furtle round though but couldn't find anything near the hole. In the end someone recommended an engineer who brought out the new pump, fitted it, made up some new fuel lines, bled the beast and after some severe cranking it fired up. I was just waiting for it to give up the ghost after five minutes but it kept going! We set off immediately and didn't turn the engine off until we got back to Shebdon just before midnight. It has started up as normal since and runs fine. Alan, thanks for the pic. that is the one I had. Two of the laminated bits had about half an inch missing but I can't see why it wouldn't still work unless there needs to be a degree of flexibility laterally on the camshaft. The new one unfortunately has the cheapo laminated arm as well so I'll probably end up with a pile of bits in there eventually and no crankshaft. My original one was a solid one but the pump just taken out had only been in a year, if that, and I did take care with that one in putting the arm the right side of the cam. I can only assume they are not as strong. If I can get a solid one and I feel brave I might replace the new one and have another root around with the suggested greasy finger method. I'm still not really that much wiser as to the cause. I think the fractured pipe was drawing in air because for a day it was running erratically but don't know why it didn't run again when I replaced the bad bit. Maybe I didn't fully bleed it somehow or maybe the pump was shot as well as the pipe being split.. There's no doubt that all we did was replace the pipe and pump and bleed it again and it's OK (barring the bits of metal jangling about in there). Still, hooray for these forums. It just goes to show that stuck in the wilds (OK Audlem is not excessively wild!) with nowt but a phone you can still get invaluable technical support. Thanks to everybody who contributed. It's good to have hot water again (well, any water in fact) and by the end of the week I should have stopped smelling of diesel! Cheers, Mike

Thanks both. Will post back when I've got one. Might be a few more days in Audlem, just when I wanted to go back to work.

Progress! But apologies to Tony. Reading his reply to larkshall got me thinking. I said I'd tested the lift pump 'on the crank' but I think I got distracted by the leaking pipe between lift pump and filter and spent the next hour rigging the temporary pipe fix and forgot. I remember the diesel flowing out of the injector pump bleed screw while cranking and assumed up to there was OK whereas that was presumably just coming from the hand-primed filter .I've just retested it and 'on the crank' not a jot is delivered. I took the lift pump off and I think part of the rocker arm may have sheared off. I can't remember what they are supposed to look like normally but the arm is three strips riveted together. About half an inch off the end of two of them is missing but I don't know whether this is by design or not. Mind you you'd think the one good one would do something. So today's concerns are 1) If the lift pump is damaged are the bits in the sump and likely to do damage 2) E ven if I can find a spare can I tell if the cam is OK or should I put one on and hope for the best. Thanks again everyone, Mike

Ignore last post. This Opera mini on the phone has a mind of it's own! Thanks for the continued thoughts. Tony, I've stopped messing with the governor screw. I found that for each attempt about a filters worth of fuel is used. When the engine stops just bleeding through using screw no 5 on the pump body using the lift pump (new last year) then cracking the injector unions and cranking does the trick. I didn't do anything until late today due to diesel madness but I've replaced the fuel filter as a precaution. blown through the return hose. took off and blown through the steel return rail (which had some grot in part of it) all to no avail. A few minutes running then stop. (When it's running it runs well until it runs out!) When running there seems plenty of diesel getting to the injector pump (but this could be the filter contents) but nothing coming along the steel return rail. Will recheck this again tomorrow and to re-confirm lift pump is deliivering 'on the crank'. It probably doesn't matter but does the return pipe sit in diesel in the tank or is it shorter than the feed? Again I don't know If it makes a difference but I don't think I've ran my tank below half full in years.It 's about a third full now and there was no resistance to blowing through the return pipe. Cheers Mike

Thanks again all. Sultan I did find some car fuel pipe on board so did just what you said - took pipe off cut out bad bit and used fuel pipe clips to link in the hose. I worked through Tony's list and although fuel gushed out of bleed screw on pump body there was still only a dribble at the governor bleed and injectors. Still it started up and ran fine for about 15 mins then it revved up and diied. Did same thing three times but ran for less each time and now I stink of diesel diesel. Had to give up while I charge battery with genny. I'm pretty sure I've checked every joiint though. Cheers Mike

Crikey! Just working through Tony's steps starting at the lift pump and found (by touch) that that a copper coolant return pipe has been fouling the copper fuel pipe from lift pump to filter and worn it flat. I hoisted the coolant pipe out o the way and operated the lift pump. Fuel now pours out of pipe! I suspect it was on it's way yesterday and was worn enough to take in air but also not worn enough to prevent some priming to injector pump inlet. The reduced pressure may explain the lack of fuel at the governor bleed. Either way I can't carry on bleeding till it's fixed. The good news is that I haven't died in a blazing inferno and also that it may not be a duff gasket or injector pump! Does anyone know what size the pipe is from lift pump to filter and can it be bent by hand or is there a way o making a get me home connection? If not I'll have to call in the professionals. Cheers Mike

Thanks raymac, Tony and Robin for the latest thoughts. Having a bit of trouble replying due to signal. It's bad enough doing it on a phone with a dodgy 'f' key but I'll reply more fully ater I work through all the points. Cripes it's hammering down now.

Hi Alan. Nice to hear rom you again. I think maybe I've been living on borrowed time re heads and gaskets according to what you say. Maybe the strain against the Llangollen flow proved too much. I'm still a bit puzzled about the lack of diesel at the injector end though. I've never fully bled it beore though so not sure what amounts too expect. At least some though! All the best. Mike

Holy Smoke! Never thought of that. Did you have any of the usual symptoms as well? I know it's far from foolproof but I can't see any water in the oil or vice versa. Thanks in the meantime. I'm off for another ponder.

Cheers Richard. Usually it is the obvious things or something I've messed with but this time I didn't touch a thing! Fuel is going through but not all the way. Regards. Mike

Just had a good run up to Llangollen with no problems with the old BMC 1.8 but coming through Audlem last night engine was ticking over/running erratically as if air in fuel system. This morning started up, ran for 10 seconds and it died. Bled to injector pump and with solenoid open diesel flowing out of bleed screw on pump body. However only a drop comes out of governor bleed screw and banjo screw and can't get anything out at injector unions. It did start up and run for 15 mins after I re-bled the return union on filter then it revved up and died again. Couldn't repeat the trick so I suspect coincidence. Any ideas much appreciated. I can think of worse places to be stranded but I'm back at work on Monday (Boo hoo).

The boards are out of bridge 44. The boats at Shebdon Wharf can head south. Northbound boats waiting at the Anchor can wind there and head back. I can put everything back in my cupboards after tilting over too far...

I wouldn't dream of paying council tax while living on a boat. Might as well live in a house and reap the full benefits of 24hr police protection, MRSA and a neon glow in the bleak city sky. In that respect I'm quite happy to count myself amongst the spongiform fraternity. Things are never quite black and white though, as I do hand over an enormous amount of income tax to the Government who kindly use it to invade other countries and bail out failing banks and other madness. If I could get out of that as well I would. It sounds selfish but not wanting to fully participate in the mad merry-go-round of modern life is a good reason for escaping to the cut in the first place. Besides, doesn't general taxation contribute a lot more to roads, policing, schools and so on than the poll tax does? Yet I don't begrudge my taxes paying for people who don't want to work or paying for other people's kid's education (I have none myself) or paying for the repair of their stressed-out buggered up hearts and so on. I have even contributed regularly to charitable works without feeling remotely superior although I wish I could get Viz from the Big Issue vendor rather than the Big Issue. What makes me laugh is as soon as you mention you live on a boat the first response is not 'Ooh that's nice, water, nature, different way of life etc' but generally 'Oh so you don't pay council tax then?'. My reply is 'That's right, and neither do I have a TV licence!' That can turn them a bit huffy. Another way of looking at it is that I paid the rates for thirty years and wasn't happy at all with how a lot of it was spent - or rather wasted - so I am now giving myself a rebate.

At the local hireboat base they say that although they are a business they have to charge hirers the full rate because they are hiring a pleasure boat. This seems a bit mad but HMRC seem adamant. Surely hire craft are part of a commercial operation?