Okay, Mabel, now what's going on?

[cheshire~rose]

Redex - or Chateu Neuf Du Pape

 

.......... we can rule out blood produced from gum disease though

[Chalky]

I know you said the antifreeze is blue but have you checked the level?

[carlt]

I know you said the antifreeze is blue but have you checked the level?

It's not one of those that changes colour when the concentration is wrong is it?

[Geoff Taylor]

Hi, Taste it,they all have very different and easily distiguishable flavours,may sound mad but it has settled many a problem for me!!

[matty40s]

Mikey B likes Beaujolais, however I would use it as number 13, bilge reddening agent, or for cooking large joints of whalemeat in prior to feeding sabre toothed marmots with.

[Starcoaster]

Agreed. Beaujolais is RUFF!

[BlueStringPudding]

I know you said the antifreeze is blue but have you checked the level?

 

The level will always appear constant because it tops up automatically from the header tank, which in turn tops up automatically via a cistern-like valve, from the main water supply.

[LoneWolf]

The level will always appear constant because it tops up automatically from the header tank, which in turn tops up automatically via a cistern-like valve, from the main water supply.

 

 

can you disable the cistern-like valve for diagnostic purposes?

 

Or just clean the bilge again

[Grace and Favour]

 

 

can you disable the cistern-like valve for diagnostic purposes?

 

Or just clean the bilge again

Are you running Beaujolais through your water system??

[LoneWolf]

another though; maybe theres a rip in the space time continuum in your bilge and the red is some kind of doppler effect from looking through the rushing space

[Dalslandia]

I have been Reading this along thé canal today.

1 It is not diesel, 2. Not glykol 3. not brakefluid

If it was brake fluid the brake pedal Will feel soft and spongie.

It can be pollen or Sahara desert sand, dont laugh!

That come down with rain water. Or red dirt from your shoes

Diesel smell like diesel, glykol like sweet.

Jan

Edited June 6, 2013 by Dalslandia

[BlueStringPudding]

Monkey has been exploring my bilges this morning (matron) and asked me to post this photo of the oil pad:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kdcy2d52791xvgc/DSC00998.jpg

[tree monkey]

Ok gents, I have survived this mornings bilge dive and seen the red tide for my self, my conclusions are.

 

It's not diesel, no smell at all

It's not anti freeze, no sweet taste

It's not vital engine fluids of any sort

 

There are many small weeps of diesel from joints around the Eber diesel feed and fuel filter, I will try and sort those when BSP has got the filters for an engine service but nothing to worry about.

 

The only guess I have and this is a major shot in the dark is what sort of lube, if any, is used in the rubber boot on the Aquadrive and might that have leaked?

As I say it's a shot in the dark and tbh I doubt it but anyone?

 

If I am honest I think something has got into the darkest depths of Mabel's bilge that contains some sort of red dye and this is what we are seeing, the fact that whatever it is has dried on the oil pad and not soaked in sort of points in that direction

 

Anyway over to the more mechanical minded bods on the forum, anyone needs some questions about trees answering, I feel far more qualified for those sort of querys

 

Cheers

[BlueStringPudding]

Ok gents, I have survived this mornings bilge dive and seen the red tide for my self,

[Paul C]

Previous advice applies then - clean it up and see if it occurs again!!!

[bizzard]

The Aquadrive units incorporate two Constant velocity joints, same as most cars use on their drive shafts these days. The grease in them is special for CV joints ''CV join grease'' and is a dark grey colour ''or should be. To check its colour remove or snip off a rubber gaiter-boot retaining clip, the larger one would be best and just pull the boot off the joint carefully and you will see the grease. The boot clip which you have snipped off with side cutters is usually metal but sometimes plastic cable ties are used. A plastic cable tie can be used as a replacement clip.

The rings of Allen head socket screws which hold the joints together have a habit of coming loose, the threads of these are often treated with ''Thread lock compound'' which is sometimes coloured red depending on the make, but any excess of this would have set hard and I doubt would have dripped down.

[bizzard]

The Aquadrive units incorporate two Constant velocity joints, same as most cars use on their drive shafts these days. The grease in them is special for CV joints ''CV join grease'' and is a dark grey colour ''or should be. To check its colour remove or snip off a rubber gaiter-boot retaining clip, the larger one would be best and just pull the boot off the joint carefully and you will see the grease. The boot clip which you have snipped off with side cutters is usually metal but sometimes plastic cable ties are used. A plastic cable tie can be used as a replacement clip.

The rings of Allen head socket screws which hold the joints together have a habit of coming loose, the threads of these are often treated with ''Thread lock compound'' which is sometimes coloured red depending on the make, but any excess of this would have set hard and I doubt would have dripped down.

The thrust bearing block attached at the rear end of the Auadrive and fixed at either side by rubber bushes and nuts and bolts to the the boats cross frame may well have a red coloured bearing grease in it, check around it for signs of grease having oozed out.

Edited June 8, 2013 by bizzard

[RLWP]

Don't bugger about with the Aquadrive. It's brand new and contains black grease

 

Richard

[Taslim]

Ok gents, I have survived this mornings bilge dive and seen the red tide for my self, my conclusions are.

 

It's not diesel, no smell at all

It's not anti freeze, no sweet taste

It's not vital engine fluids of any sort

 

There are many small weeps of diesel from joints around the Eber diesel feed and fuel filter, I will try and sort those when BSP has got the filters for an engine service but nothing to worry about.

 

The only guess I have and this is a major shot in the dark is what sort of lube, if any, is used in the rubber boot on the Aquadrive and might that have leaked?

As I say it's a shot in the dark and tbh I doubt it but anyone?

 

If I am honest I think something has got into the darkest depths of Mabel's bilge that contains some sort of red dye and this is what we are seeing, the fact that whatever it is has dried on the oil pad and not soaked in sort of points in that direction

 

Anyway over to the more mechanical minded bods on the forum, anyone needs some questions about trees answering, I feel far more qualified for those sort of querys

 

Cheers

The 'photo of the residue on the pad looks very similar stuff I found in some disused holding tanks I had to clean out. It was some kind of algae according to my biologist mate, a bit like diesel bug? Preasure wash, with added bleach, and mop out sorted it.

 

Edit 'case Im having trouble taking (to) the tablet.

Edited June 8, 2013 by Taslim

[BlueStringPudding]

Algae? Interesting. Could well be. I'm not gonna be able to pressure wash under the engine though because

A. It's under the engine and oil residue will get blasted all over the place

B. I don't have anything means to power a pressure washer

C. I don't have a pressure washer

 

But I'll give it all another really good clean out by hand. Is bleach safe to use in the engine bilge (doesn't react with potential chemicals or oils in there?) Or are there any alternative algae killing substances I can use when cleaning it out? Chances of getting into every nook under the engine is slim, ya see. Rain water will accumulate in there again when we next have a particularly heavy downfall too which may encourage more algae to come back again.

 

At least it's a pretty colour

[cheshire~rose]

Algae?

 

 

Oooh! I hope it is not that plant form that features in The Life Of Pi

 

[tree monkey]

Don't bugger about with the Aquadrive. It's brand new and contains black grease

 

Richard

who said i was going to bugger about with it, this mornings question was merely the random thoughts of at that stage a baffled and greasy monkey.

 

i know my limits as far as spannering is concerned, on the other hand, tree advice freely given from a position of confidence, knowledge and experience

[Taslim]

Algae? Interesting. Could well be. I'm not gonna be able to pressure wash under the engine though because

A. It's under the engine and oil residue will get blasted all over the place

B. I don't have anything means to power a pressure washer

C. I don't have a pressure washer

 

But I'll give it all another really good clean out by hand. Is bleach safe to use in the engine bilge (doesn't react with potential chemicals or oils in there?) Or are there any alternative algae killing substances I can use when cleaning it out? Chances of getting into every nook under the engine is slim, ya see. Rain water will accumulate in there again when we next have a particularly heavy downfall too which may encourage more algae to come back again.

 

At least it's a pretty colour

It was the colour that reminded me.

 

The crud I cleared was just as in your 'photo.

 

As far as I am aware (Get out clause ) bleach, used in moderation, won't damage anything in the engine bilge. The fact that rain water is getting in sugests that it may be organic rather than engine/transmition leakage too.

[tree monkey]

Algae?

 

 

Oooh! I hope it is not that plant form that features in The Life Of Pi

 

i was thinking war of the worlds

[Dalslandia]

BSP

I am sure it is bird dropping, that have been eating berry, but i guessthere is no berry yet, so stop feed the birds with berry :-)