Christmas Mystery Villiers

[vhgmcbuddy]

I decided to put my Boxing Day to good use this year and get the spanners out.

Along with my fathers Norton engined Trusty, he also had another fitted with a non original Villiers. I used some parts of this tractor when restoring the Norton one, as it had been stood outside for at least 20 years, without either a carburetor or exhaust, I assumed the engine would be beyond repair, having been exposed to the elements for so long.

Finding myself at a loose end, I removed the engine from the tractor. On closer inspection, it does not look like any other Villiers I have seen before. It was only once I had the engine in bits did I realise what it was. I wonder if anyone else can identify it from the photo’s below.

Sean

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[charlie]

The block looks like a Mk20 or 25 but the fan cowling is wrong for either of those. The cowling is similar to that on some early Allen Scythe engines. A mystery. Any part numbers on the castings eg block, magneto back plate etc.?

[andyfrost]

I make you right Charlie , the cowling looks to me to have come from a 7B (rowtrac) or a 25a (auto culto) , the block as you say Mk20 or 25.

Andy.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Gold stars all round gentlemen!! There’s no fooling you. I deliberately did not post the photo of the drive pulley side of the block, as this clearly showed the number M189, identifying it as Mk20/25. A measure of the bore diameter confirmed it to be a Mk20. The original cowling must have corroded away, to be replaced by the cast alloy one. When removing the cowling, it became apparent that the two halves had been spaced apart with Plywood, in order to fit around the flywheel. You might just be able to see this in the photo’s.

The only machine I had seen with anything similar to this cowling was Brian Carter’s Atco Tractor, so had palpitations thinking I might have a rarity!! I think you are spot on Andy with regards to it being from a Rowtrac. Looking at photo’s on the old forum, it is a perfect match, although mine has been modified slightly to fit around the Mk20’s cylinder head.

Amazingly, the Mk20 was in pretty good nick internally, apart from some severe pitting around the exhaust valve. Will be kept as a spare parts donor for now, unless I happen across a suitable replacement cowling, then it might just rise from the dead!!

[trusty220]

I am certain that I’ve seen that cowling on Ransomes mowers from the 1930’s. It may not be the original, but just as a matter of interest what does the serial number plate look like?

Just so that you can see which way my mind is working, take a peek at the picture below which has an early Villiers fitted.

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[andyfrost]

Geoff , are you absolutely certain that is a Villiers engine, it looks more like a Blackburne to me.

Andy

[vhgmcbuddy]

Geoff, the Trusty in the picture has a fan cowl which is the opposite hand of the one grafted to my Mk20, i.e. anti-clockwise fan rotation.

The serial no. plate for the engine is long gone, but the Trusty is 4256T, which you have already added to your survivors list. although it would be nice to know what engine was fitted originally, if the records show this.

[trusty220]

Andy- the engine is definitely not a Blackburne for a few reasons. The magneto is fitted across the front of the engine, whereas the Blackburne has one fitted at right angles to this to take the drive off the end of the camshaft. Also, the head is flat with two large brass plugs above the valves (one has the spark plug in it, the other is a blanking plug) whereas this engine has a domed top to the head. I realise that the rotation is the opposite way, but the cowling on the first picture is incorrect for the tractor anyway and the engine should rotate anti-clockwise when viewed from the right hand side. Compare the two pictures of the tractors that I have included- the colour one is my own No.220 which is the oldest surviving Trusty.

Sean- without consulting the records I would have a good guess that the original engine would have been a JAP 5 since it falls in the middle of a large batch of others fitted with the JAP 5.

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[andyfrost]

Thanks for that Geoff , the black and white pic you have posted , if it’s a Villiers , it’s one I have never seen before.

Andy

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