[davidbliss]

Andy
On both pumps there are non-return flap valves just inside the threaded suction hose connection, so not really foot valves but do same thing not on the pipe, and both pumps are sort of the same, the faster priming one has a smaller water re-circling jet and different housing where the ball fits. I did take it into Panks and they said never seen one like it and with difficulty of fitting a modern seal fitted the same type back from the other pump but that soon leaked again and swapped the crankshaft as was a little better and that’s been ok since, did put a drain hole so if it leaked again water wouldn’t be so likely to get into the oil, did the same but larger hole to the other when the left over’s were assembled, there are many differences between those engines as one has several extra bumps and the odd plugged hole for something, different valve chest thats sort of open, with a very heavy grove in the cylinder bore that goes round about a turn nearing bottom of piston stroke and the other is a much better engineered looking thing so what came first. The well used engine is numbered 36812/40 and the other has the Alcon plate 2334/132 so similar stampings, so crude in one part but better made in another. Was told who knows? Being Air Ministry was done for experimental or special job?.

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[davidbliss]

Grahame
Both pumps seals might be ok, the old faithful has the just rubber washer and carbon ring running on a brass bush and is very quick to prime other has real good suction but takes ages to do so, the others carbon bush was robbed so thats got modern Alcon seal ceramic buts looks more to fail, never seen more than just over 20psi with those jets and with the two was putting out around 40, there is very little corrosion in the old faithful although in regular use and hardly ever dry, but the other is very badly pitted as stood years before I took it apart in the 60s so might have pumped something bit corrosive, engine is more or less in unused condition, All fittings have AM and crown and seem to remember same on the pumps but can’t find those, It would even rev higher I think as butterfly is only partly open. https://youtu.be/lMhDYL2Z_ag

[davidbliss]

If any bit of equipment is not going to be used in the next few months I get the fuel out and if its a steel tank suck it completely dry, spray bit of oil in helps and same with the water side but you must not get oil near any part of the rubber seal. Just after the much used Alcon primed and with two engines running didn’t twig which of one of them made for a split second a funny noise, at the time I was striating the hose out as they knuckle and stop the water but now looking back can see why water slowed and went, I recon it was a hand full of hazel nuts the mice had carried into the suction pipe as the jet of water slowed but hose was still hard with pressure, had to knock out one hole nut out and found it in the bottom of the trailer while laying the pumps up. I have repaired a few pump housings caused by objects getting sucked up the suction pipe, one time found wedged in but not got in to do damage was a petrol lighter.

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[davidbliss]

Grshame, daughter has done a video of the two Alcons today it might be a time before i see how it came out, I can tell how long the one pump was in work to as stamped date in 2002 as that was when I resurrected the donor parts pump back into working order and used that, So stood twenty two years. Bit disappointed as had to give it two pulls before it fired up, flat out that you say they can’t run long like that and that now frightens me a bit but been doing that for now 70? years and still hanging in there. I then started the other engine and they take 5-10 minutes to prime so both had ben making some bit of noise and noticed I hadn’t dropped the old faithfuls hose into the water, so no wonder it was a bit more noisy, dumped the hose into the pond and it only took seconds it seemed and was primed so that is quick, but once up and running there’s no difference, think running just under 20 psi and doubled up more or less double the pressure. Just as I had nearly cleared up the friend that had put his rev counter on that old engine 50 years ago came over and he remembered the 4000 rpm. Both engines differ with the well used engine having a serial number ending in 40? date, and other has nothing, both were in the AM green the resurrected one still is what paint still there. just recently was give a few Jap bits and looks like was from a generator going by the head, tin cowl good no dents and sump, and if you find the loss of compression isn’t just a stuck valve and was a cam-follower I have a spare so all free to anyone.

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[davidbliss]

I got the key width wrong it was .035 thou wider and that amount of joggle would retard it quite some bit and has worked as with every thing fixed being modern so there no way of adjusting and I wouldn’t have thought such a small engine could be that vicious but it was. I have worked on the really old 40s Briggs with the peg that ran onto the crank then later they ran it off the camshaft that with wear was rather touchy, think the Kohler done same idea. nothing like the good old Villiers.

[davidbliss]

Andy
We ran Ransomes stuff, Combine and we broke up one that went to them for spares, ploughs, modern reversible and one of the old last heavy Hexatracks behind one of the first 1941 D7 7M so often used Stennets and Denison near Bruisyard,and with Ransomes gone with poor non genuine wearing parts used them quite a bit, but often came back with other things so good job they weren’t closer or would have had treid to save lots of interesting stuff, So will be going to see Barry Denison for mower bits if can find them.

[davidbliss]

I had a phone call today and he still has barrels he said somewhere, so are going over in the next two weeks to have a look. Anyone need Ransomes parts, ill take my camera anyhow.

[davidbliss]

Andy, I am not holding my breath but got a phone number from long back and is still good that took most of Ransomes parts, I will try.

[davidbliss]

Graham
On some of those old carbs they just used a long screw that holds the air cleaner on if not screwed back in with the air filter off I have had them suck up fuel strait through that hole.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by davidbliss. Reason: missed word

[davidbliss]

Grahame
I agree get pleasure in getting scraped bits of machinery working and used for years, and keeping mine in top order. That SA engine ticks over near to 120rpm so not flustered at all. I will be at Stradsett with my ride on mower, silent, few revs and uses less fuel, today we burn more fuel for low emissions that makes masses of heat to be green or is it? I went out to sort out a old Bull Nose Morris the other day and they had to shift the large’ish JD, well it was plastic just revs and horrendous noise. Getting on for two years ago I replaced a engine with a emissions compliant but same engine, uses more fuel gets so hot it scares hell out of you when it goes off bang some seconds after being turned off, progress?

[davidbliss]

Engine runs fine better than some clocks, with the impulse mag from cold I gently pulled it over on the flywheel and was away. I am a bit of a perfectionist and when I hear people saying they all ran like that or when they just put and put every few seconds eight stroking afraid its not good enough for me so will still have ago with the carb and might try a bit more on the needle seat or making a smaller slow running jet but that is ok if running just above tick over. Grand fathers MG6 out fit was bought by Cecil Knights of E H Knights and Sons as it was already getting old back then was in very good order and they had all its tools painted and can remember seeing them sort of on show in his garden. It wasn’t one of the very early models but manual lift. At one time it had some peculiar gearbox problem with its internals coming loose and rotated.

[davidbliss]

I will see if I can find a small motorcycle early carb as they work fine before I try to gets spare parts, as looking at the design it doesn’t hold water in my view and was the demise of its piston. I can just remember being sat on my grandfathers MG6 it had all its tools of tiny discs, cultivator and plough. My father never had a good word about how it ran, and said why on earth didn’t he get a little Fergy. starting it one time nearly pinned my grandfather against the wall and climbed up the wall, he told my father wonder it never went through the wall, father said pity it didn’t as there was a pond the other side.

[davidbliss]

Even if you get a spark it maybe not good enough. I have had engines running quite well but if you hadn’t been using them at the time or had in the past you wouldn’t have known something wasn’t quite as it should be, i had a engine suddenly go flat running hot with reduced power, it started just fine and even just altering the mixture helped. Took the coil and condenser in for testing, and condenser was completely shot and wouldn’t even test although engine still started and ran, plugs seldom fail unless the engine isn’t running as it should be and again if there is nothing wrong with a old plug use it.

[davidbliss]

Grahame
Think I am going to try and find a small motorcycle carb, the design of how the float tries to shut the fuel off just doesn’t, I must have spent 4hrs carefully taking apart removing dents, cleaning and back together. I had just fitted it and was interrupted for an hour, came back and hurrah still dry, started and within less than a minute was flooded. So the before, I couldn’t get the worst marks out but the just distorted side came out perfect. if people don’t know when going to solder a float always find the blow hole and drill it before heating, after repair cool and then touch in the blow hole.

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[davidbliss]

Andy
I used to use Knights engineers in Norwich, I can remember John Knights saying leave it with me and will try and find something and he did, I believe he was looking through old Hepolite books, maybe one of those old books would be a start.

I used to use JP pistons Australia with some still in use today without issues and were very reasonable in price, I then had the odd problems with wrong pistons but same part number and loose pins. So I then went west to Arias pistons that were high quality
forged alloy and with some old engines being long stroked and small bores so little oil got to where needed, could specify the old type of non aggressive cast rings and pin fit, even making only 6 pistons of 4”inch bore came out little over £120 each when the cast JP small Triumph motorcycle were £80 so got some surprises. Photo of what know it all people do, the deep section compression rings intended for diesel engines with egressive oil control made the engine so tight they added 12volts to the huge 6 volt starter that then climbed up on the ring teeth to tear the bearer out of the alloy crankcase. The replacements I had made with fraction of the cast iron weight reduces so much of the stresses.

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