Villiers W-X11

Hi Charles,

Welcome to our NG, new voices always welcome. Whilst I cannot help with the exhaust box, this is certainly the place to ask.

WXII's are more common than you might think. You see them regularly at engine rallies and crank ups, as they are relatively light and small and can be lugged about without too much trouble. They also have an odd look about them, that curious "otherness" so important for collectability and restoration. There are at least two sizes and there are variations - some have cast iron heads, the racing version bronze and the experimental space rocket division made a few aluminium headed models ! There are a few tank cooled, but the great majority are hoppered with the unusual crescent shaped petrol tank.

I like them myself and have a couple buried in the garage. One is part of a very complete and original compressor set, the other just the engine itself. I've had both of them for around thirty years and run them up occasionally, but have never yet exhibited either.

I suspect they are just one of those engines that many of us have in their collections (like Petters PU8's!) but that rarely see the light of day until someone dies and their Iron Charges get redistributed.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Hi Kim,

Mine is a WAH model, engine no 568, hopper cooled, with the super-duty bronze head.

I acquired the engine in pieces, with a few bits missing. I've since found what seems to be the correct magneto, with the cutout button, an alloy magneto cover, a tatty Villiers badge for the cover, and the carburettor slide and collared control rod.

Do you have any idea how the engine is started ? I notice the parts book lists part "W40 - starting Handle 3/- ". Is this a crank handle ? Does it fit into some other part that I'm missing on the flywheel end of the crank ? I have the flywheel with pulley, but no sign of crank dogs.

The chase continues !

cheers ... Charles Welch

"Kim Siddorn" wrote

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Starting? I must admit my "loose" engine came with no handle but it starts easily enough with a rope around the flywheel.

The compressor has a handle, I believe it's a bit of bent sturdy wire that engages in a peculiar notch in the flywheel boss - rather like the Petter M. You'll understand that I've not seen it in a few years and rely upon memory!

Here's one like mine at some rally or another ;o))

Kim Siddorn

Kim, Yuo are right in your description, it is a hook type handle which fits into a groove on the flywheel, my engine is in bits and the handle is somewhere in the garage, if I find it I will take a picture.

Martin P

Kim,

I notice the engine in the photo has a copper or brass magneto cover.

Do early engines have this, or is it likely to be a DIY job ?

cheers ... Charles Welch

"Kim Siddorn" wrote

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The very attractive copper domes seem to have been just one of those things, like aluminium or cast iron timing covers and air cowling on the ALCO Featherweights. I can't figure out a dating sequence, they just seemed to have been assembled with whatever was in the stores at the time.

These copper domes are available new at the moment. I saw a stack of three of them on a stall at the Sodbury Sortout in October.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

I have one of these engines which has a starting dog on the magneto and a cover with a 3" ish hole to allow the starting dog to pass through and because of this no badge in the centre. Other engines which I have seen have got a starting dog cast on to the end of the pulley on the flywheel side. The side which the engine is started from depends on the application it was originally used for. Although I have owned this engine for 18 years, I don't have a starting handle for it but because it starts easily with a cord wrapped around the pulley I have never bothered making one. As for the exhaust chamber which you are missing, this is only a simple casting, so if all else fails it would not be to big a job to fabricate one. If you need the dimensions let me know.

Paul.

Here's an interesting image from the National Library of Australia ;

"Unidentified engine, South Australia [transparency] : scene of mid-north South Australia used by Rev. F.H. Patterson on Stuart Patrol 1930+ "

Photo taken by John Flynn, founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Looks like it's driving a refrigeration compressor ?

Is that a plated exhaust pipe ?

cheers ... Charles Welch

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Looks like it with a fan on the crank to blow air through a radiator combination to cool the compressed gas.

Thats on the other end of the crank, so I wouldn't think so. Two light grey smooth pipe flow/return to the water tank. Black corrogated pipe at ground level going out through the hole in the wall I should think is the exhaust, but that appears to be connected into the large rectangular "sump" that the engine is sitting on...