The most unusual job

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JK
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Re: The most unusual job

Post by JK »

Hah, you just remind me of the hand crank emergency on one of the ships I was on, It was a cold hearted witch, sometimes she start right off, other times.....
If I remember it was a 6 or 8 cylinder, maybe a Lister. The donkey man and oilers were up in the space to start it, just below and forward of the skylight.
We run through everyone in the engine room and couldn't get the darling going. There were a couple of big, young deckies hanging around watching the cursing and moaning, they offered their assistance and it was gladly accepted. They spit on their palms, slipped on the crank handle and gave at'er. The engine moaned and wheezed and caught, but the young fellas never got the handle off. There was a traffic jam everyone trying to get out the door to deck, behind the exhaust uptakes or across the ER catwalk.
There were some pretty big guys scurrying LOL. wham, the handle came off and hit the bulkhead, that was the last time those fellows offered the old guys any help there.

Same ship, I was in the bilges working on the bottom end of a feed pump, when I heard,Ahem. I looked up, it was the wheelsman. We're moving the ship, he said. That's nice, I said. No really, he said. OK.
I went back to work. Apparently the old man decided to winch over to another dock without mentioning it to the CE. One of the engineers was coming down the dock and sees our shore power cable stretched out to breaking, knocks off the power to the shroud and unplugged the cable. Which, of course, lead to another session with the witch. I think we got the power back up just in time to plug back in.
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Merlyn
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Re: The most unusual job

Post by Merlyn »

When doing my time we also used to do a lot of fishing boat/ tripping boat/ leisure boat engines and some of them had Listers/Petters fitted. With the de compressors fitted some people would shut them down by lifting the decompression levers, you could leave the boat and be on your second pint in the pub before the big old flywheel came to rest. Lovely old fellows.
Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.
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Merlyn
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Re: The most unusual job

Post by Merlyn »

Just memembered another use of NH3 which I haven't done since the seventies, "NITRIDING " anyone else out there done this? This was done on approx 12 litre gensets etc engines. When doing a complete engine overhaul some cranks didn't have a re grind facility of + 10 ,
+20 and +30 thousand but we're S1, S2, S3 sizes . When you had to go over the size S3 ( ie +30 thousand for a turbo charged engine it was essential for the crank to be " NIGHTRIDED " This was achieved by making up a wooden coffin for the crank to lie in and a pipe inlet one end of the box and an outlet the other end. Hot NH3 was pumped over the crank for many days to nitride it. Can't remember whether this was before or after grinding. Anyone? I had one engine which lasted about 2 hours after startup before the bottom shell turned over on the top one and beat the big end out writing off the crank. Cost the firm who did the crank thousands. Haven't NIGHTRIDED since about 1980 ish. Unusual now although every day jobby then. NH3 Lives!
Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.
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Merlyn
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Re: The most unusual job injection pump change

Post by Merlyn »

Out with the airline, LP only required here, off with the overhauls, make up a crude grommet, off with the fuel filler cap and grommet and airline on the tank. Instant diesel on all bleed nipples throught fuel system. Some fuel systems when worked on can be a problem getting bled up again and this trick I have used over 55 years and am still doing so today without ever introducing air into the system. It can still be a problem today on common rail systems I have found and a simple fuel filter change can turn into a nightmare, even the manufacturers concerned have acknowledged this it doesn't help you without the airline trick. Funny thing is unless you disturb the system it just runs on and on no problem.Can be a testing job for the junior apprentice I have found.
Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.
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Merlyn
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Re: The most unusual job

Post by Merlyn »

Completely blocked fuel system on the island with the ships launch. Into your toolbox you go ( you do take one ashore, don't you? ) and out comes your trusty one gallon can. This can, you will no doubt recall has a 3/8 ish pipe soldered ( or Belzona ed ) out of the side of it down the bottom. Off with the pump gallery input pipe, on with your plastic fuel pipe and jubilee clip it up tight. In other words completely bypass the choked fuel system. Stack pipe, thimble filter on the pipe in the tank, sight glass, water trap, filter and lift pump etc. fill the tank, hang it on the nearest skyhook, open the gallery bleed nipples, in with the cold start and hope your battery hasn't gone flat. Straight in on all six and off you go. Should you want a jolly on the way back be sure to fill the can, either with 8 pints or to you chaps who understand foreign talk 5 litres. Wish I had a pound for every time I have done this. Shame on those who left all stranded for a one gallon can in their toolbox. ( With commiserations to BP? )
Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.
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Merlyn
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Re: The most unusual job

Post by Merlyn »

Ref the ship trapped in the ice and no air available. Been a while now chaps and no theory's forth coming or ideas? Compressors U.S. All dead, trapped in the ice and cannot last much longer. Parachute an air bottle in with a big floatations collar? Look in the stores in order to get a Wind Up Spring Starter carried. Right flange mounting to fit onto the genset, whip the starter off, on with the windup jobby and flash him up. ( no, it's not a windup, ) seen Lucas, Simms etc ones that would wind over a 15 litre engine no probs. True it was a long time ago but they are still out there, know that? Maybe a genset has a 24 v starter and you can charge the batteries. Anyway the genset now runs. Whip out one injector, unscrew the nozzle assembly, refit the casing securing the nozzle in minus the nozzle, anneal the copper washer and refit into the engine. Injector pipe discharge into spill return or a can. Get some hydraulic hose/ air piping capable of taking 400/600 psi, make up an adaptor, onto the injector pipe screwed adaptor in the injector, run it over to the HP receiver and low and behold you have a one cyl compressor. Seems a bit slow on air buildup as you are looking for about 450 psi ish? whip out another injector, do the same, now you have a twin cyl compressor. If the genset has 6 or more buckets in line he will carry it no probs. Last 100 psi very slow but keep going as this will save the ship and all persons on board. Job done. Lifesaver or what?
Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.
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Merlyn
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Re: The most unusual job

Post by Merlyn »

Just a further thought to the air problem, perhaps anyone bound for the ice or similar might want to take a look in the ER stores before setting sail to make sure that they carry a compression gauge suitable for all their gensets and when it's necessary to convert one/ two cylinders into a compressor they can pick the best two cylinders. You know, he might be a fumer/smoker/ crankcase compression jobby and I would hate to see you stranded if you picked a low psi one when other life savers are available. Oh, and make sure all the adapters are still in the kit and oh, make sure the head is original and has not been changed for a new design for which no adapter is carried. Boy Scout motto here, be prepared, it only has to save your life once you know.
Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.
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