BMC 1.5 engine issues

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, Troyboy said:

I'm now having second thoughts about the drill size to reamer out the carbon  I'll have to double check that. 

I am always getting that wrong, I think it is 7/32"

[Troyboy]

I think actually it is 11/64 ,my memory isn't what it was .

[magnetman]

I've got a pair of old 80s BMC 1.5D units in Dulcinea. Keel cooled via box section channels on the bottom of the hull. 

 

The cooling happens because the engines (Austin J4 type) have pumps on them which are run by the same belt as the alternators. 

 

I did notice in the report that the alternator belt was described as " very loose". This belt will be also turning the engine mounted circulation pump which is a normal centrifugal "non positive displacement pump" rather than a jabsco type "positive displacement pump". 

 

This belt is key to cooling a skin tank/keel cooled engine without a secondary heat exchanger. If the belt is loose it is liable to overheat. 

 

 

 

[magnetman]

Also to the OP if the engine basicallt works in the sense that it starts and runs and the neighbourhood is not being smoked out then just carry on and ignore any potentially dodgy input from idiot "engineers". 

 

They (BMC 1.5D) do sometimes have trouble starting specially if the night was cold and the glow plugs are clogged up but once it is going then unless there are any blatant problems such as excessive smoke when warm or high coolant temperature when the header tank is full then I don't think it's a new engine job, personally. 

 

If it does what you want it to do then is it a problem ?

 

 

 

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

 

With respect if I am wrong but I think the guy who has looked at it does not know the engine, canal boats or its foibles. 

 

The bit about the chap wanting to spend two days assessing this engine's condition bothered me. I'd have thought two or three hours would be enough to get a reasonably clear picture.

[Quattrodave]

I'm about 20 mins north of you if you want me to cast an eye over it. TBH I'm a little bit intrigued, in your report it mentioned 'heat exchanger'.  Please post some engine bay pics that would answer a lot of questions....

Edited April 8, 2022 by Quattrodave

[Bee]

I can see nothing in that list that makes me very worried, needs a bit of sorting and there could yet be other issues but to be honest it just sounds like an engine thats done a few years, it starts, runs, has a few minor issues and if all else fails is probably a good candidate for reconditioning (New pistons, rebore, new bearings reground crank etc) but that could be in 10 years time. 

[Tony Brooks]

17 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

The bit about the chap wanting to spend two days assessing this engine's condition bothered me. I'd have thought two or three hours would be enough to get a reasonably clear picture.

 

Totally agree, even if he does a compression test.

[Tracy D'arth]

1 minute ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Totally agree, even if he does a compression test.

 

21 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

The bit about the chap wanting to spend two days assessing this engine's condition bothered me. I'd have thought two or three hours would be enough to get a reasonably clear picture.

I have come across "engineers" who tear down an engine without proper testing and diagnosis then suck their teeth and say it is going to cost 10X times what it really should have cost to fettle it to put it back together again.

[Slim]

20 minutes ago, Quattrodave said:

I'm about 20 mins north of you if you want me to cast an eye over it. TBH I'm a little bit intrigued, in your report it mentioned 'heat exchanger'.  Please post some engine bay pics that would answer a lot of questions....

For remote diagnostics it's back to the need for photos. As far as bmc 1 .5 and 1.8  are concerned my experience of owning them is limited,  only 31 years (frightening to work out)

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Slim said:

As far as bmc 1 .5 and 1.8  are concerned my experience of owning them is limited,  only 31 years (frightening to work out)

 

Same here. I had a 1.5 for about five years, a short while ago. About 1982 I think it would have been...

[john.k]

Seems the "mud in the block and head" is nonsense.....and an expensive exercise by "a bloke from the pub" narrowly avoided......Some boat stories do have happy endings.

[Olive87]

Thanks all, very good to wake up to! Our mate is trusted - he’s a welder doing some work to the front of our boat and he’s helped us out a lot over the past couple of months. I’ve spoken to him today about the engineer and he says he used to work for leyland for many years but I’ve never met him myself. 

 

The engine currently ‘works’ in the sense that it is starting and we are able to move however it is very smoky and overheats periodically so we have to keep filling up the water. We were having to use easy start a couple of weeks back but it seems to be starting without that now. 

 

I’ve attached as many photos as I can below and hope these are helpful but I’m around for the next couple of hours so let me know if there’s anything else it would help to see. 

[Tony Brooks]

I think the finger is pointing to a core plug which a competent mechanic would change in about 5 minutes as long as they have access.  Core plugs do rust through, especially if the engine has been run long term without antifreeze. This should only leak coolant. I would say it is impossible for it to leak air or gas yet have the engine run for any length of time.

 

As there are no images of the front of the engine we can not comment on the "missing" water pump. However such pipework as I can see looks perfectly normal to me.

 

None of the photos show the engine mounts clearly enough but the last one has a splodge that might be a Metalastic flexible mount.However if it is then it has probably collapsed now so is getting on for a solid mounting.

[Olive87]

The finger is pointing to where the air is escaping apparently. 
 

Added some more photos 

[Tracy D'arth]

The exhaust was made by a French horn builder?

 

Core plug leak is nothing.

Wiring is a shambles.

Good PRM 160/260 gearbox.  With that weight on the rear and all the spilled oil about its a pretty safe bet the back mounts are collapsed.

Engine would seem to be a recon but then by now most are.

 

Front mounts are solid.

Fan belt is grossly slack, no wonder it overheats.

If its puffing air from the joint of the head to the block it could well be a head gasket blowing, not a big job. 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Tracy D'arth

[MtB]

Horribly loose V belt could account for the overheating mentioned.

And steam or air would come from the corroded-through core plug if the coolant level was really low and below the hole.

 

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

Agree with all the above. You do have a water pump, exactly as we expected. It is behind the blue pulley that is the highest up.

 

Absolutely no reason for any mud to be inside the engine and the color of the hose the surveyor does not like ha snot gone brown as it would if there was a lot of mud around.

[Tracy D'arth]

Someone is trying to lead you up the garden path. Much of the info you have been given is false for some reason.

You have a perfectly normal BMC 1.5D engine installation but with much tlc required.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Someone is trying to lead you up the garden path. Much of the info you have been given is false for some reason.

You have a perfectly normal BMC 1.5D engine installation but with much tlc required.

I think the problem could well be a mechanic who may well know engines but knows nothing about engines installed in boats. unless he is of retiring age he had probably never worked on a 1.5 diesel.

It may upset your welder but please look elsewhere. I think someone on here offered to come and have a quick look. 

[Tony Brooks]

3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I think the problem could well be a mechanic who may well know engines but knows nothing about engines installed in boats. unless he is of retiring age he had probably never worked on a 1.5 diesel.

It may upset your welder but please look elsewhere. I think someone on here offered to come and have a quick look. 

 

I find it hard to believe that an experienced car mechanic does not know what a core plug is and how to deal with them but I suppose the deskilling NVQs plus the way cars seem to be considered scrap at 10 to 15 years means they have probably never seem one leaking or even know what it is.

[Olive87]

Hi all,

 

Apologies for the delay - I have been out of the country and our boat has been away having its extension completed for the past fortnight.

 

Greatly appreciate all the insight here - assume then next steps are to get someone who specialises in BMC 1.5s to have a look. Any chance you know how to find these engineers in London? 
 

@Quattrodave if your offer to come an have a quick look is still on the table we would be very grateful, let me know and we can find a good time. Thank you!! 

[Quattrodave]

On 21/04/2022 at 18:40, Olive87 said:

@Quattrodave if your offer to come an have a quick look is still on the table we would be very grateful, let me know and we can find a good time. Thank you!! 

 

PM sent...

[Olive87]

Hi all,

 

We are still stuck in Harlesden at the moment with our welder and his mate saying we shouldn’t move the boat until someone has come to look at it. Can anyone recommend anybody to come and have a quick look? Scared to call an engineer in London in case we end up getting charged a fortune or scammed.. 

cheers

Natasha 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Olive87 said:

Hi all,

 

We are still stuck in Harlesden at the moment with our welder and his mate saying we shouldn’t move the boat until someone has come to look at it. Can anyone recommend anybody to come and have a quick look? Scared to call an engineer in London in case we end up getting charged a fortune or scammed.. 

cheers

Natasha 

 

What happened to Daves offer of 3 weeks ago ?

 

The problem with calling engineers INTO London is that many will not respond due to the costs, vehicle emissions, problems and parking.