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Okay, Mabel, now what's going on?


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Well, the engine is running smoothly. There still no air filter on at the moment but it doesn't seem to be a problem, I'll get one soon. In fact the engine sounds pretty happy.

 

But!

 

This is something new - after heavy rain last week, the water gathered under the engine as it always does (the boat has a weirdly draining stern deck) but the water under the engine taken on an interesting hue. I assume its diesel but I've never had so much as a snifter of a diesel leak before. Also it isn't looking oily on the surface of the water which diesel usually does, it just looks like diluted Ribena. And it doesn't smell of diesel either - it just smells of slightly stale water. And it isn't soaking into the oil pads like the oil has, it's seems just blended into the water.

 

Any ideas what's happening and why?

 

Back end by gearbox

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8wcloz9y51uu9ff/DSC00989.jpg

 

Front end by alternators

https://www.dropbox.com/s/12z2600lw1pyp34/DSC00992.jpg

 

Looking under the engine from the side (camera flash makes the colour look rather more exciting than it is - assuming a small animal hasn't been minced under there)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e4ayze52tlqlsg8/DSC00990.jpg

 

Lastly this is where I've soaked it up in some kitchen roll to smell it and feel it - just seems like water, except its pink

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3or1gxb2f82zwyv/DSC00991.jpg

 

Edited to try and embed images - failed abysmally

Edited by BlueStringPudding
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I was wondering that but unless something engine-side was disturbed, I can't think how the diesel would get from the Eber end all the way to the engine.

 

Maybe something being moved Eber end has dislodged something engine end?

 

Does your gearbox have any ATF or similar in it? That is (if I remember right) normally red, and that stuff sort of mixes with water to give that Ribena effect.

What is ATF?

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sad.png

 

As it is the engine bilge, you don't have a lot of choice. The gearbox has ordinary oil in it, the engine oil will be black, coolant will probably be a rusty colour, so it's diesel

 

Unless you have been pouring Ribena into the engine bay

 

Richard

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I was wondering that but unless something engine-side was disturbed, I can't think how the diesel would get from the Eber end all the way to the engine.

 

Maybe something being moved Eber end has dislodged something engine end?

 

 

What is ATF?

 

Automatic Transmission Fluid. Posh word for oil. Stupidly expensive oil!

 

MtB

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Just wipe a piece of kitchen towel underneath the bulge of the gearbox. Whatever appears will indicate if its a) leaking and cool.png contributimg to the Ribena effect. At least that may rule out one possibility.

 

eta - very slow typist! Richard has ruled this out.

Edited by Mike Tee
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Everyone rabbiting on about diesel or ATF but it looks like red dyed coolant to me.

 

Another clue is BSP's comment:

 

Lastly this is where I've soaked it up in some kitchen roll to smell it and feel it - just seems like water, except its pink

 

So to BSP - check coolant level, engine overheating, hoses etc.

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Everyone rabbiting on about diesel or ATF but it looks like red dyed coolant to me.

 

Another clue is BSP's comment:

 

Lastly this is where I've soaked it up in some kitchen roll to smell it and feel it - just seems like water, except its pink

 

So to BSP - check coolant level, engine overheating, hoses etc.

I think you are right. A couple of my vans have had red coolant in them.

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I was wondering that but unless something engine-side was disturbed, I can't think how the diesel would get from the Eber end all the way to the engine.

 

Maybe something being moved Eber end has dislodged something engine end?

 

 

What is ATF?

 

 

does the Eber have its own cooling system with a filler tank & red coolant like mine?

 

eta:mine looks like a white plastic box half filled with water fixed to the wall with some crappy plastic pipes coming out.

Edited by LoneWolf
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Nope, the Eber shares the same header tank as the engine both of which use blue antifreeze. I'm not ruling out there may have been some red antieeze in the engine coolant once but if there is its from 6 years ago, because I haven't knowingly used any sonce ive owned the boat. And as it shares the same coolant as the central heating and the radiators bleed mainly clear / pale blue, I'd be surprised if it is red.

 

But I'm not ruling it out because the header tank is only there to top things up. So how do I check engine coolant if not at the header tank?

 

By the way, I have no way of knowing if the engine is overheating because there's no gauge. It appears to be running fine.

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Looks like (red) diesel to me. ATF is auto transmission fluid - which is sometimes the specified lubricant in narrowboat transmissions. ATF is much more viscous than diesel though.



I know its very unlikely to be...but worth mentioning for completeness. 2 stroke oil is red. You've not stored or spilt any of this, or petrol/oil mix, in here (chainsaw etc)?

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Looks like (red) diesel to me. ATF is auto transmission fluid - which is sometimes the specified lubricant in narrowboat transmissions. ATF is much more viscous than diesel though.I know its very unlikely to be...but worth mentioning for completeness. 2 stroke oil is red. You've not stored or spilt any of this, or petrol/oil mix, in here (chainsaw etc)?

Now that's an interesting theory... There is a mystery bottle of something lurking around with the other bottles of oil and stuff under the stern deck. I'll check it out in the morning in case it's two stroke oil, because years ago I had a chainsaw on board. It got nicked, so there's not been petrol aboard for a very long time and it was never at the back of the boat. But the little mysterious bottle that went with it, is now at the back of the boat. Several feet away from the engine, but worth checking out.

It in no way explains how it could have spilled under the engine, but let's not rule anything out! I'll check it out in the morning when I've got some daylight. And I'll give it a sniff test too. :)

 

I've also put nappies under the Eber in case that shows a leak by the morning (still wouldn't explain a magical leap of faith by any leaking diesel from it to the engine, but no harm in checking for additional leaks). But as there's never been a diesel leak at the engine before, and as the only work done in there since i cleaned the engine bilge out and put in new white oil pads, was the reinstallation of the Eber, i also cant rule out that something has shifted or has started leaking thats related to that.

 

And tomorrow I'll wrap a bit of kitchen roll around each of the joints from the fuel filter to the engine too.

 

As that's about as much investigatoriness I can do at this stage.

 

Thanks so far everyone, I shall report back anon.

 

Does it smell?

As mentioned above, nope it doesn't smell. Just faintly of stale water, rather than a diesel or oil smell. And I have a hooter like a bloodhound :)

 

But I can't escape the fact that the most likely cause is a red diesel leak from somewhere

Edited by BlueStringPudding
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Does it burn? (eg a small piece of kitchen paper soaked in it?). If so, vigorously (probably diesel) or more slowly with yellow flame & lots of smoke (more likely some sort of lubricating oil).

Use sensible precautions of course if you try this.

 

Tim

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