Engine pressure test - recommendations please

[Greenboaters]

Hi, my partner and I are currently in the process of (hopefully) purchasing our first canal boat. We’ve had a full survey done, which has raised a few concerns about a possible air lock or pressure related issues with the engine. The surveyor has suggested it would be wise to get a pressure test done / generally have the engine checked over before we go ahead with the purchase. We have tried James Tidy and Dave O’Rourke but unfortunately not heard back (we know it’s very busy!).
We were just wondering if anybody would have any suggestions of other people we could try? The boat is moored in Uxbridge at the moment, near the boat centre. We’re keen to move as quickly as we can. Many thanks!

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, Greenboaters said:

Hi, my partner and I are currently in the process of (hopefully) purchasing our first canal boat. We’ve had a full survey done, which has raised a few concerns about a possible air lock or pressure related issues with the engine. The surveyor has suggested it would be wise to get a pressure test done / generally have the engine checked over before we go ahead with the purchase. We have tried James Tidy and Dave O’Rourke but unfortunately not heard back (we know it’s very busy!).
We were just wondering if anybody would have any suggestions of other people we could try? The boat is moored in Uxbridge at the moment, near the boat centre. We’re keen to move as quickly as we can. Many thanks!

 

You may get a response if you try 'London Boaters' facebook page, they are more likely to know of engineers in your vicinity. Most of this forum users are on the canals spread across the country with very few actually in London.

[Greenboaters]

Many thanks Alan! We’ll try London Boaters 

[Tony Brooks]

30 minutes ago, Greenboaters said:

Hi, my partner and I are currently in the process of (hopefully) purchasing our first canal boat. We’ve had a full survey done, which has raised a few concerns about a possible air lock or pressure related issues with the engine. The surveyor has suggested it would be wise to get a pressure test done / generally have the engine checked over before we go ahead with the purchase. We have tried James Tidy and Dave O’Rourke but unfortunately not heard back (we know it’s very busy!).
We were just wondering if anybody would have any suggestions of other people we could try? The boat is moored in Uxbridge at the moment, near the boat centre. We’re keen to move as quickly as we can. Many thanks!

 

To be honest and without seeing the boat there is a big difference between an airlock and a fault requiring a pressure test. A pressure test is needed if there is the suspicion of a crack in the engine water jacket or manifold. Internal or external, but external ones are often visible if you look closely enough.

 

An air lock shows itself by overheating, but so does a failed head gasket, cracked cylinders or heads and undersized skin tanks. Head gaskets and internal cracks can be checked for by testing the coolant for hydrocarbons (test kits on Ebay I believe).

 

A pressure test is not going to find an undersized skin tank.

 

So what led him to that conclusion, and how long (if at all) did he run the engine for? If it was a lot of rusty water stains around the coolant filler, there are other things ranging from the owner continually overfilling it to a failed filler cap or leaking filler neck.

 

[blackrose]

I'm wondering why the surveyor didn't do the pressure test himself since he was the one who suggested it was needed? Are we talking about cylinder pressure or crankcase oil pressure?

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I'm wondering why the surveyor didn't do the pressure test himself since he was the one who suggested it was needed? Are we talking about cylinder pressure or crankcase oil pressure?

 

 

I'm just wonderring if the International surverors group has had their annual meeting and decided this year the focus / fault identification should be on 'engine pressures',

 

last year was 'minimum plate thicknesses', and previous years 'fire extinguishers' and before that 'all pipes to be labelled' (diesel, pump out etc)

 

 

Every year is a different topic of focus.

[Tony Brooks]

35 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I'm wondering why the surveyor didn't do the pressure test himself since he was the one who suggested it was needed? Are we talking about cylinder pressure or crankcase oil pressure?

 

What ever it was, the OP's words are not very enlightening. I assumed the air lock and pressure test together indicated cooling system but then, as you point out, it might not