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Smoky Lister

homer2911

By homer2911
in Boat Equipment

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homer2911 Rising Star

homer2911

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My LPWS4 - circa 1992 build - has always been very smoky after being run out of gear for charging when moored up for a day or more. It always used to smoke a lot in other circumstances, but that improved a lot when I switched to Morris marine oil. Half an hour of cruising would always clear the smoke. However, we've just been moored somewhere for two weeks among other boats, and the smoking (light blue Incidentally) was pretty well nonstop. Half a day cruising has cleared it. Obviously oil is getting where it shouldn't and is getting burned off. Remedies? Start me off with less expensive suggestions and we'll progress to engine replacement suggestions later! The engine starts fine, runs fine all day and every day - it's just this embarrassing smoke!

Edited by homer2911
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Tiggs Community Regular

Tiggs

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Er - there is no 'chimney'! The engine exhausts to the side, below the level of the cruiser deck

 

Get one then. The higher it is when you let it out, the more dispersed it will be when people smell it. And it does not fill locks up.

 

(actually I read Lister and thought chimney style exhaust, but I see now that it's not a proper one, too many cylinders too)

Edited by Tiggs
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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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It would be technically possible to reroute a dry exhaust on a cruiser stern to go up through the deck and up a chimney but imo that's not the correct solution to a smoking exhaust.

 

I think its running too cold. One of my generators has a LPW3 engine and when started up it smokes a bit but once warmed up it clears up nicely

(I don't know what temperature the thermostat opens at and there is no temp gauge on the control panel)

 

Needs more work or a forced reduction in cooling.

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homer2911 Rising Star

homer2911

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Take it on a river, open the throttle.

 

Take it on a river, open the throttle.

 

Take it on a river, open the throttle.

 

Had this boat for 17 years. Done that countless times. Does no more than an hour or two on the cut does, as far as clearing the smoking goes.

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Dorman Collaborator

Dorman

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Hi Homer

 

We have been through the "smokey" exhaust experience and have had some great help resolving the problem, albeit it has turned into a major rebuild. I don't know if i can name the engineer under the forum rules but PM me and l can give you contact details--suffice to say he is very well known on the forum and was involved right from the beginning coming down to see it running first and then every step of the way while we fix it. Also the parts we need are being made by another forum member.

 

Vote for the forumclapping.gif

 

By the way your particular engine may not be nearly as bad as ours turned out to be so this is probably a bit scary but shows how things can be resolved.

 

Some history on our engine which is a oldish 1960s circ but similar to yours

 

It has been quite smokey for some time but worse on starting and ticking over. As we moor on the Avon it gets a lot of work and the smoke problem does improve with some use.

 

Initially changing the oil to the same brand as you are using has helped and l fitted a thermostat which actually worked and that improved general smokiness, definitely try that first.

However the problem actually in our case didn't really improve and not what you would call blue but black with slight blue but it didn't really seem to use oil and wasn't hard to start unless very cold. Mind you the sump contains over 10 litres so difficult to gauge consumption between oil changes.

 

The rest is the scary bit and l would say may not apply to your engine but we did decided at that stage to take the head off. I suppose we could have lived with the smoke but it wasn't typical of that type of engine.

 

We thought a de-coke may be an answer as the engine has never had the head off in living memory (came from a crane and the original owner has known it for years)

The engine was pretty clean so we needed to go deeper. On further investigation we found very worn cylinder liners and some piston rings. Also the exhaust valves where pitted and worn to a point where one was so badly dished it had grown in length!

We are now in the process of having new liners and piston rings made and the cylinder head overhauled.

I acquired a top end cylinder over haul kit with new piston guides and we sourced some new exhaust valves all at reasonable price but took some searching for by our forum helper.

 

The final cost is not huge and cheaper than a modern replacement engine and way below a rebuilt replacement vintage one and we will have a great engine when it is finished with many more years use. Also no need to change all the ancillaries and prop etc.

 

I would definitely go down the investigation route. With the right advice and help l can say it is will be definitely worth it in the end.

It is amazing how an old engine can run so worn and not really show outward signs apart from some smoke.

 

As I said originally PM me or if l can name names l happy to.

 

Good Luck Simon

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martyn 1 Community Regular

martyn 1

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Posted (edited)

My LPWS4 - circa 1992 build - has always been very smoky after being run out of gear for charging when moored up for a day or more. It always used to smoke a lot in other circumstances, but that improved a lot when I switched to Morris marine oil. Half an hour of cruising would always clear the smoke. However, we've just been moored somewhere for two weeks among other boats, and the smoking (light blue Incidentally) was pretty well nonstop. Half a day cruising has cleared it. Obviously oil is getting where it shouldn't and is getting burned off. Remedies? Start me off with less expensive suggestions and we'll progress to engine replacement suggestions later! The engine starts fine, runs fine all day and every day - it's just this embarrassing smoke!

being an LPWS you have a couple of options for the cause of blue ish smoke. Starting with the least of a problem to deal with would be the crankcase breathers are blocked causing high crankcase pressure and therefore forcing the oil past somewhere (This only needs the rocker covers removing to sort). Second would be the valve guide seals have come adrift or are worn out / The guides themselves are worn (Would require a cylinder head removal and overhaul of the head) and lastly oil passing the piston rings (Either by heavily worn bore/rings or by glazing).

 

Non of these are show stoppers and at worst the engine would need reboring and new pistons but these are available at a sensible cost so certainly not a show stopper. And this can be done in situ if you have the space around the engine and can find a local reconditioners that do on site rebores.

 

Kind Regards

 

Martyn

Edited by martyn 1
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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

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Second would be the valve guide seals

 

As this engine is from 1992, it will have the early style nylon bucket seals - which are best thrown away. Later ones have lip seals on the valve stems

 

Richard

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