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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2018 16:15:46 GMT
A naked flame where fumes can build within a confined space ... what's not to like?
Rog
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Post by Mr Stabby on Nov 18, 2018 16:57:19 GMT
Day off, so great not to hear the alarm at 5am, but, as it does in quieter moments, my mind wanders back to my boat. In my first few years of ownership, I used to drive down to the boat whilst it was abandoned for 12 weeks, to check it out and run the engine, believing this was helping. I then decided that, actually it wasn't that good to warm the interior up and fill it with moisture, before abandoning it again for several weeks. In recent years I've pretty much left it at the end of September, until I'm permanently back on board around new years eve. But of course I have a new engine this year, so what is best for the engine ... leave it alone or three/four weekly visits? I did a service before I left, and it will be done again (professionally) in January before the end of the warranty. Your views would be of interest. Rog Can't see any real advantage to running the engine if you only away for three months. If you have electricity it might be worth keeping a float charger connected to the battery bank, and a frost protection heater in the saloon but that's about it. |
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Post by naughtyfox on Nov 18, 2018 18:30:53 GMT
Day off, so great not to hear the alarm at 5am, but, as it does in quieter moments, my mind wanders back to my boat. In my first few years of ownership, I used to drive down to the boat whilst it was abandoned for 12 weeks, to check it out and run the engine, believing this was helping. I then decided that, actually it wasn't that good to warm the interior up and fill it with moisture, before abandoning it again for several weeks. In recent years I've pretty much left it at the end of September, until I'm permanently back on board around new years eve. But of course I have a new engine this year, so what is best for the engine ... leave it alone or three/four weekly visits? I did a service before I left, and it will be done again (professionally) in January before the end of the warranty. Your views would be of interest. Rog Can't see any real advantage to running the engine if you only away for three months. If you have electricity it might be worth keeping a float charger connected to the battery bank, and a frost protection heater in the saloon but that's about it. I think it is a good idea to run an engine, say, once a month, so that oil can get round all the bearings. The engine should be given a proper warm-up, and the boat a drive of, say, an hour, to get the gearbox oil churning too, and all the axles to have a spin, and the engine coolant to go round and give the channels a flush. It'll take a few days for the oil to gradually drip down from the higher parts of the engine, such as the valves rockers. It's my theory, and why I don't mind flying 3 hours and travelling by train 2 hours to get to the boat at Easter (when I have 4 days off work) just so's I can get all the machinery whirling about for a while. On the other hand, a 3-month period without action shouldn't see much harm being done, spiders don't seem to care to loiter much in the engine 'ole. Of course, if away for long, make sure the stern gland greaser is turned so that water doesn't drip, drip, drip in, and that your bilge pump down there is connected and working and that the batteries can cope if it gets switched on (how long will they last in that case - one day?). I'd suggest asking someone local to keep an eye on the boat, to occasionally open the deckboards and check there's no water coming in, and also that the boat generally seems OK, ropes not too tight/loose, etc. ps - if not candles in lanterns to keep the engine 'ole warm, then how about hot water bottles wrapped in towels? They go in hot, come out cold - so you know that heat has gone somewhere, some of it into the engine. I put hot water bottles wrapped in towels in our car in Winter - every little helps. Or bricks warmed first on the stove... |
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Post by Mr Stabby on Nov 18, 2018 18:46:14 GMT
Can't see any real advantage to running the engine if you only away for three months. If you have electricity it might be worth keeping a float charger connected to the battery bank, and a frost protection heater in the saloon but that's about it. I think it is a good idea to run an engine, say, once a month, so that oil can get round all the bearings. The engine should be given a proper warm-up, and the boat a drive of, say, an hour, to get the gearbox oil churning too, and all the axles to have a spin, and the engine coolant to go round and give the channels a flush. But engines suffer the most wear when started from cold after having been stood up for several weeks, so why do that three times as often? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2018 18:48:56 GMT
Don't forget to disable the engine by removing a part to make the boat harder to steal.
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Post by mouse on Nov 18, 2018 19:58:32 GMT
Don't forget to empty any half full milk cartons. How on earth did you know mouse left exactly that on his galley drainer from his last visit? It was pretty nasty looked like cottage cheese that was about to come alive 🤢 At least I had done ALL the washing up, empty tramps beer cans in rubbish bag. The boat was "Bachelor Tidy"!!! |
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Post by mouse on Nov 19, 2018 10:14:42 GMT
Don't forget to empty any half full milk cartons. How on earth did you know mouse left exactly that on his galley drainer from his last visit? It was pretty nasty looked like cottage cheese that was about to come alive 🤢 Ha Ha, what goes round comes round! On Saturday's visit to mouse and Ely, Gazza brought a pint of milk with him. He made us a cup of coffee, black for him, white for me and put the milk in the fridge. It is still there, but I have left it there!!! |
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Post by naughtyfox on Nov 19, 2018 20:13:47 GMT
I think it is a good idea to run an engine, say, once a month, so that oil can get round all the bearings. The engine should be given a proper warm-up, and the boat a drive of, say, an hour, to get the gearbox oil churning too, and all the axles to have a spin, and the engine coolant to go round and give the channels a flush. But engines suffer the most wear when started from cold after having been stood up for several weeks, so why do that three times as often? Have been thinking about this today. Why do engines suffer the most wear when started up from cold? Piston on piston cylinder wear? Is that wear less if clean oil is in the engine, rather than black oil with carbon/soot particles in it? Would it help to first turn the engine over by hand a few times (by turning the alternator, perhaps), to gently draw oil up to the bearings, before engaging the starter? I'd think the piston just sitting down there for 3 months is more liable to start rusting to the cylinder and cause more damage, rather than waking the engine up to life once a month (say) and running clean oil all round the system, as well as having coolant surge along the water channels. I expect someone, somewhere has tested this. Or have they? Personally, I wouldn't like an engine to sit more than a month 'unturned' - I'm happy to be proved wrong. |
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Post by naughtyfox on Nov 19, 2018 20:23:06 GMT
Don't forget to disable the engine by removing a part to make the boat harder to steal. We always bring our two valves home, and the piston. Here they are on my bookshelf:  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2018 20:28:56 GMT
I met someone once whose engine was stolen straight out of his narrow boat. This sounds like a joke but it isn't.
Well I suppose it might be. Maybe he was winding me up.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2018 21:18:29 GMT
Change the oil and leave the engine until next year, if you must start it get it properly warm to burn off any condensation. When you come to recommission it hold out the stop button, turn it over on the starter until the oil light goes out then let it start. That way the oilways and bearings have oil in/on them prior to any load.
over the last couple of years my engine has gone 6 months and more without being run.
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Post by naughtyfox on Nov 20, 2018 8:19:34 GMT
Does blue smoke come out of your exhaust?
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Post by Jim on Nov 20, 2018 9:38:19 GMT
Does blue smoke come out of your exhaust? Only after eating baked beans. |
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Post by Jim on Nov 20, 2018 9:43:34 GMT
But engines suffer the most wear when started from cold after having been stood up for several weeks, so why do that three times as often?  Have been thinking about this today. Why do engines suffer the most wear when started up from cold? Piston on piston cylinder wear? Is that wear less if clean oil is in the engine, rather than black oil with carbon/soot particles in it? Would it help to first turn the engine over by hand a few times (by turning the alternator, perhaps), to gently draw oil up to the bearings, before engaging the starter?  I'd think the piston just sitting down there for 3 months is more liable to start rusting to the cylinder and cause more damage, rather than waking the engine up to life once a month (say) and running clean oil all round the system, as well as having coolant surge along the water channels.  I expect someone, somewhere has tested this. Or have they? Personally, I wouldn't like an engine to sit more than a month 'unturned' - I'm happy to be proved wrong. Shirley, it would be cheaper than a return flight to fill your engine with new oil right up to the filler cap, stopping any holes with a cork. The oil drained off when you recommision it could then be saved for a day or two, for the next oil change. |
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Post by naughtyfox on Nov 21, 2018 18:49:28 GMT
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