BMC 1500 what to look for and tips.

[Calranthe]

Well that was a fun visit, engine started but was struggling then died, seems the fuel pump is having issues, thank fully Sawley Marina is getting an engineer out this week to fix it probably due to the sitting around at least it means I do not have to.

apart from that it was a good visit.

[Tony Brooks]

See my reply to our topic in "new to Boating" about what I think is an electric fuel pump.

[Calranthe]

I took a picture of the alternator from the backish.

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

Yes - its an ACR and the diode pack with parts that can be live is exposed. A plastic cover is missing. At least the regulator case is shielding the diode pack to a degree.

Its fine as long as its charging enough for you but when the time comes, as I said, I would fit an A127 in its place and use the stud connector for the main positive lead rather than the 9mm blade.

 

 

[Calranthe]

Will do, i'll put the price of one into our monthly budget. thank you.

 

Found the dipstick oil looks fresh and at the minimum marker (when engine was cold) still waiting on the engineer to come out tonight to deal with the issue hopefully so could not check it with a warm engine.

[Calranthe]

Okay looks like the trip is on for Wednesday and if all goes well and we find out that the 20ft is big enough for us to be comfortable on then I will look to upgrading certain things it has no 240v system not even shore connection.

The two batteries it has I would like to relegate to primary systems mainly taking care of start up and instruments/navigation lights, currently one is set for that the other for leisure.

Replace the alternator as per your advice (the choice is the generic for £50 or the spec for £150 what is the real difference ?)

 As per the picture I would like to remove the sandbag balast and install two batteries for a leisure system, I have them at home 2* GEL 100ah 12v and a 3kw pure sign inverter, unfortunately my flexible 240w solar panel is a little too big for the boat but I should be able to grab a couple of 50w strips to provide long term top up.

Will the Alternator be able to handle charging 4 batteries ?

 

Also the boat does not have a battery charger other than the alternator what is a good way to go.

 

[David Schweizer]

On 02/06/2017 at 23:36, bizzard said:

That alternator in that picture on the AES site is a lefthand mount, which is wrong for your engine. You need a righthand mount one.

They are convertable, just undo the three fixing bolts and pull them free of the front plate, turn the front plate through 120 degrees and refit and tighten the bolts.

[Tony Brooks]

Almost any alternator will charge any sized battery bank BUT the real question is how long will it take. If it takes longer than your typical cruising day then its not going to be satisfactory.

The there is the question of how much electricity you typically take out of the battery each day. If its more than about 50% of battery capacity its unlikely to be satisfactory. If its more than you can put back in the following day then again its not likely to be satisfactory. 

Personally I would ignore any solar input and look on that as a bonus.

The usual advice is to do a power audit and the associated battery capacity and charging calculations for your own boat and your own use of it. Anything else is getting on for a straight guess. Sample calcs on my website tb-training.co.uk in the maintenance notes.

[TNLI]

On 04/06/2017 at 15:32, Calranthe said:

Well that was a fun visit, engine started but was struggling then died, seems the fuel pump is having issues, thank fully Sawley Marina is getting an engineer out this week to fix it probably due to the sitting around at least it means I do not have to.

apart from that it was a good visit.

Good you are making progress and the fuel supply issue does not sound expensive to fix. Your engine does seem to have been painted in different colours over the years, I thought they were a dark green in most cases, although I've seen some with blue paint. 

 

I've done some research over the past year into potential faults with the marinised BMC 1500, and there are only 3 issues worth being extra careful about. Firstly, very old badly abused ones that were either overheated or had badly worn main bearings, can suffer a crankshaft failure due to fatigue cracks. The file I looked at said the crankshaft needs to be X rayed during rebuild, OR have a very expierienced marine engineer do a dye marker test when the mains are measured to see if the crank is still in limits. 

The other 2 issues are a bit less serious, firstly the fuel injection pump seals can degrade in a manner that results in diesel contamination of the engine oil. So new seals every year, or change the oil more often than recommended. Finally I would never recommend using anything but top of the range, (Might be Bosche), glow plugs, because my old engine was trashed by the previous owner fitting NGK copies. The plugs are in the side of the cylinder, (Fairly rare location), so when an electrode broke it fell into the cylider. which resulted in the associated piston crown getting seriously damaged. For some reason the previous owner let it run on, which then resulted in it seizing. It was totally beyong repair and just sold for spares.

[Tony Brooks]

I am questioning all of those internet based assertions because they have other interpretations.

 

1. Yes, a three main bearing diesel crank is not a particularly bright idea but to blame a broken shaft on overheating or worn main bearings is ignoring another because that might well be the problem on old leaky 1.5s and that (as I have explained here a number of times) is a contaminated torsional oscillation damper where the rubber component no longer operates across the required vibration range. I suspect many technicians would not even know what it is and how it works, so would not recognise the issue. Fitting the old damper to a new crankshaft is likely to cause the new shaft to snap. Apart from that with three bearing crank, it could just be old age fatigue crack, so the moral is "check the ********* damper".

 

2. I think NGK glow plugs were original  perfectly good quality and may still be, but it's hard to be sure when there has been so much buying and selling of brands with the equipment now made goodness knows where and of what quality but I think there is a very good chance the diagnosis was wrong. The 1.5 uses pin plugs where the pin is about 3mm in diameter, hollow apart from the sealed end, with a single wires filament and mineral dust insulation down the middle. So not like 3mm of solid steel. They have a horrible habit of jambing in the head with carbon unless they are removed every (say) 5 years and the carbon  removed from the pin holes.  If this is not done when they are removed, many will snap the pins off at the hands of an inexperienced or inpatient fitter. When that happens, the remains of the pin has to be drilled out but as soon as the drill breaks through the carbon in the pin hole part of the head wall the tip of the pin falls off. In an ideal world one would have the head off when doing this so you can shake the pin tip out of the pre-combustion chamber, but that takes time and thus money. Experience on a large hire fleet suggests that one can get away with not taking the head off as long as you accept the risk the broken pin might manage to jamb itself under an exhaust valve and if it did it would be very likely the piston, valve, con rod and maybe the pushrod would be wrecked. However, over a number of years this never happened cross a fleet of about 25 1.5s. What did happen was very occasionally, during a timed overhaul, we would find a squashed  tip buried in a piston crown with no other damage. Others here have reported finding a nut that is far larger and stronger embedded in the piston crowns. It certainly showed no signs of ruining the engine. This is, I feel, another case of misdiagnosis of an engine that was just worked to death with little or no care. I honestly think the quality glow plug think is nonsense. Most likely put about by someone with an axe to grind - might tat be an "Influencer" working for a competitor.

 

By the way, most glow plugs are in a very similar position on the head in engines designed and built at that time. They have to be because the injectors stop them being fitted elsewhere. That is not an "unusual position".

 

3. The injection pump main shaft seal - the only one that can leak fuel  into the engine oil - and nowadays, it is a known problem that needs checking for regularly. It has become more relevant since we started using ULSD because it draws the  sulphur out of old swollen seals so they shrink and now leak. However, the advice that the seals be changed every year or the oil is changed more frequently seems to me to bring the poster's knowledge into serious question. The main shaft oil seal will require a pump strip and unless you have the set-up equipment, spares and a "clean room" the pump will have to go to a specialist  so expect a three figure bill each year.

 

I would advise, as should be the normal procedure, daily oil level checks so you can see if the level is rising or not and that it is not emulsifying, but that should apply to all engines, not just 1.5.

 

Be very wary about stuff you read on the internet unless the person writing it has a proven track record of having experience and being right more often than wrong. I would suggest that neither apply to the author of the piece this replay concerns. The likes of (no particular order) Biz, Tracy, Jen and a number of others are far more likely to give quality advice.

[Tracy D'arth]

I would add that the filter tube and spray nozzle for the pump skew gears require occasional cleaning, usually neglected by owners at their peril.

 

That was a very pessimistic diatribe on the 1.5D considering the many hundreds of thousands that were made in the UK and later India, a big number of which are still giving excellent service 80 years after it was designed!

[Tony Brooks]

37 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

I would add that the filter tube and spray nozzle for the pump skew gears require occasional cleaning, usually neglected by owners at their peril.

 

That was a very pessimistic diatribe on the 1.5D considering the many hundreds of thousands that were made in the UK and later India, a big number of which are still giving excellent service 80 years after it was designed!

 

I would suggest the above is far more worthy of notice by 1.5 owners than the stuff that prompted mine and Tracy's replies although  nowadays, the injector pump shaft leak seal thing is worth bearing in mind.

[TNLI]

2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

I would add that the filter tube and spray nozzle for the pump skew gears require occasional cleaning, usually neglected by owners at their peril.

 

That was a very pessimistic diatribe on the 1.5D considering the many hundreds of thousands that were made in the UK and later India, a big number of which are still giving excellent service 80 years after it was designed!

 

Do you know what type of deposit it is, in terms of oil sludge, carbon or diesel varnish. Might be a combination. If it's diesel related then I would use a Liqui Moly fuel additive, oil sludge then use a better oil with more detergent add's included. Mobil Delvac XP 10W40 for example cleans far better than a normal Acea A3/B4 oil. If it looks like overheating related burnt Carbon, then that's tough one, as the cause needs to be found, although coolant flow and oil flow rates are related.

 

Very few BMC' 1500's for sale at present, and the ones that are are being sold with no warranty or refund option. Still trying to dodge funding a new BETA Greenline 38, (35hp), as they fit on the BMC mounting plates. 

 

Previous post about failures:

I forgot to say I found 2 cans of easy start in the sunken wreck after salvage, (Bad batteries and 2 kaput glow plugs), so that can cause real trouble with old main bearings and head gaskets. The should be some serious warnings about the damage it can cause due to pre-ignition and oil film wash out.

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by TNLI

[Tony Brooks]

Warning:- All the ads for Mobil Delvac XP 10W40 come up with fully synthetic oils that may not be the best for our lightish duty BMC engines, or indeed any engines designed when 1.5s were. There is a Mobil Delvac XP LCV 10W40 that is semi-synthetic but its API spec is SN which is for petrol engines.

 

Any oil meeting API spec CC or above should have perfectly adequate detergentcy as long as you observe the oil and filter change intervals.

[Tracy D'arth]

40 minutes ago, TNLI said:

 

Do you know what type of deposit it is, in terms of oil sludge, carbon or diesel varnish. Might be a combination. If it's diesel related then I would use a Liqui Moly fuel additive, oil sludge then use a better oil with more detergent add's included. Mobil Delvac XP 10W40 for example cleans far better than a normal Acea A3/B4 oil. If it looks like overheating related burnt Carbon, then that's tough one, as the cause needs to be found, although coolant flow and oil flow rates are related.

 

Very few BMC' 1500's for sale at present, and the ones that are are being sold with no warranty or refund option. Still trying to dodge funding a new BETA Greenline 38, (35hp), as they fit on the BMC mounting plates. 

 

Previous post about failures:

I forgot to say I found 2 cans of easy start in the sunken wreck after salvage, (Bad batteries and 2 kaput glow plugs), so that can cause real trouble with old main bearings and head gaskets. The should be some serious warnings about the damage it can cause due to pre-ignition and oil film wash out.

 

The skew gear filter and sprayer are in engine oil so its sludge/carbon build up.   Try Calcutt for a decent 1.5D rebuild.

You know that the Canaline engines will drop onto the 1.5 BMC mounts with spacers to pack it up? Cheaper than the Beta and well regarded.

 

Use of Acetone (Easy Start) is not good, the explosive preignition is bad for the engine. Thing is people use far to much, it only needs a sniff. Better to preheat the air inlet with a blowlamp, just as efficient at starting a diesel that has low compression.

[Tony Brooks]

42 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

The skew gear filter and sprayer are in engine oil so its sludge/carbon build up. 

 

snip

 

 

Back in the late 60s we found a lot of 1.5s had blocked filters and, as you say, most seemed to be carbon type deposits. As the decade went on it seemed to become less and less of a problem, and I put that down to the increase in the detergency of the then new mutigrade oils. I am sure it is still likely if the oil and especially the filter change intervals are ignored. We also found that some of the more modern punched steel  strainers rusted after long use, but that may have been acid attack from old oil left in the system over winter. The older copper/brass wire mesh ones did not rust, they just fell apart. I think we found hairy stuff in a couple of the strainers, but n idea how it got there r where from.

[Tracy D'arth]

5 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Back in the late 60s we found a lot of 1.5s had blocked filters and, as you say, most seemed to be carbon type deposits. As the decade went on it seemed to become less and less of a problem, and I put that down to the increase in the detergency of the then new mutigrade oils. I am sure it is still likely if the oil and especially the filter change intervals are ignored. We also found that some of the more modern punched steel  strainers rusted after long use, but that may have been acid attack from old oil left in the system over winter. The older copper/brass wire mesh ones did not rust, they just fell apart. I think we found hairy stuff in a couple of the strainers, but n idea how it got there r where from.

Hair off the sump caterpillars?  I must admit its been a while since I serviced one and the strainers have generally been clear of carbon, most likely better oils and more frequent oil changes.

The Ford Cortina 1200 Mk1 three main bearing engine may be responsible for folk worrying about the number of bearings. They were like a bit of bent wire before Ford beefed them up and used to have cold start rattle after a good few miles on the clock.

Its worth considering that most V8 engines, even the elephant motors, are only 5 bearing cranks.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Tracy D'arth

[Tony Brooks]

20 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Hair off the sump caterpillars?  I must admit its been a while since I serviced one and the strainers have generally been clear of carbon, most likely better oils and more frequent oil changes.

The Ford Cortina 1200 Mk1 three main bearing engine may be responsible for folk worrying about the number of bearings. They were like a bit of bent wire before Ford beefed them up and used to have cold start rattle after a good few miles on the clock.

Its worth considering that most V8 engines, even the elephant motors, are only 5 bearing cranks.

 

Yes, I always felt the BMC diesel had  a better crank than the dieselized petrol engine Ford produced at a similar time.

 

I do wonder just how much real life experience TNLI has of small marine diesels, and if he comprehends just how old the 1.5 design is. We had a very old one on the fleet with totally different back end parts and an inertial two hole starter that I suspect dated from the late 1950s or very early 60s so he is potentially criticising 70 year old engines wearing out.

[TNLI]

10 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Yes, I always felt the BMC diesel had  a better crank than the dieselized petrol engine Ford produced at a similar time.

 

I do wonder just how much real life experience TNLI has of small marine diesels, and if he comprehends just how old the 1.5 design is. We had a very old one on the fleet with totally different back end parts and an inertial two hole starter that I suspect dated from the late 1950s or very early 60s so he is potentially criticising 70 year old engines wearing out.

I not familiar with the BMC series at all, as although I'm a true blue Brit, I spent my nautical life overseas, so I only know the engines on the boats I owned or worked on, which is DAF 150, Cummins 300, Detroit 350 (The old 2 stroke plus exhaust vales and Garret turbo version), assorted smaller Yanmars, Vetus M310 and Vol;vo Penta 150 diesels. I can access some insrance claim data for diesel engines which is interesting, because it lists reason for the write off. 

 

  Alas the big issue is the fact the local welders are so busy, will not fit mounting brackets to my boats frame at present, as they are all too busy or stupidly expensive!  That resulted in me giving up on a deal to buy a Bukh 24 from Marine Enterprises, and having to find another BMC 1500, Thornycroft 1.5 (Same block and mounting locations), or Beta Greenline 38 for less than 3K with gearbox. Calcutt boats have already informed me that I need to supply them with an exchange engine, AND they are too far away from Poole anyway.

 

I'm rebuilding a classic lifeboat, and I do like the old engines, BUT only if they have been correctly rebuilt, and the big issue at present is finding one that I can go and check out within a reasonable distance from Poole.  Once I find a BMC 1500 /Thornycroft 1.5, then I can rebuild it under supervision of an RNLI engineering inspector, (He will do the more difficult tasks, or arrange for them to be done correctly by an outside contractor), BUT I really can't find one worth buying yet. 

Edited August 30, 2021 by TNLI

[TNLI]

Time to take a rest for some days, after a few beers between the fuel tanks!

[TNLI]

12 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Warning:- All the ads for Mobil Delvac XP 10W40 come up with fully synthetic oils that may not be the best for our lightish duty BMC engines, or indeed any engines designed when 1.5s were. There is a Mobil Delvac XP LCV 10W40 that is semi-synthetic but its API spec is SN which is for petrol engines.

 

Any oil meeting API spec CC or above should have perfectly adequate detergentcy as long as you observe the oil and filter change intervals.

YES, be careful which BUKH Mobil Delvac version is involved, as it must be either an Acea B4, or the E4 version that say they are no good for DPF or stop start diesels (Those types of oils lack enough Zinc based anti wear add's for old diesels). For some reason there are some clowns selling Mobil Delvac that do not list the approvals, or operating temperture ranges for different engines. For example, the old Bukh 24 and 36 could use Mobil 1 0W40 (Acea A3/B4) as per the Bukh list, BUT I like higher detergent and Zinc levels in older diesels and base all oil decisions on VOA or UOA results that list exact contents data and used oil average mass spectrometer figures for different diesel engines. The correct type of Mobil Delvac is one great oil in an older diesel that suffers from sludge or poor oil seals. It's also the cheapest at present for some reason, which is why I mentioned it.

 

You don't really need a German group 4 full synthetic or Shell Ulta GTL (Made from natural gas liquifaction by-products) base oils, but you sure need the additives included in genuine major brand diesel engine oil even for older light duty diesels. With a close tollerance turbo diesel in many diesel cars, you will get better oil analysis results from a real German Liqui Moly Sythoil, or Shell Ultra oil of the correct viscosity and Acea, or API rating. Not that your average car dealer will tell you that. 

 

Last engine rant, don't forget that oil filter quality is just as important as the oil type, and the new generation of synthetic matrix oil filters are better, and it might be possible to find one that fits an older BMC by using an approved spin on adapter if you have the old canister type with removable elements. 

Edited August 30, 2021 by TNLI

[Tony Brooks]

6 hours ago, TNLI said:

YES, be careful which BUKH Mobil Delvac version is involved, as it must be either an Acea B4, or the E4 version that say they are no good for DPF or stop start diesels (Those types of oils lack enough Zinc based anti wear add's for old diesels). For some reason there are some clowns selling Mobil Delvac that do not list the approvals, or operating temperture ranges for different engines. For example, the old Bukh 24 and 36 could use Mobil 1 0W40 (Acea A3/B4) as per the Bukh list, BUT I like higher detergent and Zinc levels in older diesels and base all oil decisions on VOA or UOA results that list exact contents data and used oil average mass spectrometer figures for different diesel engines. The correct type of Mobil Delvac is one great oil in an older diesel that suffers from sludge or poor oil seals. It's also the cheapest at present for some reason, which is why I mentioned it.

 

You don't really need a German group 4 full synthetic or Shell Ulta GTL (Made from natural gas liquifaction by-products) base oils, but you sure need the additives included in genuine major brand diesel engine oil even for older light duty diesels. With a close tollerance turbo diesel in many diesel cars, you will get better oil analysis results from a real German Liqui Moly Sythoil, or Shell Ultra oil of the correct viscosity and Acea, or API rating. Not that your average car dealer will tell you that. 

 

Last engine rant, don't forget that oil filter quality is just as important as the oil type, and the new generation of synthetic matrix oil filters are better, and it might be possible to find one that fits an older BMC by using an approved spin on adapter if you have the old canister type with removable elements. 

 

Please use the de facto international standard to oil performance classification, the API system, and not the EU one. The API one is better understood on this forum by the non-technical members.

 

There has been ongoing evidence that using oils with a high additive pack and synthetic base oil are implicated in bore glazing on our lightly loaded inland diesels. Please stop trying to encourage members to use oils that have been implicated in causing engine damage that needs a rebuild to sort (bore glazing). Also, stop raising irrelevant points about turbo-diesels. This may come as a shock to you but apart from a comparatively small  number of GRP boats on the major rivers inland boats do not use turbos, which you would know if you had been searching for a replacement engine. By all means, put in whatever oil and fit whatever filter you want to on your own engine. You will then find out the validity of your views and the cost implications.

 

It is easy to get an engine to fit your boat. Calcutt Boats will sell you a reconditions 1.5 or 1.8 (same mounting points as far as I know) and the 1.8 has a spin on oil filter as standard. Tracy told you that Canaline engines also fit the BMC mounting points. Plenty of 1.5s on the net but probably not at a price you are willing to pay so try this one £650 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174914290030?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item28b9b4416e:i:174914290030&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAACkPYe5NmHp%2B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkPrKr5t53CooMSQt2orsSDAeS9EQtjPGVfKXTxF0%2BjhoraHR0Gg6nnFIIiUx8fAxXI40tVE0RkVuYGyAW%2FdhR%2FsmVPcF4LC%2BzBKoNVLpyz7cdE6NOK2kjwVPrrpLPlZOHUUkHL5xbEpCeyokzHZ3zT2s1T6ufRdcuUibcC6pZZref3zHtupMZ0516gVh7Zgz4qV0rP3AeYhwUTLweCbQ4S7Ju6J6kuxBnC6nIFX09PxRF27ccAnlPeFYqv%2Bul37gm%2F0SzIR7r8iqMpmhLHpP9ren496zZMtRbSFCd%2FhIRmYzLuQBE41BJ%2FI59eZs6H%2BrgQIV%2FZCByAHnS%2Bafg3FKnEeVtf04%2FTlkGxIMKppgbajknxLXGAd%2FjmNLe8KUlUr%2B3I28bGfQzwVvwoh6sOYr57SMmlXMiZPadujZ1NAt45%2FydF4mKnvfcWIxLV4jo7%2BrYTBVYlEDAp%2FrErU0A%2BDqgcYTLk4iNgi%2BjfsuA2S0V2zfU0B3nrw74SMsPzy1vjYPDvVQYl8bm6k5DrB7oOQJosItaHNp13cxXdMedzsyARgHvNzfTaP9nQvg3AMctBSMlrzAerrEoMp5v5eyceAGntFLCH%2BrPtX6RB5W%2FVTjfXdVNkIUyRnvm6d5UsaP2tztg5l0Omgwm7oFacK51K6qlqMlgoKwKMbXJF0i3LRTeoF7%2FQxTnNtm%2BfKYWkvb60Va3Z40KefOBUbJeEx2SHLnxIKaylTyidDXL46rDzhj2tHPPHDzllURn1KkOjn4s8H5yGhg%2FtBKWGuhFEODPUkz4%2B3Kt%2BSxGm72qQI6rrWugf7kWvrzPBIBrpJny5GZjNmfLEnjWVaak2Z37oRhCDEN%2B|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524

 

I suggest that you take your views to the YBW forum because I am getting fed up with trying to counter your misleading posts.

[TNLI]

17 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

The skew gear filter and sprayer are in engine oil so its sludge/carbon build up.   Try Calcutt for a decent 1.5D rebuild.

You know that the Canaline engines will drop onto the 1.5 BMC mounts with spacers to pack it up? Cheaper than the Beta and well regarded.

 

Use of Acetone (Easy Start) is not good, the explosive preignition is bad for the engine. Thing is people use far to much, it only needs a sniff. Better to preheat the air inlet with a blowlamp, just as efficient at starting a diesel that has low compression.

Thanks, very corect about using Easy Start, and to find 2 cans of it was one big indicator as to why the electrode fell out of the NGK glow plug some years before I purchased my wreck of a boat..

A lot of diesel engine users need to remember that the CCA (Cold Crank Amps), often listed incorrectly as just A for some batteries that a diesel needs to start correctly when cold can be fairly high and is not some kind of figure for the glow plugs, which should be checked at least every year, or poor start incident, in terms of the actual resistance figure, and bad ones, (Might be 1 or 2 ohms for a good plug and hundreds or thousands for a bad one), result in no end of easy start cans being sold, or injectors being serviced for no reason. That CCA listed for a diesel should be well below the actual one listed for the start batteries. Those 2 slow to start issues seem top of the list for some reason during the winter.

 

As I expected you have confirmed oil sludge is an issue for some BMC engine owners, so a real high detergent figure, (Listed as Calcium in a virgin oil analysis report), is important, although changing the oil more often can compensate with older engines to some extent. That often means using a real diesel engine oil from a major brand, not supermarket or small company special offer. 

 

Question:

When inspecting a used old diesel I always try and see if the intake screen to the oil pump in the sump is showing signs of sludge, as that is often the place it is found first. Do you think this particular skew gear, (Timing chain related part I presume), is the bad spot for sludge or debris ??

 

Also the does the oil spray jet or similar part suffer from varnish deposits ??, That type of issue, (Tends to be more common in hot areas and a major cause of turbo bearing failures due to reduced oil flow with modern turbo diesel car engines).

 

Final question for any BMC 1.5 fans is how common are timing chain failures if a new part, bearing and tensioner, (Not sure if the 1.5 has one) ??

 

In reality I'm nearing the end of my tether in terms of finding an engine that will fit directly onto the BMC mounting plates that has been fully rebuilt to a high standard, (A few oil drips are almost normal on many older generation diesels), or is a cheap runner that a good company will accept in part exchange terms for a full recon with warranty. No point paying Calcutta boats,  or Marine Enterprises around 3 grand, plus 500 for the installation, when I can get a new engine with a 5 year warranty for 7 to 8 grand, as a serious failure overseas can cost a real foutune to resolve due to shipping, customs and serious import taxes etc.

    

 

[Tony Brooks]

Er, you are aware that we are talking marine engines here, so the correct designation for start battery capacity is MCCA not CCA, although for UK inland use CCA is good enough. Unfortunately, when the 1.5 was designed there was no such thing a CCA so Ah or plate numbers was used instead.

 

More poor info. Glow plugs have a positive temperature coefficient, so they will return all but zero ohms when COLD. It is far more  reliable to check hem by current draw and the 1.5 pin plugs are typically low current compared with modern ones. Typically, about 6 amps each plug, but modern replacements may start much higher and drop as they heat up.

 

You seem to have seen something I have not in this topic in resect of 1.5s suffering from oil sludge, APART from in abused engines or those using a low detergency petrol engine oil. This seems to be a problem more in your mind than the actuality.

 

The skew gear has nothing to do with the timing chain, apart from the fact the camshaft is driven by the chain. It is on the cam shaft roughly between number 3 and 4 cylinders. Using the correct grade oil and observing the oil and filter change intervals seems to keep the strainer fairly clean, as it would do the strainer in the sump. You get sludge in engines that have not had regular oil and filter changes or have been using incorrect (non or low detergency) oil grades. You can also get thickening and sludgy oil if the engine is fitted with an engine oil cooler when it's not run hard enough for long enough - like in inland use.

 

The strainer and jet are fed from the oil gallery system, so the oil would have cooled a little in the sump and filter before being supplied to the strainer and jet, so they tend not to suffer from varnish. They run more or less at block temperature. Usually a quick wash in paraffin brings them back to bright metal.

 

We never had a timing chain failure, but our engines were fairly well maintained. If you ignore timing chan slap then you will get problems. It uses an oil fed/adjusted slipper block type tensioner. No idea what bearing you are talking about. One sprocket is on the crankshaft so it's the front main bearing and the other on the cam shaft so it's the front cam shaft bearing. You seem to be a bit confused about timing chain tensioners. Even the 2.2 tensioning sprocket did not have a bearing that wore. Are you thinking it's a cam belt?

 

 

[TNLI]

Sorry, forgot that you are using very low power on canals and I did say any owner needs to check the engine manual for recommended API or Acea limits and viscosity vs operating temperatures. That low power and lack of the chance to do a period of max continous to clean out most of the deposits every 10 hours of trolling type RPM's to burn off any diesel in the oil, (Alas not any Bio fraction), is the cause of bore glazing, along with lack of good quality detegents, BUT many diesel engine companies list engine oils that are good for petrol engines, and that is one factor that can result in making low power deposits worse, so you should use a real diesel oil, but it's odd I'm one of the few that does. Not that it makes a big difference to bore glazing.

 

Oddly enough you might look at the effect of some fuel additives, as they can help reduce upper cylider deposits, (Liqui Moly make some), or investigate fuel quality issues. Cheap diesel can be bad news due high Sulphur content, and that contamination at low power can result in increased glaze and upper cylinder wear rates.

 

A lot of varnish and sludge issues result from owners not using the recommended oil, 

 

Calcut boats sent me a message saying I have to find a old BMC 1.5 first, so they will not provide a fully rebuilt one at present. They are also too far away for me to test the engine before accepting it. 

 

If you have a canal boat that is using less than around 1500 RPM for the speed limit, it might be worth selling the big donkey a fitting a smaller one, or fitting a good genrator and electric motor.

 

Anyway, I've given up for a while, but thanks for listing Canaline or some name of diesel that fits the BMC 1.5 mounts, as I will need to read up on that engine company.

 

PS: Forgot to say, never add Moly to an oil, as it is true that lowering restance makes bore glazing worse and it can ruin the chemical balance of a good oil, so blaming friction modifyers for some deposits has an element of truth to it!

Oddly enough the best results in real world oil analysis I ever had was using Liqui Moly Synthoil High Tech 5w40 in an old diesel that was short tripping, and that genuine German standard full synthetic has no Moly it it at all! Shell Ultra 5w40 (Sorry but I only have the Acea cats of A3/B4) was nearly as good, but that was for a F9Q2 Renault block, not a BMC.

 

GONE FISHING FOR SHARKS OFF BOURNEMOUTH LATER, so hope the Ford diesels keep running!