BMC 1.8 - Starting

[alan_fincher]

Yes, you have the later "deluxe" panel, and I'm guessing as there are two alternator lights and two voltmeters perhaps two separate alternators ??

 

Is it a Turkish rather than a British BMC, do you know ?

 

What you don't have, even with the considerable more dials, is the ammeter, a very easy way of seeing if the heaters are drawing a big current.

 

I'll be very surprised though if you don't have that third position for "heaters" achieved by not going the whole way over to "start".

[Albion]

What you have pictured is a marinisation by Calcutt Boats.

 

snipped

 

Of a Turkish sourced engine I believe looking at the oil filler system. Calcutt's had the non-standard oil filler/combined engine breather fitted, which required a larger than normal aperture in the rocker cover. This was all done in Turkey for Calcutt. They also had larger flywheels fitted and balanced there before delivery.

Roger

Edited January 19, 2012 by Albion

[Nemysys]

Thanks everyone. I have just been to the boat and you were all right.

 

Turning the ignition key part way against the springy position, the ignition lights on the panel suddenly flickered and dimmed, I presumed the heaters came on drawing the power. Waited about 20 seconds and the engine fired first turn.

 

Easy when you know how

 

Darren

[RLWP]

Thanks everyone. I have just been to the boat and you were all right.

 

Turning the ignition key part way against the springy position, the ignition lights on the panel suddenly flickered and dimmed, I presumed the heaters came on drawing the power. Waited about 20 seconds and the engine fired first turn.

 

Easy when you know how

 

Darren

 

Glad we could help, and thank you for coming back with your findings. It's always nice to be able to close off something that you have helped with

 

Richard

[Theo]

Yep What Alan said.

 

BMCs love heat so when its sub or near zero temperatures give I would give it 15 to 20 secs as a first start and a bit longer if it doesn't start. These engines are not your modern common rail managed systems and need more coaxing into life. If after giving it the full beans for nearer 30 secs it still has trouble then that probably points towards some other kind of trouble with injectors or compression for example.

 

The certainly do. I have my Mikluni plumbed so that it can preheat the engine. 15minutes on that and it starts within 2 seconds.

 

Nick

[Tony Brooks]

Thanks everyone. I have just been to the boat and you were all right.

 

Turning the ignition key part way against the springy position, the ignition lights on the panel suddenly flickered and dimmed, I presumed the heaters came on drawing the power. Waited about 20 seconds and the engine fired first turn.

 

Easy when you know how

 

Darren

 

I know how difficult it often is to feel when you reach the "heat" position so I always recommend that you fit another warning lamp that is energised from the "heat" terminal on the ignition switch. In that way it is easy to see.

[David Schweizer]

I know how difficult it often is to feel when you reach the "heat" position so I always recommend that you fit another warning lamp that is energised from the "heat" terminal on the ignition switch. In that way it is easy to see.

A lot of hire boats are fitted with a buzzer. There was one on our boat when we bought it, but I took it off because it annoyed me.

[FadeToScarlet]

The oil pressure warning buzzer gives a good indication on mine of when the glowplugs are on. The increased current draw causes the note to change, so it's easy to tell when they're on or off. Maybe yours does the same?

[cereal tiller]

I know how difficult it often is to feel when you reach the "heat" position so I always recommend that you fit another warning lamp that is energised from the "heat" terminal on the ignition switch. In that way it is easy to see.

An easy way to tell when the glowplugs are in operation is to power them with a nice "clunky" SOLENOID,when the correct key position is reached the solenoid gives you an audible confirmation.

[FadeToScarlet]

Oh, and I think you'll have fun when it comes to changing the oil filter on that installation, I thought mine was hard to get at, but....

[Nemysys]

Oh, and I think you'll have fun when it comes to changing the oil filter on that installation, I thought mine was hard to get at, but....

I understand what you are saying, you are not the first to mention that.

 

My get out clause is that being disabled I couldn't bend down deep enough for long enough to do it. However I do know which company have been servicing this boats engine for many years. They have a long term customer :-)

[ditchcrawler]

The certainly do. I have my Mikluni plumbed so that it can preheat the engine. 15minutes on that and it starts within 2 seconds.

 

Nick

So you find the Mikuni more reliable than the BMC