rev counter

[steelaway]

I'm not sure I fully understand, if that's what you meant to say.

 

With a modern skin tank cooled engine, (or even quite an old one, like ours), the temperature on the gauge should rise until the thermostat temperature is reached, but, if the skin tank is up to spec, should not go higher even if the engine is pushed hard.

 

If your temperature gauge is accurate, and the thermostat operating at it's prescribed temperature, you should, (in my view!), never see the temperature gauge significantly higher than the thermostat operating temperature.

 

If you are, I believe it means the skin tank is not fully doing it's job, and water is being returned back into the engine that is not fully cooled.

 

Once you reach this state, (engine coolant significantly hotter than thermostat operating temperature), then your skin tank is on the margins of not coping. It will be dumping a bit more heat than otherwise, simply because water is coming "too hot" from the engine, and there is a bigger temperature difference to the canal or river water, resulting in heat being lost slightly faster - that compensates for it being "under sized" to a small extent, but gives little margin if you find you suddenly need to use a lot more power to extract yourself from a "situation".

 

I don't know the thermostat temperatures of modern engines, but they are seldom a lot over 85 degrees, so if your cooling water is going a lot hotter than that, you do not have a heap of reserve in the skin tank, (based on my own experiences of an inadequate skin tank).

 

I had always assumed that as a mass builder with so many boats to their name that Liverpool would have got basics like skin tank sizing correct.

 

However one or two previous threads on the forum have indicated that LB skin tanks are sometimes marginal (for the engine fitted), if pushed hard on rivers.

 

Some people have had success adding extra cooling, such as a fan playing on the inside of the tank.

 

My guess is that if you did try and punch figures like the 2000 RPM suggested for longish river slogs, you could well find the temperature rising higher than 90 degrees.

 

 

 

Hi

 

I cant make my mind up as to wether you are agreeing with me or disagreeing !

The temperature will rise until the stat opens, then it will drop as cold water enters the engine. It goes without saying that if this doesn't happen, the skin tank is to small.

You are never going to know this unless you try it, you might be pleasantly supprised. Its all part of getting to know your own boat.

 

One important item that hasn't yet been mentioned is to check the alternator belts are not failing and correctly adjusted, especially the water pump one, before setting off on any river.

 

Alex

[Naughty Cal]

One important item that hasn't yet been mentioned is to check the alternator belts are not failing and correctly adjusted, especially the water pump one, before setting off on any river.

 

Alex

 

A diesel will continue to run even if the alternator belt fails.

 

The water pump belt is another matter.

[Keeping Up]

A diesel will continue to run even if the alternator belt fails.

 

The water pump belt is another matter.

Unless they're the same belt

[Naughty Cal]

Unless they're the same belt

 

Of course