Matt B

Thanks all ....i have now stopped worrying. Matt

Spot on, around 72 lb. However with the engine running the force needed drops to just over 50 lb. The manual doesn't have anything to say on whether the test is done with the engine running or not. I assume not? Matt

Thanks Jenevers, I have borrowed a spring balance and will check it out at the weekend just to be sure. But reassuring to hear it sounds OK. Matt

Thanks Tim, it certainly does that, good to know its generally what they do. Matt

Hi Martin Thanks, I sure you are right. I will acquire a spring balance and back of the adjuster screws if needs be. I guess that the 70-75 lb at 2 ft is a more accurate measure that the adjustment is correct than counting the turns on an adjuster screw. cheers Matt

Hi looking for a bit of advice. Having adjusted the 4 adjuster screws on the ahead clutch I am not happy with the results. the gearbox goes into gear OK but coming out of gear there is quite a thump as if the whole lot has been under too much pressure. I haven't tested the pressure needed to engage the gear (as I haven't got hold of a spring balance yet) , the manual suggests it should take 70-75 lb at 2 feet but it doesn't feel excessive. That said this is the only 2UC I have experience of. I have carefully followed the procedure in the manual (three times now) and it may be fine but.......... I wasn't keen on readjusting with say 1 rather than the proscribed 1.5 turns as I don't want the plates slipping. One thing I have noticed is that with the 4 adjuster screws fully out (ie not projecting beyond the inside face of the levers) when I move the clutch sleeve forward into the in gear position the levers start to move the plungers in slightly. Again, this may be fine but..... I decided to adjust the gear in the first place as it was always a bit fierce coming out of gear. Think I have made matters worse. cheers Matt

Thanks, we think so too. Chatting to one of the chaps who's been here a while, the ferry chain was removed only a few years ago. Matt

Hi Magnetman Still here, lurking around, thanks for the link and info (will have a read when im not supposed to be working). I was thinking about the way the ferry might have worked across the river, when the river was in flood im sure that there would have been demand for a ferry. If one end of the setting pole was fixed about the pivot point on the ferry and the business end was set onto the bank downstream the current could be used to push the ferry away from the bank. I wonder if they used a rope or chain to operate as a pendulum ferry, may have been possible in flood conditions when there was unlikely to be much traffic?

Having finally managed to get the shoes fitting nicely all the way around (using thinnest feeler gauge to check contact/high spots, i have finally got the whole thing back together, engine back in and re aligned and all seems good. As a bonus, having had the bearing housing at the forward end of the reduction box sleeved the whole plot runs much quieter that before. We are yet to venture out but having run in forward and reverse for a while, so far so good. having to remove the reduction box (and therefore the engine) to lift the top half of the gear case off seems a bit daft as replacing the top 4 studs with bolts would solve this but perhaps there is a good reason for using studs rather than bolts! Thanks for interest and advice, much appreciated. Fingers crossed for first trip out.

Yes, I think so. Although there was very nearly 1/4" left of the old ones and all the rivets had been scraping on the drum, so Im a bit perplexed.

Yes, and it wasn't great, but with a bit of work its getting there. Its taken hours to get just one of them right shaving it down with a rasp (now very blunt) and the edge of a large chisel to hone it down. Ive been using the drum with a smear of oil as a guide to find the high spots. Im a bit worried about it all to be honest, dont want another broken shoe. I guess as long as the pad touches evenly all around and there is the specified play in the hinge block it should be fine. What can possibly go wrong

Yep, very clear about that one

Hope I've made the right decision with this! Went for 5/16 in the end as the old ones were more or less at 1/4 and down to the rivets. Just got to remember how it all goes together now

Thanks for that

Glad to be of service, the chap who runs the site is an ex keel man and seems to know many people with old pictures and often uploads new stuff. I found the only picture I have of Hope in trade on his site.

Doesn't specifically help with you question but have you seen this web page, http://hulldockbargeworld.weebly.com/rivercraft.html about seventh pic down....

Much appreciated.

The lining on the shoes is down to the rivets so they need relining. Currently they are evenly worn to around 5mm and I'm wondering what the as new thickness should/would have been. Looking at the attached pic they look around the same thickness (if anything slightly thinner) as the adjacent casting but that is around 5mm? I have been advised that the norm is to countersink down to 1/3 which would make the original thickness around 15 mm (suggesting 1/2"?). Room in there is tight though and the thicker the lining the smaller the diameter so I dont want to go too thick. Any thoughts cheers

Yes there is a very specific mention of checking for clearance between ( i think) the hinge block and the casing so that will need looking at.

Hoping Tim's gearbox (see post#2) will have a good pair in it, but also spoke to Tony Redshaw who seemed confident about a repair if necessary. I would like to get to the bottom if why they broke though seeing as they have been repaired before. ie abuse from previous owner, badly adjusted, badly repaired or just pure old age. My worry is that putting an old pair that look OK in may be worse than using the existing ones with a good repair. Its quite a job to get them out and I would prefer not to have to do it again.......

Some time later..... may have spotted the problem Been repaired before, and I think its safe to say that the shoe has been cracked for a while as one side is much blacker that the other. Lots of repair made to the outside of the shoe but so sign of damage or welding to the inside. edit- looking again inside may have been refaced The other shoe has same repair at the base but looks to be holding up. friction material is down to the rivets too. Matt

Thanks, I was just wondering how to fill my days off for the next few weeks!