Tut tut… Joe…. No antifreeze is asking for trouble… BMC’s are old girls now and need care and attention, mine is 55 years old now and still pushes my boat along, but I spend a lot of time and kind words to keep it happy…. I marinised and reconditioned it in 2000, it’s done thousands of hours and besides a new injector pump and injectors I’ve only replaced filters, thermostat, water pump and glow plugs over 23 years… 👍🏻

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

The skin tanks were still full of anti freeze - seemed counter productive knowing it was potentially just going to leak back out - coolant isn’t cheap 😫😂

Winter boat life. Get a boat, they said. It will be fun, they said.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Exactly that! Definitely our first and last winter on here!

@stephenhall5430

Ай бұрын

You know a boat is a hole in the water to throw money in lol

@stephenhall5430

Ай бұрын

Get some jb weld it will plug the hole

Hi Joe, I repaired a Welch plug with a coin and Araldit on an old Morris Minor and it lasted for years, sold it like that too.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

That’s more like it! 😂

Oh the Joy's of boat life, there's always something, hope you get it fixed, the main thing about core plugs was if you engine froze it whoud push those out before it cracked the block , quite a easy job , you'll be fine , 😁👍

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Cheers!

When it comes to water or electrical those repairs need to be jump on not put of . Happy Trails

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Cheers! You’re right!

Really feel the pain! We have also broken down for the second time, currently without power until our batteries arrive. Candle light charades and wine are getting us through! Hope everything is sorted before you guys go travelling.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Ahh sorry to hear that! Wine and charades sound fun though! 😂

Oh dear Joe and Danni shenanigans galore this week, but you smile through them all, keep smiling it will come good, have great week 😊

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words!

Winter months in a marina, adventures the rest of the year.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

That was the plan, we weren’t even supposed to be in the country 😂😂 last minute plan to spend the winter CC’ing

Hope you get things sorted quickly. I love the way you both can keep smiling through all your advertsities. Always look forward to Sunday when your videos come out. Keep them coming!

@DanniandJoe

7 ай бұрын

Aw thank you for watching! Definitely try and stay positive despite all the challenges!

@veronicaroach3667

6 ай бұрын

@@DanniandJoe Every bad experience merely makes you appreciate the wonderful times ! And 'wonderful' is just around the corner - Christmas & then Spring !!!

The reason that they put core plugs in engine blocks, is if the block freezes the ice will expand, and push the core plug out, rather than crack the block. If you have correct mixture of antifreeze in, this shouldn't happen. They do unfortunately rust out though.

If access to the core plug is easy it'll be no problem to change...

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Cheers!

Interesting about what you call core plugs, here in Canada they are called frost plugs, which protect the engine if the coolant shud freeze, the weaker plugs will pop out before freezing coolant can damage the engine. Those plugs are also used for electric block heater to be installed in location where winter temperatures can get down to -20c

Hi guys, great vlog. Core plugs are placed into engines in case the cooling systems freeze. The core plug will pop out before the engine block cracks. We used to get an old penny and mould it into the right shape, put it in place and then hit it with a 5lb hammer which sealed it into place.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Awesome!

Get yourself some Milliput Epoxy two pack putty, magic stuff and would sort that problem out in a few hours, to not even needing another core plug. Ram it in to the hole and the plug top, work it flat with water, wait, job done. You can get it on line.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

I’ve fixed it now but that stuff sounds handy!

@shogun666able

6 ай бұрын

Get some, you will be surprised what you can do with it. Doesn't cost that much, long life time when not mixed, dries rock hard when you mix it, and gives you a very smooth finish if worked with water. As it says on the box, it's already a 2 pack workable putty, and sticks like the proverbial to a blanket, so you can pretty much plug, stick or repair anything anywhere. It certainly would have done you core plug rammed in there as a quick / long fix. @@DanniandJoe

Some advice core plugs ridiculously easy to replace just don't start hammering chisels or sharp pointed things through the middle of them the cylinders are right behind them when you change the ones in the block.Your skin tank bleed screw change it for a automatic bleeder end of air lock problems(can be purchased from any plumbers merchants)m

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Cheers I’ll have a look into the auto bleeder! Yeah I went careful with removing the old one, wasn’t sure what was hiding behind it! 😂

If you're still stuck next week, i will be coming into town from Ricky, and have some spare core plugs for a bmc1500. Let me know if you would like one and/or a hand fitting it...

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Ahh that’s very kind! The core plugs turned up & now fitted so fingers crossed we’re all good - appreciate it though!

Spoons suck at cleaning out jars us a small spatula it is perfection . Happy trails

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Our spatula is a little too big for the jars but yes they are great pieces of kit! Thanks for watching 😊

I love boating XX

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Always 😂❤️

Major nuisance when you live on a machine that can conk out - when it's a car you can dump it at the SVC station & leave to home comforts ! Sorry this is such a pain for you guys ! I'm in the US for many years but Araldite was my GoTo for many years in UK - Wonderful stuff - I still refer to Epoxy anything as "Araldite" !!!

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you! Yeah it’s surprising how dependent we are on the motor for pretty much everything!

Lovely! No birds except for the one on the chimney 😊

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Hahaha that one’s the best bird!

Hitting the ground (water) hard after the glamorous Canal Du Midi yachting. Hope all fixed before 'the holidays' kick off.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

I know right! Take us back to the bow thrusters and all the wine and cheese 😂

If your going to replace one of them then the others cant be far behind so do them all while your at it 😊 save yourself trouble later 😅

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah you’re right it’s just not what I want to hear 😂😭 it’s still leaking from somewhere so need another couple of days in the engine room unfortunately 😂

Hang in there Danni and Joe, life doesn't give you everything all at once. It will get get better down the line. Thank goodness you both have patience.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! Definitely not the easiest start to this winter CC’ing!

I'd almost forgotten the delights of core plugs! If you're lucky you can wind in a self tapper to the hole in it, seal with epoxy, as a temp fix. Or epoxy a coin over it. They probably all need replacing if one does. Hopefully they are all accessible.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah little bit far gone for the self tapper unfortunately! Didn’t think of the coin over the top that’s a good shout 😂

Hi Danni and Joe. Thats the trouble with engines. We have to keep repairing them when they go wrong. You guys are great at keeping it running. Winter not good for them or us. Keep smiling. Love the video ❤️❤

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

😂😂 cheers!

So sorry you’re having problems. Life is always an adventure! I didn’t know Danni was a nurse. I’m a retired R.N. here in Texas. Prayer is definitely needed for all things! Always trust in God!

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Yes I’ve been a nurse for 6 years!

If you're running wet batteries with open cells and they start to reach the end of their lives, it's worth trying Bat-Aid tablets. Batteries tend to fail due to sulphation building up on the cells, which weakens the acid and masks the lead plates. Bat-Aid tablets break down the sulphation. They tend to work best if you can get access to a charger with a recondition mode at the same time. Don't work in all cases, but not much more than a fiver or so, so well worth trying.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for that - they’re sealed unfortunately!

Those round yhings in block are called freeze plugs

So sorry, it’s never fun when you breakdown, even worse when you down on battery power. Best thing I ever did was getting my onboard generator up and running. Maybe there’s a possible upgrade incoming ? Keep your spirits up, you’re always a pleasure to watch. ❤

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I think a generator is a good shout through winter!

Hi Danni and Joe. Probably don't remember me but you provided that name of the gearbox refurbisher for me. Are you planning to come up north ..... We spend winter on the lovely Lancaster, then travel over summer! Next year we plan to Do the Leeds Liverpool, then up to Ripon and then back down the Trent to Nottingham or Leicester, then work out way up the west side back up north. As mentioned before, I really admire what you are doing at your ages (about same a my children), would be lovely to meet you both. 😊

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Ah yes I remember! We’re heading north in the new year, we’ve got the midlands to tackle en route though! Appreciate the kind message!

good vid on channel thanks lee

@DanniandJoe

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Change all the core-plugs (Welch plugs). If one is rusty they will all be rusty. So much easier than changing a head gasket if it overheats

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Just hoping they hold off until the new year as it’s a horrible place to be in that engine bay this time of year, touch wood they all look in much better condition

Replace all the core plugs at the same time last thing you want is a frozen block, there easy enough to replace.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah you’re right, the rest do look in way better condition I’m just hoping they hold off for some better weather

Hope you get things sorted soon 😊

@DanniandJoe

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

really felt for you in this one! 😢 🤞🏻 that must’ve been so tough. hopefully she’s all fixed soon!

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Definitely questioned why we didn’t just get a winter mooring 😂😂

@BoatTime

6 ай бұрын

@@DanniandJoe we do that every day 😂

good call not opening the bag, imagine the paperwork if it was a body

@paulcharleton3208

7 ай бұрын

😂

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

😩😂

Those are freeze plugs in your engine block. I have some familiarity with casting, and I ever heard of casting plugs. Freeze plugs are designed to be pushed out of the block as the coolant expands as it freezes in an attempt to save the block from cracking. They are made of thin steel and are prone to corrosion if pure water is run in the coolant system for a prolonged period. It's a good idea to always run anti-freeze in your coolant system to help stave off corrosion. Enjoy your jourmeys.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info!

I still wished you had your vw camper that was great entertainment the up’s and downs you were brilliant in tinkering with that Joe 👍😂

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

We still have it! We hope to sell it in the spring but perhaps we will do some more work on it first? 😊

Keep smiling you two !

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you ☺️

Shout out for us MH Nurses Danni 🩵

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Absolutely!!!

Core Plug. I’ve always called them freeze plugs. If an engine froze over the plug would be forced out rather than the block cracking.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Ah wasn’t sure if that’s what they were designed for!

Hi guys.....if you "winterise" your boat in September and get the ol' gal ready then you should be safe all winter. There is nothing worse than trying to fix things when it's freezing cold.....I will say they are good engines if looked after.....simple and durable. Have fun and thanks for the content ;)

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah we had a winter mooring booked & weren’t going to be aboard until plans changed last minute & now look at us 😂😂

Joe whilst you were talking to the camera I heard your automatic bilge pump going off whilst not removing any water that’s sitting in the bilge and that will be using power from your leisure batteries, mine does exactly the same so if you have a manual switch for your bilge pump then use that to get rid of any excess water in the bilge or it will just keep coming on and off and not removing water because there isn’t enough water in the bilge for the pump to work and the float on the pump will keep going off because it trips every time the boat moves as the water moves with movement hope this helps mate

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

This one seems to require to send the motor off to sense if there’s any water present - when it was new even before touching water when plugged in it whirs for a second or two & if no pressure sensed it turns off. You’re right about it using battery though but it’s the only one I could find to fit in the tight area beneath our prop. The older one I had used the float method but it didn’t fit where it needed to go

@peterbettell1361

6 ай бұрын

It’s ok Joe my one is the same I was just concerned about your batteries being low because these bilge pumps only use about 7 volts so it shouldn’t affect your new batteries but when your old batteries were empty I thought you didn’t need any more unnecessary power being lost by a bilge pump

I had a Ford F150 truck that I flushed the coolant system . When I refilled with coolant and water I did not know that I should have added a coolant system lube. My water pump failed due to lack of coolant lube. I learned my hard lesson. You may want to inquire if this holds for narrow boats also.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Hadn’t heard of that!

I do feel for you guys, hopefully the simple engine fix will resolve your issues. Please dispose of your waste coolant responsibly after you flush through, I’m sure you will. It would be beneficial to get a generator converted to run off LPG, solar energy is in short supply over winter. As for the basics, a funnel or three is a must.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you! Yeah we now realise a generator would be a great addition through winter, we had one but sold it!

Awww hope everything gets sorted very soon luv from us oldies👍👍👍👍🤗🤗

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thanks guys!

whittle a match stick or small dowel, stick it in the hole it will swell up and stop the leak

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

It was a little past that, completely corroded just fell apart when I tried to remove it 😂

Core plugs also pop out when your coolant freeze,s not just overheating a corroded plug is a even weaker link you need anti freeze in winter asap. And new core plugs. Engine blocks,coolant tanks, And radiators can freeze and crack in cold weather. But stay safe and good travels

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info!

What's happened to your ecoflow 🙈 bad enough with the engine and no electricity..keep going guys you've got it sorted 👍🤛

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

They were completed flat as we had been relying on them! We took one to our friends to kindly charge when we showered! Definitely a life saver 😍

@helicopter12345678

6 ай бұрын

Gosh...yeah suppose there's not much solar this time of year 🙈😎​@@DanniandJoe

Have to say when your boat breaks down she really knows how to break down and your stove looks really interesting as i'v never seen a log burner with a large porthole window before

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Oh she does! 😂 We love our stove - made by Dave at Glastonbury Burners - aptly named ‘cyclops’ this model 🙂

@nathanberry4339

6 ай бұрын

@@DanniandJoe I do find with anything mechanical alot of heavy swearing and percussive maintenance helps greatly 😂😂😂 maybe not the engine but it helps me alot 😆😆😆

Aww hope you get sorted. Lisa x❤

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you ☺️

Well done with everything❤

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Omg what a nightmare. Hope u get it sorted. Best wishes

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Definitely broke down you poor things hopefully you get sorted soon x

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you ☺️

And I suggest you leave the radiator cap OFF while you have that leak. Stops the radiator getting pressurised and will reduce the water loss through the hole

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah we’ve running without a radiator cap, cheers!

screw a self tapper screw in to the core plug that will fix it

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

My dad said to try that, the metal was too far gone though you could almost poke your finger through it 😂

The graffiti is great isn’t it. adds a lovely charm to it I think

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

We think it’s great!

Grief you’re doing nothing for my blood pressure 🥹

@DanniandJoe

7 ай бұрын

Ours neither 😂

I do worry that the stove is used without fire bricks to protect the metal walls and seams...

What has happened to all of the Eco flow batteries? Would they not charge as your engine runs and keep the fridge and lights powered? I recall you have quite a few large batteries from them.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

They were both completely dead as we had been relying on them! When we went to our friends we took one to charge so we used that 😊

Hi Danni and Joe, sorry to hear you have two problems to contend with this time around, made even more stressful by being away from your home base. Hopefully (Lord willing) you can get the parts needed very soon. Try not to run straight water in the engine unless it is absolutely necessary. With each redesign of engine blocks since the 1950's, the blocks are cast thinner and thinner to save weight, with the consequence of the block rusting through faster, making the use of antifreeze/coolant a necessity. With the electrical system, you don't want to discharge below about 12.2 volts with no load. I say "no load" because you can't get an accurate charge estimate when drawing current from the batteries due to the battery series resistance. Taking the batteries down to 8.5 volts causes severe damage to the negative battery plates (the acid seperates from the water and eats holes in the negative plates). Lead-acid batteries like to stay charged at all times (12.7 to 13.0 volts with no load or charge connected). They can only tolerate as much as a 10% discharge for long periods without damage.

Hi guys haven't you got a silent suit case Generator as I only run my boat engine when moving the boat as for £425 a 2000 watt generator powers everything also saves engine running hrs on the boat engine I also have an ecoflow power bank amazing charge time from the solar and the generator But the new one's now are so quiet 👂😊

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah something we need onboard I think!

Could you charge your Ecoflow up at a cafe? JB Weld is the proper stuff for a core plug fix. It’s like a metal when it sets and the adhesion is excellent. I think core plugs are needed in the block casting process, although I have read that they are there to pop off if the engine ever freezes.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

We managed to charge one up at a friends house which was great! Yeah I couldn’t find JB Weld anywhere on my travels!

Hey guys love the boat and channel and you guys !! Does the boat get hot in the summer ??

@DanniandJoe

5 ай бұрын

Yes! Very hot haha

Prepare yourself for the rest if the core plugs to fail over time. Once one rusts out, that's the warning for the rest of them. You're lucky that the first one is an easy fix, not being a BL expert, I'm not sure if you have any hidden, like my Vetus, mitsubishi engine but some of mine were not a simple job. 🤪

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I thought that might be the case, hopefully they hold out over winter as it’s not a nice place to be at the best of times but especially when it’s cold out 😂

That red bag wad suspicious.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Agreed!

I’m very surprised that you didn’t know about cor plugs Joe considering you have worked on a few engines.

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

I’ve honestly never really worked on engines in that much depth, the odd oil change and spark plugs but I’m no mechanic 😫😂

@martinworrall5888

6 ай бұрын

@@DanniandJoe understand mate

Mega bond is good to fix leaking core plugs as i fixed one on my peugeot expert 5 years ago and still runnig fine From andy in devon

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

That’s good going! 😂

Is it the grand union canal ? Just subbed 👌🏼

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yes! We’re on a little branch of the GU called the Paddington Arm!

who/whats the music you play in the background? It's great ....

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

All the music is on epidemic sound!

You need to get some solar panels fitted 😊

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

We’ve got 700w of solar, this time of year though it doesn’t bring in many amps at all

@marktustin981

6 ай бұрын

@@DanniandJoe oh right, i hope you get the repairs done soon before winter really sets in. Love your channel guys 👍

oops

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

😫

Just a quick brain picking question. On a recent video you were taking about washing machine/ Ecover. What did you say you used to add a nice smell to the wash load. I only ask as we have a septic tank and use Ecover but the washing lacks that fresh conditioner smell

@DanniandJoe

5 ай бұрын

We use an ecoegg as well which I think helps a bit but nothing seems to get it smelling like good old strong chemical Ariel or whatever!

@user-il6hj8nb2l

5 ай бұрын

@@DanniandJoe thank you.... I do cheat and use the lenor crease release spray..

@DanniandJoe

5 ай бұрын

@user-il6hj8nb2l bugger it all the water companies are putting far worse in the rivers every other day!

@user-il6hj8nb2l

5 ай бұрын

@@DanniandJoe this is true. My problem is a septic tank. I can't run the risk of killing off the bacteria . Hence everything is Ecover.

@DanniandJoe

5 ай бұрын

@user-il6hj8nb2l ahh I didn’t realise that’s how they work!

sounds like you need a wind turbine to help with more electric power

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Something I want to look into but I’ve been past boats with them on & they’re really quite loud

I must have missed something. Interview?

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

It was for another channel 😊

With regards to your core plug replacement, I would seriously advise seeking the services of a professional to do this. Although it is an easy job for an experienced mechanic, it is easy to screw up if you don't know what you are doing (no offence).

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Yeah you’re probably not wrong to be honest - I went about it carefully and fingers crossed it’s sorted!

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

😊

Aye, if ya engines thinking about exploding, that's what that there core plug's for. That little chap will blow, first up, releasing the pressure inside t'engine. Now is the season for most peoples (and engines ) discontent, not just boaters.

@KeithWebb-cl1ld

7 ай бұрын

The core plugs are there if the coolant freezes the plugs pop rather than crack the cylinder liners!

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for that!

Hope you soon will be without Shenanigans again!

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Thank you!

We’ve all got different tastes, personally I can’t stand graffiti all over the place, makes the place look terrible, I bet they don’t graffiti their own place 😜 or their narrowboat. 7:28 😊

@DanniandJoe

6 ай бұрын

Aw we love the look of it! Think it adds charm 😂

why arnt you eating real food

electric ........ not the way to go😮 hundreds of years with engines of all sorts ... if its not broken dont try to fix it ... your boat is like an electric car towing a diesel generator ,, madness