Okay, Mabel, now what's going on?

[Shropshirecoal]

Diesel stinks, you would know if that was diesel.

[BlueStringPudding]

And what does two stroke oil smell like?

Edited June 3, 2013 by BlueStringPudding

[AndrewIC]

If it was diesel it would smell a lot, and feel, well, diesely, and it would soak into an oil absorbent pad. Someone ^^up there said you don't have ATF in your gearbox, but that also would soak into an oil pad and pong a bit.

 

What colour is your coolant, normally? Traditional glycol stuff is blue, the colour of diluted Elsan fluid. The new stuff (propylene??) is a sort of ribenery pink. Never mix the two types.... Coolant has a kind of slippery feel to it as well.

[BlueStringPudding]

As I've written in post 21 - blue. And the blue one I use has written all over it that it's safe to mix with any other type of antifreeze.

 

If there's a chance there's also pink antifreeze in the system it would have to be an intense deep red to appear the colour that's under the engine. Maybe it is.

Edited June 3, 2013 by BlueStringPudding

[Shropshirecoal]

Like most oils, two stroke doesn't smell that much, just a bit oily!

The red 2 stroke oil (stihl) like most oils, doesn't mix well with water.

 

Red coolant

 

http://www.transpares.co.uk/p90353/CHILL-FACTOR-5L-RED-ANTIFREEZE/c0-14914-14914

Edited June 3, 2013 by Shropshirecoal

[BlueStringPudding]

If it's been in the engine coolant circuit for 6 years and never been topped up by the header tank, then I suppose it could be full of that shade of red.

[David Mack]

Tiger blood!!

Like most oils, two stroke doesn't smell that much, just a bit oily!
The red 2 stroke oil (stihl) like most oils, doesn't mix well with water.

Red coolant

http://www.transpares.co.uk/p90353/CHILL-FACTOR-5L-RED-ANTIFREEZE/c0-14914-14914

 

That stuff in your link is said to contain a "rush inhibitor". There's a few boats about that need some of that!

[nb Innisfree]

No one's mentioned beetroot juice yet.

[BlueStringPudding]

Early morning experimentation has resulted in the following:

 

The red liquid, when soaked into kitchen roll, does not burn. Not even a bit. The wetness made the kitchen roll flame proof. It took several attempts for me to get the match I put to it to stay lit in fact, because the pink liquid was putting out the flame.

 

I gave it an extra close sniff test. There is definitely no smell to the liquid.

 

I have checked the oil bottles in the stern area, none are two stroke, only 15W40.

 

Last night, I put under the Eberspacher some nappies to show up any leaks. This morning, there is a single drop of red diesel on there. I poked my finger in it and sniffed it - unlike the stuff under the engine, this definitely smelled of diesel. The Eber however is two feet away from the engine with no obvious path for the point of that leak to get all the way over to the engine bilge unless it can travel down and back up again, without leaving a trail. So this cannot be the cause of the red under the engine.

 

This morning I rolled a new white oil pad into a sausage shape and poked it down the side of the engine into the reservoir of red liquid that's under there. Tonight ought to reveal whether its soaking into it or not.

Edited June 4, 2013 by BlueStringPudding

[Ray]

Slightly changing the subject but have you cleaned the drain from the rear deck so that any (rain) water that escapes the deck boards and would otherwise drop into the bilge drops into the drainage channel on which the deck boards rest and drains overboard? Its also advisable to remove as much of the crud in the drainage channel as you can.

 

That said, if the boat has more than a very slight list in the opposite direction to the drain you may be wasting your time.

 

That might help keep your bilge dry.

[BlueStringPudding]

No point, matey, the stern deck and the base of the boat at the back end slopes the wrong way. Thanks for the suggestion though. The rainwater I can deal with. It the red stuff I'm concerned about.

[Ray]

No point, matey, the stern deck and the base of the boat at the back end slopes the wrong way. Thanks for the suggestion though. The rainwater I can deal with. It the red stuff I'm concerned about.

 

No problem. Seems strange that the drain is arranged like that on a hire boat. I'd have thought (from exerience of turning them round weekly) that the last thing the hire company would want is any arrangement whereby there was a risk to the craft because of the bilge flooding.

 

I don't suppose there was evidence of anything of a similar colour on the stern deck. I wondered if somebody may have (for example) discarded a red drink that then dripped into the bilge.

 

Hopefully your current investigations will reveal any leaks but you may have to wait until it rains again to see if the same problem arises once more.

[BlueStringPudding]

Alas, no red drinks, although it'd be great if that was all it was.

 

Yes, Mabel is a funny creature. Bilge water drains to the front unless the water tank is nearly empty, then it heads back towards the bilge pump at the prop end.

 

I've left the engine looking like its wearing rag rollers in its hair, there's that many pieces of kitchen roll tied around joints and pipes. Should hopefully reveal by tonight if any diesel is seeping from any joints in the pipework..

[BEngo]

Taste a tiny bit of it- dip the very tip of a finger in it and then lick the finger. If it tastes sweet it's probably glycol from coolant. Wash mouth out straight away ( whisky, brandy, red wine and strong ale are always effective for this) Some coolants change colour when the corrosion inhibitors are exhausted or maybe it's just a reaction with something like the paint on the deck supports..

 

regards

 

N

[MtB]

Some coolants change colour when the corrosion inhibitors are exhausted

 

That's a good point. If its a rusty bilge would the corrosion inhibitors be overwhelmed and turn pink instantly?

 

 

MtB

 

P.S. the liquid looks water-based in the first photo, from the way it is 'pooling' on the silver perforated oily grid thing

[Mick_B]

ATF = Armed Task Force....

 

 

 

 

 

[JerryP]

*** curls up in a corner and cries ***

 

Kelvin says don't be sad and sends you a Cheeryuppy lick and furry cuddle ,he also said if you were closer he'd send his Dad round to fix it.

[BlueStringPudding]

Kelvin says don't be sad and sends you a Cheeryuppy lick and furry cuddle ,he also said if you were closer he'd send his Dad round to fix it.

That's a good point. If its a rusty bilge would the corrosion inhibitors be overwhelmed and turn pink instantly? MtBP.S. the liquid looks water-based in the first photo, from the way it is 'pooling' on the silver perforated oily grid thing

For silver perforated oily grid thing, please read "white oil pad half smothered in rainwater (and oil and red stuff)"

[MtB]

 

For silver perforated oily grid thing, please read "white oil pad half smothered in rainwater (and oil and red stuff)"

 

I see!

 

Whatever it is soaked in, it seems to be repelling the ribena. I conclude the ribena is water-based. Supported by your hexperimentantions with a match. Whatever is wrong, my gut feeling is it isn't serious or expensive.

 

(Don't tell Mabel I said so.)

 

 

MtB

[RLWP]

 

I see!

 

Whatever it is soaked in, it seems to be repelling the ribena. I conclude the ribena is water-based. Supported by your hexperimentantions with a match. Whatever is wrong, my gut feeling is it isn't serious or expensive.

 

(Don't tell Mabel I said so.)

 

 

MtB

 

I see you don't deduce that the oil-pad-soaked-in-water isn't repelling some other red substance, diesel for instance?

 

Richard

[MtB]

 

I see you don't deduce that the oil-pad-soaked-in-water isn't repelling some other red substance, diesel for instance?

 

Richard

 

That's because oil doesn't repel diesel....

 

Or maybe you know otherwise!

 

MtB

[RLWP]

Water does - so a cloth full of water will too. And Mabel Stark's engine bilge has water in it if I remember furtling around in it correctly

 

Look, I'm prepared to believe that my careful examination from the comfort of my computer screen is wrong. It would be useful to eliminate diesel as a possible cause first by checking the joints in the pipes to, on and from the engine. Five minutes work, no diesel leaks and then all is well and it will turn out to be tiger blood. Otherwise another five minutes tightening up pipes and all is well again

 

Richard

Edited June 4, 2013 by RLWP

[MtB]

Water does - so a cloth full of water will too. And Mabel Stark's engine bilge has water in it if I remember furtling around in it correctly

 

Look, I'm prepared to believe that my careful examination from the comfort of my computer screen is wrong. It would be useful to eliminate diesel as a possible cause first by checking the joints in the pipes to, on and from the engine. Five minutes work, no diesel leaks and then all is well and it will turn out to be tiger blood. Otherwise another five minutes tightening up pipes and all is well again

 

Richard

 

I'm equally prepared to believe your "careful examination from the comfort of my computer screen is wrong", lol! Same for my own!

 

Whatever it is, I stand by my gut feeling that it is a trivial fault and easily fixed. I cannot support this feeling with hard evidence. You seem to agree

 

 

MtB

[RLWP]

Absolutely, we're both guessing. To support my guess I do have:

 

• my guess uses liquids that are regularly found in an engine bay
• large quantities of diesel floating on water looks like dilute Ribena
• if it is diesel, something should be done about it

Richard

[Guest]

If it was diesel it would smell a lot, and feel, well, diesely, and it would soak into an oil absorbent pad. Someone ^^up there said you don't have ATF in your gearbox, but that also would soak into an oil pad and pong a bit.

 

What colour is your coolant, normally? Traditional glycol stuff is blue, the colour of diluted Elsan fluid. The new stuff (propylene??) is a sort of ribenery pink. Never mix the two types.... Coolant has a kind of slippery feel to it as well.

I had a very small diesel leak on the previous boat, and it stunk to high heaven. I could be wrong (usually am) but suspect the OP would know in no uncertain terms if it was diesel in the bilges.