Inboard Engine Woes

A

andythilo

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 Sep 2009
Messages
271
Visit site
When we bought 'The Marley Moo' it was a project and for a 28ft Seamaster it was a cracking price.

The engine is currently a 1.5 Petrol BMC Newage Navigator, not sure what the gear box is.

It's recently starting playing up with starting problems, stalling etc.. and I dont like going out with an engine I don't have 100% faith in. Ok I know all things mechanical will break but...

So I have some options to consider but am not sure what way to go.

1. Have my engine taken out, stripped and rebuilt (don't know who would do this)
2. Buy a rebuilt diesel engine, BMC 1.5 or 1.8, not sure what would be involved here, change fuel tank, instruments etc...
3. Buy a new diesel engine ££££££
4. Have mine serviced and hope for the best.

I want to get my engine out anyway as I want to clean up the bilge, paint it etc.. as it stinks (well that oily boat smell).

Any ideas?

If anyone knows a BMC specialist (apart from Calcutt Boats as they won't touch a petrol BMC) please let me know

Thanks

Andy
 
andythilo said:
When we bought 'The Marley Moo' it was a project and for a 28ft Seamaster it was a cracking price.

The engine is currently a 1.5 Petrol BMC Newage Navigator, not sure what the gear box is.

It's recently starting playing up with starting problems, stalling etc.. and I dont like going out with an engine I don't have 100% faith in. Ok I know all things mechanical will break but...

So I have some options to consider but am not sure what way to go.

1. Have my engine taken out, stripped and rebuilt (don't know who would do this)
2. Buy a rebuilt diesel engine, BMC 1.5 or 1.8, not sure what would be involved here, change fuel tank, instruments etc...
3. Buy a new diesel engine ££££££
4. Have mine serviced and hope for the best.

I want to get my engine out anyway as I want to clean up the bilge, paint it etc.. as it stinks (well that oily boat smell).

Any ideas?

If anyone knows a BMC specialist (apart from Calcutt Boats as they won't touch a petrol BMC) please let me know

Thanks

Andy
Click to expand...

If you have the cash get a diesel engine, you dont have to have a new one, but if buying 2nd hand get an engineer with you to check it over. Petrol will cost you in the long run, most boats have diesel engines. Buy the time you have spent money on the petrol engine you may as well of put the money towards a nice running 2nd hand diesel engine. Not only that some marinas dont sell petrol, i was in ramsgate 2 years ago only to find the dident sell petrol, i looked like a idiot walking to the petrol station with half a dozen cans!

Good luck
 
TQA said:
The 1.5 and 1.8 BMC diesels are widely used in canal boats if you go down that route.
Click to expand...
Agreed. This size of diesel means you have the whole narrowboat second hand/rebuild industry to choose from.

BMC diesels have proven very reliable/servicable. Though your boat does sound a lot like a london taxi.
 
If your engine has the SU carburettor that is a likely contributory cause of the poor starting and stalling. The damper sticks in the housing (that inverted bell thingy) and needs a clean out. Take off the bell and remove the damper slide, clean with a soft cloth and brake fluid to remove all tar deposits, oil and refit. Then remove the little piston damper on the top, fill with SAE 20 oil and replace,

Next - replace points, leads & suppressor caps, condenser. distributor cap and rotor arm, and finally plugs.

Check the filter is clean and the carb jets especially slow running are clean. Check that the fuel lift pump delivers fuel to the carb and that the needle valve is not stuck.

Using rule of 9 adjust the tappets cold. removing rocker cover (get a new cork gasket for this) crank the engine with a spanner on the flywheel nut so no 1 valve is fully down then rule of 9:- 9-1=8 so adjust no 8. There will be two valves depressed for every crank move, use rule of nine to adjust appropriate valves.

Your engine should now be ready to start.

Start engine with rocker cover off, listen for any noisy ones, stick a feeler gauge in to suspected noisy tappets whilst engine is running, when you know which ones, stop engine and tweak down a thou or two. Replace rocker cover. It'll cost you 50 or less to do a proper service, a whole lot cheaper than a new engine that might not fit your gearbox!

BMC engine are bomb proof, inefficient, slow, but bomb proof. They are also simple to work on. Many of the diesels are still going well in boats 40 years on! Mine is one!
 
Yes, I agree with Cliveshep however, 1.5 and 1.8 BMC diesels are just as bomb proof and do not cost a lot either. This could be part of your project boat.

Well, you did ask for ideas.

73s de

Johnth
 
Guys, mine is a Petrol, not Diesel.

If it was Diesel then it would be simple, well it would be easier :)
 
Last edited:
JohnTH said:
Yes, I agree with Cliveshep however, 1.5 and 1.8 BMC diesels are just as bomb proof and do not cost a lot either. This could be part of your project boat.

Well, you did ask for ideas.

73s de

Johnth
Click to expand...

What other engines would be suitable? I don't want a really noisy diesel. A nice quiet low cc petrol would be nice :) Know anyone that marinises (word??) them?
 
andythilo said:
So I have some options to consider but am not sure what way to go.

1. Have my engine taken out, stripped and rebuilt (don't know who would do this)
2. Buy a rebuilt diesel engine, BMC 1.5 or 1.8, not sure what would be involved here, change fuel tank, instruments etc...
3. Buy a new diesel engine ££££££
4. Have mine serviced and hope for the best.
Click to expand...

Andy,

You DO have yet another option:

5. Learn how to fix and service it yourself. Hoping for the best is usually NOT a good solution for, at least, safety reasons.

When we bought our boat in 1998, I had NO CLUE about inboard engines.

I learned. Fast.

Good luck.
 
andythilo said:
So I have some options to consider but am not sure what way to go.

1. Have my engine taken out, stripped and rebuilt (don't know who would do this)
2. Buy a rebuilt diesel engine, BMC 1.5 or 1.8, not sure what would be involved here, change fuel tank, instruments etc...
3. Buy a new diesel engine ££££££
4. Have mine serviced and hope for the best.


Andy
Click to expand...


Unless you are the only fella not affected by the down turn I would be a cheeky chappie and say 1,2 and 3 are a trifle extreme for what might be a bit of loose fluff in the carb . All loose fluff should be elswhere:D:D

Tell us what carb you have and we can take it from there.


The SU is as another poster has described and there are instructions all ovr the place for tinkering with these as they were in so many BMC cars in the 60s. (Haynes Manuals).

It might be a Zenith of some form in which case the servicing is completely different.
 
Stu Jackson said:
Andy,

You DO have yet another option:

5. Learn how to fix and service it yourself. Hoping for the best is usually NOT a good solution for, at least, safety reasons.

When we bought our boat in 1998, I had NO CLUE about inboard engines.

I learned. Fast.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Yes your quite right, however I've never been mechanically minded. Give me a PC or electronic kit, great, adjusting rockers and cams and wot not, no idea :D
 
Starting and running problems on a petrol engine can usually be sorted by a bit of maintenance. Rebuilds only come when there are underlying faults like high oil consumption, smokey exhaust, excessive blowby or nasty knocks and unusual noises from the engine.

Listed above is the checklist of things to do which sound scary, but are actually very straightforward and easy to get things running smoothly again.

If you are going to run an older engine like this, you really do need to get to know the thing a bit better, and learning to do your own maintenance is the best possible way. Then if it does spring a nasty surprise on you at an awkward moent, you will know better what to do without becoming another RNLI statistic.
 
oldharry said:
Starting and running problems on a petrol engine can usually be sorted by a bit of maintenance. Rebuilds only come when there are underlying faults like high oil consumption, smokey exhaust, excessive blowby or nasty knocks and unusual noises from the engine.

Listed above is the checklist of things to do which sound scary, but are actually very straightforward and easy to get things running smoothly again.

If you are going to run an older engine like this, you really do need to get to know the thing a bit better, and learning to do your own maintenance is the best possible way. Then if it does spring a nasty surprise on you at an awkward moent, you will know better what to do without becoming another RNLI statistic.
Click to expand...

Yes your right. Once she's back up and running I will get her over to her new home.

I still want to get the engine out as a) I want to refurb the bilge and b) clean/paint/service the engine. While the engines out I can learn maintenance on it, fit new alternator, replace temperature probe/measuring thingy :D

BTW the only problem I'll have if the engine stops is which riverbank to float to :D

Oh I need to get the gearbox refurbed as while it's smooth as anything in reverse, forwards it's noisy and clunky.
 
Last edited:
If you are determined to get the engine out, you may as well get the opportunity to replace it with a diesel engine. As others suggest there are numerous second hand diesel engines about. Also, you may want to install an outboard bracket at the back of your yacht, ready to drop in a small (4HP) outboard in case of emergency and peace of mind, because engines do go wrong especially when you need them most.
 
This is a very easy engine

Most of the above is good advice, the BMC 1500 is also known as the B series engine and is one of the easiest engines in the world to service. The troubles you are describing are probably due to old fuel or blocked jets in the carb but dont be put off its not the end of the engine. These things were made to be dismantled cleaned and reassembled many times in thier long lives. They were fitted to many different cars and vans, I suspect you would have a van (base) engine as they produced more torque and had a heavier flywheel. Try to find a haynes manual for a J4 van.

If you are unhappy about undertaking the work "solo" have a word with you local college they could arrange a short course for you.
 
Marsupial said:
Most of the above is good advice, the BMC 1500 is also known as the B series engine and is one of the easiest engines in the world to service. The troubles you are describing are probably due to old fuel or blocked jets in the carb but dont be put off its not the end of the engine. These things were made to be dismantled cleaned and reassembled many times in thier long lives. They were fitted to many different cars and vans, I suspect you would have a van (base) engine as they produced more torque and had a heavier flywheel. Try to find a haynes manual for a J4 van.

If you are unhappy about undertaking the work "solo" have a word with you local college they could arrange a short course for you.
Click to expand...

Would these 2 books be suitable for the engine?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/B-M-Leyland...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266343400&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Midget-Aust...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266343478&sr=1-1
 
Had a call today from the Marina, it was just the ignition coil that was faulty!

Oh well, at least it was a cheap repair.

Still when she gets moved, it'll be engine out, carb stripped, engine serviced, gearbox rebuilt and bilge cleaned and painted and wiring all tidyed up :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Refueler
Darn it ...... bl***y engine wont start - want to lift out boat.
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
Refueler
Refueler

Share this page

Top