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Layla

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Hi,

 

I was going to hard on my engine and it started smoking from the exhaust.so I switched the engine off for 20min. I tried to get the engine starting again but it wouldn’t go. What can I do ? 

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24 minutes ago, Layla said:

Hi,

 

I was going to hard on my engine and it started smoking from the exhaust.so I switched the engine off for 20min. I tried to get the engine starting again but it wouldn’t go. What can I do ? 

If you can get onto facebook there is a London Boaters page, there maybe someone local to you who could look and see what the problem is.

Unfortunately saying "it won't go" is not very helpful for diagnosis.

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More info required if we are to begin to help you.

 

type of boat (narrowboat cruiser, steel wide beam etc.)

 

What engine - make and model or photo.

 

Cooling system type ( keel/tank cooled, indirect raw water (heat exchanger) or direct raw water).

 

Wet or dry exhaust

 

What does "won't go" mean? The starter will not spin the engine over or the engine spins as well  as it ever did but it won't start.

 

How much fuel in the tank

 

When was the tank last drained of water

 

When last serviced and by whome

 

Any extra info helps to narrow down possible causes. At present I would need the whole evening to provide an answer but if I did you may not understand all the if this then that clauses.

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Thank you for the reply,

sorry for being vague,

 

I have a narrow boat with a CB marine 1.8 engine ,apparently it’s an old black cab type engine but refurbished in 2014) 

 

its a tank cooled system,

 

the engine won’t start, it clicks once but won’t turn over.

 

the engine oil is below the minimum, but we checked the engine level yesterday and it was fine.

 

there is enough fuel in the tank 

 

the The spiky wheel attached to the alternator (?)  with the belts is turning when I try to move it manually but the belt isn’t turning with it 


I appreciate all the help I can get, only bought the bait this morning. 
 

many thanks

 

 

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Is it fair to assume 'bait' is 'boat', or are you just 'baiting' us ?

 

Flat battery ?

Not enough power to turn the engine, just 'clicks' the starter motor.

Do you have an electrical test meter ?

 

If the engine won't turn over by hand then maybe the oil level was too low and has seized.

Try pulling the belt and see if the engine will turn over.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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4 minutes ago, Layla said:

Thank you for the reply,

sorry for being vague,

 

I have a narrow boat with a CB marine 1.8 engine ,apparently it’s an old black cab type engine but refurbished in 2014) 

 

its a tank cooled system,

 

the engine won’t start, it clicks once but won’t turn over.

 

the engine oil is below the minimum, but we checked the engine level yesterday and it was fine.

 

there is enough fuel in the tank 

 

the The spiky wheel attached to the alternator (?)  with the belts is turning when I try to move it manually but the belt isn’t turning with it 


I appreciate all the help I can get, only bought the bait this morning. 
 

many thanks

 

 

OK, if you get a click from the solenoid on top of the starter motor which is on the starboard side of the BMC 1,8D engine { not a taxi engine, its from a Sherpa van originally } when you turn key to start it means that the solenoid is not throwing the gear in to turn the engine.

Causes are,   flat engine battery,   poor connection between battery and starter on the heavy cable, check the isolator switch { if it has a red key handle they are rubbish, try turning it off and on a few times ],

 

If you get a heavy clunk rather than a click, try it several times.  cause could be a seized engine [ has it cooled down? ]  water in the engine where it should not be, several possible reasons.  Hopefully neither of these.

 

TD'

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9 minutes ago, Layla said:

Thank you for the reply,

sorry for being vague,

 

I have a narrow boat with a CB marine 1.8 engine ,apparently it’s an old black cab type engine but refurbished in 2014) 

 

its a tank cooled system,

 

the engine won’t start, it clicks once but won’t turn over.

 

the engine oil is below the minimum, but we checked the engine level yesterday and it was fine.

 

there is enough fuel in the tank 

 

the The spiky wheel attached to the alternator (?)  with the belts is turning when I try to move it manually but the belt isn’t turning with it 


I appreciate all the help I can get, only bought the bait this morning. 
 

many thanks

 

 

OK so BMC 1.8 engine with tank cooling.

 

If you are lucky getting the start battery charged will get it spinning over on the starter but as it stopped with exhaust smoke plus low engine oil it may have seized. The fact that it seems to have lost a lot of oil over just a day suggest you may have a bad leak or a VERY worn engine, probably the former.

 

Try to get a spanner on the bottom pulley at the front of the engine and see if you can turn the engine over by hand. it will go in easyish and difficult once every revolution. If you can't turn it then it may well have seized. The belts usually slip when you try to turn the engine over by one of the upper pulleys. When you turn it by the NUT in the alternator pulley push the run of belt that goes slack inwards and it may turn. Do not turn it with those fan blades - some are plastic.

 

The "smoke" may have been steam caused by the engine sucking water that has built up over time in the bottom of the tank which is why the tanks need draining regularly (annually). I rather hope this is the problem because its curable with new filter(s) and a bit of time.

 

Try to turn the engine over by hand at the bottom pulley and if it turns get the engine battery charged and report back what happens.

 

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18 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Is it fair to assume 'bait' is 'boat', or are you just 'baiting' us ?

 

Flat battery ?

Not enough power to turn the engine, just 'clicks' the starter motor.

Do you have an electrical test meter ?

 

If the engine won't turn over by hand then maybe the oil level was too low and has seized.

Try pulling the belt and see if the engine will turn over.

Not baiting :) not good spelling :)

 

don’t have an electrical test meter sadly. Belt is really pretty solidly not moving by hand 

16 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

OK, if you get a click from the solenoid on top of the starter motor which is on the starboard side of the BMC 1,8D engine { not a taxi engine, its from a Sherpa van originally } when you turn key to start it means that the solenoid is not throwing the gear in to turn the engine.

Causes are,   flat engine battery,   poor connection between battery and starter on the heavy cable, check the isolator switch { if it has a red key handle they are rubbish, try turning it off and on a few times ],

 

If you get a heavy clunk rather than a click, try it several times.  cause could be a seized engine [ has it cooled down? ]  water in the engine where it should not be, several possible reasons.  Hopefully neither of these.

 

TD'

It sounds like a click from the engine yes and yes starboard side. Tried turning all the isolator switches a couple of times but that hasn’t done the job 

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I’ve got a battery operated jump starter. Is it worth trying to jump the starter battery?  Ccing. We’re broke down In Kings Langley. 

13 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

OK so BMC 1.8 engine with tank cooling.

 

If you are lucky getting the start battery charged will get it spinning over on the starter but as it stopped with exhaust smoke plus low engine oil it may have seized. The fact that it seems to have lost a lot of oil over just a day suggest you may have a bad leak or a VERY worn engine, probably the former.

 

Try to get a spanner on the bottom pulley at the front of the engine and see if you can turn the engine over by hand. it will go in easyish and difficult once every revolution. If you can't turn it then it may well have seized. The belts usually slip when you try to turn the engine over by one of the upper pulleys. When you turn it by the NUT in the alternator pulley push the run of belt that goes slack inwards and it may turn. Do not turn it with those fan blades - some are plastic.

 

The "smoke" may have been steam caused by the engine sucking water that has built up over time in the bottom of the tank which is why the tanks need draining regularly (annually). I rather hope this is the problem because its curable with new filter(s) and a bit of time.

 

Try to turn the engine over by hand at the bottom pulley and if it turns get the engine battery charged and report back what happens.

 

I’m afraid you’ve lost me there.. :( where do I put the spanner ??

You guys are legends btw thanks for helping 

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Just now, Layla said:

I’ve got a battery operated jump starter. Is it worth trying to jump the starter battery?

It is worth trying, but if the engine does start and it has 'internal problems' you could make the damage worse.

 

As Tony suggests, can you get a spanner on the bottom pulley and turn over the engine, if, it turns over then try with your 'jumpstarter'.

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15 minutes ago, Layla said:

I’ve got a battery operated jump starter. Is it worth trying to jump the starter battery?  Ccing. We’re broke down In Kings Langley. 

I’m afraid you’ve lost me there.. :( where do I put the spanner ??

You guys are legends btw thanks for helping 

 

Kings Langley is good, unlike London, because its possible a member here is local enough to volunteer to take a look at it for you. Regrettably its a bit far from Reading for me to come.

 

Look at the alternator belt(s). They thinner one  if there are two or the only one runs over three pulleys One on the alternator, one at a similar vertical height that is the water pump and one way down close to the bottom of the engine. That one has  a big nut in the centre, turn it by that nut - clockwise.

 

Edited by Tony Brooks
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Ok I think I have identified it but it’s hella difficult to reach. It’s right up against the wall. I can’t upload a picture cos my phone seems to take pictures that are too high Res.. the guy who sold us the boat is coming to check it out tomorrow morning. I think we’re marooned until then. Will get back to you guys tomorrow when we’ve had another go. Cheers 

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2 hours ago, Layla said:

Hi,

 

I was going to hard on my engine ...

Why did this happen ?

 

I know it's quite wide up between Kings Langley and Nash mills but 

 

Weed on the prop? 

Edited by magnetman
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Hey. No we checked the propeller it’s clean as a whistle. Maybe overheated the engine... that’s our best guess. When we noticed the smell and smoke (which the guys above suggested was more likely steam) rising from the exhaust pipe (from the pipe not the exhaust outsid the boat) we used the kill switch and cruised to the bank and waited half hour for engine to cool. And it didn’t start again. We’ve topped up oil. Water and coolant should be fine. Starter battery is really new... so.. 

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8 minutes ago, Layla said:

Hey. No we checked the propeller it’s clean as a whistle. Maybe overheated the engine... that’s our best guess. When we noticed the smell and smoke (which the guys above suggested was more likely steam) rising from the exhaust pipe (from the pipe not the exhaust outsid the boat) we used the kill switch and cruised to the bank and waited half hour for engine to cool. And it didn’t start again. We’ve topped up oil. Water and coolant should be fine. Starter battery is really new... so.. 

Definitely make sure the engine has not run short of coolant (water). After the first half hour any damp/condensation on the exhaust lagging should have evaporated away so if you suddenly saw what might be steam a coolant leak might have sprayed all over the exhaust lagging. Now with the above info ignore the suggestion that it might be water in the fuel.

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Just a little interlude whilst Layla is absorbing all the above.   It's a shame the old art deco Ovaltine factory at Kings Langley has been demolished  or you might have had a nice view Layla. It had a big clock tower with a big thermometer on it, both of which you could be read from the train on the west coast main line. My mum always pointed it out to us as we passed it on the way to Liverpool. It was situated between the canal and railway.       Ok finished.  :)

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Er, this kill switch wouldn't be a pull stop cable would it?

Most 1.8D use a solenoid energised to run on the injection pump, there is no kill switch, just and ignition switch.

Doesn't explain why it won't spin over.

TD'

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53 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Just a little interlude whilst Layla is absorbing all the above.   It's a shame the old art deco Ovaltine factory at Kings Langley has been demolished  or you might have had a nice view Layla. It had a big clock tower with a big thermometer on it, both of which you could be read from the train on the west coast main line. My mum always pointed it out to us as we passed it on the way to Liverpool. It was situated between the canal and railway.       Ok finished.  :)

I drove past the area a couple of days ago. The big wind turbine by the M25 is where the old ovaltine egg production farm was sited. Now a renewable energy company. 

 

I really like the M25 viaduct there. Much nicer from a boat than a car though !

 

Gade valley viaduct. Seriously cool bit of work. 

Edited by magnetman
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10 hours ago, Layla said:

I’m afraid you’ve lost me there.. :( where do I put the spanner ??

This is a picture from a BMC 1.8 manual. You turn the bolt head shown clockwise to see if the engine turns over. It will be harder work at some points in a rotation as you are compressing air in the cylinders and you'll hear various hissing noises coming from inside. These are normal. This is just to check that the engine will turn over and hasn't had a catastrophic failure. Fingers crossed. This pic shows a big fan on the front of the water pump, but you almost certainly won't have a fan here on yours as the pic is for a car, or van installation, not a boat.

 

Jen

bmcfront.png.07dce13cbd984a032d29a166ca67b07c.png

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5 minutes ago, Sir Nibble said:

The "spikey wheel" on the alternator turns but the belt doesn't. Loose belt, flat battery.

Considering that the engine was very hot and smoking/steaming when shut down and now won’t turn over, I am more inclined towards engine troubles.  Also if you use a big spanner to directly rotate the alternator pulley with a seized engine the belt will not move.

 

So whilst it is a good idea to check voltages etc, my first check would be to see if the engine will even turn before adjusting belt tensions.

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I have already explained how to take the slack out of the belt so it will turn the engine over until it hits compression and then its only a question of waiting a few seconds but the OP does not seem to have tried it.

 

The fact we still don't know if the engine will turn over means we can't be much more help until that question is answered.

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