Chris Lingwood
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Posts posted by Chris Lingwood
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I've also just ordered a mechanical gauge. If it gives me answers I prefer I'll put that in the instrument panel.
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I really really don't want to change the main bearings. I've already got a mgb engine that needs rebuilding....and a scimitar which needs a new gear box......
The sender and the gauge are definitely matched (I bought them at the same time), that doesn't mean that it's not just wrong though. It is an inexpensive electrical one. I've got a smiths one in my mg but I'd rather not take it out, those capillaries are easy to break.
The 15psi on idle was cold, the 0 was hot, not that it stayed that low, but it was definitely lower when hot 10ish I think.
I have no idea about hours, the previous owner found the gauges in the bilge and promptly binned them. Its old. People do comment on how not terrible it sounds for a b series diesel though.
I don't like the idea of flushing either. This engine hasn't got any leaks on it at the moment, I'm not sure I want to tempt fate. And it is almost certainly full of crud. I'd rather take the sump off and clean that first, then consider a flush.
It needs an oil change first so I'll do that with some cheap 20w50, it's probably not going to stay in there long. See what happens.
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I've finally got my boat moving after goodness knows how long. The engine is a BMC 1.5 which in fact sounds OK, for a 35 year old diesel on solid engine mounts with a gear box hewn from the hills! I'm unimpressed by the oil pressure though. I've only just fitted the gauge so I've no idea what the pressure is normally like (the book suggests 15psi at idle 50psi under load). I get 10-15 at idle, and 20 -25 under load. More worryingly the oil pressure went down to as good as 0 on the gauge at one point, revving it got it back up to 20psi. Would you be worried?
It does need an oil change, I've not done it for ages but it's not been used much. What oil would you guys suggest? I can't remember what I put in it last time.
I'm intending to (until it's fixed/better)
- change the oil and filter
- clean the gauze on the oil pickup (and clean the sump while it is off)
- check/clean the pressure relief valve
- change the pump I guess (I hope I don't need to get this far)
Chris
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Don't get the midland chandler doors. They are horrific quality. I also ordered one from http://www.canalshoponline.co.uk/ but after endless phone calls (never returned, not even once) and 9 months I gave up on it. I think the problem was their supplier being completely useless.
None of the usual diy suspects do short ones, 1800mm should be doable though. Mine was under 1700 I think. I'm pretty sure I managed to find 1800 but I can't remember where.
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I've been meaning to sort out my runners for ages. I've got little nylon wheels though because I've got MASSIVE hatches. They stick sometimes though and take the paint off underneath them.
These people have more different types of plastics than I've ever heard of. So many I've not actually managed to buy any yet!
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The red stuff is heatmate. It was either loads of that or gasses in the boat.
I was talking about the black thing in the centre of the picture. I don't think its vitrious enamel, wikipedia kindly informs me that should be glassy. I would say its got a rubbery texture to it, although I'm pretty sure now that its steel underneath.
I really really don't want to take the collar off the roof. Its not long been painted.
That's interesting about the wrong/right way up. I hadn't considered tar.
I think my plan so far is to just cut the damn flue apart to get it out seeing as its cracked, then grind it off relativity flush to the top of the stove collar (outside the boat!) and use it as an adapter ring for the 4.5inch pipe (I'll get back to you on that rick if it will indeed fit). Then to refit I can feed the new flue into the stove further than the plate that's supposed to stop it. And then wedge it in and fire cement the crap out of it.
I doubt that the 4.5inch pipe will fit over the questionable black thing though. How are they supposed to connect to the roof collar?
Is it one of these?
http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/CAST-SOC...PTOR_A125H.aspx
Or pixie dust and fairies wings?
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What on earth is this?
another angle http://www.thousandmonkeys.com/chimney/2.jpg
It feels rubbery!
I'm tring to get the stove out becausee the flue's cracked and the tiles are starting to come off, oh and its never been bolted down! The flue's seized at the bottom so thats going to be fun for later, but this top joint is quite interesting. It had lots of sealant between the rubbery thingy and the flue to stop it leaking but surely thats the wrong way up? I don't know how far down inside the flue it goes, and its firmly cememter at the top. I don't really want to use the angle grinder in the middle of the living room!
I think the chimney roof colar is about 4-4.5 inch diamenter but the flue is 4 3/4inch approx diameter. Can you even buy that size? The local steel supplier doesn't stock it so I might have to try and weld up the crack. There must be a better way of connecting that together though!
Ideas please!
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I keep reading about insurances influencing people's boating. Is this really the case, or has it just been accepted into the language in some way. I have never seen any kind of exclusion or endorsement along those lines on any of my boat insurance policy's.. Or have things changed very recently.
I'm pretty certain mine says that, I'm with euromarine, but there is an exemption for emergencies. I can see why, you could get into a bit of a mess if you don't know what you are doing, which incidentally I don't!
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If its anything like the sheeting (which it is) it makes a high pitched whine. This is vexing. But if you're old you won't be able to hear it
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OK, nothing as useful as battery sensing then. I shall ignore it!
Cheers guys!
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W and B+ are labelled in the casting so I can be sure about those. I presume B- is the casing seeing as there's nothing else big enough. Since making that diagram I've come to the conclusion that (?) is in fact D+ (because of this). So the only thing I can think that (D?) might be is a battery voltage sense? Or am I talking rubbish? Its a really scrawny wire under all that insulation. This suggests it might be, although that's a different regulator.
EDIT:
It says B+ through thermistor a battery over temperature measurement? That's not much use!
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I was more surprised than anyone when we got ours (a present). It does spread the heat better, on ours better than most as we have no bulkheads (apart from the bathroom).
I think all it really does is nudge the convection current a little so it disperses the heat better of its own accord.
What you can't deny though its the frankly outrageous price! A couple of quid for the motor and blades and perhaps £10 for the peltier (retail!) and a couple of heatsinks! You could make the same thing for about £15-20 with some judicious economising. I'm mostly surprised there are no copy cats. I guess there's a patent or three.
But it does do what it says it does.
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That is truely epic! There will never be anything better than that! We should all stop now, the pinnacle of human achievement has been reached!
Brilliant!
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I've just taken the supply for the starter switch of the key switches ignition contact, then you can't start it without the ignition being on. I was going to put some kind of circuit in to stop the button being pressed more than once, but a relay from the charge light will do the trick
Thanks for the idea.I've used the sprung bit of the key switch for the heaters. I've not achieved anything really, but my finger gets tired pressing the heater button sometimes (admittedly that was because a wire had fallen off
). A starter button however is on averge 35.6% more cool than a key!
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Says on their site it primes up to 10ft so it should be ok. Although it might be a bit slow. Mine (a jabsco diaphragm pump) primes in a few seconds, but there's only about 2ft because I've mounted in inboard.
Does it screw into the skin fitting (if they've got any sense it does). Try some ptfe tape. If it doesn't then they are often 1 1/2' bsp which is wildly convenient so change it. If there's a leak it'll take ages to prime, but then again I'd expect it to at least weep out of the leaks.
If you're confident there aren't any leaks then shortening that pipe might do the job, the shorter the better. I trust you've got a tank vent to let the air back in
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After fastening the "keep forward of the cill marker" signs to Farmer's Bridge, on my way in to work this morning I noticed a crew in the lock scrubbing the cill markers off the top lock!
I intend to report in later, but if there's no markers there'll be some very sarcastic comments going in!
but...but...those cill markers.....mark the cill..........
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When someone torches a house most of the remains of the owners possessions end up in the garden.....
aye true enough. Forgot about those bastard kids.
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I thought I recognised those 'boats'. Perhaps Mr Fox would like to shove his retarded opinions up his 'arse'.
That is a pretty impressive pile of 'accessories' though.
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On my vdo tacho there is a little hole in the back with a tiny little plastic adjustment screw. Try shining a torch in all the holes see if there's something in there.
Also the ratio of crank to alternator is normally 2:1 I believe. Yours might just be fixed to that ratio, but its unlikely I would have thought.
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Excellent thanks for the clarification Gibbo.
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I've trawled through most of the information on this website and Gibbo's (mostly Gibbo's tbh) and made a audit calculator. My figures might be a bit off as I've not actually measured most of them but the battery info is up to date. (btw the charge time is very simple minded).
htttp://www.thousandmonkeys.com/boat/Energy Audit.xls
Its quite interesting how it comes out. If you tune the number of batteries to the peukert capacity there's not a lot between the first 5 options. It appears that 85amp batteries are the best value if you've got room (plus adding another one is cheap). Failing that its 120amp batteries for not much more.
The Lucas 220 are bettered by 5*85ah by £50 for only 10 lost ah. In fact most options are bettered by 85amp as far as cost/ah goes (if you have the space). Unless there's something I'm missing.
Chris
Also I've still a couple of questions I never found answered.
1.
Trojan deep cycle batteries, can you, in fact, cycle them deeper? Or does the 50% rule still apply. If you can get, say 75% out of them then then they look like a good idea.
Gibbo suggests no, but then again he's also said that trojan batteries are in fact real deep cycle batteries where as most other ones are just starter batteries with handles on. Depends weather he means deep cycle or "deep cycle"
http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/50percent.html
If not what's so ace about deep cycle?
2.
Chris W also said in back in the mists of time that it was better to have bigger batteries because
130ah batteries give you 239ah at 1amp
110ah batteries give you 183ah at 1amp
Which using Gibbo's calculator is true, but irrelevant.
360ah at 6 amps give you 500Ah
120ah (360/3) at 2 (6/3) amps gives you 133Ah (or 500/3)
180ah (360/2) at 3 (6/2) amps gives you 250Ah (or 500/2)
So unless I've used that calculator wrong I can't see that it matters what size batteries you have. Although I may have missed the point...
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Doesn't the spinning alternator give you a sore bum??
It may possibly be lacking somewhat in the aspect of construction, in that its not. Need to scrounge some pipe and a bilge pump first!
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I did find this
http://www.gmilburn.ca/ac/geoff_black.html
That could be easily adapted to work with canal water it would only cool to the temp of the water but if you take the feed from under the boat it would only be about 19deg.
Julian
One step ahead of you squire!
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Yes. In the main.
Yes.
excelent, super
No diode.great
You don't look very hard do you!http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/alt_mod.html
Most alternators are actually delta wound. That diagram isn't. Makes no difference to you. The rest of it is the same. Only the way the stator is connected is different.
ah but there's no wave on there! Mainly because its so very simple I guess.
I have actually read most of your site. Its been quite handy.
You just need to tap into the easiset bit to get to.Gibbo
splendid.
Thanks!
BMC engine oil presure loooow (also which oil)
in Boat Building & Maintenance
Posted · Edited by Chris Lingwood
The level is fine, the oil is very black (it is a diesel) but fairly runny.
Can't rule out clogging, can you ever?
A friend of mine suggested I might just have diluted the oil a bit by flooding it, I was having trouble starting it, but it was heater problems (they weren't actually connected!).