Welcome BMC owners

[sociable_hermit]

Thats why we renamed her. Its a slang naval expression.

Not just a naval expression. Shy Talk = Sh*te Hawk = Seagull.

 

The latter half of that equation 'as used' by my Gillingham-supporting mate when referring to seagulls and (by association) Brighton fans.

[canaldrifter]

Also a Fleet Air Arm nickname for the old Hawker Seahawk and an objectionable person.

 

But in the WW2 army posted to Libya they were not seagulls, but Kite Hawks, that were experts at steeling food from the squadies plates.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/56/a5286756.shtml

 

Tone

[David Schweizer]

A 260 box on a 1.5

 

I'm surprised that there's enough power left to rotate the prop

It is not that unusual, especially on older engines (ours is 1981) To be absolutely correct it is actually a 160D which were re-named 260D about ten years ago, although the box remained virtually identical. Something to do with metrication, or so I was told by Newage.

 

It has plenty of power thanks. To quote the builder "it grips the water well", and with tips of the the 17" prop being about 7" under the uxter plate, it will travel in deeper water at full 4mph without hardly disturbing the water surface.

[Proper Job]

It is not that unusual, especially on older engines (ours is 1981) To be absolutely correct it is actually a 160D which were re-named 260D about ten years ago, although the box remained virtually identical. Something to do with metrication, or so I was told by Newage.

 

It has plenty of power thanks. To quote the builder "it grips the water well", and with tips of the the 17" prop being about 7" under the uxter plate, it will travel in deeper water at full 4mph without hardly disturbing the water surface.

I was only kidding

 

I've a lot of respect for BMC's and I'm glad to see them included in a subsection of Vintage engines.

 

Infact..... over the weekend, we'll be relying on Tawny Owl's to see us through to Walsall

[Guest]

Infact..... over the weekend, we'll be relying on Tawny Owl's to see us through to Walsall

 

 

Then yer doomed, doomed I say...

[koukouvagia]

How much of that is actually core BMC? The cylinder head is, and could warp if the cooling was faulty. But the raw water cooling and pumps? We don't have any of that stuff.

 

Richard

 

Good point. However, the cylinder head/valve problems happened and were fixed before the raw water pump problem developed, not the other way round.

 

 

I regard the primary water pump as part of the engine and I can't account for why it sheared – it was properly aligned, belt not over-tightened etc.

 

I admit the starter motor could have happened to any engine at any time. Similarly the leak in the raw water cooling circuit can't be attributed to BMC.

 

I suppose my main beef is that when you buy a shiny recon. engine, there's no means of telling what the inside is like, or how much work has been done on it. OK, I got a guarantee for a fixed period (can't remember how long) but the fundamental problems didn't manifest themselves until much later. Of course, you can test for obvious things – odd sounds, smoke etc., but for the layman it's pretty difficult to guess the state of the cylinder head, or whether the valves etc. should have been replaced.

 

On the other hand I was able to see at each stage how the Kelvin was being rebuilt and could verify that all the work was being done.

[Speedwell]

Speedwell has a Calcutt 1.8, Turkish build from 1990, although the boat was built in 1998. They have both seen service in the Evesham hire fleet until it closed down and the boats were sold off in 2002, when we bought her. I had to give the engine a fairly major rebuild in 2003 as the camshaft was seriously worn, presumably from over-revving in hire use. Since then - so far so good. I fear there is no more certain way to make your engine break down than saying how well it is running. Here is a picture of the engine hole.

 

 

[WotEver]

Here is a picture of the engine hole.

Wot's the highly technical blue string for?

 

Tony

[Proper Job]

Wot's the highly technical blue string for?

 

Tony

...... and which BW workboat did you set adrift when you nicked it

[WotEver]

...... and which BW workboat did you set adrift when you nicked it

[Speedwell]

I think that string is too thin, even for BW moorings. That piece supports the cable loom to stop it shaking about when running. There is another piece on the opposite side of the engine to make operating the lift pump lever easier.

Arthur

[RLWP]

Wot's the highly technical blue string for?

 

Tony

 

If you don't know, you are clearly not a BMC owner

 

Richard

 

What is that string for?

[canaldrifter]

If you don't know, you are clearly not a BMC owner

 

Richard

 

What is that string for?

 

I'm, very surprised that it's still blue...

 

Tone

Edited May 26, 2011 by canaldrifter

[Black Ibis]

Not sure of the age of ours, we'll have to have a look for a serial number. It's paired with a Hurth HBW5.

 

The boat's 1986, but we're not sure who marinised the engine, or if it's that old.

 

It was certainly rebuilt in about 2004. It used to be indirectly raw water cooled (via a Bowman heat exchanger) and the owner before last started the engine to charge the batteries and went to the pub. However, the intake had been blocked by a fresh-water mussel, of a type that grows only on the BCN, and so the engine overheated and needed rebuilding.

 

It's got keel cooling now, fitted by Fox's in March just over a year ago.

 

Still a bit smoky on startup, but reliable as anything.

[RLWP]

I think that string is too thin, even for BW moorings. That piece supports the cable loom to stop it shaking about when running. There is another piece on the opposite side of the engine to make operating the lift pump lever easier.

Arthur

 

You have quite an unusual alternator mounting there Arthur

 

Richard

[cereal tiller]

You have quite an unusual alternator mounting there Arthur

 

Richard

the alternator mount spacing was for the original lucas c40 dynamo! the studding through the mounts is a classic example of british ingenuity.

[RLWP]

the alternator mount spacing was for the original lucas c40 dynamo! the studding through the mounts is a classic example of british ingenuity.

 

It was the studding that caught my attention. I have a similar 'ingenious' alternator mounting on my MG

 

Richard

[WotEver]

I'm, very surprised that it's still blue...

 

Tone

It must be new

[Speedwell]

You have quite an unusual alternator mounting there Arthur

Richard

 

I got fed up with it eating alternator belts and made that up to make adjusting the alignment easier. The studding and nuts were from B&Q (or similar). The adjustments are all metric now.

Arthur

[canaldrifter]

It must be new

 

I bet he changed it just for the picture??

 

Tone

[musicman]

This is a great addition to the forum - a space for people with BMC's to rant . . . and rave about their engines. Now all we need is a mechanical expert to identify herself/himself so that we can get the advice we all will need from time to time.

 

Philip

[Richard T]

Thornycroft 108 (BMC1.8) plus PRM150. Like Alan always a few leaks.I think the engine is original to boat therefore 25years old, gearbox is newer.

Note remote oil filter under my left foot - it makes changing it easier and much cleaner. Can do an oil change in less than 10 mins.

Since the photo was taken both oil coolers have been replaced having failed and put oil into the cooling water.

The wiring is not the neatest but it does work!!

[cereal tiller]

for all BMC's.what thermostat is used on your particular engine?

i worked for a large hire craft company and we used all the bmc range in a fleet of 150 boats.

rather than use the standard 82 degree stat,we standardised on one which commenced opening at 74 degrees.

the part number from quinton hazell was QTH 101

 

the calorifier return rubber hose with a 15mm tee that connects to the water pump was quinton hazell RH 760

[alan_fincher]

for all BMC's.what thermostat is used on your particular engine?

i worked for a large hire craft company and we used all the bmc range in a fleet of 150 boats.

rather than use the standard 82 degree stat,we standardised on one which commenced opening at 74 degrees.

 

I guess an obvious question is "why" ?

 

Personally I changed the 74 degree stat we had to an 82 degree one.

 

My reasons for doing this was basically to allow the water in the calorifier to get hotter, so we could get more heat out of the same sized cylinder.

 

OK, I know water heated to 82 degrees or thereabouts can be quite dodgy if it comes out of domestic taps or a shower head.

 

But the calorifier is fitted with a thermostatic mixer valve which seems quite effective in ensuring that water doesn't appear out of these things hot enough to remove skin.

 

Provided you have this safeguard, I can see no advantage in a thermostat that opens at a lower temperature, it just means less available hot water if a calorifier is fitted.

 

Note that it has to be the right kind of thermostat, depending upon the thermostat housing.

 

Our BMC 1800 has a housing designed to be used with a "bypass thermostat", which has an extra part lacking on a more conventional stat.

 

Without the correct stat, the correct circulation of the water through the skin tank cannot be guaranteed.

 

Normal stat on left, "bypass" stat, as used in our engine, on right.

 

(I believe some engines require a standard stat........)

 

[cereal tiller]

the lower temp stat was decided upon to reduce the ocurrence of scaling on the "domestic" side of the calorifier coil,it also helped prevent "hot soak" problems when the engine was turned off in a lock after a long run,as the residual heat in the engine block/head could cause "localised boiling around the combustion chambers,which often led to premature head gasket failure(especially with the 1.8)!