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Lister sr3 slows down to total stop


Fat Eris

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Hi folks .. my friend she's on here as Debsv...her lister sr3 with the lh150 gearbox has a problem that after cruising for a couple of hours when the engine starts to get hot. The engine seems to slow down to a complete holt,  apparently once it wouldn't go into reverse ... I was with her once when after stopping when hot the gearbox mage a banging sound when trying to engage forwards ... once the engine and gearbox has been left for ab hour or si it's fine to carry on for a while until the process of stopping repeats its self ... has anyone experienced this ?

Thanks Eris

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25 minutes ago, Fat Eris said:

Hi folks .. my friend she's on here as Debsv...her lister sr3 with the lh150 gearbox has a problem that after cruising for a couple of hours when the engine starts to get hot. The engine seems to slow down to a complete holt,  apparently once it wouldn't go into reverse ... I was with her once when after stopping when hot the gearbox mage a banging sound when trying to engage forwards ... once the engine and gearbox has been left for ab hour or si it's fine to carry on for a while until the process of stopping repeats its self ... has anyone experienced this ?

Thanks Eris

Could be overheating. If the cooling air cannot enter and exit the engine space, an air cooled engine will seize up when it overheats, eventually to destroy the engine.

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I suppose she has ensured the gearbox has the correct amount of EP80 oil in it AND the gearbox and reduction box dipsticks are in the correct unit. I am off to find which dipstick goes were - back soon.

 

I think the LONG dipstick goes into the reduction box.

 

More often the symptoms are of a partial seizure due to overheating (as Tracy said) or oil dilution where a fuel pipe leaks inside the engine. So what is the engine oil level, does the oil smell of diesel and how runny is it? If its like paraffin its and internal oil leak.

Edited by Tony Brooks
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Thanks ... she's just mentioned that the engine runs fine when the boat is taken out of gear .... and as to the oil I don't know if the oil is the correct ep 80 and if the dipstick are in the correct boxes ... the oil has not been changed in at least 5 years and the problem started maybe 3 years ago ..

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7 minutes ago, Fat Eris said:

Thanks ... she's just mentioned that the engine runs fine when the boat is taken out of gear .... and as to the oil I don't know if the oil is the correct ep 80 and if the dipstick are in the correct boxes ... the oil has not been changed in at least 5 years and the problem started maybe 3 years ago ..

 

Is there any oil in the reduction box -  EP80 again ?

 

 

Has the prop been checked for fouling?

 

I don't think I can be any more help until you find out about the  dipsticks and the oil in the box.

 

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13 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Is there any oil in the reduction box -  EP80 again ?

 

 

Has the prop been checked for fouling?

 

I don't think I can be any more help until you find out about the  dipsticks and the oil in the box.

 

Thanks again ... when I've a spare moment I'll have a look at the oil and the lipsticks...

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Hi ... I've had a look at the dipsticks the longer is in the reduction box and the oil has a grey thick consistency as if a little water has got in ... the gearbox oil is fine and clear... the engine oil is thin and I think  smells of burnt diesel ... also the level doesn't seem to gone down at all which I find surprising ... 

Many thanks for the replys to all and I'm sure we'll be asking some more in the future ... regards Eris 

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11 minutes ago, Fat Eris said:

Hi ... I've had a look at the dipsticks the longer is in the reduction box and the oil has a grey thick consistency as if a little water has got in ... the gearbox oil is fine and clear... the engine oil is thin and I think  smells of burnt diesel ... also the level doesn't seem to gone down at all which I find surprising ... 

Many thanks for the replys to all and I'm sure we'll be asking some more in the future ... regards Eris 

 

The important thing is that the engine oil level has not gone up.

 

5 year old engine oil will smell of burnt diesel, its the carbon that has blown past the pistons and probably a little unburnt diesel as well. Rub some between a finger and thumb and then do the same with some new engine oil. If the old oil feels more runny then there may be a problem.

 

One more thing. When an LH150 runs short of oil it usually jambs in ahead but I can see when its short of oil but can still pick some up there may not be enough oil to pull the ahead clutch out of engagement and push the astern one in so it tried to engage two gears at once but that would only happen in reverse. I ahead the gearbox uses no oil pressure so even if the box was dry you would still run properly in ahead (until a bearing gave up with no lube!). That does not really fit the symptoms posted.

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5 minutes ago, Fat Eris said:

Hi Tony .. the engine oil was changed a year ago ... but is very thin there is also a lot of oil in the tray under the engine .

 

It probably is not all oil in the tray, usually its about 3" of water with a bit of oil floating on top.

 

What grade of oil went in a year ago. I think the Listers originally used SAE 20 or 30 but nowadays I suspect they would use 20W50 or even 15W40.

 

If a really modern 5W30 or even 0w20 was used it would feel very thin and not be very good for the engine.

 

Often when an inexperience boater gets this sort of problem that needs experience a fellow forum member offers to come and have a look but I see your location is given as London so I fear there is little chance of that.

Edited by Tony Brooks
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I'm afraid I don't know which grade of oil she said it was the correct oil for the engine ..I'm not there now but will ask if there's the end of a container left around .. thanks 

Yes west london ... shame that would have been useful.. 

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I'd flush and change the gearbox oil. You can use a 50/50 mix of either paraffin and cheap engine oil or diesel fuel and cheap engine oil. Run for ten minutes going gently from forward to reverse a few times on the flushing oil, drain fully and refil with new ep 80/90 gear oil. Running these boxes on engine oil mix is perfectly ok, they don't use high pressure helically cut gears. In fact early on Lister reccomended oil for these boxes as 30 sae engine oil, I zoom  the spec was changed to the thicker ep or Hypoy oil to to improve-raise the hydraulic pressure a bit, but that's adjustable anyway.    EP 80/90 gear oil smells like cats pee

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If the engine oil hasn't gone down in a year, assuming the boat's moved at all, I'd be a bit suspicious that it's being refilled with diesel. As the oil gets thinner the engine overheats and stops - my SR2 does, anyway. And it's always the leakoff pipes that break and leak. I'm on my fourth set. If she hasn't changed the engine oil in a year (again assuming it's been run), that won't help.

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2 hours ago, bizzard said:

I'd flush and change the gearbox oil. You can use a 50/50 mix of either paraffin and cheap engine oil or diesel fuel and cheap engine oil. Run for ten minutes going gently from forward to reverse a few times on the flushing oil, drain fully and refil with new ep 80/90 gear oil. Running these boxes on engine oil mix is perfectly ok, they don't use high pressure helically cut gears. In fact early on Lister reccomended oil for these boxes as 30 sae engine oil, I zoom  the spec was changed to the thicker ep or Hypoy oil to to improve-raise the hydraulic pressure a bit, but that's adjustable anyway.    EP 80/90 gear oil smells like cats pee

Thank I think we'll flush the gearbox and can we do the same with the reduction box too ?

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

If the engine oil hasn't gone down in a year, assuming the boat's moved at all, I'd be a bit suspicious that it's being refilled with diesel. As the oil gets thinner the engine overheats and stops - my SR2 does, anyway. And it's always the leakoff pipes that break and leak. I'm on my fourth set. If she hasn't changed the engine oil in a year (again assuming it's been run), that won't help.

Yes it has move a bit and been run to charge the batteries  I think it's a good time to change the oil . Thanks 

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1 hour ago, Fat Eris said:

Thank I think we'll flush the gearbox and can we do the same with the reduction box too ?

Yes it has move a bit and been run to charge the batteries  I think it's a good time to change the oil . Thanks 

You can, but contamination won't be half as bad as what's probably in the gearbox. mind you neither may not have had an oil change for donkey's years, if ever, often the case.

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for all the replies ... change the oils in the gear and reduction box and engine couldn't find and diesel leaks so far ... the engine and drive chain behaved perfectly on the next trip which was about 5 hours .

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1 hour ago, Fat Eris said:

Thanks for all the replies ... change the oils in the gear and reduction box and engine couldn't find and diesel leaks so far ... the engine and drive chain behaved perfectly on the next trip which was about 5 hours .

 

Great. That sounds very positive, especially in this hot weather! and good to get some positive feedback.

 

It will be worth keeping an eye on the oil level on the engine dipstick..... just in case there is any fuel leakage into the sump 

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