Nearly wieghed in lump of junk...............

Well, it was, according to the farmer, it had been left for years since last running, and was stuck, so he listed it on eBay on the off chance it might sell.
It soon got a couple of bids, but very low ones showing but that means nothing with eBay, if some one wants it bad enough they leave a big bid only showing enough to beat the last bidder, so just on the off chance I bid £1 more than the last in the dying seconds............and got it for £21!
Looking through the Lister listing's on ebay the bits off it would get me my money back, so quite pleased with myself.
I picked it up from deepest Somerset on 25 August, and within an hour of getting home I had the head off and with the aid of WD40, a block of wood and a large clump hammer, gently walloped the crown of the piston, wiggled the fly wheel, and yahooooooooooooo! unstuck.
So, I put the head back on, bolted it down, filled it up with water and.............................it leaked like a sieve.
At first I thought head gasket, but on closer inspection the frost had got at it and blown the casting seams head to side wall in the push rod housing, bloody difficult place to get to too
Stripped it again, and did manage to stick weld the seam, (yes, you can weld cast iron with ordinary sticks if the cast is thick enough to keep the heat mainly to a small area) and it had worked, only to find the jacket was so perforated unless I could find some sort of paint, paste of lining material it was a dead head, so I too the executive decision that my head was dead!
Saw some on fleabay but too far to collect, bearing in mind you still run the risk of ending up with more heads that leak, but as luck would have it found 1 near Stone House, Gloucestershire, picked it up yesterday and its a really good one, was done up by a chaps father who died before the completion of his project, the head is painted inside and out, brand new valves, looks like the springs are too, so I got a bargain, the valves alone would have cost more than I paid for the head!
So, it was bolted down on the crank case, and is as water tight as a new one, so result
Only problem now is, the head gasket shows signs of minute leakage, I could probably gunge it up with hermitite, but as its for me as a keeper I'll get a new one.
So, as I'm at the stage now having inspected every thing that goes round or up & down, there is now point it stripping it down any further 'if it ain't broke don't fix it', the bore still has swirl marks from a re-build and the piston is +30 and as clean as a whistle, all I need to do is thoroughly clean and flush every thing inside the crank case.
The carb was stuck solid, nothing moved, the butterfly valve and 'volume knob' were duly freed off as was the intake valve, so I see no reason why it shouldn't work.( ha ha, famous last words!
The Governor was stuck but now freed off and the weights and springs work to the best I can statically test, and all the rods adjusters are free too, the only ? is on the mag, points seem to be o.k. but dirty, would like a new condenser (when I find out what type) and I haven't got a plug at all!
Now filling the dents in the petrol tank, cleaned all the old gungy grease out of the rocker shaft so getting close to spending time!
Shopping list I know of so far:
Plug
Head Gasket
Governor hook, adjuster knob and spring,
Paint,
Points
Condenser
Starting handle
At the moment eBay is my best shop as being new to this type of restoration I dont know where to go, the GDSF was a nightmare to try to find anything stationary engine wise if you are a day visitor, you need to be there several as in 'showing'.
On the look out, but no rush, for something for it to drive too, some one has some pumps for me to look at, but a bit too early yet.
So thats that at the moment, I will update as and when I have anything substantial to report.
Regards Terry & Laddie (laying beside me right now)

Drop Vintage Magnetos a line, He can supply the bit for the Magneto and pug etc

Cheers Steve

hi terry...
did you get the engine from a man called Simon who lives in frome
had a yard full of push bikes???

mike.

I have just started to buy paints from Craftmaster paints Ltd.

They make enamel especially for stationary engines, any colour you need to match the original.

Well worth a call, it costs £11.75 for 500ml or £20.00 for 1 litre. carriage is £8.50

Very good paint!!

Address is:

Craftmaster paints Ltd
Acadamy Works
Norman way Ind Est
Over
Cambridgeshire
CB24 5QE

Tel: 01954 231308
Email: info@craftmasterpaints.co.uk

mike d wrote:hi terry...
did you get the engine from a man called Simon who lives in frome
had a yard full of push bikes???

mike.

Yes mate, dont tell me you bought all them bikes?
Nice house he's building!
Thanks for the paint advise Brasso, and Vintage Magnetos, Shanklin Giant.

no i bought the well pump from him...
he also gave me 4pints of jersey milk....very nice...
hes a real nice fella.....

that's the sort of place i could live,no one to annoy you.....

i will be a fine house when it finished for sure...

regards....mike.

BRASSO wrote:I have just started to buy paints from Craftmaster paints Ltd.

They make enamel especially for stationary engines, any colour you need to match the original.

Well worth a call, it costs £11.75 for 500ml or £20.00 for 1 litre. carriage is £8.50

Very good paint!!

Address is:

Craftmaster paints Ltd
Axademy Works
Norman way Ind Est
Over
Cambridgeshire
CB24 5QE

Tel: 01954 231308
Email: info@craftmasterpaints.co.uk

hi martin
i use this fella....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bright-red-high-temp-stationary-engine-enamel-/370323765558?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item5639043936

had no problems at all,dam good paint...

regards.....mike.

1 litre is an awfull lot for 1 engine, but he seems not to do smaller sizes, he does lots of other stuff for lister's too, which is usefull.

hi terry....

now you've got one engine,it wont stop there.
ask any one,once you get one,then another,and so on...
so you will be needing more paint than you think....LOL

regards......mike.

Terry,

Do you know what lister it is? a picture might be good for us all

Paul

Yes, 1936 'D' spec 18DH

What does the '18DH' signify?
I've seen several different sets of letters/numbers, but the engines all look the same to me except for the year changes for mags, some seem to have an extra fuel filter like mine and the govener rods are on the otherside to mine in some.
Would these differences make the difference on that plate?
On to a starting handle at a sensible price too, I hope!

The D Signifies D Type and the H signifies Hopper Cooled.

I think!!

cheers

Mart.

martin....

your getting good at this stationary engine info....

spoke to Chris the other day,should be down your way soon,must see if we can meet up and say hi....

keep up the good work mate.....

regards....mike...

Theres a little brain ticking away in there somewhere Mike!!

Yea if your down this way and i'm free, be only too pleased to meet up with you guys somewhere.

Might even shout you a Cornish Pasty!!!

Regards

Mart.