Beta Engine Bracket Fracture

[NB Willawaw]

I've been reading a report on another website about a 56ft boat with a Beta 1505 engine which appears to have a repeated fault where the bracket holding the water pipe is shearing with load/vibration and damaging the oil filter.

I have a Beta Greenline 43, but don't seem to have this problem (yet!).

Have any other Beta owners had similar problems ? the same page was also talking about the problem on a Greenline 38 !

 

Best Regards

 

Mark

 

NB Willawaw

 

Cowroast GU (Moored)

[DHutch]

Yes, there was a thread about this a few weeks ago, im sure you can find it if you use the search.

 

hope this helps, daniel

[NB Willawaw]

Had a quick trawl using the search function. Found about 13 entries on Beta matters but nothing about this bracket thing.

[John Orentas]

I think I know what Daniel is thinking about but I seem to remember it was a Volvo engine and I am not even sure if it was on this site or one of the magazines. Beta have marinised many models of engine over the years, usually Kubota base.

 

All you can do is keep a close eye on the bracket and make sure it is not excessively loaded or for peace of mind you could take the bracket off and get someone to make another from thicker material.

[Big COL]

John

 

The fault is on a beta 1505, and is documented on http://www.narrowboatworld.com/

under equipment.

[John Orentas]

Having read the link supplied by Colin, I still think a more substantial bracket is required, and a secondary support for the water pipes. Don't just carry on fitting the original it is clearly not up to the job.

[maffi mushkila]

John

 

  The fault is on a beta 1505, and is documented on http://www.narrowboatworld.com/

under equipment.

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But nonetheless useful on ther same page is an article about the Volvo Stern greaser. Worth a look.

Edited February 3, 2005 by maffi mushkila

[DHutch]

I think I know what Daniel is thinking about but I seem to remember it was a Volvo engine.

 

I think it was a Beta, it defonatly on this forum, with a link to the artical on narrowboatworld. But i have to admit, i can find it now!!

 

daniel

[NB Willawaw]

No I found the link and it WAS a Beta. Primarily, the smaller one than I have on Willawaw, the 1505, but it also mentioned the Greenline series, which I have.

Anyway, nobody else seems to have reported any problems, so may be it was a batch fault or an isolated incident.

[John Orentas]

Maffi.

 

There is a lot to be said for the more traditional stern tube, they have a bad name with some people mainly because the stern gear installation generally is often poor, there are still boats being made without effective couplings in the drive chain.

 

It is no bad thing that people should be disciplined to check the greaser every day, you should carry out a visual inspection anyway, I am sure some people would neglect to look inside the engine compartment for days or weeks on end if they did not have that little task to carry out.

 

My boat is 12+ years old, I still get no more than a pint of water through my stern gland in each year. I adjust the gland possibly once a year and use 200 ml of grease every 5 years or so, I believe the ecology of the canal can easily cope with that amount.

 

A traditional stern tube and shaft costs less than £100 up here and they should last 30 or more years, how does that compare with the Volvo one.

[Amicus]

What does the stern-gear look like on a narrow-boat?. I would guess a stuffing box on the inside and a cutlass bearing on the outside jammed up a steel tube??

[DHutch]

Im sorry i havnt got a better picture, but this is a photo o took of our alternator, in which you can see the STG (top right)

 

 

daniel

[Amicus]

somick rong ere, i dont see no piccy.

guess I'll have to dig Internet Explorer out of the garbage can.

[Amicus]

Cheers dhutch, that looks like the usual suspect. Any idea whats in back of the frame? steel tube welded to the frame and skin? or somick fancy, like a bronze tube to an outboard bearing?

[Amicus]

On closer inspection of your piccy, me old dhutch, that stuffing box need re-packing, get it seen to, will you please

[John Orentas]

Starting from the propeller end. A steel internally treaded bush is welded into the hull, usually 2" BSP thread. Into this bush is screwed the stern tube proper, about 8 inches long threaded both ends with an accurate 1.5 inch (+ a few 'thou.') diameter bore through it, this is the bearing surface for the 1.5 inch dia. stainless steel prop. shaft. Screwed onto the inboard end of the tube is a gland arrangement, within which a packing material is compressed causing it to tighten around the shaft giving a watertight seal.

 

The only other refinement is a small pipe midway along the stern tube which delivers grease to the bearing surfaces. The lubricant is forced into the tube by a fixed grease-gun. As the gland packing wears after a period of time allowing water to pass through it it can be further compressed usually by two nuts on the gland.

Edited February 4, 2005 by John Orentas

[Amicus]

Thank you John, very clear. A bit different to what I’m used to, the tube being the bearing, certainly a large bearing surface.

cheersandgone

[DHutch]

On closer inspection of your piccy, me old dhutch, that stuffing box need re-packing, get it seen to, will you please 

 

Nah, it great! - well, its not leaking at moment.

[maffi mushkila]

There is a lot to be said for the more traditional stern tube, they have a bad name with some people mainly because the stern gear installation generally is often poor, there are still boats being made without effective couplings in the drive chain.

Not arguing with you John I don't know my bowspit from an arm pit

It is no bad thing that people should be disciplined to check the greaser every day, you should carry out a visual inspection anyway, I am sure some people would neglect to look inside the engine compartment for days or weeks on end if they did not have that little task to carry out.

Being an aircraft engineer I am already working on the disipline bit. Have an outline of "before flight" and "after flight" checks worked out. As well as Weekly/Monthly/Yearly servicing etc.

My boat is 12+ years old, I still get no more than a pint of water through my stern gland in each year.  I adjust the gland possibly once a year and use 200 ml of grease every 5 years or so, I believe the ecology of the canal can easily cope with that amount.

Probably, but times 200ml by the number of boats on the canal?

A traditional stern tube and shaft costs less than £100 up here and they should last 30 or more years, how does that compare with the Volvo one.

I have no idea how much. But it is still worth a look, don't you think?

[John Orentas]

Maffi.

 

Over the years there have been many stern-gear innovations, "Fit and forget, no lubrication required, proven on sea-boats for 50 years". Few if any of these have stood the test of time on canal boats, many suffered from contamination from the muddy, gritty water of the canals, others where not as maintenance free as they were claimed to be.

 

There is a lot to be said for traditional stern-gear, cheap, robust and virtually free from the potential of catastrophic failure.

 

There is an awful lot of canal water to cope with a very small amount of stern-tube grease.

 

On occasions I lend my boat out to friends, I have evolved a comprehensive 'Instruction manual' which explains in some detail the workings of the boat including routine maintenance and even the use of locks, tunnels and so on. I can send it to anyone who is interested.

 

On your first point, thrust a Stanley knife into it, if it doesn't hurt it's a bow spit.

[maffi mushkila]

On your first point, thrust a Stanley knife into it, if it doesn't hurt it's a bow spit.

 

Good idea I might try that, but if it all goes pear shaped expect a letter from Dibble,Dabble and Squibalob who will want to discuss the importance of not making such flippant remarks to a novice presently under suicide watch in hospital.

Edited February 7, 2005 by maffi mushkila