Diesel Delights - A day at Bisham

[boatone]

Spent the day at Bisham Abbey Sailing School yesterday (near Marlow) doing the RYA Diesels Course. Mixed bag of 10 of us, stinkies, raggies, charterers and crew all anxious to understand a little more about the mysteries of the diesel engine.
Crawled around a narrow boat and a single engined cruiser, amazing how bloody inaccessible some bits are to get at. Designers ought to be made to carry out a first major service on all the boats they design - that might lead to a little less stoopidity!
Anyway, good day had by all and most present probably a little surprised by how basic diesels are and how much they could have been doing themselves to maintain their investment. As usual a few real useful hints and tips so all in all I was pleased I went.
Still trying to get that bloody steering wheel off BTW - but thats another story!

TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
www.boatsonthethames.co.uk

 

[BarryH]

But sods law says "The bits you know about wont go wrong, its the bits you dont know about will!

 

[boatone]

With what I've picked up previously and the addition of yesterdays input I can now carry out routine servicing and winterisation on my V*lv*s and a) know its been done properly and b) save a good few hundred quid a year in the process. I can change drive belts, pump impellers, water and exhaust hoses, oil and fuel filters, anodes, bleed the fuel lines through to the injectors, carry out several simple checks if an engine's running rough and take the injectors off and down to a Bosch centre for servicing if needed, check antifreeze levels, drain down raw water and primary cooling systems and spray green paint everywhere just like a proper service engineer. Sure, if something really fundamental goes or theres a catastrophic failure I may still have to get the experts in but most failures dont fall into that category and I've got two blocks so with a bit of luck it wont happen to both at once!
How many stories have we heard of service engineer induced problems and even new boats having major problems within hours of delivery. No thanks, I'd rather rely on myself as far as I am able and at least I now know enough to have a fighting chance of checking up on things I do need to pay for.

Now the outdrives..................!

TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
www.boatsonthethames.co.uk

 

[BarryH]

Don't disagree with you, its a good practice to get into the routine of, but the reality is yes you can do it yourself, and yes you have the knowledge. The only drawback is the manufacturers warranty. You mess with the engines while still under it and you void it. Happened to a mate of mine. Had the vilevo spanner monkey down to do a routine service, spotted something after he left and put it right, after it had gone wrong in mid channel.

Come back to home port, phoned vilevo's and repeorted fault and remedial action to correct it, got a letter a week later saying sorry to hear of probs, and oh by the way unauthorised spanner spinning, remainder of warranty void.

 

[boatone]

Ho Ho Ho......it'll be a fine day when I have enough dosh to buy a boat thats got a warranty on any of it......come to think of it, wots a warranty?
And anyway, in an emergency I think I'd be thinking about me first and warranties second!

TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
www.boatsonthethames.co.uk

 

[BarryH]

Avoidable emergency, Fault built in by spanner monkey, legal proceedings still running (or was). and this from an "approved" sevice center/agent who are supposed to know what they are doing!!

Warranty on my last boat from vendor "MY word is my bond" very Dell Boyish. But give the man his dues, 18 months after purchasing it, it threw a cam belt causing lot and lots of damage. His instructions " Go get it fixed, send me the bill". and that from a small boat yard hanging onto business on the poverty line. Not a global engine manufacturer!

 

[hlb]

I dont go in for waranties much these days. First ask them to fix. Then send letter. If that dont work. Small claims court. Law of the land. I dont care what warenty says. It's not worth the paper and wont stand up in court. Fit for perpose. And if not Sue.

Haydn

 

[mtb]

Re: Common sence

Well done ,think of all the goodies you can buy with the savings!!
Why wont the steering wheel come off do you need to use a pulley or even better a hydraulic pulley.
I know it might sound strange but as long as you can catch it try boiling water to heat the centre boss up then try !! gently levering from both sides.
Mick

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v/cheep or swap for tug

 

[ccscott49]

Do you have an injector puller? I've seen a lot of butchered vol;vo injectors!

 

[PGD]

Steering Wheel

changed mine last year - needed a bearing puller and sharp eyes for where the d shaped thing pings off to.

peter

 

[boatone]

No, I dont have an injector puller cos theres not quite enough room to get one in. I use the two screwdrivers trick (dig blade of each into rubber hub area one each side and lever out gently against housing) which worked well for me and as the impellers were being changed anyway a bit of digging in wasnt a problem. I've found that just feeling the impeller blades carefully at the outer edge and where they join the hub reveals any cracking that may be the beginning of the end.



TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
www.boatsonthethames.co.uk<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by boatone on Mon Feb 25 14:24:36 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[boatone]

Re: Steering Wheel

Problem is not getting wheel off hub, its that nut is extremely tight on spindle and recessed well inside hub. Box spanners and socket spanners either fit inside hub but too small for nut, or right size for nut but wont fit inside hub!
Have now got advice from both Princess and Morse Teleflex (all being very helpful) so we will see....................

TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
www.boatsonthethames.co.uk

 

[summerwind]

If I remember rightly, the problem with your steering wheel is that you can't get a socket over the retaining nut You had a few suggestions. You might try these:

Firstly, buy a cheapish socket of the correct size and grind it down so that it will fit into the available space. Of course, the more you grind off, the weaker the socket will be. Therefore, don't buy too cheap a socket.

Second way always works but needs a great deal of care. Drill two holes into the nut on the flats and on opposite sides. Get a diamond head chisel, if you can find such a thing these days, and cut into the top of the nut across the holes. The nut will break and you can then fish out the pieces.

Good luck!

 

[boatone]

Whoops.....must have been having a senior moment.........injector puller...NOT as I thought you meant Impeller puller......oh dear .Still at least Altzheimers lets you meet a nice new crowd of people everyday. BTW who are Byron, tcm and Pauline.....?
Sorry cc..no I havent got an injector puller but havent had the need of one either yet as all seems well in that area.

TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
www.boatsonthethames.co.uk

 

[Scubadoo]

Totally agree with you, I have a Volvo still under warranty but they won't cover the corroded oil sump (cost me £1000+servicing) to correct - and they won't pay. Still ongoing, but so far Volvo are sticking their ground.

RM.