Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:32pm

i broke a water hose in a tunnel and i repalced the hose but cant get the water to flow round my engine i have a skin cooled system any ideas please been trying for two days noe to get it runing it just bubbles up in my header tank

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:12am

Dear Steve, the first thing is that I hope you have not damaged the engine. Your symptoms could indicate a blown head gasket, but I can not be sure until I know how easily the engine starts from cold and how quickly the bubbles form. There are so many other possible causes that its hard to be much help without seeing how the system is set up. Unless there is a direct, up hill pipe run, with no droops or kinks, from the top of the skin tank to the header tank the skin tank should have a bleed tap or plug on it. If so have you used this to bleed the skin tank? Next fill the system and inspect all the hoses to see if you have any upward or downward loops that will trap air. If so manipulate the pipes so any air trapped can rise into the header tank. If you have a calorifier you may need to bleed that system once you have bled the main cooling system. Locate the return pipe that usually connects to a hose close to the water pump. The hose you are looking for is probably about 5/8" OD. Get a helper, make up a 50% antifreeze mixture in a watering can. Loosen but do not remove the hose connection above. Set the engine to about 1000rpm, pull off hose and put thumb over the engine side of the connection. Friend tops up header tank while you watch the coolant coming from the hose. When no more air bubbles are in the water replace hose, tighten joint, top up system and check for leaks. If none of this helps please send me a selection of digi-pics of the whole engine and skin tank area (so I can trace the cooling pipes etc) to Tony@TB-training.co.uk and I will see if I can be more help. Tony Brooks

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:51pm

well thank you for your reply and its bad news i have had a boat engineer out today and its a blown head gasket my engine is a lister alpha lpws3 engine which i am haveing problems finding a place to get parts from or a copy off a manual if you got any contact numbers off where to source parts or a copy off a sevice manual it would be very help full regards steven

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:02pm

The best place for all things Marine Lister is Marine Engine Services at Uxbridge. You will also find certain Alpha info on the Dutch manual site http://www.motoren.ath.cx/. However they do not mention an LPWS as such but it may be worth while you spending a time looking. Tony Brooks

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:40pm

thanks tony that was a great help i have managed to find a place in the greater manchester area called seddons they are a distributor for lister petter spares in bolton get the parts thursday just need to find an engineer to fit them that wont rip me off like today 75 pound for ten mins work

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:58pm

have you asked Seddons to quote? It is much harder to rip off plant firms than it is boaters! Plant firms know roughly how long, how much and the spares required before the job is started. TB