And the journey continues, but doesnt look as expensive as I thought

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

Hi Guys,

 

Not really a new topic, more a continuation of the current job "oh oh that looks expensive" 

 

So I have found out that a friend who I have known for years does spooky things with metal. I've always known him as Dave, apparently his Uncle is some chap called Gandalf.  He has a fully kitted out machine shop with all manner of plant in it. In his spare time, he makes spare parts for WW2 Spitfire aircraft and all he has to work from are photographs of the offending part - haven't seen a Haynes Manual for a Mk5 Spitfire in ages. When I showed him a picture of my sheared adaptor plate mounting leg , he said, "I'll  come down and take some numbers off it and I can knock up a new leg out of SS in about ten minutes.

 

So that is the plan, lift the engine, build a prosthetic leg which I can bolt to the adaptor plate and pop the donkey back in. It will give me a chance to do some of those jobs that i just can't get at with the engine in situ so that's a bonus.

 

Quick question, obviously I have to disconnect all the hoses, cables, wires etc, etc. so I was thinking about the reinforced wet exhaust. it's not in brilliant condition where it fits onto the exhaust outlet although the rest of it is fine and I did buy a short length of hose and a 50mm insert last year intending to replace the last foot or so. However, trying to get the insert into the wire reinforced hose, let alone getting it on to the metal exhaust manifold  was a complete no go so I left it as it was. As I need to disconnect the exhaust I was wondering, would people advise unbolting the outlet from the block and leaving well alone or pulling the black hose off the manifold (that's what I call it), my concern about the latter is getting it back on again. Or can anybody tell me if those hose spreaders actually work and could I try stretching the hose, although I can't see that happening as the hose is so tough.

 

So suggestions would be useful before I start pulling everything off the engine next week.

Cheers.

Edited January 9 by Mike on Sea Hustler

[Tony Brooks]

I think it depends upon what the mixing elbow, if it has one on the manifold, and the manifold is made of. If aluminium, you may find the mixing elbow disintegrates as you take it off. I have had a steel/cast iron one do the same.

 

Also, consider taking the whole manifold off the engine, leaving the hose connected.

Edited January 9 by Tony Brooks

[john.k]

If studs or bolts are rusted and break off ,you could have a bigger job than planned .

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

Thanks Guys, I think Im talking about this part which appears to have four bolts holding it on. What you cant see here is that under that jubilee clip, the hose is not in good condition.. Would I be better to seperate the exhaust where it bolts to the heat exchanger or should i pull the rubber hose off an figure out how to get it back on  later.

[Tony Brooks]

5 hours ago, Mike on Sea Hustler said:

Thanks Guys, I think Im talking about this part which appears to have four bolts holding it on. What you cant see here is that under that jubilee clip, the hose is not in good condition.. Would I be better to seperate the exhaust where it bolts to the heat exchanger or should i pull the rubber hose off an figure out how to get it back on  later.

 

That is the mixing elbow, but the mixing part (where the sulphuric acid was produces before low sulphur diesel) is well away from the manifold. It looks like aluminium to me. My feeling is that If taking the engine right out, then I would try undoing the four bolts. However, I can't see much wrong with that hose apart from some rust marks that probably originated in the steel spiral reinforcement that looks as if it might have been pulled out of the hose to get it to fit over the elbow. That would allow water/condensation to work between the plies and rust the steel - hence the stain.

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

Thanks Tony, The rubber under the jubilee clip is a little crumbly but still 'clampable' so I will separate it by undoing the four blts and leaving the hose in situ. Cheers. 

 

let the fun begin

[alan_fincher]

Peehaps an optical illusion, I'm not sure, but of those two bolts in your image  the "leftmost" "uppermost" one doesn't immediately look to have a properly octagonal shape.

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

That's true, hadn't noticed that before, I will have a look next time im down at the boat, perhaps I need to have Dave build me a wonky spanner LOL.

[BEngo]

5 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Peehaps an optical illusion, I'm not sure, but of those two bolts in your image  the "leftmost" "uppermost" one doesn't immediately look to have a properly octagonal shape.

I should expect not.  Unified, Whitworth, BA and ISO Metric nuts, and bolt heads are normally hexagonal.  I cant think of any other thread  series that are not.

 

N

[David Mack]

The wooden back cabin frames on Belfast are bolted to the engine room bulkhead with 1/2" Whitworth bolts with square nuts.

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

I have a number of bolts about the place that have square heads, Sea Hustler was built in an era when things were held together with straw and clay, still, everything seems to hold well enough, I just have to make sure I don't take her out in the rain too much. In truth, over her 55 years, she has had many jobs done n her and every time I'm sure the person doing the work had a very good reason for using the particular fastening that they eventually chose. It just means that over time, there is nothing standard about anything on her anymore, I often find I need two sizes of spanner to undo different bolts holding the same thing on, I guess that's the joy of owning a relic LOL.

 

I feel a bit of a fraud posting on this forum because Im not a canal boat, but I do have a BMC 1500 engine that most of you guys are familiar with, especially Tony so you are my go to source when I need some help, I guess I should try and post a pic so you can all see what the sea going enemy really looks like, although she looks a little better now as this was shortly after I bought her and I've done a fair bit to her since. And yes, that is a solid fuel stove flue coming straight out of the deck right where the Genoa sheet would be, so that's one thing I've done and removed it completely.

Edited January 11 by Mike on Sea Hustler

[BilgePump]

15 hours ago, Mike on Sea Hustler said:

I have a number of bolts about the place that have square heads, Sea Hustler was built in an era when things were held together with straw and clay, still, everything seems to hold well enough, I just have to make sure I don't take her out in the rain too much. In truth, over her 55 years, she has had many jobs done n her and every time I'm sure the person doing the work had a very good reason for using the particular fastening that they eventually chose. It just means that over time, there is nothing standard about anything on her anymore, I often find I need two sizes of spanner to undo different bolts holding the same thing on, I guess that's the joy of owning a relic LOL.

 

I feel a bit of a fraud posting on this forum because Im not a canal boat, but I do have a BMC 1500 engine that most of you guys are familiar with, especially Tony so you are my go to source when I need some help, I guess I should try and post a pic so you can all see what the sea going enemy really looks like, although she looks a little better now as this was shortly after I bought her and I've done a fair bit to her since. And yes, that is a solid fuel stove flue coming straight out of the deck right where the Genoa sheet would be, so that's one thing I've done and removed it completely.

That's a lovely boat. There are quite a few of us on here who enjoy rag and stick sailing. At least you could get onto plenty of inland waterways with the mast down but I don't see many narrowboats venturing out onto the Irish Sea.

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

Too true, I did watch a video on YouTube of two brave souls crossing the Wash (I think) in narrowboats and even though it was a calm day, I recall thinking 'rather you than me guys' My dream is to drop the mast and leave it at my home marina, motor round to Dover then cross Le Manche and spend the entire summer cruising the French canals. Slight impediment to those plans is I do not have an ICC and to get one I need at least an RYA Coastal Skipper Certificate and that is not only expensive, but for me personally a little tricky as I am both colour blind, not just red /green but all secondary colours as well (once repaired a pair of grey trousers with pink cotton -  no one told me) and I also have dyscalculia (numerical dyslexia) so navigation is also a problem though not with electronics doing the work for for me. But RYA require you do do the math yourself and that's an issue. So it looks like its UK and Inland Waters for me for the next few years until I can (a) afford to take the course a number of times, because I'm bound to fail at least a couple of times, and (b) prove I can navigate without electronic aids, or they decide assisted navigation is acceptable - they never will though because 'the electronics can always fail and you need to be able to cope when they do'. Truth is the farthest from land I would ever be is 11 miles at the point I was in mid channel heading for Calais but they don't know that. 

[Tam & Di]

1 hour ago, Mike on Sea Hustler said:

Slight impediment to those plans is I do not have an ICC and to get one I need at least an RYA Coastal Skipper Certificate and that is not only expensive, but for me personally a little tricky as I am both colour blind, not just red /green but all secondary colours as well (once repaired a pair of grey trousers with pink cotton -  no one told me) and I also have dyscalculia (numerical dyslexia) so navigation is also a problem though not with electronics doing the work for for me.

 

You need nothing to cross the Channel, and all you need on continental inland waterways is an ICC with inland endorsement. Your simplest/cheapest way to do that would be to do an RYA Inland Helmsman course at a school local to you, and then a test of the CEVNI rules. Colour blindness is irrelevant on the inland course, and they might not even ask you about it unless something came up to give them concern, but it is possible that you have to swear you have good eyesight on the application form. The inland helmsman course would not be of much direct practical use, but you'd get lock experience if you've not had that before. I know 2 or 3 colour-blind barge skippers in France who get by OK. Buoyage almost always uses shapes as well as colour, but red/green traffic lights might be more difficult; they are common on most locks and some bridges. If you can find a CEVNI test sample on-line you'd be able to see if it would give you any problem. If you can drive OK in the UK you'd not have a lot of difficulty with lights at locks.

Edited January 12 by Tam & Di
clarification

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

Thanks for that info, I will definitely look into that. I know I can get across to France, but would need an ICC to enter the country, plus CEVNI certificate to do the canals but I shouldn't have a problem with that. I can handle the boat no problem, better under power than under sail but as I would motor across and leave the stick and rags behind, I was hoping I could get away with just a power Certificate. I didn't know there was a Helmsman Certification which Im pretty sure I could pass easily. As for the colour blindness, its not a problem unless I have something like a green Starboard lateral buoy against a wooded background then I struggle to find the marker. Traffic lights of any kind are not a problem. Red at the top, amber in the middle and green at the bottom, and they are very distinct so I have never had a problem. I was also a Driving Instructor for 35 years so traffic lights are a doddle. However, take the green light out of context, place it in a dark unlit background and it appears white to me, I see no green in it whatsoever, but I have driven accident freefor over 45 years so I guess I must be OK with that. Thanks anyway, I will defo look into that.

[David Mack]

12 hours ago, Mike on Sea Hustler said:

Traffic lights of any kind are not a problem. Red at the top, amber in the middle and green at the bottom, and they are very distinct so I have never had a problem.

You'd better not go to Tipperary Hill, Syracuse, New York then!

https://uncoveringnewyork.com/upside-down-traffic-light-syracuse/

 

[Mikexx]

On 12/01/2025 at 14:47, Tam & Di said:

 

You need nothing to cross the Channel, and all you need on continental inland waterways is an ICC with inland endorsement. Your simplest/cheapest way to do that would be to do an RYA Inland Helmsman course at a school local to you, and then a test of the CEVNI rules. Colour blindness is irrelevant on the inland course, and they might not even ask you about it unless something came up to give them concern, but it is possible that you have to swear you have good eyesight on the application form. The inland helmsman course would not be of much direct practical use, but you'd get lock experience if you've not had that before. I know 2 or 3 colour-blind barge skippers in France who get by OK. Buoyage almost always uses shapes as well as colour, but red/green traffic lights might be more difficult; they are common on most locks and some bridges. If you can find a CEVNI test sample on-line you'd be able to see if it would give you any problem. If you can drive OK in the UK you'd not have a lot of difficulty with lights at locks.

 

Is there anything stopping you carrying red and green filters in your pocket as visual aids when coming across coloured lights? After all if they allow glasses to correct sight then ....................

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

No that is what I intend to do and Im sure that would be allowed so hopefully it won't be too big an issue.

 

Just been down to the boat, disconnected everything electrical, labeled all the wires, disconnected the raw water intake, had to cut one hose because I just could not get enough purchase on it to get it off the seacock due to it being way too far 'down there' out of reach. Not a problem because once the lump is out I plan to replace all the hoses anyway. Tried to undo the four bolts holding mixing elbow ( see Im picking stuff up from Tony) but despite much grunting, they would not shift, when trying the alternative of pulling the reinforced wet exhaust hose off the elbow it just torn so I cut the rest off. I have a new 1ft piece and metal connector in stock so I will scarf that in and repair the connection .

 

So after standing back and admiring my handywork, I thought I would unbolt the universal coupling on the prop shaft and engine mounting bolts. Well that's what I thought anyway. Unfortunately, the  Gods of 'no way matey' decided that my puny muscles and inadequate tool kit were to have a say in this venture and the word was NO.  

Two quick questions, picture number 1 whatszat!!!!!! I've labeled it 'dome shaped thing' but Im sure someone will tell me and laugh at the fact that I don't know. and 2. Does anybody know what torque setting the engine mounts and coupling should be at, so I have some idea of how much effort I can safely put into undoing them.

 

Once the last few bits are undone, engine is ready to be lifted out, then the real work begins.

[Tony Brooks]

did you post the wrong photo? Nothing labelled as far as I can see. if you are calling the cylindrical thing with the yellow wire a dome shaped, then it is an electric oil pressure sender.

 

I doubt there is a torque setting for the engine mounts. I would have a longish knuckle bar and long extension with a socket on the end. Once you know the bolt diameter, I am sure you could look up the generic torque on the net, but we don't know what type of metal is in the bolt. I would probably say the setting is FT. Remember to try tightening the bolt a little before undoing it. I would strongly advise that you do not use penetrating oil on the top of those rear mounts. They are unobtainable, if you can get underneath what looks like a metal bed the by all means apply it on the nit/bottom of the bolt.

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

Thanks Tony, sorry not a very clear picture, yes it was the thing with the yellow wire on, I will change the label LOL.

 

I've looked at the bed as best I can but in all honesty, Im going to have to get  my little mirror under there to see what's what and I couldn't find it for love nor money today. 

[Tony Brooks]

18 minutes ago, Mike on Sea Hustler said:

've looked at the bed as best I can but in all honesty, Im going to have to get  my little mirror under there to see what's what and I couldn't find it for love nor money today. 

 

The bed looks very reminiscent of canal boat steel beds, so I would expect it to be a U shaped section laying on one side and glassed to the hull (it looks like a GRP boat). They might have tapped the bed, but more likely there is a nut on the underside of the top flat.

[Mike on Sea Hustler]

Thanks Tony, after all the times I have hung upside down with my head in the bilges, I've never thought to turn and look at that area, Mental note to self, take a look next time. Thanks