Jump to content

Tow required


Madge11

Featured Posts

Recent boat service highlighted gear box is stuck in forward. Advised by my trusted mechanic it'll need towing to a boatyard. Engine needs lifting out to do the job. Can anyone assist with a tow from Saltford to Bristol and what sort of price would I be looking at. Recommendations greatly appreciated.... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The K&A facebook page has towing requests nearly every week so some one they may be able to help, why not use Saltford Marina. In a Narrowboat it is normally possible to remove the gearbox without lifting the engine, a couple of hour job

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, Madge11 said:

Recent boat service highlighted gear box is stuck in forward. Advised by my trusted mechanic it'll need towing to a boatyard. Engine needs lifting out to do the job. Can anyone assist with a tow from Saltford to Bristol and what sort of price would I be looking at. Recommendations greatly appreciated.... 

If it is stuck in forward, why not just run it in gear, and when you want to stop, throttle back and switch off the engine.

Might not be elegant but It'll get you moving.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If it is stuck in forward, why not just run it in gear, and when you want to stop, throttle back and switch off the engine.

Might not be elegant but It'll get you moving.

Sounds like common sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Madge11 said:

Recent boat service highlighted gear box is stuck in forward. Advised by my trusted mechanic it'll need towing to a boatyard. Engine needs lifting out to do the job. Can anyone assist with a tow from Saltford to Bristol and what sort of price would I be looking at. Recommendations greatly appreciated.... 

 

Would this be a Lister box by any chance? If so check its oil level despite having a service. On the LH150 a low or no oil ion the box translates as stuck in ahead. Without more details this could be the most likely scenario. If its not a LH150 are you sure the gear cable is moving the lever on the box. If it is not then a broken cable or a failed trunnion are more likely than a gearbox fault. As you may gather I have little regard for services carried out by people I do not know personally or via the forum. I fear you may be being set up for a large and possibly unnecessary bill.

 

If it is an LH150 have the gearbox and reduction box dipsticks been transposed (I think the long one goes in the reduction box).

 

Whilst I accept that you may not want to sort it yourself giving the forum more information and perhaps photos is likely to get you advice that may  well save you a lot of expense because you will have the information to show you are not as gullible as many may think.

 

Edited to add that unless this is a very old boat or a very old engine/gearbox combination the gearbox can normally be taken off without taking the engine out - maybe jacking or lifting the back of the engine but not taking it out.

Edited by Tony Brooks
  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

 

Edited to add that unless this is a very old boat or a very old engine/gearbox combination the gearbox can normally be taken off without taking the engine out - maybe jacking or lifting the back of the engine but not taking it out.

That was what bothered me about her trusted mechanic suggesting a) towing the boat a long way and b) having to lift the engine out.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fear we have been around too long and seen too much Brian to take things at face value. One thing for sure is that I bet the tow will be the cheapest part of the job but still be well into three figures.

 

Edited to add: How many of our longer term remembers remember the set of posts by someone who announced that he was setting up a quality repair business, presumably touting for custom, and within days was on here asking advice about an LH150 stuck in ahead? Is this reelevant to this topic - make your own mind up

Edited by Tony Brooks
  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Madge11 said:

Thanks for the reply. Can you recommend someone coming to give a second opinion? Thanks

Well I can't but why not get at the engine and gearbox and do three things.

 

1. Take some photos of the area and post them here.

 

2. Find the gearbox oil filler and/or dipstick and check the oil level.

 

3. Get someone to work the control lever (assuming its a single lever control for direction and speed) while you look at the gearbox to see if a little lever on it is moving.

 

Once we get 1 above we should be able to identify the box and the tell you  what make it is, how likely it is to stick in ahead gear, where the lever on the gearbox is, and where the dipstick is.

 

 

PS any local members who may be willing to take a quick look?

Edited by Tony Brooks
  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I worked with a fleet of Lister LH150 gear boxes it was usually cured by either removing the control cable from gear shift, rev engine up then manually shift gear leaver by hand, if that doesn't shift it remove a bolt from gear box lid, take out centre bolt of piston housing, screw in longer bolt from gear box lid and tighten, that pushes lever in box to separate drive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Just to point out we do not know this is an LH150 because Madge11 has not given us any details or posted photos but did have time to ask here for recommendations for getting a second opinion.

That is now becoming 'the norm', if there is no immediate suitable / acceptable answer the OP's seems to drift off and (maybe ?) ask elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

That is now becoming 'the norm', if there is no immediate suitable / acceptable answer the OP's seems to drift off and (maybe ?) ask elsewhere.

 

Without wishing to be sexist because I know a fair few good lady mechanics and engineers I can well understand why Madge11 may not wish to get too involved with the dirty side of things and accept she may not have much knowledge about her boat but the fact remains her post was sufficient to raise concerns from both Brian and myself. If it is an LH150 box it seems to me silly to employ another mechanic if all it needs is the oil topped up or the dipsticks putting in their rightful place but its her call. We can only help as far as the OP lets us and assists us. Just how long and how much effort does it take these days to take a few images on a phone and post them here. For clarity we DO NOT KNOW what box it is.

 

J R Allsop has has also indicated that it might not be necessary to take the gearbox off so again its a warning. However we only had that sort of problem on LH150s when the cone was well worn.

 

I hope she finds the help she needs an does not get herself ripped off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

Just to point out we do not know this is an LH150 because Madge11 has not given us any details or posted photos but did have time to ask here for recommendations for getting a second opinion.

 

Bear in mind she already has her "trusted mechanic" who she doesn't trust. We know this because she felt the need to come and ask here. 

 

Going on from this, why should trust us lot any more than him? At least she has met him.... 

 

I suspect you are right though and she has gone off to find another mechanic, one who will confirm the engine and gearbox need to be removed. She doesn't seem to be one for answering questions or supplying detail in response to the effort but in by some here answering with limited information. One of life's takers rather than givers, I suspect. 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Bear in mind she already has her "trusted mechanic" who she doesn't trust. We know this because she felt the need to come and ask here. 

 

Going on from this, why should trust us lot any more than him? At least she has met him.... 

 

I suspect you are right though and she has gone off to find another mechanic, one who will confirm the engine and gearbox need to be removed. She doesn't seem to be one for answering questions or supplying detail in response to the effort but in by some here answering with limited information. One of life's takers rather than givers, I suspect. 

 

 

The difference is that on here we give our time and expertise for free with no thought of payment (save what goes around comes around) so there is no incentive other than to give the best advice we can. On here  a questioner can check post numbers, check respondents forum reputation and read through  a few topics to form an opinion about people. Dealing face to face with a glib talker is rather different, especially if you have no idea what they are talking about or if it is reasoned properly.

 

To be fair she only came on here to enquire about a tow to Bristol. I think I was the one to raise questions over the diagnosis and that was not asked for.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

To be fair she only came on here to enquire about a tow to Bristol.

 

You're right and in which case I was being rather unfair.

 

She didn't ask about the gearbox so I apologise to the OP, but I'll leave my post unedited as otherwise the thread will make no sense....

 

 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

The difference is that on here we give our time and expertise for free with no thought of payment (save what goes around comes around) so there is no incentive other than to give the best advice we can. On here  a questioner can check post numbers, check respondents forum reputation and read through  a few topics to form an opinion about people. Dealing face to face with a glib talker is rather different, especially if you have no idea what they are talking about or if it is reasoned properly.

 

To be fair she only came on here to enquire about a tow to Bristol. I think I was the one to raise questions over the diagnosis and that was not asked for.

I thought there was now another thread that clarifies that you were correct about what was wanted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

I thought there was now another thread that clarifies that you were correct about what was wanted.

Taking both threads together.

 

The only things she has asked are:

 

1. Who can she get to tow her to Bristol

 

and in the secnod thread

 

2. The name of a mechanic for a second opinion.

 

Then a wag suggested that it should be the sixth opinion because she had already been given advice in the first thread that all might not be as she seemed to believe.

 

She has been asked twice for photos and more information so any advice she gets, although that is not what she asked for, stands a better chance of being correct. She has steadfastly ignored both requests apart from one instance of thanking us for the advice.

 

We still have no idea about what engine, gearbox, and boat type. We have no symptoms apart from "stuck in forward gear" and she seems to have no intention of even trying to provide any. 

 

Richard (MES Midlands) has said if it is a Lister she can phone him and given a phone number.

 

It is all speculation based on very scant information but I suspect she has just bought a boat that she knows nothing about and is probably a liability that now has a supposed problem diagnosed by an "engineer" who may or may not know what he is talking about and she does not know where to turn and for some reason makes no attempt to help herself or explain why that is not possible.

 

Her choice I suppose and we are very unlikely to ever know how it is resolved.

 

 

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.