BMC 1800 waterpump

Problem.

Just resting in bed one morning, engine running. Suddenly it started making a crunching noise. Sounded ominous.

Ran out and immediately turned the engine off.

This happened twice or three times. A loud metallic crunching sound.

Next day when I started it up, it began overheating quite badly.

Overheating

Most of the coolant ended up squirted all over the engine compartment floor.

When I started the engine, after about an hour, it started ‘boiling out’. The coolant was just boiling off the top of the cylinder heads and being forced out.

This can point to a badly bled system, or a more serious problem with your cooling system.

 

BMC 1,800 marine waterpump

After talking to a couple of people, I was fairly convinced that the problem was with the waterpump.

BMC 1800 marine waterpump
BMC 1800 marine waterpump

Symptoms including:-

  1. Metalic crunching sound; the pump scraping on it’s housing.
  2. Overheating.
  3. No oil in water or water in oil: Not being a problem with the head gasket.

Procedure for removing waterpump

The waterpump resides behind the engine. The fan belt rotates around it, along with the alternator and the drive-shaft.

  1. Loosen screws on waterpump wheel: There are four nuts that need to be loosened.
  2. Loosen alternator: Slacken the belt off.
  3. Remove waterpump wheel: Fully take nuts out and gently lever the wheel from the waterpump. Keep this, you will need it later!
  4. Remove water from your system: Pick the place where the cooling system piping is at it’s lowest. Remove the pipe here and bleed the coolant out.
  5. Remove pipes: There’s a pipe which connects the waterpump to the cooling jacket. Carefully remove this.
  6. Remove waterpump: There are 4 nuts and washers holding it on. Slacken these off and remove the pump.

You should be left holding your old and broken waterpump in your hand.

You may want to dispose of this in the best way you see fit. Continue reading “BMC 1800 waterpump”

Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle) and Watership Down

A star-studded weekend it would seem.

Even saw a dead hare.

Downton Abbey

Or Highclere Castle, I was not allowed to cycle through the grounds, even though it was open to the public and there was traffic driving through to participate in the ‘country fare’.

Was told to get off my bike at least twice. To walk through the park is 2 miles or so.

Doesn’t really make sense when there are cars driving past then you have to walk.

I was told it was because it was ‘a footpath’.

I know footpaths are not public rights of ways for cars, they should have had to get out and push their cars!

I was so off-put by the rule that I only took one picture.

Downton Abbey

Watership Down

Continue reading “Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle) and Watership Down”

Hungerford Marsh -> Hungerford

Not much of a move.

Had to go and get water, turn the boat around.

Marsh is about a mile or so out of town.

Now I’m moored right outside St. Lawrence church, by the swing bridge.

[map][/map]

Shrimps

Had a guy come past last night, wanted to catch fresh water shrimps under the boat.

I wonder if these may make a tasty meal….

Post Restanté

There aren’t any post offices around that do this service, I cycled to Kintbury yesterday to find that my mail had been returned to sender.

No post office in Hungerford. No post office in Kintbury. Makes it a logistical nightmare. Continue reading “Hungerford Marsh -> Hungerford”

Froxfield -> Hungerford Marsh

Tried to moor in-between but there were 2 problems:

  1. The railway track: Not more than 20 yards from the canal bank. Great news if you like to be waking up with a train going past your head at 3 o’clock in the morning. Otherwise, not a good spot for mooring.
  2. Heavy growth of giant hogweed; and other plantlife dipping quite heavily into the canal on a cambered bank. Making it quite hard for mooring.

Didn’t bother, after spending and hour or so wondering round seeing if I could find a suitable spot.

This is where I’m moored now. You can see it has the additional texture of raindrops…. Continue reading “Froxfield -> Hungerford Marsh”

To Ham

Felt a bit bored. Took a walk to Ham and Ham Spray.

Again, walked up through the estates of Little Bedwyn, with the ‘beware u will be shot’ signs, on to somewhere called ‘Prospero’ estates, again with little ‘u will be shot’ signs, but better hidden.

Saw lots of little birds and beasties along the way, including a weasel and about 5 hares.

Savernake forest

The woods are near Savernake forest which is owned by the Earl of Cardigan and is some 4.500 acres. I visited Savernake forest on Sunday, it’s possible to drive through from to Marlborough almost.

A short-cut except that the road is not made up. Continue reading “To Ham”