Service interval for a 1.5

[watcher]

What is the correct service interval for a 1.5 please

[pete.i]

I wouldn't have thought there was any specific interval for servicing. I checked my oil and water once a week and did a full service including all the filters every year. Don't forget the gearbox as well. Mine was a Hurth box and that was also checked once a week and the oil (ATF) changed once a year.

 

It depends on how much you use your engine and whilst that was my regime others will have different ideas on engine servicing. There are other bits that would need to be looked at as well such as belts and tappets, timing perhaps, glow plugs and injectors. I didn't, nor would I, check any of those things unless I had a problem. I changed the belts on my BMC 1.5 once in the five years that I had my boat.

 

No doubt others will either disagree or have different ideas but that was the way I did it.

[Bee]

Unless you do an awful lot of hours I would do exactly as Pete i suggests.

[RAM]

I have had a BMC 1.5 engine now for 19 years and since it was installed by AMC Diesels I have always seviced it as recommended by the installer, ie, change the oil and oil filter every 175 engine hours and the diesel filter every 350 hours. I have done this for the past 19 years and the engine has never let me down. Still had to have the usual problems seen too, like cylinder head gasket, fuel lift pump leaks etc, but it has never missed a beat whilst cruising. Also told to only use engine oil with a CC rating. The engine hours are now approaching 11,000 since it was installed.

[alan_fincher]

The original BMC documentation for the 1.5 and 1.8 diesels says to change oil and oil filters every 150 hours.

 

That was obviously not specifically when used in a "marine" application, but I can't see why that should change it dramatically.

 

I must admit I was never obsessed with exactly this interval when we had one, but I would always try to make sure it was between 150 and 200 hours.

[David Schweizer]

I concur with RAM, our BMC 1.5 had oil and oil filter changed every 200 hours and fuel filter every 400 hours.Gearbox levels checked and topped up, if needed, every 100 hours.

[Dutchie]

Here normally , once in a year , running hours mostly+/- 250 /year

Changing oil and fliter and fuel filter , Checking valve clearance , removing glowplugs en clean the wholes and test the glowplugs .

looking for extreme leakages , cleaning fuel filter on top of fuel lifting pump

every two years : changing ATF from velvet drive

checking timing , remove injectors and test them and adjust them at right opening pressure

changing antifreeze .

[Tony Brooks]

Here normally , once in a year , running hours mostly+/- 250 /year

Changing oil and fliter and fuel filter , Checking valve clearance , removing glowplugs en clean the wholes and test the glowplugs .

looking for extreme leakages , cleaning fuel filter on top of fuel lifting pump

every two years : changing ATF from velvet drive

checking timing , remove injectors and test them and adjust them at right opening pressure

changing antifreeze .

 

I can see no reason why the injectors need messing with every 500 hours/two years. It is more likely to introduce mew problems than anything else. I will admit the auxiliary spray hole on the 1.5 (and possibly the 1.8) tend to block but that will cause poorer cold starting, not poor running. I certainly would not check the timing, especially as a special tool is needed to do the base setting. The fact that Dutchie has the equipment to actually adjust the injector opening pressure suggest he is rather more than an ordinary boater.

 

In my view the injectors should never be tampered with by an ordinary boater unless there are symptoms that suggest it would be a sensible thing to do. The most I would advocate would be to use an injector cleaner in the fuel yearly if you want, and at very extended intervals taking them out and sending the injectors to a specialist but against that the 1.5 often has the heat shields pull out of the head on the end of the injector plus there is a further atomisation washer/heat shield and copper sealing washer that should be hooked out and changed. If the main heat shield comes out there is an extra washer to change.

 

My injectors have done well over 10 years since I had them overhauled and they show no symptoms of needing dong again, however they do not use the auxiliary spray hole.

 

The most an owner needs to do to check the timing is to glance at the corner of the pump mounting bracket and make sure the pointer and scribed timing mark still lines up but how it will move on its own I have no idea unless the pump has been left loose.

[Dutchie]

Yes Tony,

Indeed i have the equipment for Testing the injectors and my profession was engineer on gen. cargoships and trawlers , but still i learn a lot on this fantastic forum ,

The maintenance from the engine is my hobby , i think more than painting etc.

Edited October 5, 2016 by Dutchie

[Tony Brooks]

Yes Tony,

Indeed i have the equipment for Testing the injectors and my profession was engineer on gen. cargoships and trawlers , but still i learn a lot on this fantastic forum ,

The maintenance from the engine is my hobby , i think more than painting etc.

 

I was pretty sure hat you were a professional but simply out of interest do you have the pop tester adaptor needed to test the aux. spray hole properly plus the timing gauge?

 

You are very unlikely to cause yourself grief and even if you do you should be more than capable of sorting yourself out. I just worry about the effect ham fisted harry will get on if they try to do the injector and timing stuff so posted to try to warn them off. I also suspect you boat on the lumpy stuff where an engine failure is rather more serious than on UK inland waterways.

[Dutchie]

Tony , i have an injector tester of my own , just a classic one with gauge and pump , and for timing : some equipment i can use some equipment from a another boater which profession is bosch specialist , its not of my own .

Oh yes an little tip for those who has an injector tester and didnt want to remove the injectors, but want see what the oping pressure is : , it is possible to connect them with the injector tester only remove the high pressure pipe for the DPA pump and connect the test pump and see the opening pressure and if needed adjust them . i know with this method you cant see and clean the injector tip , but you dont need new rings etc. , the test pump i connect to the floor frame near bij the injectors and the line on the test pump was of soft copper .

 

The waters i,m sailing its is very diffirent , from small waters, lakes and canals (yes we have also in holland! ) and also waters like markermeer/IJsselmeer and zeeland and also the big rivers like the waal , the waal is one of the most riskful rivers in nl. it means its Always very busy with big ships and heavy downstream , on this waters it is very dangerous to had a failure , engine must be in good condition otherwise it dont have a good feeling for me .

 

enough spare parts is a must , the T90 never disappoint me , the only failures i had in 15 years , a clogged fuel filter (remove on the river in a few minutes ) and an broken built in waterpump also on the river , the pump was completely stocked and the V belt was nearly burning , to save myself to a save plave , i cut the V belt with a knife and run the boat downstream deadslow running without cooling circulation to a safe place and remove the pump for a spare one . the broken pump was a new one , i asked the importer how this was possible , they told me that is was chinese made and many customer came back with the same problems , i got my money back , since that time i order my parts in the UK. , found the adresses on this fantastic forum . ​

[Tony Brooks]

Just to be clear so I am sure you understand. A basic injector tester will not properly test 1.5 pintaux injectors although you can do a fair job with experience by pushing the pump handle down slowly. To do the job properly there is an adaptor that screws between tester and injector.

 

Unless you can test for spray pattern, dribble and back leakage there is little to be gained by just testing the opening pressure. To do all the tests the injectors have to come out. A reduction in opening pressure of a few PSI because the spring has lost a degree of tension will not make a significant difference to the engine. A poor spray pattern with lost of streaks (and blocked auxiliary spray holes) will make a significant difference to starting and emissions.

 

I am intrigued about the timing setting gauge from a Bosch specialist because the pump shop has no need of them. They are normally only used by engine builders and the odd BMC specialist mechanics. They are, as far as I know, specific to BMCs although Churchill did/do make an adjustable one. The splines are specific to CAV (again as far a I know).

[Dutchie]

 

 

 

 

Just to be clear so I am sure you understand. A basic injector tester will not properly test 1.5 pintaux injectors although you can do a fair job with experience by pushing the pump handle down slowly. To do the job properly there is an adaptor that screws between tester and injector.

 

 

 

Unless you can test for spray pattern, dribble and back leakage there is little to be gained by just testing the opening pressure. To do all the tests the injectors have to come out. A reduction in opening pressure of a few PSI because the spring has lost a degree of tension will not make a significant difference to the engine. A poor spray pattern with lost of streaks (and blocked auxiliary spray holes) will make a significant difference to starting and emissions.

 

I am intrigued about the timing setting gauge from a Bosch specialist because the pump shop has no need of them. They are normally only used by engine builders and the odd BMC specialist mechanics. They are, as far as I know, specific to BMCs although Churchill did/do make an adjustable one. The splines are specific to CAV (again as far a I know).

 

 

my test pump has a adjust screw in the pressure line fore fine tuning (for every injector type its different ) , indeed the pump need a little pushdown to get on pressure of 135 bar opening pressure , the spray pattern i,m Always testing with an piece of paper beneath it , so i can see the patron our faulthy drippin. for sure , same test i did again for sure at the equipment at the bosch specilist with the same results . also no smoke after refit at all, and quick start with 10 seconds glowing, and low fuel use

 

The bosch specialist had a big experience with BMC/thornycroft and is famous in my region , to remind that bmc and thornycroft in the past 60's to 80 's was an very popular engine for marinising in NL for those days together with Mercedes , Peugeot indenor and DAF later vetus /mitsubishi take the leading rol over . but still there are many boaters with an BMC or thornycroft .

 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2016 by Dutchie