Ruston Hornsby 8PB running wild!

Happy New Year folks!
I hope you had a good Christmas etc.  

Having paid for a mag rewind for the RH 8PB we acquired in the autumn and re-set the timing - we managed to fire it up this week between Santa Claus and Old Lang Syne!

However - it seems to be running scarily fast for what it is! And there seems to be little difference when I wind the speed control nut in or out. (I didn't want to spend too long twiddling though while it was running, as it's right next to the scary flywheel!)  

So, question - how does the speed governor work? It's quite different to the setup on our Listers.
And should it wind IN for slower, or wind OUT??

I also have a suspicion that the two flywheels are on the wrong ends of the crank shaft, as the 'original' timing marks seem to be 180 degrees out from actual TDC, and new marks have been scored in.
If this is the case, am I right in assuming the the counterweight section of the flywheel casting is also going to be 180 degrees out and therefore will cause the engine to run very wobbly??
Where should the counterweight section be when piston is TDC?? At the other end of of the engine?

If the problem is not that the flywheels are on the wrong ends - have I got to dive inside the engine and do something drastic??
Where's best to obtain workshop manuals?

Your thoughts and advice always very welcome.

Mark and Clive

Yes! a happy and healthy wot not, to all.

I'm not familiar with this engine, but the counterweights should be, as you suspect traveling in the opposite direction to the piston i.e. 180degr. from the crankpin.

Having had another look today - counterweights are OK but flywheels are almost certainly wrong way round and as timing marks are vertical, while cylinder is horizontal - actual marks are 180degrees out.

However - problem with racing engine is due to stuck butterfly valve behind the carb.
Thanks to Niall in Norfolk for instructions on which way to move the governor - but the retaining spring never slackens off as the mech is seized I guess.
Anyone had this before? Looks like we'll have to take the plate off the side to find out more (and as usual, it's been painted thoroughly on!)

Side plate off. Governor weights free but no movement on the lever behind the control spring. All jammed solid at the butterfly valve! (Quite possibly painted in place through the socket it sits in!)




So drained the oil, removed all linkages so we could get to it, a bit of careful tapping to loosen it, removed the butterfly wings, popped the peg out, cleaned it up, greased it and put it all back together.

Put the oil back in, put fuel in the carb, and fired her up.
Job done!

Nice work.

The butterfly on the PB range has a habit of getting stuck, same on the PT but not so often, normally stripping and cleaning is all it needs.