BMC Thorneycroft 1500 Engine Service

[silverbuttocks]

Hi All,

 

I am planning to service the above engine on our NB this weekend. I used to service my car years back, but I am pretty much a novice and haven't worked on diesel engines before. I am pretty practical, so I should be ok and don;t want to pay 120 - 150 for the (dis)pleasure of someone doing it for me.

 

I gather I need to replace fuel filter, oil filter, air filter and of course oil. Anyone out there got anything to add to that list? The engine runs well actually, but recently it takes a while to start (maybe 30 - 40 seconds before it finally fires) and is much smokier than it used to be when we first bought the boat in the summer. I'm guessing it needs a service anyway.

 

Looking through the stuff that the previous owner left, I have two new fuel filters (a Crossland C1191PL and a Coopers/Fiaam FT4788/AZF015 - can I use either??) and what looks like a fan belt (Gates 6375MC 11.9 x 1010). Should I change the latter as there is a new one?? This sounds like it might be beyond my skills.

 

Does anyone have part numbers for the oil and air filters to save me climbing down into the engine compartment and trying to look for them on the old ones??

 

Any advice would be very much appreciated!!!!

 

Cheers!!!

 

Mike

[David Schweizer]

Both the fuel filters you have quoted are correct for the BMC1.5 as is the alternator belt if the engine still has the standard pulleys.

 

Other Fuel Filters are :- Crossland 522, CAV 296, Delphi 296

 

Oil Filters are:- Crossland 405 (or 418 which is 6mm shorter but fits), Cooper GP223, BMC3317, Fram CA507 (or CAK 546)

 

The Thorneycroft Air Filter element is Part Number is 54382499 I don't have details of any alternative products for this.

[bottle]

 

recently it takes a while to start (maybe 30 - 40 seconds before it finally fires

 

You are using the heaters for 30 seconds and the engine speed control in the half, full speed position, gears dis-engaged.

 

That is how I was told to start one, temperatures are getting lower, it's that time of year.

[silverbuttocks]

 

You are using the heaters for 30 seconds and the engine speed control in the half, full speed position, gears dis-engaged.

 

That is how I was told to start one, temperatures are getting lower, it's that time of year.

 

pretty much, i pre-heat for 40 secs, and have throttle around half speed, but then it takes quite a while to catch and almost feels like if it were much colder it wouldn't at all. anyway, i guess either way it probably could do with a service. you're right though, it's getting colder so i guess this is probably normal in some ways...thanks

Both the fuel filters you have quoted are correct for the BMC1.5 as is the alternator belt if the engine still has the standard pulleys.

 

Other Fuel Filters are :- Crossland 522, CAV 296, Delphi 296

 

Oil Filters are:- Crossland 405 (or 418 which is 6mm shorter but fits), Cooper GP223, BMC3317, Fram CA507 (or CAK 546)

 

The Thorneycroft Air Filter element is Part Number is 54382499 I don't have details of any alternative products for this.

thanks very much david - that's really helpful, cheers!

[bottle]

 

i guess either way it probably could do with a service.

 

Probably right, maybe some injector cleaner may help but just do the service first.

 

May some some pennies.

 

edit: Just thought one or more of the heater plugs may have failed. Sorry to think of that.

Edited October 30, 2013 by bottle

[bizzard]

Crosland have merged with Fram so you'd need to cross reference them over to the new Fram numbers. Of course though some stockists will still have some old stock green boxed Crosland filters on the shelf.

[matty40s]

You might find that there are two filters in the fuel line, one closer to the tank. The first one is supposed to clear water and other crap before the fuel gets to you engine filter.This is usually a different brand to the standard filter and is often missed out on engine services .

Make sure this one is serviced too.

This shows the crap I got out of one last week, the 5mm at the top is diesel.

 

 

[alan_fincher]

You are using the heaters for 30 seconds and the engine speed control in the half, full speed position, gears dis-engaged.

The original BMC manual actually tells you to cold start with the speed control in the fully open position.

 

Don't shoot the messenger, but that's what the manufacturer said when the engines were new......

[bigste]

I hope the mrs ain't gonna use that jug for the yorkshire pudding mix. lol

[bottle]

Thanks Alan

 

No gun handy, I did say, it was what I was told

 

Just goes to show that you cannot believe all you are told.

[David Schweizer]

You might find that there are two filters in the fuel line, one closer to the tank. The first one is supposed to clear water and other crap before the fuel gets to you engine filter.This is usually a different brand to the standard filter and is often missed out on engine services .

Make sure this one is serviced too.

This shows the crap I got out of one last week, the 5mm at the top is diesel.

 

 

 

 

If I got all that muck in my fuel filter, I would consider having my tank polished. As it is, I just get pink clear diesel in the filter, I usually leave it in a jar overnight, but there is never any settlememnt of water/diesel, let alone any sediment.

Edited October 30, 2013 by David Schweizer

[matty40s]

If I got all that muck in my fuel filter, I would consider having my tank polished. As it is, I just get pink clear diesel in the filter, I usually leave it in a jar overnight, but there is never any settlememnt of water/diesel, let alone any sediment.

apparently the owners had the boat for 4 years and hadn't had it serviced since they bought it (630 engine hours). Shown the jugs and I think they may get it done slightly more often now.

[David Schweizer]

apparently the owners had the boat for 4 years and hadn't had it serviced since they bought it (630 engine hours). Shown the jugs and I think they may get it done slightly more often now.

 

Whilst 630 hours without a service is an indication of neglect, I would not have thought that it would have much (if any) consequence on fuel contamination, assuming the fuel had been purchased from a reliable source. What your photo is suggesting is serious contamination of the fuel, but probably not diesel bug which is usually black.

 

There was a fuel boat around the system some years ago which was selling very cheap diesel fuel which had been used to flush out the the tanks on oil tankers, and that probably had quite a lot of muck in it despite having been filtered (or so the boat owner claimed) If your boat was re-fueled by this boat (it was on the Southern Oxford at the time, and it was not Gosty Hill) you may be suffering from the consequences of the "dirty" fuel.

 

If I had that much muck in my fuel, I would seriously consider having the fuel polished, although you could have a go at it yourself using a Pela Oil extractor and a lot of transparent containers.

 

Edited to add:- What is the consistency of the light brown sludge at the bottom of the jug? is it thick and creamy? if so it could be emulsified diesel which indicates a high level of water in your tank. It may be possible to resolve this with a good dosing of Fuel Set, but emptying the tank and starting again might be a better solution (but still use Fuel Set)

Edited October 31, 2013 by David Schweizer

[matty40s]

Hi David, there was indeed bug evident, both in the filter and the jug, the light on the photo wasn't brilliant. The diesel polishing equipment only arrived at the workshop at the end of last week but the owners have requested a home mooring visit to have their tank polished.