RAP

The objective of the video was to demonstrate how a single handed boater could operate the bridge with minimal physical activity. You will note that there is no running or jumping around the structure or any agile manoeuvres. It was a demonstration for mixed age and physical ability. Upon closing the bridge the operator untied the boat from the bridge and retrieved it by pulling from the towpath rather than take a precarious shortcut from the offside. The structure on that side coupled with the vegetation is not particularly inviting. The video was submitted to a planning inquiry to help stop the 440 houses that are now to be built on the adjacent green fields. The bridge will be replaced with a fully automatic two lane swing bridge twice the size of the current bridge, it being the primary access road to and from the new housing estate. The new bridge will have the usual 'brand new teething troubles' and in time will become as reliable as the others in CRT or council ownership. CRT has moved the controls to the towpath side and have done so to most of the electrically operated swing bridges in their ownership. The council owned swing bridges retain their offside controls.

Not a new marina but a new housing estate is going to be built next to 199. We will see 440 new homes built here on green and lush land and to make access and egress manageable 199 will be replaced with a two lane double width swing bridge.

I decided to purchase new inner and outer valve springs. Good job I did, you can see the comparison between old and new in the attached videos. https://youtu.be/ulsDuHuzQKs https://youtu.be/K6bmyw1-8QM

Some great responses here, thanks. My boat is in the water and I expect keeping the steel below the waterline warm and dry will be impossible in December. I am surprised that Websters have not advised that this will be an issue. I will be postpone the job until warmer weather. Jddevel, what did you use to stick the celotex to the steel? Many thanks.

Hello, Is it a good idea to have spray foam insulation applied to cold steel or should this be left until the weather is warmer? I have a quote from Websters, job provisionally booked in for December, where they state that the steel surface must be dry and to ensure that sufficient dry heat can be provided (no gas heaters) to heat the boat in order to prevent condensation forming on the surface. Keeping the boat well ventilated while heating will help considerably. This suggests that I would need to hire a reasonably decent electric heater/blower. Obviously, I am not an expert and spray foaming is a first for me, but I would be interested to hear from those who have experienced this and provide any useful advice. Many thanks, I appreciate the help.

Hello, Does anyone know the specs to help me determine if the valve springs have weakened or is there a simpler 'engineers' method to measure this? Thanks.

Done. All the best with this project.

Thanks for the responses, most interesting, entertaining and educational. I'll do as the manual states and stagger them, but evenly at 90 degrees and let the engine do the rest. Regards, RAP

Hello, According to the manual the piston rings are required to be staggered but it doesn't state what the offset should be. Given that there are four rings, 360 divided by 4 is 90; suggests that the offset should be 90 degrees between each piston ring gap. For example, bottom ring at 0, second ring at 90, third ring at 180 and fourth ring at 270, thus giving even distribution of the ring gaps. Is this logic correct or is there a more practicable answer? Thanks, RAP

Great Haywood?

Thanks, so no special tools other than a longer sturdy bar, preferably with a slight depression to help pein over the stem while whacking the head from the external side. Cheers, RAP

Anyone know how the brass bands are riveted to the stack, in particular, not having the internal access to whack the rivet? Is there a special long reach tool needed? Thanks, RAP

Thank you Peter, and for reference, the boat is a 58' Tim Tyler, and the engine is an industrial JP3, 'marinised' with a Paragon gearbox mounted at the back of the engine coupled via an R&D drive plate. I currently have the engine in bits while I make good the rather worn crankshaft, which I believe has been with the engine for the last 72 years. Regards, RAP

Some useful leads here to follow up. I appreciate your help. Thanks, RAP

I am looking for crankshaft bearings and shells at at least 40 thou undersized. Any ideas where I can source them or should I consider remetalling the old bearings and shells. If so, any ideas who can do this? Comments and opinions appreciated. Thanks, RAP