HNY

...to all.

Feliz Navidad

..... to all readers.

Valve clearance on a Vetus M4.17

It was time in FL's maintenance schedule to check/adjust the valve clearances. 

Rocker cover removed

Turning the crank to get piston one to Top Dead Centre

TDC achieved when the pulley timing mark aligned with block timing mark.

Inlet and exhaust valve can them be adjusted too 0.25mm

 Pistons 3, 4 & then 2 valves are adjusted after turning the crank 180 degrees after each pair of valves are adjusted.

Elan Valley

We  had a trip out to Llandrindod Wells a Victorian Spa market town in the centre of Wales. Where  Roly & Bev who showed us around 'their patch' which included the Elan Valley.

The Metropole Hotel 

Sea serpent sculpture in Llandrindod Lake Park.

The Elan valley has a total of 6 dams that make reservoirs to keep the population of Birmingham, 76 miles away from going thirsty, pipes and aqueducts were used to transport the water by the victorian engineers without the need for any pumps along the way. 

Aqueduct

It's always a pleasure to watch red kites floating across the sky's while cruising the southern waterways.
Here in Mid Wales there is the opportunity to see up to 600 turn up to the feeding station at Rhayader.

En route to the reservoirs we saw squadrons of the birds on their way for their daily feast at Gigrin farm

Refreshment in the Llanerch Inn after a days exploring.

Back on the boat we watched the autumn rugby internationals . New Zealand beat England by a point after a dubious decision by the South African TMO ( probably evening up the Owen Farrell tackle decision that didn't go SA's way last week).

Sue is away to look after her mum for a while, which leaves me free to get on with some boaty jobs.

Shugborough ...

..mansion is a National Trust property we haven't visited before, we did stroll the grounds a few years ago before it became part of the NT's portfolio. 

It's only a short walk from our mooring at Great Haywood crossing over the Trent via the Grade 1 listed  Essex packhorse bridge.

We are usually more interested in what goes on downstairs (we know our place) than the grand upstairs rooms, which were paid for in part by George Anson's naval exploits plundering Spanish Treasure ships in the 1740s.

Front entrance

Rear

Folly built as a ruin.

Library

Office

The Aston silver

The Kitchen

The Laundry

Iron heater

Servants  hall.

Trick or Treat

That is another season of cruising nearly over, it is strange that it seems to of flashed by and on the other hand it seems like an age since we were in Stratford on Avon.

We have been back in the marina for the last week, while there I have been catching up with some maintenance tasks, the engine boards have been painted, inside hatch doors and rear doors varnished. I also changed the two engine alternator belts, the one below was in a sorry state. 

I bought new ones from the local car parts shop for £6.99 each, Midland Chandlers wanted a whopping £18.50 for each one.

This activity has been intermingled with some time out with friends.

We are now back out on the canal chugging along the T&M towards Tixall for a few days, it's cold enough for hats gloves and thermals - for this crew at least  - who have not been in temps hovering around zero for a couple of years. Which has reminded me that it is time to renew the antifreeze in FL's cooling system.

Early morning bovines

This could almost be canal art for Halloween 

Trick or treat!

New box of cogs.

FL's mechanical Technodrive gearbox has always been a clunky beast when engaging forward or reverse, I have hankered after a hydraulic box for ages.

The drive plate had started to rattle and protest loudly over the past couple of months and needed changing.

As this requires the gearbox to be removed to get at it I decided to bite the bullet and get a PRM150 fitted at the same time. This type of box requires an oil cooler fitted into the engines cooling system too. The engine has to be lowered by 10mm to align it all.

I collected all the parts from Kings Lock chandlery, Charlie the engineer at Canal Cruising did the fitting.

New drive plate.

Hydraulic gearbox and oil cooler.

FL's wrecked drive plate. 

PRM fitted to bell housing

Gearbox fitted and working.

Gearbox oil cooler 

What a difference it has made to forward and reverse gear selection, now engages quietly with no clunkyness.