Beta JD3 tug engines

[MtB]

 

There have been threads on here about the challenges of getting sufficient 'gearing' from slow speed engines to get high output from modern alternators.

 

 

My vintage engine runs at typically 400rpm when cruising.

 

The pulley on my alternator is 2.5" in diameter, and my crankshaft pulley is 31" in diameter. My alternator spins up just fine!

[Loafer]

Yes, I think the original when I bought it was about 7"

 

Ah see. So you've increased yours to the same sort of size as ours then? That makes sense.

 

I thought that was standard. They did a lot of stuff with that BD3, didn't they? I love it though - it's my first boat and I've trusted that engine everywhere, including two trips up and down the tidal Thames.

 

Blah, blah.

[ditchcrawler]

 

Ah see. So you've increased yours to the same sort of size as ours then? That makes sense.

 

I thought that was standard. They did a lot of stuff with that BD3, didn't they? I love it though - it's my first boat and I've trusted that engine everywhere, including two trips up and down the tidal Thames.

 

Blah, blah.

Bought my engine second hand, the previous owner kept his alternator so I had to source my own and mount it,The crank shaft was quite long with a taper lock pulley on it. I kept the boss and just had to fit a new pulley.

[Tonka]

Bought my engine second hand, the previous owner kept his alternator so I had to source my own and mount it,The crank shaft was quite long with a taper lock pulley on it. I kept the boss and just had to fit a new pulley.

My Bd3 has a 5 kva 240 volt alternator driven from that point

[ditchcrawler]

My Bd3 has a 5 kva 240 volt alternator driven from that point

Funny you should say that. when the boat was new we met up with Barry Hawkins waiting for a lock, he suggested the engine would run better with a 5KW generator and towing 3 butties.

[dmr]

At normal canal cruising speed the JD3 has a much nicer exhaust note when the washing machine is on and its heater is sucking a kilowatt or two out of the TravelPower.

 

.............Dave.

[mark99]

At normal canal cruising speed the JD3 has a much nicer exhaust note when the washing machine is on and its heater is sucking a kilowatt or two out of the TravelPower.

 

.............Dave.

 

 

Same with 2LW - put on the alternator when cuising when batteries are low and the engine comes alive and growls.

[colinblake]

I had a BD3 fitted to my boat as I had come to that age when dissappearing down an engine hole was not the fun it used to be.I would have loved a real vintage engine but felt I did not have the knowledge or expertise to maintain one properly. However, in 5 years the BD3 has never missed a beat, and servicing in an engine room has been a breeze.

I recently replaced the standard silencer with a Tony Redshaw adjustable one. This has a removable end cap to allow you to tune the exhaust note to suit yourself.I fitted mine with no extra sound deadening and it has transformed the BD3s exhaust note.

[Loafer]

I had a BD3 fitted to my boat as I had come to that age when dissappearing down an engine hole was not the fun it used to be.I would have loved a real vintage engine but felt I did not have the knowledge or expertise to maintain one properly. However, in 5 years the BD3 has never missed a beat, and servicing in an engine room has been a breeze.

I recently replaced the standard silencer with a Tony Redshaw adjustable one. This has a removable end cap to allow you to tune the exhaust note to suit yourself.I fitted mine with no extra sound deadening and it has transformed the BD3s exhaust note.

 

Excellent engine, the BD3. I believe I have the last one.

 

Do you have a video, with sound, of your exhaust in action? I might want to do that with mine!

Edited November 26, 2015 by Loafer

[1stArthur]

Hi I have a beta tug engine a bd3 . Is beta the only place for spare parts like hoses or any parts come to that. 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

2 minutes ago, 1stArthur said:

Hi I have a beta tug engine a bd3 . Is beta the only place for spare parts like hoses or any parts come to that. 

I seem to recall you can get spares from tractor dealers as the base unit was also used for rural applications. I’m sure it’s been asked before?

[Chris G]

Perhaps JD = John Deere.

[Tony Brooks]

24 minutes ago, 1stArthur said:

Hi I have a beta tug engine a bd3 . Is beta the only place for spare parts like hoses or any parts come to that. 

 

The tractor moulded hoses are very likely to be specific to the tractor, but you might be lucky enough to find a car spares place (not Halfords) who will try to match them up. Also, hoses to and from the skin tank and calorifier will NOT be Beta or JD parts, so a decent chandler should stock them by the metre. Filters and fan bets should be available on-line or from car spares places, as long as you have the filter number. they c n be cross-referenced to another filter/belt manufacturer.

[1stArthur]

37 minutes ago, Chris G said:

Perhaps JD = John Deere.

I think you’re right it’s a JD . 
any idea where to get spare hoses. Any parts? 

[Tonka]

58 minutes ago, 1stArthur said:

Hi I have a beta tug engine a bd3 . Is beta the only place for spare parts like hoses or any parts come to that. 

Sleeman & Hawken do parts but you need the Lister Number as the Lister CRK3 used the same engine. Agriline do Ford 3910 parts which is the same engine. Have you got a manual, if not drop me a private message and I will send you a softcopy

[1stArthur]

I have a manual thank you . So far the engine is ok but I would feel better if I had some spare hoses. I’m no sure how old the ones fitted are . 

[dmr]

There are lots of pictures of the JD3 and BD3 on the www and they are very different engines so it should be easy to identify which one you have.

 

Assuming its a JD3..

The little hoses connecting water pump to oil filter cooler will be John Deere parts.

The big tapered hose from water pump to copper pipe to oil cooler will be a Beta special.

The short connectors either end of the oil cooler will be supplied by Beta but are standard off the shelf parts for the oil cooler. Try ASAP.

Longer hoses from water pump and header tank to the cooling panel will be supplied by the boat builder but should be available cut to length from a hose specialist. Hoses to calorifier will also likely be semi-standard parts obtained by the boat builder.

John Deere have a goodish online parts catalog.

[1stArthur]

Thank you , I don’t think the straight pipes are a problem as you say cut to length it’s the tapered hose that looks the tricky one to get . 
I’ve contacted Beta about this but they don’t sound as if they have anything. 

[dmr]

19 minutes ago, 1stArthur said:

Thank you , I don’t think the straight pipes are a problem as you say cut to length it’s the tapered hose that looks the tricky one to get . 
I’ve contacted Beta about this but they don’t sound as if they have anything. 

 

The JD3 has been out of production by Beta for a while now and the man who had all the parts Knowledge has long since retired.

I reckon that tapered hose was a handmade/small production run part wound from a tape of some sort of amalgamating rubber, I have seen similar things elsewhere.

That hose on my engine is also looking not too new and sorting this out is on the todo list. A big rework of the copper pipe might be the way to go to get the diameter change done in copper rather than rubber.   There is a very small chance that one of the oil cooler end caps might just fit but that would still likely need modes to the copper pipe.

A specialist rubber company could likely make a similar hose but it might be costly.

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

 

A specialist rubber company could likely make a similar hose but it might be costly.

 

A few years ago I decided to build up a set of spare hoses for my Ford boat engines (6 litre, 6 cylinder). The hoses bore no resemblance to anything that could be found, then I saw a guy on ebay advertising 'made to measure' silicon hoses.

 

A couple of them were different sizes at each end, but it was no problem. Just gave him the length and required fitting sizes, + any bends or curves and he made them up. Even get to choose the colour you want.

 

Price were not dissimilar to 'off the shelf'similar items.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, 1stArthur said:

Hi I have a beta tug engine a bd3 . Is beta the only place for spare parts like hoses or any parts come to that. 

A Lister CK3  or a Ford tractor engine, I always thought it was a Dexta but its not 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

The tractor moulded hoses are very likely to be specific to the tractor, but you might be lucky enough to find a car spares place (not Halfords) who will try to match them up. Also, hoses to and from the skin tank and calorifier will NOT be Beta or JD parts, so a decent chandler should stock them by the metre. Filters and fan bets should be available on-line or from car spares places, as long as you have the filter number. they c n be cross-referenced to another filter/belt manufacturer.

What?? he’s talking about spares?  Not flexible hoses? 

[Tony Brooks]

5 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

What?? he’s talking about spares?  Not flexible hoses? 

 

2 hours ago, 1stArthur said:

Hi I have a beta tug engine a bd3 . Is beta the only place for spare parts like hoses or any parts come to that. 

 

Please explain why the quote of the question means he did not want information about spare hoses.

Edited Friday at 17:55 by Tony Brooks

[Alan de Enfield]

2 hours ago, 1stArthur said:

Is beta the only place for spare parts like hoses

 

 

5 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

What?? he’s talking about spares?  Not flexible hoses? 

 

 

I think he is asking about hoses !

[ditchcrawler]

I'm lost, is it a john Deere or a Ford Lister we are talking about?