Search found 900 matches

by Big Pete
Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:56 pm
Forum: Crew Mess
Topic: Hello!
Replies: 17
Views: 14111

Re: Hello!

Hi Grecian, you appear to be well organised, and prepared, the advantages of age and experience. I would say about the Unions, RMT (Rail Maritime & Transport, formerly the National Union of seamen) caters for ratings, Nautilus (formerly the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers Association) caters ...
by Big Pete
Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:42 am
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: mmpx 404 alfa laval problems.
Replies: 20
Views: 43729

Re: mmpx 404 alfa laval problems.

Hi E Trader, looking at Martins drawings there are 2 Dowel pins, 12A and 12B attached to part 12. One obviously goes into part 8 is the other one to locate the base of the disc stack? In which case I would have thought it would be drawn above the bowl. It is not too clear to me from the drawing. May...
by Big Pete
Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:41 am
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: Engine cooling system
Replies: 4
Views: 9201

Re: Engine cooling system

Re JKs points:- 1) The ship works as a Research ship from Arctic to Antarctic. 2) The Fresh water pressures are actually too high, but there is a massive reduction in pipe diameter at the inlet to the central coolers, and the pressure drop has always been assumed to be across the coolers. 3) All the...
by Big Pete
Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:21 am
Forum: Crew Mess
Topic: Hello!
Replies: 17
Views: 14111

Re: Hello!

Hi Grecian, I believe Plymouth has changed since 1971-73 when I studied phase 1 there!! We were in the old Residential Nautical College, Portland Square and used to drink in the James Street Vaults on the corner. There were still old "spit & sawdust" Pubs down the Barbican, and the sma...
by Big Pete
Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:56 am
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: Engine cooling system
Replies: 4
Views: 9201

Engine cooling system

I have just completed a trip as a temporary Chief on a Diesel Electric ship, with 4 generator sets cooled by one running electric HT pump and one running Electric LT pump. There was a an electric standby pump for each. Below are some observations on the system:- Each engine was fitted with an isolat...
by Big Pete
Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:28 am
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: mmpx 404 alfa laval problems.
Replies: 20
Views: 43729

Re: mmpx 404 alfa laval problems.

E.Trader wrote:and we alligned the position of the holes in the operating slide and distributing ring lower.
Shouldn't there be a locating dowel pin or guide to keep the alignement the same??

BP
by Big Pete
Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:01 am
Forum: Crew Mess
Topic: Hello!
Replies: 17
Views: 14111

Re: Hello!

Hi Grecian,

Welcome onboard.
As J.K. says, there is no such thing as a stupid question.
Unfortunatly there are plenty of stupid people who DON'T ASK questions.
Where are you studying?
I started Phase 1 in Plymouth in 1971 and did all the rest in South Shields.

BP
by Big Pete
Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:36 am
Forum: Training Room
Topic: I Missed the Boat, More Advice or Guidance Please
Replies: 18
Views: 18589

Re: I Missed the Boat, More Advice or Guidance Please

I thought of another one too! Welding is very useful. However, just a word of caution, if you take courses in all these topics, you won't have anything left to learn when you enroll in the Coastguard Training!! You could spend a lot of money duplicating the Coast Guard course, so I would go for basi...
by Big Pete
Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:26 am
Forum: Training Room
Topic: I Missed the Boat, More Advice or Guidance Please
Replies: 18
Views: 18589

Re: I Missed the Boat, More Advice or Guidance Please

Sorry to hear you missed the boat this year, better luck next year. The theoretical side of Engineering is largely applied Physics with a bit of appied Chemistry, and there is Maths and English in everything!!! So you are certainly heading in the right direction. If you have time it might be worth l...
by Big Pete
Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:55 am
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: Problems Alfa Laval LOPX 705
Replies: 5
Views: 9772

Re: Problems Alfa Laval LOPX 705

Hi Big Bad Engineer,

Have you fixed your Big Bad Purifier yet?
We would all like to know.

BP
by Big Pete
Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:43 am
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: Cat 3406... plumbing a pre-luber
Replies: 6
Views: 6843

Re: Cat 3406... plumbing a pre-luber

I think most machinery is the same.... The manufacturers designed and tested it, and they get all the feedback when it goes wrong. They just know far more about their piece of machinery than anybody on board is ever likely to do. I have seen a fair few problems, caused by ship's Engineers thinking t...
by Big Pete
Sat Feb 13, 2010 9:57 am
Forum: Crew Mess
Topic: Is it just me?
Replies: 4
Views: 4264

Re: Is it just me?

I can see your difficulty!!! In the past I always used to take the first ship that was offered, regardless of Flage, age, ship type, Nationality of owners etc. NOW IAM OLDER AND MORE SCARED, ( AND HAVE MORE MONEY IN THE BANK) I DON'T!!! Only once did the owner's fail to pay my wages, and that was on...
by Big Pete
Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:57 am
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: MDO vs. No. 2 DO
Replies: 5
Views: 7465

Re: MDO vs. No. 2 DO

Hi "Marineprojectgroup", welcome to the site. I can see several problems with running small engines on MDO rather than "Derv" or auto grade Diesel oil. However, in this context, the emergency generator on a VLCC may be larger than the main engine on a coaster!!! (or even the main...
by Big Pete
Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:15 pm
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: Problems Alfa Laval LOPX 705
Replies: 5
Views: 9772

Re: Problems Alfa Laval LOPX 705

I have been giving this some more thought. On the basis that these are the easiest and simplest things to fix, I would check the suction strainer first as Matthias suggests, sorry for missing that out. I would also check that there is a good gasket on the suction strainer that can not draw in air. I...
by Big Pete
Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:11 am
Forum: The Workshop
Topic: Problems Alfa Laval LOPX 705
Replies: 5
Views: 9772

Re: Problems Alfa Laval LOPX 705

I can see 4 possible causes for the pressure variations:- 1) Variation in temperature/viscosity. It is normal for the back presure to be high when a L.O. or HFO purifier is started because the lines are full of cold oil from when the machine was last used. The back pressure normally falls back to no...