Mystery part found in bilge

[tcp13]

I'm a new liveaboard, and all has gone well with about 30 hours of cruising so far. But after cruising yesterday, I found this wayward part lying in my bilge! I've no idea what it is, though I'm thinking it was something loose that fell off the port side of my Beta 38. The tip is a bit oily/greasy, and it's on the opposite side of my batteries, so I don't think it's anything electrical (like a battery isolation switch). I also recently repainted the bilge, so I'm confident this is new, as I would have noticed if it had been just hiding in the corner. No new leaks from the engine.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, tcp13 said:

No new leaks from the engine.

 

Does that mean that you already had some leaks from the engine ?

[BEngo]

Looks like the knob, and part inner works of a liquid valve.  Look first at the oil sump pump as they are often fitted in the suction line to choose between engine and gearbox.

 

Otherwise, follow the fuel pipes from the tank to the engine and then the other pipe, from the engine to the tank.

 

Findcwhee it fits before running the engline again as its absencd is likely to allow a lsrgish fuel or pol leak to build up.

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Findcwhee it fits before running the engline again as its absencd is likely to allow a lsrgish fuel or pol leak to build up.

 

Arthritis in the fingers playing up again ?

[mrsmelly]

9 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Looks like the knob, and part inner works of a liquid valve.  Look first at the oil sump pump as they are often fitted in the suction line to choose between engine and gearbox.

 

Otherwise, follow the fuel pipes from the tank to the engine and then the other pipe, from the engine to the tank.

 

Findcwhee it fits before running the engline again as its absencd is likely to allow a lsrgish fuel or pol leak to build up.

Seconded, looks like the switch connected to the sump oil remover pump fitted to many modern engines. 

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Arthritis in the fingers playing up again ?

It will be the shitty stupid little keyboard on his phone like mine no doubt. Shaking hands do not help lol. 

[Alstonite]

Looks like you might have lost something else as well

 

[BEngo]

That is the screw wot holds the red bit on.  It is shown, in the right place, but loose,  in the OPs second pic.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

48 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Looks like the knob, and part inner works of a liquid valve.  Look first at the oil sump pump as they are often fitted in the suction line to choose between engine and gearbox.

 

Otherwise, follow the fuel pipes from the tank to the engine and then the other pipe, from the engine to the tank.

 

Findcwhee it fits before running the engline again as its absencd is likely to allow a lsrgish fuel or pol leak to build up.

It does look like that. If so, it is a long way up from the sump, so there should be minimum leaks with it fallen out.

@tcp13 Is the engine painted red? Beta tend to spray paint everything on the engine/gearbox package the same colour. Green for keel cooled, red for wet exhaust. Older engines tend to be red. 

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

May give you a clue to where it’s off as there’s various applications. Looks like it’s off a type of valve??

 

Edited March 6 by BoatingLifeUpNorth2

[nicknorman]

Almost certainly the valve on the sump pump. It should have been closed before it fell off (you only open it to pump the oil out) so no harm will ensue (until the next time you want to change the oil) but it is a simple matter to screw it back on again to the valve, which is below the T handled sump pump near the rear of the engine.

[Hudds Lad]

7 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Beta tend to spray paint everything on the engine/gearbox package the same colour. Green for keel cooled, red for wet exhaust. Older engines tend to be red.

The butler informs me that Mr Hudson insisted on the ones being installed on his boats to be painted silvery grey  

[nicknorman]

 

Looks like it is on the other side for a Beta 38 vs our Beta 43

46 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

The butler informs me that Mr Hudson insisted on the ones being installed on his boats to be painted silvery grey  

Do you mind! They are silver plated. That way, the butler has something to do when off duty (polishing the silver).

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

From a Beta 43, leading up to the sump pump.

[IanD]

10 minutes ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

From a Beta 43, leading up to the sump pump.

Can't be, it's the wrong colour!... 😉 

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

7 hours ago, IanD said:

Can't be, it's the wrong colour!... 😉 

I know, it took me ages to find it, as was looking for a red one. If the OP’s red one was painted Beta green it would still be on, obviously the wrong one has been fitted at some stage. He needs to go and buy a proper Beta Green part, to prevent it happening again.😂

Edited March 6 by BoatingLifeUpNorth2

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

I know, it took me ages to find it as was looking for a red one. If the OP’s red one was painted Beta green it would still be on, obviously the wrong one has been fitted at some stage. He needs to go and buy a proper Beta Green part, to prevent it happening again.😂

Perhaps the paint got onto the thread and has prevented the screw from coming loose

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 hour ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

I know, it took me ages to find it as was looking for a red one.😂

Older inland Beta engines are red. Current sea going Beta engines are red.

https://betamarine.co.uk/seagoing-section/

[IanD]

41 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Older inland Beta engines are red. Current sea going Beta engines are red.

https://betamarine.co.uk/seagoing-section/

I hope everyone realised that, since it was also pointed out a few posts back... 😉 

[tcp13]

Thanks everyone for the sleuthing. It is indeed a valve leading up to the sump pump, the hole for which was hiding behind a run of cables.

 

 

I'm still working out how to reseat it, as the "wings" on either side of the port prevent it from being screwed in all the way... perhaps that's how it fell out to begin with.

[ditchcrawler]

The red wings should come off the bit with a thread o. they are held on with the bolt you found 

[Tony Brooks]

I would suggest that f you take the screw which may have now fallen out a s per the photo out, you can then pull the red knob off. I bet there is a hexagon under it to tighten it back into its fitting. then replace the knob. If no hexagon, then I expect there is a shank that you can put some grips on.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

9 minutes ago, tcp13 said:

Thanks everyone for the sleuthing. It is indeed a valve leading up to the sump pump, the hole for which was hiding behind a run of cables.

 

 

I'm still working out how to reseat it, as the "wings" on either side of the port prevent it from being screwed in all the way... perhaps that's how it fell out to begin with.

A red handle on a green Beta engine, after all that. 

[David Mack]

40 minutes ago, tcp13 said:

I'm still working out how to reseat it, as the "wings" on either side of the port prevent it from being screwed in all the way... perhaps that's how it fell out to begin with.

Those wings are to limit the travel of the knob to 1/4 turn or whatever (i.e valve open and closed). I think you probably have to screw the brass core in first, then fit the knob and secure it with the machine screw.

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

44 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

A red handle on a green Beta engine, after all that. 

 

[phantom_iv]

Maybe the original green one fell off?