my new project a twin cylinder jap model 55 petrol parrafin engine

Your correct in what your saying there's very few twins around the rally field the only one I see often is a Douglas so maybe time to get the twins on the field for something different to look at.
Just checked ebay and it's still at £31.99 with 8.30hrs to go.

Stu.

well villiers stuffed in a corner for the time being
so getting on with the jap 55 v/o again
found that the serial number doesnt have a dating letter in it
as the serial no is 55 B V/O 71901/3 which equals
55 = twin cylinder
8hp @2000 rpm
824cc
B = alterative compression ratio
V/O vapourizing oil
71901 off the production line london
/3 modifacation package for the massey harris /armstrong sidley companys i.e over size fuel tank, tripple v belt pulley ,dust cowling rotating screen , oil bath air filter and some others im sure, i will find if i see another 55 sometime this life
well ive found the adj punch marks on a couple of cowling and they all are 1951
still not found the production dates anywere as of this time but will be getting arround to it one day sooner or later

ive now flushed the fuel tank compartments out , and serviced the taps, filters and sedament bowl

all valves rings and bores been decoked, cleaned, lapped, deglazed and cleaned again and reasemled
and a good old amount of compression now ,even maked the oil bath bubble

does anyone know if the twin japs have a one way rotation set up
as the engine will only turn over in a clockwise rotation, and stopped dead after 10 degres of a turn backwards
or is there a gremblin hiding some were
kev

Good to hear your making progress again with the JAP, it's does sound strange that it will only turn one way just hope it's not something falling/moving and jamming the engine. I don't know of any others Kev to check with sorry.

Stu.

Last time I had an engine do that (only turn one way) I had a washer in the magneto. Maybe something's got in somewhere? As it doesn't sound quite right to me. Unless it was something to do with what the engine was used for. I would want to know for sure though, as I expect you do.

Sounds like you're cracking on with it though. Will be nice to see some more pics when it's done.

I'm thinking it could be the mag, is it an impulse mag as it might jam when turned the opposite way. Only way to find out is take one bit off at a time and turn it see what happens. My small Jap had problems with the governor might be worth checking that also as mine somehow snapped one of the weights off, so that must have jammed somewhere.

Stu.

well lads that sounds a acceptable one to me usually ,but there is still no magneto on the engine
as im still looking for a doner series A wico mag for her
also the engine came from a massey harris hay/straw baler,so the anti run backwards idea sounds a possabilty to me also
was hoping not to strip the sump and timing covers off but this maybe the case unless somone has a workshop/operators /parts manual
for the V/O parrafin specs
i have a petrol operators manual but nothing for mine of much use on mine
kev

Kev you might have to get a Massey Harris manual to see about it running backwards as it might be there own modification.

Stu.

well ive been messing around all afternoon
with the jap twin 55
got the fuel in the tanks and bleed it all trough
and spent hrs getting the timing and points ect all to spark at the correct time
i set it all up with the number 1 head off and set at 11/64" before tdc on compression stroke valves closed
but i did it with a single ht direct off the top cap ,and not through the dizzy and rotors
but it now was firing tdc
so then was down too blind tinkering with it all back together cowling in the way ect ect
but got it some thing like by ear in the end
got a lister d crankhandle of a mate down the road ,and it fitted ,and thhe correct dierection to
gave it a swing and knowt then puffs of parrafin smoke out the exhurst
checked the piping threeway tap, fuelbowls and ewarts filtered cork taps and all that was turned on was the petrol only
then i remembered i used parrafin for a final wash out after rebuild
evently got the plugs,carb and manifolds clean of parrafin and then it started for 6-10 secs and stopped ,oiled plugs preserved the piston rings valves and stems with a oil can ,incase i couldnt get the mag ect ect for a few months
but all in all in the end had it running for 20 mins but cant get it to go over to parrafin
will be checking the wico fuel filter and bowl again tomorrow incase its found some crap that didnt get flused out in the tank flushing i did
will try again tomorrow and see if i can get it to run of the vapouizing oil
kev

Nice work Kev, you'll soon have it all straight, no doubt.

Any chance of some pics soon???

Glad to hear you've managed to get her started though. That deserves a celebratory pint I reckon.

high ive found the gremlin now that stopped it evenly spaced in reverse
its not a safty feature for the massey harris ,its a guvernoir problem
i noticed the arm to carb moves but the shaft was stopped in on spot.
but cant get the guvernoir cover off for the flywheel being so close to the flywheel
so had been busy trying to get the pulley off the shaft to get the flywheel off and its been soaking since i bought it ,
got the big bolt and washer off the crankshaft to see the key and no rusting up, the paint between washer and pulley had to be cracked off with a screwdriver but with heat 3 leg pullers and wedges hammered in behind it just didnt want to move, so i thought i would used the studs and nuts holding the flywheel to give it a bit more pressure , and it started to move quickly found out its a stub shaft bolted to the flywheel ,and not all the crankshaft all that time wasted and risking the cast pulleys life
then i found a big nut and locking tab washer all with the paint as it was in the factory and its a beutyfull orange too
but my 1" whitworth ringer equal to around 2" A/F is to small by miles,
i need a 2-9/16" A/F or 56-57mm ringer or socket
tryed stillsons and adjusterbals but wount get in to a good hold
so off on a local garage scrounge tommorow for a 3/4" drive socket set for a loaner
kev

Sorry to hear of your set back Kev as it seemed to be going well till you hit the governor problem.
As for being stuck for a spanner/socket I'm sure I'll have one to fit as I've loads of big stuff that a friend gave me, I've a 50mm combo that's about 18inches long and don't think it's ever been used it must of cost a fortune to buy new.

Stu.

stationary stu wrote:I've a 50mm combo that's about 18inches long

Stu.

Allright Stu, no need to brag!

That's all I can do with it is brag

Stu.

well i coulnt find anyone with a big enough spanner or socket ,so went for the blunt chissel and hammer method,so it worked the flywheel just slide off like new couldnt beleave it .
removed the guvernoir cover to find the fork was off the shaft and sitting in the bottom and just stopped it turning over in reverse and no damage , but no guvernoir weights or pin remains to mount them ,then tryed the slide shaft the weights would move in and out for throttling up and down but it to long to go anywere so as it was on a bailer it must of been just set at 1 speed after starting and let the carb sort the rest out ,there is also a second trottle clamping bracket that goes over the top off it that you can pull the arm up and down in and the spring for original guvernoirs on the jap model 4/2 4/3 5 and 6s with the plate for speed control ,all works as a speed control but no guvernoirs

no body could of removed the guvernoir parts as i had to crank all the paint of the washers,bolts, lockwasher, flywheel ect ect from new
well it ran the other day so will try it later again with the other bits and bobs sorted
kev

Glad to hear you sorted the problem Kev and it's not to bad a job to rectify.

Stu.

I'm amazed you got that flywheel off so easily

Lucky b*****d

Ianhw77k wrote:I'm amazed you got that flywheel off so easily

Lucky b*****d

heres why the flywheel came off so easy

it looked like it was all in one crankshaft for flywheel and pulley and three bolts holding a clamping tapper like on the villiers wx11s ,but this was not the case 3 hrs of heating,beating and three leg pullers on the pulley after removing the bolt and washer
started to get desperate and thought id try using the flywheel studs to add pressure to rear of pulley and then this happend

as i said earlyer in this thread
it was like new and undesturbed paint ,
behind that bloody confusing crankshaft extension for the pulley as below


kev

How strange, typical JAP way of doing things, they're not the most logical company, I can vouch for that.

I like that colour underneath the pulley, is it a kind of industrial orange? & Is it a Massey Harris or JAP colour? Anyone know???

It gives me an idea for something....

i think its the massey harris colour
ive never had or seen a orange jap before ,
plenty of green,royal blue, metalic greens , blues and silver
what your idea nutty matt??????????????????????????????
kev

I'm just thinking about possible colours for a certain Lister D which was recently purchased. I quite fancied an old fashioned plant colour. These days everything's yellow, but years ago plant was painted orange (as well as other colours). Ian & me quite fancied an orange Lister D with black detailing.

Yeah, an orange Lister D I reckon would stand out nicely, especially with an info board saying that it came from a cement mixer.
I know it's not original but I really want to stay away from the usual mid Brunswick green.

Ianhw77k wrote:Yeah, an orange Lister D I reckon would stand out nicely, especially with an info board saying that it came from a cement mixer.
I know it's not original but I really want to stay away from the usual mid Brunswick green.

matt
ive seen grey ,blues red , pink and black ones ,but no orange
kev

Well, I was also thinking yellow, like modern dumper trucks & skips are painted, but I'm sure site plant used to be orange "back in the day". I wouldn't know for sure tjough. I know it's been a while since I was on site, but we're talking about 6 years, not 60!

nutgone wrote:Well, I was also thinking yellow, like modern dumper trucks & skips are painted, but I'm sure site plant used to be orange "back in the day". I wouldn't know for sure tjough. I know it's been a while since I was on site, but we're talking about 6 years, not 60!

matt
i am sure somone on here will say if they remember any other colours off the sitees back in there day mate
kev

heres a video at last for the lads of the JAP twin cylinder 55

thanks kev