Water in cylinders BMC 1.5 ... and more

[MtB]

 

 

Isn't it the Pope making stuff up while standing on a bridge?

 

Actually, I think this is so close to the real meaning of the word as to cease being funny!!

 

'Pontification' I would guess, has it's roots in 'pontiff' (the pope). So pontification would actually mean behaving or speaking like a pope.

 

 

MtB

[RLWP]

Actually, I think this is so close to the real meaning of the word as to cease being funny!!

 

'Pontification' I would guess, has it's roots in 'pontiff' (the pope). So pontification would actually mean behaving or speaking like a pope.

 

 

MtB

It is exactly from that root, to do with handing down rulings from the Pontiff

 

Richard

[MtB]

the other things I have to factor in are loss of earnings and costs of psychotherapy while I am laid up waiting for rebuild slot as everyone busy on hire fleets etc at moment ....

 

You mean there is a long wait to get your existing 1.5 re-built by Calcutt?

 

Another approach is to get a knackered 1.8 from somewhere and get a service exchange 1.8 off the shelf from Calcutt. Should be a virtual straight swap in the boat for your 1.5. They are virtually the same engine externally.

 

Either that or buy that smoky 1.5 on ebay and fit it temporarily to get you mobile again while yours is re-built. It might even turn out to be a half decent engine anyway!

 

MtB

Edited February 19, 2014 by Mike the Boilerman

[cereal tiller]

It is exactly from that root, to do with handing down rulings from the Pontiff

 

Richard

Maybe you are all wrong?

 

The original name for Staines on Thames,middlesex, was PONTES.,meaning bridge in Roman.

 

So pontification must be a bloke in a white robe feeding the ducks whilst standing on Staines bridge?

 

Obvious really!

 

CT

[MtB]

Maybe you are all wrong?

 

The original name for Staines on Thames,middlesex, was PONTES.,meaning bridge in Roman.

 

So pontification must be a bloke in a white robe feeding the ducks whilst standing on Staines bridge?

 

Obvious really!

 

CT

 

Now you're at it too!

 

It was never called 'Staines on Thames' until the BBC started calling it that during new reports of the current flood.

 

...Or was it?

 

 

MtB

[RLWP]

 

Now you're at it too!

 

It was never called 'Staines on Thames' until the BBC started calling it that during new reports of the current flood.

 

...Or was it?

 

 

MtB

 

 

 

 

The town changed its official name from Staines to Staines-upon-Thames on 20 May 2012.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staines-upon-Thames

 

Richard

[cereal tiller]

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staines-upon-Thames

 

Richard

Do pay attention Michael,the BBC were calling it Staines-UNDER -thames recently!

 

CT

[MtB]

Well I think they should change it back again!

 

MtB

[cereal tiller]

Well I think they should change it back again!

 

MtB

Are you suggesting that the name be changed back to Pontes,it's original Woeman name?

 

Naming that town was one of the few things those Legion types did during their tour of Briton.

 

CT

 

CT

[MtB]

No, I think it should be called Staines Middlesex again, just like before.

 

Isn't it time you stopped pontificating on here and went off and fixed Bunny's engine?

 

 

MtB

[Albion]

 

I'm pretty sure that is what was said as I wrote it down, it came out of a narrowboat but I have never heard of the mermaid ... other avenues still being explored too but it is very helpful to have all this input

If you do decide to go down the Mermaid route it will be worth getting the timing belt changed before the engine is dropped into the boat unless you have absolute certainty that it has been changed recently. That way you will put off the fateful next change, as Bizz has commented, where access might be a bit of a pig. I believe that these days is it quite common to change idler pulleys and sometimes water pumps at the same time as a belt change as they are often part of the belt run and their bearings have had a good life by then also.

Roger

[bargemast]

If you do decide to go down the Mermaid route it will be worth getting the timing belt changed before the engine is dropped into the boat unless you have absolute certainty that it has been changed recently. That way you will put off the fateful next change, as Bizz has commented, where access might be a bit of a pig. I believe that these days is it quite common to change idler pulleys and sometimes water pumps at the same time as a belt change as they are often part of the belt run and their bearings have had a good life by then also.

Roger

In case of my VW Caddy 2.0sdi engine the belt has to be changed every 5 years or 100.000kms whatever comes first, and I just had the 5 years service and changed the lot, waterpump, idler pulleys etc. as it's not a nice job to do again at a later time if the waterpump would start to leak.

 

Peter.

 

 

Edited to remove the double quote that I didn't manage to remove yesterday, because of the weak wifi signal.

Edited February 20, 2014 by bargemast

[alan_fincher]

 

it has a 3:1 reduction, apparently ....

Being pedantic, I think PRM reduction ratios are seldom whole numbers.

 

The 150, for instance lists as 1.53:1, 2.09:1 or 2.82:1, whereas the 260 seems to have only 2 options, namely 1.96:1 or 2.94:1.

 

If the reduction ratio on the box you are considering is really around 3:1 then I think you need to be a bit careful on your boat that you actually have the space to swing the prop that would be a good match for that ratio on that engine. You don't want to reduce clearances between the skeg or uxter plate down too far - it's not a good idea to have a prop that will "just fit".

 

I would have thought it likely a lower reduction ratio is more likely to result a good match, but one would need to see the numbers.

[MtB]

The 3:1 (nominal) reduction transmission may well be the reason that 1.8 Mermaid is on a shelf and not in a boat.

 

MtB

[HappyBunny]

 

so new head gasket, put her back together, fired her up yesterday and all was well ... for a few minutes,.... then a lot of steam from the engine breather, steam from the oil filler cap and now the oil has water in too ....

I am completely at a loss now, and wondering how water is getting into the top end, getting into my cylinders, and now getting into my bottom end too .... head not cracked, head gasket good

bunny

 

 

So, just a quick update for those of you good people that have given me the benefit of your knowledge and experience .....

 

Tried starting her again after the disappointing result of fitting the new head gasket, because one thing was apparent that gave me some hope ..... the water level in the header tank had not gone down ..... despite all the steam and water in the sump .... so I wondered if maybe there was just a lot of residual water in the system .....

 

she wouldn't start, but a bit of furtleing revealed two glow plugs were dead, and my battery was a bit low, not surprising really ....

 

new glow plugs, and changed the oil .... and away she went ... on three cylinders, and with much steam, wouldn't rev above 1000 rpm and then faded and died ......

 

tried again and off she went, on all four and revving nicely, lots of white smoke from exhaust, steam from oil filler cap, but no steam from breather pipe, I let her run for a bit to charge my batteries and the steam / white smoke lessened. Again water level in header tank constant, tank full of scalding water from calorifier .... all good

 

I have just started her this morning, in a flagrant breach of the rules about running engines before 8am .... and the same .... lumpy lazy start , running on three, wouldn't rev and faded and died. Second attempt she started on all four, and is running nicely now, still some steam / white smoke from exhaust and a bit from oil filler cap BUT no loss of water and no air being released in header tank

 

I'm going to let her run for a bit and change oil again, have a look in rocker box to see if any water collected in there .... and see what happens ..... she may have injector issues as a result of all the water? .... hmmm we shall see

[p6rob]

I have a spare set of barely used injectors if you want to try swapping them out.

[bizzard]

After you've stopped it and its hot leave the oil filler cap off and dipstick out to let some of the water vapour escape.

[HappyBunny]

I have a spare set of barely used injectors if you want to try swapping them out.

 

Gosh, thank you ... there is a rumour going round the tow path here that someone is taking a BMC1.5 out of a boat at Cow Roast Marina today, so I am off on a reccy to see if I can pilfer some parts, but may take you up on that kind offer

 

After you've stopped it and its hot leave the oil filler cap off and dipstick out to let some of the water vapour escape.

 

Good tip, thanks ...... In fact I have not changed the oil because after half hour of running all the milky yukky emulsification in the sump had vanished, and the engine oil was clear (I had just done oil and filters before she blew) ... there was no sign of water in the rocker box .... still no air finding its way out of system and still not using any water .... I have a small bubble of hope growing that it was just the head gasket after all but not doing a happy dance yet ...

 

going to play with my chainsaw and axe in the sunshine for a bit, let her cool down and try her again this afty

[Albion]

 

next day she wouldn't start, engine wouldn't turn over.... flat battery I thought ... but no ....

bit of furtleing around and noticed a dribble of water coming from the air intake ....

So the head has come off AGAIN and revealed two pots full of water, hence why she would not start.... so I think head gasket gone or head cracked

Just going back to your very first post HB and the comments about latest starting, white smoke etc I am just a little concerned that you might have hydraulic locked the engine (remember the engine wouldn't turn over......flat battery I thought) and that now you might have a/some bent con rod/s. White smoke can also be incomplete combustion (as well as steam) injectors/compression faults. Smoke colour diagnosis is sometimes very difficult even to the trained eye.

Roger

[Guest]

Just going back to your very first post HB and the comments about latest starting, white smoke etc I am just a little concerned that you might have hydraulic locked the engine (remember the engine wouldn't turn over......flat battery I thought) and that now you might have a/some bent con rod/s. White smoke can also be incomplete combustion (as well as steam) injectors/compression faults. Smoke colour diagnosis is sometimes very difficult even to the trained eye.

Roger

 

If so, you would expect the engine to sound like a skeleton in a biscuit tin....

[HappyBunny]

Just going back to your very first post HB and the comments about latest starting, white smoke etc I am just a little concerned that you might have hydraulic locked the engine (remember the engine wouldn't turn over......flat battery I thought) and that now you might have a/some bent con rod/s. White smoke can also be incomplete combustion (as well as steam) injectors/compression faults. Smoke colour diagnosis is sometimes very difficult even to the trained eye.

Roger

 

Hmmm it is interesting that you should say that ....

 

during the long hours of rumination about what has been happening in my engine, I have often gone back to when all these problems started ..... when she somehow sucked a screw into the engine, many moons ago, and it bounced from one pot into another before I shut her down ....

 

there appeared to be no damage, except for a faint impression of the pesky screw on one of the pistons .... and a couple of knackered valves etc etc etc .... but since then she has never quite been right since .... hmmmm she isn't particularly noisy ..... but I somehow feel this is not the end of the shenanigans, shall see what happens later ....

[bargemast]

 

If so, you would expect the engine to sound like a skeleton in a biscuit tin....

 

I for one, wouldn't know what sort of sound a skeleton in a biscuit tin makes, but I'm sure it wouldn't be a pleasant sound.

 

Peter.

[Tony Brooks]

A bent conrod caused by hydraulicing is unlikely to cause any sound in itself. Broken piston rings or lands may make a light rattle and the cylinder(s) misfiring may cause noise from excess vibration.

[MtB]

I don't think a skeleton would fit in a biscuit tin. Unless you mean, say, a hamster skeleton.

 

Even then I don't think it would make much noise because it would be dead.

 

Hope that helps,

 

MtB

[Albion]

 

If so, you would expect the engine to sound like a skeleton in a biscuit tin....

Not necessarily so, from my 30 odd years experience in the motor industry.

Roger

 

Hmmm it is interesting that you should say that ....

 

during the long hours of rumination about what has been happening in my engine, I have often gone back to when all these problems started ..... when she somehow sucked a screw into the engine, many moons ago, and it bounced from one pot into another before I shut her down ....

 

there appeared to be no damage, except for a faint impression of the pesky screw on one of the pistons .... and a couple of knackered valves etc etc etc .... but since then she has never quite been right since .... hmmmm she isn't particularly noisy ..... but I somehow feel this is not the end of the shenanigans, shall see what happens later ....

Oh my word......I'm drawn to the conclusion that this screw wasn't a very big one then, or you would have certainly done more significant damage than a faint piston impression and a couple of knackered valves. Was it only small? Not good news all the same IMO.

Roger