Can You Identify This Part And Recommend Tools?

[wooster]

Hi all,

I am retiring this year and I've recently bought a boat. For the first time ever I've actually started reading up about how diesel engines work. It looks easy on paper or on youtube when  some guy on a plush yacht is changing parts etc but when I look at my BMC 1800s it all looks different. I can hardly reach some of the parts I can actually identify!  I need to buy some tools and if you know of a good kit to cover most basic tasks I'd welcome your recommendations. 

Meantime, to show I'm really ignorant of engines, please can someone tell me what this thing is?

Thanks for your advice

 

[CambridgeCabby]

Stern gland greaser ??

edited to add ignore this as Vaughan below ⬇️ Is far more knowledgable than I am 

[Vaughan]

That is probably the sump pump, for changing the oil.

The first thing you will need is a set of AF ring spanners as these engines are not metric!

 

[Meantime]

2 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

That is probably the sump pump, for changing the oil.

That would be my guess as well. Follow the pipe back and see if one of them goes to the bottom of the sump. If it does, then it is a sump pump and I would recommend using it when changing the oil. 

I have one on my engine and it has a bolt screwed into the output. When you change the oil you remove the bolt, put a rubber tube over the outlet and then pump the oil out into a handy container. A while back I got an oil extractor, one of those jobbies that you pump to create a vacuum and then stick a small pipe down the dipstick tube and let it extract the oil for you. Used it a couple of times and noticed that the oil seemed to get dirty quicker than the old method of changing the oil. Went back to using the sump pump and although it is slightly more effort is gets far more of the used oil out and well worth using.

[marshman]

Usually 2l milk bottles will fit under - at least it does on ours!! Make sure you have an empty oil can handy as  it will probably fill that - someone will tell you how much oil will be in  BMC 1800. If you are doing it yourself all yards will have an oil tank for disposing of old engine oil - please use that an don't just empty it away anywhere.

If you are brave enough to even think of attempting an engine service at this stage, it is probably best to let an engineer do your first one, and note carefully what he does before attempting one yourself!

[Vaughan]

The trick when changing the oil, by whatever method, is to run the engine first and get it up to temperature.  The oil will then be a lot thinner and will flow easily.

When winterising the engine, you can use this warm up period to run the water pump to empty the fresh water tank and it helps to ensure the batteries are charged.

[Vaughan]

2 minutes ago, marshman said:

If you are brave enough to even think of attempting an engine service at this stage, it is probably best to let an engineer do your first one, and note carefully what he does before attempting one yourself!

Exactly!!!!!!!!!

I always use plenty of exclamation marks when replying to Marshman but this should on no account be considered as SHOUTING.

See another thread on the subject of language . . . . 

[marshman]

At my age, I am also beginning to get a bit mutton these days so you can shout - with my permission!!!

[Oddfellow]

It is definitely the sump pump. 

Sometimes, these have a valve on the pipework below. Often times these things rattle too. 

 

[Vaughan]

1 hour ago, wooster said:

I can't be sure from this photo but it looks as though you have a Hurth gearbox.

Nothing wrong with that, they are very sturdy and Nanni supply them as standard, unless you specify otherwise. Make sure you use the right oil, which is the thin red hydraulic oil, TQF or ATF (can't remember which) but not normal engine oil. If the oil is milky white when you dip it, then you have water in it and must have the gearbox repaired. They also need to be well lined up to the propshaft, so another job for a boatyard to look at. They are a mechanical box which engages by a spring clutch, so make sure the engine tickover is set nice and low (700 revs) and let the revs drop down before changing gear. Otherwise you will have wear on the flywheel thrust plate.

BMCs are very sturdy engines and you need to remember Sod's Second Law of Engineering :

If it is running smoothly and doing what you want - don't bugger about with it.

[wooster]

Thank you all for your help. I'm glad to have the facility for oil removal built - in to the engine.  I've been reading books and as I say, watching videos but currently the boat is in the hands of an engineer who's going to give her the once-over and have a look at coolant pressure for me.

Thank you re the oil tip for the gearbox. It is indeed a Hurth, according to the survey and I will bear in mind the oil type.

Of all the things I've read about it seems the one likely to be the most tricky is bleeding the engine after changing the fuel filters and also getting the impellers in and out ( I have arthritic and feeble hands ) otherwise it looks quite fun.

Thanks again 

[wooster]

Oh, and I like the second law of engineering very much 

[marshman]

So what is Sods First Law - never ever buy a boat??????

[Vaughan]

I am sure you have heard of it.

It states that when you make a jam butty, but drop it before you can get it to your mouth, it will always land on the carpet jam side down!

[Meantime]

2 hours ago, Vaughan said:

I am sure you have heard of it.

It states that when you make a jam butty, but drop it before you can get it to your mouth, it will always land on the carpet jam side down!

That's where I've been going wrong. I always put my jam on the inside of a jam butty.   Now peanut butter on toast is guaranteed to fall peanut butter side down. 

[CambridgeCabby]

If you put jam on both sides which is the jam side down side ?

[Vaughan]

5 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said:

If you put jam on both sides which is the jam side down side ?

Surely you know "on which side your bread is buttered"?

[CambridgeCabby]

9 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Surely you know "on which side your bread is buttered"?

Katie keeps reminding me