BMC advice

[Greg_F]

My friend recently had his boat "serviced", the guy came along and didnt have the right glow plugs (1.5 head on a 1.8?) so came back changed 3 out of 4 of the glow plugs and then declared the engine was on its last legs as the piston rings gone and the bores glazed.

Anyway he asked me to have a look at it, but I must admit my exposure to diesels is quite minimal. The engine started on the dot and was a bit smokey, but nothing too excessive (for a boat!). The transmission seemed to make the most racket and the coupling looked a bit strange. What I assume is the crankcase breather pipe is spewing a fair bit of oil, so ive advised him to stick the pipe in a bucket rather then the intake.

Anyway as he hadnt taken the engine for a lengthy run I thought it was best he just kept an eye on water and oil levels for now and probably get an oil pressure guage fitted.

It currently has a very chinese guage fitted that isnt working, is it best just to start again with a new sender & guage (if so can you advise of where to purchase?)

 

Edited April 25, 2018 by Greg_F

[bizzard]

9 minutes ago, Greg_F said:

My friend recently had his boat "serviced", the guy came along and didnt have the right glow plugs (1.5 head on a 1.8?) so came back changed 3 out of 4 of the glow plugs and then declared the engine was on its last legs as the piston rings gone and the bores glazed.

Anyway he asked me to have a look at it, but I must admit my exposure to diesels is quite minimal. The engine started on the dot and was a bit smokey, but nothing too excessive (for a boat!). The transmission seemed to make the most racket and the coupling looked a bit strange. What I assume is the crankcase breather pipe is spewing a fair bit of oil, so ive advised him to stick the pipe in a bucket rather then the intake.

Anyway as he hadnt taken the engine for a lengthy run I thought it was best he just kept an eye on water and oil levels for now and probably get an oil pressure guage fitted.

It currently has a very chinese guage fitted that isnt working, is it best just to start again with a new sender & guage (if so can you advise of where to purchase?)

 

If the engine starts easily from stone cold, like at dawn there can't be much wrong with it. The bit of smoke is probably valve seals. They do breath heavily, yes put the breather tube in a bottle.  The shaft flexible joint looks like an old Fenner tyre type, that someone has hacked into presumably to try and remove it. These are held by internal and by external grooved plates that clamp the tyre beads together, this is why whoever hacked at it couldn't remove it. The nuts and bolts either side have to be removed to do it. If that's the only damage on the rubber tyre it could be cleaned with, say white spirit and built it up again with Sikaflex or Marineflex, also to regain some of its balance. These are-were very good flexible joints. Supplied with Lister installations and others years ago.

[Flyboy]

That coupling doesn't look right. It looks like it's made out of an old tyre.

Edited April 25, 2018 by Flyboy

[bizzard]

1 minute ago, Flyboy said:

That coupling doesn't look right. It looks like bodge made out of an old tyre.

They were basically a tyre, like a hefty wheel barrow tyre with no tread. As I said they were very good.

[Greg_F]

Where it has been dug away would that cause a noticable imbalance?

Edited April 25, 2018 by Greg_F

[bizzard]

2 minutes ago, Greg_F said:

Where it has been dug away would that cause a noticable in balance?

Depends how deep the cut is really, and how much and the weight of the rubbers that's missing. I'd say it would vibrate quite badly at high speed.

[Flyboy]

9 minutes ago, bizzard said:

They were basically a tyre, like a hefty wheel barrow tyre with no tread. As I said they were very good.

Yes, it looks like an aircraft tailwheel.       l

[RLWP]

It's a Fenner coupling

[Flyboy]

10 minutes ago, RLWP said:

It's a Fenner coupling

I've never come across one of these before, is it known as a Fenaflex coupling ?

[bizzard]

Among'st others they were part of Listers full installation kits up until about the late 1970's or so for LR  SR  installations along with the necessary thrust block.

[RLWP]

5 minutes ago, Flyboy said:

I've never come across one of these before, is it known as a Fenaflex coupling ?

I'm hesitating to say yes because the diagrams of Fenaflex couplings use the taperlock system. I think the one shown predates that system

Similar thing, certainly

Richard

[Flyboy]

7 minutes ago, RLWP said:

I'm hesitating to say yes because the diagrams of Fenaflex couplings use the taperlock system. I think the one shown predates that system

Similar thing, certainly

Richard

Thanks for that. 

[bizzard]

Harborough Marine were big users of them throughout the 1970's. They usually fitted the complete Lister installation kit.

[Flyboy]

56 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Harborough Marine were big users of them throughout the 1970's. They usually fitted the complete Lister installation kit.

I'm not familiar with this coupling at all, but have seen Hillman Imp rear doughnuts used as well as the old type Mini inner rubber driveshaft ones.

[Tony Brooks]

I have a feeling that very early 1.8s had the thin pin type glow plugs so it could be normal on this engine.

Biz has said it all and I would suspect there may well be a shaft alignment problems.

The transmission racket could well be a failing drive plate on the flywheel but until you can part the coupling so you can get the gearbox off you won't be able to be sure. A listening stick in one ear (or a long screwdriver - handle to ear) could help you locate the racket more precisely.

[bizzard]

9 hours ago, Flyboy said:

I'm not familiar with this coupling at all, but have seen Hillman Imp rear doughnuts used as well as the old type Mini inner rubber driveshaft ones.

These were never used on vehicles.. Mini's, 1100's and whatnot used Metalastic + shaped joints held together with U bolts. Imps, Lotus ect used 6 hole Metastic doughnuts. Ford used the large doughnut on Granada propshafts, which does fit the old Lister half couplings perfectly. I use one on mine.

[RLWP]

1 minute ago, bizzard said:

These were never used on vehicles.. Mini's, 1100's and whatnot used Metalastic + shaped joints held together with U bolts. Imps, Lotus ect used 6 hole Metastic doughnuts. Ford used the large doughnut on Granada propshafts, which does fit the old Lister half couplings perfectly. I use one on mine.

Famously described by my sister in law as a rubber ring with metal holes

Richard

[bizzard]

1 minute ago, RLWP said:

Famously described by my sister in law as a rubber ring with metal holes

Richard

Yes, We played Hoopla with old ones at the garage.

[alan_fincher]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

I have a feeling that very early 1.8s had the thin pin type glow plugs so it could be normal on this engine.

 

This is correct I think.  Early 1.8s still used the 1.5 style heaters.  I may be remembering wrong, but I think the valve clearances are also adjusted differently if you have an early 1.8. (But don't quote  me on that!)

[RLWP]

Our BMC had the long thin plugs when we got it, having cracked the head it now has the short, fat ones

And either head will fit either block. Having a 1800 and a 1.5 head and gasket around I checked in an idle moment

Richard

[Tony Brooks]

As for where to get a new gauge from - I assume from the photo its an oil pressure gauge. Be aware that there are US and European standard gauges but as long as you note which you buy for future reference and only buy the gauge and sender as a set I don't think it will matter where you buy the set from.

From the photo it seem you only have an oil pressure SWITCH for the warning lamp with the other end of the T adapter either blanked off or with a pipe fitting for a mechanical gauge.  As long as the warning lamp is working I would not personally worry about a gauge but I would fit a test gauge just to make sure the oil pressure when hot is OK. I say that anything over 40psi when hot will do as long as its above about 115 psi on hot idle.

ASAP supplies list a host of gauges but for inland use I may well be looking at car (Chinese) stuff. If he must have a gauge then take the plug/union out of the T piece and ensure the sender has a thread to match or get an adaptor.

[Boater Sam]

Really 115psi on hot idle Tony?

Gauge connections are usually 1/8 BSP thread.

[Tony Brooks]

27 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Really 115psi on hot idle Tony?

Gauge connections are usually 1/8 BSP thread.

Good spot, 15 psi.

I assume that is sender connection unless the OP goes for a mechanical gauge. I thought the US senders tended to be a NPT thread. The ASAP catalogue says all their gauges both European and US have a 1/8" NPTF thread but they offer a variety of adaptors including 1/8" BSP and BSPT, UNF & metric.

[Boater Sam]

As I remember the 1.5D block and head had all BSP tappings, the hot water take off on the back of the heads was 1/2 BSP

But the 1.8D same take off was UNC, but I think that the oil gallery was still 1/8 BSP but I will stand correcting. Perhaps the thread pitch and diameter is so close as not to be noticed?

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, Boater Sam said:

As I remember the 1.5D block and head had all BSP tappings, the hot water take off on the back of the heads was 1/2 BSP

But the 1.8D same take off was UNC, but I think that the oil gallery was still 1/8 BSP but I will stand correcting. Perhaps the thread pitch and diameter is so close as not to be noticed?

But the OP has  T adaptor in the oil take off hole so the thread could be almost anything.