Hands on DIY
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In many ways this site is for the boater or would be boater who hasn't got the cash, so its time to role up your sleeves and start to work and maintain your boat yourself.
The Basics.
Before a Journey It’s vital you develop regular maintenance routines and complete these before you journey particularly, if the boat’s been sitting for a long period:
1. Check the oil (especially important if you’re a new owner as you need to identify oil usage), and keep the engine clean (it’ll be easier to identify any new problems developing).
2. Look for leaks, if fuel’s seeping out, air will be getting in which will cause problems like erratic running and high engine vibration.
3. Check the bilge pumps are working and that you have enough to do the job effectively (RCR recommend installing one in the bilges for the living area – it can prove essential if you get a hull leak or a pipe for your domestic system fails)). Also is there any water in the bilge? Find out why.
4. Check the battery and top-up with de-ionised water.
5. Check if the fan belt is loose, worn or even still there?
6. Look for any loose bolts/pipes (particularly the engine mounts and propeller shaft).
7. Scrutinise cables and control equipment for signs of wearing/fraying and tighten linkages etc replace or grease where necessary.
Owners who live-aboard their craft appear to have far fewer call-outs because of the routines they already have in place.
1. Check the oil (especially important if you’re a new owner as you need to identify oil usage), and keep the engine clean (it’ll be easier to identify any new problems developing).
2. Look for leaks, if fuel’s seeping out, air will be getting in which will cause problems like erratic running and high engine vibration.
3. Check the bilge pumps are working and that you have enough to do the job effectively (RCR recommend installing one in the bilges for the living area – it can prove essential if you get a hull leak or a pipe for your domestic system fails)). Also is there any water in the bilge? Find out why.
4. Check the battery and top-up with de-ionised water.
5. Check if the fan belt is loose, worn or even still there?
6. Look for any loose bolts/pipes (particularly the engine mounts and propeller shaft).
7. Scrutinise cables and control equipment for signs of wearing/fraying and tighten linkages etc replace or grease where necessary.
Owners who live-aboard their craft appear to have far fewer call-outs because of the routines they already have in place.
I would always advise all new boatowners to put together a logbook, unlike cars which have a registration number, VIN number and speedometer reading there is no way of checking on the history of the craft.
And quite frequently, what appears to be a new build narrowboat can have an almost antique engine.
Insurance companies like Towergate love Boat logbooks, to them it shows responsibility and can make all the difference when making claims.
The logbook is also great for ordering parts, many suppliers will want the full details and serial number of the engine or gearbox to make sure they supply you the correct parts. Its far easier to read off the details from the logbook, than be scrabbling around the engine looking for the information whilst on the phone.
The more information you include in the logbook the better it is, if you change a bilge pump, put the date it was replace in the logbook
So the first thing to do is make up your log book:
Engine: Make and model and include the serial number if you can find one.
Gearbox: Make and model and include the serial number if you can find one
Batteries: No Of, Type Lead Acid, Gel or AGM as well as the size in ah (Amp Hours)
Inverter/s: Make and model and include the serial number
Bilge Pumps: Make and model and include the serial number
Water Pumps: Make and model and include the serial number
Fire Extinguishers: Make and Model, when the were last tested.
Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Make and Model, when the were last tested.
Smoke Detectors: Make and Model, when the were last tested.
Stern Gland Size of gland rope,
And the list goes on.
And quite frequently, what appears to be a new build narrowboat can have an almost antique engine.
Insurance companies like Towergate love Boat logbooks, to them it shows responsibility and can make all the difference when making claims.
The logbook is also great for ordering parts, many suppliers will want the full details and serial number of the engine or gearbox to make sure they supply you the correct parts. Its far easier to read off the details from the logbook, than be scrabbling around the engine looking for the information whilst on the phone.
The more information you include in the logbook the better it is, if you change a bilge pump, put the date it was replace in the logbook
So the first thing to do is make up your log book:
Engine: Make and model and include the serial number if you can find one.
Gearbox: Make and model and include the serial number if you can find one
Batteries: No Of, Type Lead Acid, Gel or AGM as well as the size in ah (Amp Hours)
Inverter/s: Make and model and include the serial number
Bilge Pumps: Make and model and include the serial number
Water Pumps: Make and model and include the serial number
Fire Extinguishers: Make and Model, when the were last tested.
Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Make and Model, when the were last tested.
Smoke Detectors: Make and Model, when the were last tested.
Stern Gland Size of gland rope,
And the list goes on.
There is no definitive list for the logbook, but include as much as you think is necessary.
Make sure that when you undertake maintenance such as completing an oil change, you log the date and what parts you have used.
Make sure that when you undertake maintenance such as completing an oil change, you log the date and what parts you have used.
Poor Starting.
Glow plugs are specialised heating devices used to aid in the starting of diesel engines. They are similar to spark plugs in design; however, they differ in their primary function. Instead of producing a timed spark to ignite the fuel mixture, like spark plugs do, glow plugs simply serve to produce additional heat that aids the diesel engine combustion process during cold starts.
Diesel engines rely entirely on the heat generated by cylinder compression to ignite the fuel mixture. When glow plugs begin to fail, this additional heat that aids the combustion process is gone, and the engine may become more difficult to start, especially in cold weather.
Another symptom of faulty glow plugs is black smoke being observed during start up, indicating the presence of unburned fuel due to an incomplete combustion process. In this guide, we will cover how to test the resistance of glow plugs to determine if they are functioning properly.
Diesel engines rely entirely on the heat generated by cylinder compression to ignite the fuel mixture. When glow plugs begin to fail, this additional heat that aids the combustion process is gone, and the engine may become more difficult to start, especially in cold weather.
Another symptom of faulty glow plugs is black smoke being observed during start up, indicating the presence of unburned fuel due to an incomplete combustion process. In this guide, we will cover how to test the resistance of glow plugs to determine if they are functioning properly.
So testing the glowplug, to do this you are going to ned a multimeter.
Set your multimeter to ohms. The ohms setting will be denoted by a shape that resembles an upside down horseshoe. There will be two long vertical lines containing the range of the ohms.
Set your multimeter to ohms. The ohms setting will be denoted by a shape that resembles an upside down horseshoe. There will be two long vertical lines containing the range of the ohms.
Find resistance value of your multimeter.
Cross the two leads of the multimeter over each other and record the result. Make sure the metal clamps of the leads touch each other. If you are using a digital multimeter, then the reading will appear across the screen.
Subtract this reading from the glow plug reading.
Cross the two leads of the multimeter over each other and record the result. Make sure the metal clamps of the leads touch each other. If you are using a digital multimeter, then the reading will appear across the screen.
Subtract this reading from the glow plug reading.
Test the voltage of the battery. Put your multimeter in DC Volt reading mode. Place the negative lead of your multimeter onto the negative terminal of the battery, and the positive lead onto the positive terminal. The reading should be close to 12.5 Volts when the car is off and close to 13 Volts when the car is running.
If this is not the case, check your battery or alternator before proceeding. Glow plugs will not work correctly if they do not have the correct voltage running into them.
If this is not the case, check your battery or alternator before proceeding. Glow plugs will not work correctly if they do not have the correct voltage running into them.
Remove the caps or connectors to the glow plugs. There is usually a cover or cap over the glow plugs. Remove the cover or cap in order to apply the multimeter clamps to the glow plugs.
Look at the connector and pins for any signs of rust or corrosion and looseness.
Take this opportunity to clean them.
Look at the connector and pins for any signs of rust or corrosion and looseness.
Take this opportunity to clean them.
Clip the multimeter’s negative lead to a ground point in the engine. The main two ground points can be found by following the wire that leads from the negative battery terminal into the engine or following the wire that leads from the alternator into the engine .
These wires are attached to bolts. Attach the negative lead onto one of these bolts for grounding.
These wires are attached to bolts. Attach the negative lead onto one of these bolts for grounding.
Connect the positive lead of your multimeter to the top of the glow plug.
If the multimeter's negative lead is still connected to the negative battery terminal, then you can leave it there.
If the multimeter's negative lead is still connected to the negative battery terminal, then you can leave it there.
Evaluate the multimeter’s reading.
Subtract the resistance value of your multimeter from the resistance value of your glow plug. For example, if your plug's resistance measured .9 ohms and your meter's resistance measured .2 ohms, the real reading for the plug is .7 ohms.
All the glow plugs in your engine should have similar readings.
One glow plug with a higher resistance can affect your engine's performance--even if the plug is still good.
Subtract the resistance value of your multimeter from the resistance value of your glow plug. For example, if your plug's resistance measured .9 ohms and your meter's resistance measured .2 ohms, the real reading for the plug is .7 ohms.
All the glow plugs in your engine should have similar readings.
One glow plug with a higher resistance can affect your engine's performance--even if the plug is still good.
Replace the glow plugs. If one or more of the glow plugs is faulty, replace all of them.
Never replace a single plug.
If the area around the glow plugs has dirt or build-up, clean it first.
Some manufacturers have special tools to clean out the bore where the glow plugs are inserted into the cylinder head. These tools clean out carbon build-up in the area inside the combustion chamber or pre-charge chamber.
The tool also cleans the threads that the glow plug screws into.
Never replace a single plug.
If the area around the glow plugs has dirt or build-up, clean it first.
Some manufacturers have special tools to clean out the bore where the glow plugs are inserted into the cylinder head. These tools clean out carbon build-up in the area inside the combustion chamber or pre-charge chamber.
The tool also cleans the threads that the glow plug screws into.
Engine Overheating.
There are three types of cooling for marine engines - AIR, RAW and KEEL '
Raw takes canal water, feeds it through the engine and out the exhaust to cool the engine.
Keel Uses a captive circuit, like a car radiator and circulates it through the engine and tanks welded to the side of the hull that act like radiators,
Air Is simply blown air.
If you are overheating, before investigating the coolant circuit, check your oil level.
Raw takes canal water, feeds it through the engine and out the exhaust to cool the engine.
Keel Uses a captive circuit, like a car radiator and circulates it through the engine and tanks welded to the side of the hull that act like radiators,
Air Is simply blown air.
If you are overheating, before investigating the coolant circuit, check your oil level.
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Raw
Initially the three things to look at are the raw water pump, its driven by a belt like the alternator, except it has pipes not cables. Obviously a slipping / missing belt will cause overheating. A damaged impeller can also be an issue the back of the raw water pump can be removed to inspect, shut off the raw water valve first or you will sink) the impeller is a little rubber thing with flaps all round it. The flaps should be long enough to be touching the sides of the impeller housing, and not damaged. The usual issue with raw is a blocked filter. There are so many types of filter that its difficult to describe. Follow the pipes from the raw water pump, one goes to the engine, one to the filter. Isolate the water, remove filter and check. |
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Keel
This system is the best for the health of the engine but can be a pain, the coolant is pumped by the normal water pump, belt driven same as alternator, but usually part of the engine unlike the raw type. Belts can be an issue, but more likely is low coolant level / air lock is more likely. Low coolant level is a pain because you wont know till the engine overheats, at which point you cannot remove the cap to refill! If a keel cooled engine overheats, initially try taking the engine out of gear, rev to 1200-1500 rpm (BMC), fast idle for 20 seconds. The combination of no load and fast revs should force the coolant to circulate. If you don't see the temperature drop quickly (within 30 seconds) shut down. This is only a temporary solution only, get to somewhere to moor, wait for it to cool and refill. When cold, refill and massage the rubber hoses to try to get out air. |
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AIR
The usual situation is you 'smell' the engine overheating (burning oil etc,) assuming your engine didn't overheat before, then repair is simple. Initially check the oil pressure gauge if you have one if its fairly normal, then drop engine out of gear, rev engine to fast idle, for a minute, with engine hatch covers off. This should cool it. To find the source of the problem get hatches off the engine room, let engine cool and then inspect.
An air cooled engine cools by blowing air through the cylinder fins from a fan. Usually the fan is on the flywheel. You initially need to check the path of the air, there will be an inlet and outlet grill for air, both must be clear of debris and the ducting connected.
There will be an inlet or outlet duct or both, most engines have an outlet duct, make sure its connected nb. its going to be a big duct not a little pipe. A lot of boats have this missing, this means the engine tries to cool itself with hot air! so check for a complete air path, from fresh air to engine to outside. Assuming the problems not found then you need to look further.
Assuming the engine is cold, start engine and 'feel' the airflow from the outlet duct (not exhaust) and see if its weak, if so, or even if not, inspect the fins on the flywheel or fan, frequently these can be full of leaves.
With engine off, clear out and watch your fingers. Note - the blades should be slightly curve, so scratch at the blades to make sure that they don't just 'appear'clean, dirt build up in the "curve" will stop the fan working. If that's ok, its crud on the cylinder fins, these can usually be accessed by taking off the outlet duct. Once you have located the fins, scrape off the oily crud with a hacksaw blade or a bit of coat hanger, a screwdriver. Don be scared of using a hose pipe too, just make sure the engine is cool, the air inlet is covered and the water doesn't get into oil breather or dipstick. Its sometimes worth running the engine for 30 seconds at fast idle as you do this to blow out what you have scraped out.
The usual situation is you 'smell' the engine overheating (burning oil etc,) assuming your engine didn't overheat before, then repair is simple. Initially check the oil pressure gauge if you have one if its fairly normal, then drop engine out of gear, rev engine to fast idle, for a minute, with engine hatch covers off. This should cool it. To find the source of the problem get hatches off the engine room, let engine cool and then inspect.
An air cooled engine cools by blowing air through the cylinder fins from a fan. Usually the fan is on the flywheel. You initially need to check the path of the air, there will be an inlet and outlet grill for air, both must be clear of debris and the ducting connected.
There will be an inlet or outlet duct or both, most engines have an outlet duct, make sure its connected nb. its going to be a big duct not a little pipe. A lot of boats have this missing, this means the engine tries to cool itself with hot air! so check for a complete air path, from fresh air to engine to outside. Assuming the problems not found then you need to look further.
Assuming the engine is cold, start engine and 'feel' the airflow from the outlet duct (not exhaust) and see if its weak, if so, or even if not, inspect the fins on the flywheel or fan, frequently these can be full of leaves.
With engine off, clear out and watch your fingers. Note - the blades should be slightly curve, so scratch at the blades to make sure that they don't just 'appear'clean, dirt build up in the "curve" will stop the fan working. If that's ok, its crud on the cylinder fins, these can usually be accessed by taking off the outlet duct. Once you have located the fins, scrape off the oily crud with a hacksaw blade or a bit of coat hanger, a screwdriver. Don be scared of using a hose pipe too, just make sure the engine is cool, the air inlet is covered and the water doesn't get into oil breather or dipstick. Its sometimes worth running the engine for 30 seconds at fast idle as you do this to blow out what you have scraped out.
Tool Kit.
So when it comes to servicing or maintaining your boat you will need the tools to do it, hopefully you already have a basic toolkit such as the "toolbox" in the Life Afloat section. If not its time to put one together.
Depending on your engine/gearbox make and model and of course age, you may well need imperial instead of metric tools as well as specialist tools.
Depending on your engine/gearbox make and model and of course age, you may well need imperial instead of metric tools as well as specialist tools.
