Oil light warning

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Crikey, this is a long thread for a duff oil pressure sender!  Poor old OP is not mechanically minded so he's probably bamboozled now!  Four pages and much hand wringing about a knackered engine, plus a debate about whether modern engine manufacturers know what they're doing when they specify their oil, all for a simple ten minute job.  Granted, if the fault persists thereafter the landscape changes, but first things first, eh?

 

Well said

 

[Stilllearning]

11 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

Using 20W50 in a BMC is quite within the temperature band in a UK boat suggested by the maker. There is no reason other than slightly faster pressure pickup for using a thinner oil. Oh, it may save you a litre of fuel a year!

"Modern" engines are seen to be more critical of viscosity and spec of oil. but I suspect that this is due mostly to the base engine use of the engines, eg, in tractors and plant that is thrashed at high revs all day. In a canal boat we do not run our engines anything like as hard as they were designed to run and that is to their detriment.

Diesel engines were built as an energy source for hard work.

My personal view and I accept no responsibility if I am wrong, is that providing there is enough oil in the sump, just about any make, normal range viscosity. synthetic or straight mineral, clean or dirty (within reason ) colour or creed will do no harm in a canal boat engine.

I think we worry too much, look at the way armed forces treat engines.

I have seen engines with what looks like black grease in the sump, laced with STP and Moly sulphide, engines sumps half full of water and antifreeze, filed with vegitable oil, diluted with more diesel fuel than oil, over full, under full to nothing on the dip stick and having been sunk for months and they all keep going. A good oil and filter change and they are fine.

Using 20W50 in a BMC is quite within the temperature band in a UK boat suggested by the maker. There is no reason other than slightly faster pressure pickup for using a thinner oil. Oh, it may save you a litre of fuel a year!

"Modern" engines are seen to be more critical of viscosity and spec of oil. but I suspect that this is due mostly to the base engine use of the engines, eg, in tractors and plant that is thrashed at high revs all day. In a canal boat we do not run our engines anything like as hard as they were designed to run and that is to their detriment.

Diesel engines were built as an energy source for hard work.

My personal view and I accept no responsibility if I am wrong, is that providing there is enough oil in the sump, just about any make, normal range viscosity. synthetic or straight mineral, clean or dirty (within reason ) colour or creed will do no harm in a canal boat engine.

I think we worry too much, look at the way armed forces treat engines.

I have seen engines with what looks like black grease in the sump, laced with STP and Moly sulphide, engines sumps half full of water and antifreeze, filed with vegitable oil, diluted with more diesel fuel than oil, over full, under full to nothing on the dip stick and having been sunk for months and they all keep going. A good oil and filter change and the are fine.

I once took the sump off a Triumph straight 6 engine, from I think a 2.5 and the oil was so thick that the big ends left holes in the black jelly in the sump. It had been running before the sump came off though.

[Detling]

I was looking at the manual for a diesel generator this afternoon and they said that light loading caused the cylinder temperature to fall which leads to a build up of soot on the outlet port and manifold. they recommended a maximum of 50 hours light load before 5 hours of hard load (connecting heaters as required to load to over 80%). This made me think about modern diesels in cars which need a good hard run every so often to burn off the soot in the filter. They said this was a recent requirement caused by changes to the engine to meet new emission and efficiency regulations, is it likely that this is behind the beta recommendations now?. I know my engine on tickover runs just below 80 C at 1200 it will be 85 C

 

[Tony Brooks]

36 minutes ago, Detling said:

I was looking at the manual for a diesel generator this afternoon and they said that light loading caused the cylinder temperature to fall which leads to a build up of soot on the outlet port and manifold. they recommended a maximum of 50 hours light load before 5 hours of hard load (connecting heaters as required to load to over 80%). This made me think about modern diesels in cars which need a good hard run every so often to burn off the soot in the filter. They said this was a recent requirement caused by changes to the engine to meet new emission and efficiency regulations, is it likely that this is behind the beta recommendations now?. I know my engine on tickover runs just below 80 C at 1200 it will be 85 C

 

Thats coolant temperature, the cylinder temperatures will be much higher as will the exxhaust valves etc.

[Detling]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Thats coolant temperature, the cylinder temperatures will be much higher as will the exxhaust valves etc.

agreed but valve etc temperatures probably still different lightly loaded, to working hard, more fuel same space bigger bang.

[Tony Brooks]

9 hours ago, Detling said:

agreed but valve etc temperatures probably still different lightly loaded, to working hard, more fuel same space bigger bang.

Totally agree. I was trying to make clear we are not really talking about coolant temperatures.

 

Once the calorifier is at coolant temperature the coolant temperature should be controlled by the thermostat so unless the heat losses from radiation and whatever coolant manages to bypass the thermostat is less than the heat produced on idle. Based on this I would suggest your temperatures (once everything is hot) tends to suggests either your thermostat i stuck open to a degree or you may have  a slightly inefficient skin tank. Not that it really matters much as long a sit never boils.

Edited December 12, 2018 by Tony Brooks

[Jess--]

22 hours ago, Detling said:

I was looking at the manual for a diesel generator this afternoon and they said that light loading caused the cylinder temperature to fall which leads to a build up of soot on the outlet port and manifold. they recommended a maximum of 50 hours light load before 5 hours of hard load (connecting heaters as required to load to over 80%). This made me think about modern diesels in cars which need a good hard run every so often to burn off the soot in the filter. They said this was a recent requirement caused by changes to the engine to meet new emission and efficiency regulations, is it likely that this is behind the beta recommendations now?. I know my engine on tickover runs just below 80 C at 1200 it will be 85 C

 

used to drive a transit (duratorq engine) and found that with it's usual trips being just pottering about it got more and more sluggish.

the solution was to head to a particular long straight road and thrash the hell out of it, foot to the floor in every gear & hit the rev limiter in 1st-3rd

it used to lay down an impressive smokescreen while doing it but would run a hell of a lot better for about 2 months afterwards

[philjw]

 

1 hour ago, Jess-- said:

the solution was to head to a particular long straight road and thrash the hell out of it, foot to the floor in every gear & hit the rev limiter in 1st-3rd

 

Known as the "Italian tune up".

[cuthound]

23 minutes ago, philjw said:

 

Known as the "Italian tune up".

 

Particularly effective on diesels with exhaust gas recirculation valves. ?

[Wanderer Vagabond]

3 hours ago, Jess-- said:

used to drive a transit (duratorq engine) and found that with it's usual trips being just pottering about it got more and more sluggish.

the solution was to head to a particular long straight road and thrash the hell out of it, foot to the floor in every gear & hit the rev limiter in 1st-3rd

it used to lay down an impressive smokescreen while doing it but would run a hell of a lot better for about 2 months afterwards

This was also the method advised by my friendly MOT tester when driving my old Peugeot 405 to it's annual test, he insisted that it gave a far better emissions reading than not doing so, and in fairness, it never failed the test on emissions.

[aracer]

1 hour ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

This was also the method advised by my friendly MOT tester when driving my old Peugeot 405 to it's annual test, he insisted that it gave a far better emissions reading than not doing so, and in fairness, it never failed the test on emissions.

I've been driving diseasal cars for over 20 years and always done an Italian tune up before the test (not usually on the way - I tend to use garages within walking distance of where I live - garages plural as I've moved twice this year, though I did drive the long way round to the test this year to find a bit of open road).

[TheBiscuits]

5 hours ago, Jess-- said:

used to drive a transit (duratorq engine) and found that with it's usual trips being just pottering about it got more and more sluggish.

the solution was to head to a particular long straight road and thrash the hell out of it, foot to the floor in every gear & hit the rev limiter in 1st-3rd

it used to lay down an impressive smokescreen while doing it but would run a hell of a lot better for about 2 months afterwards

2 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

This was also the method advised by my friendly MOT tester when driving my old Peugeot 405 to it's annual test, he insisted that it gave a far better emissions reading than not doing so, and in fairness, it never failed the test on emissions.

 

The boating equivalent is crossing the Ribble against the tide

 

[aracer]

Just now, TheBiscuits said:

 

The boating equivalent is crossing the Ribble against the tide

 

No emissions test on NBs (fortunately!) - I took mine for a thrash on the river and got up to 6mph ?

[MtB]

23 minutes ago, aracer said:

No emissions test on NBs (fortunately!) - I took mine for a thrash on the river and got up to 6mph ?

 

I never took my K2 for a thrash up the Burningham main line with DMR. Ok?

[Boater Sam]

Towing another boat is good for giving an engine a workout, without speeding. Or rushing upstream on the Llangolan.

 

[magictime]

Just to update everyone: the engineer fitted the new sender today and that seems to have done the trick. Cheers!

[Wanderer Vagabond]

7 minutes ago, magictime said:

Just to update everyone: the engineer fitted the new sender today and that seems to have done the trick. Cheers!

Great news (and not unexpected)

[TheBiscuits]

3 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Great news (and not unexpected)

That will take the pressure off - must be a great relief.

[Boater Sam]

Ah, told you there was nowt wrong.........

 

Ace result, panic over now? Did the sender cost you a lot, or did he find an equivalent? If you have the part number it may help others on here.

 

Diesels are more solid and reliable than most folk think.

[Guest]

On 13/12/2018 at 02:11, Boater Sam said:

Towing another boat is good for giving an engine a workout, without speeding. Or rushing upstream on the Llangolan.

 

Our first NB only had a tiny Yanmar one pot diesel engine, can't remember capacity exactly but around 500cc. Took us a couple of minutes to get through a bridge hole one time on the Llangollen. Happy days.