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ABC progress

Many here will know that I'm rebuilding a very decrepit WW1 ABC XD2 Lyons & Wrench gen set. It had been left to stand in the open for many years and I am just continuing the work started by (I believe) Peter James who described it in SEM in 1976.

The 1 KVA 50 Volt dynamo is away with Rob Armstrong for assembly and testing. It amazes me that generators still work after many years of neglect, but initial checks showed good continuity & insulation in both field & armature.

The corrosion on the exposed ferrous parts was serious, requiring DHC work to build up mainshaft (done before I got it), a new tank by Frank Gelder and an inventive inlet manifold repair. The latter required a bit of tight pipe bending and the manufacture of a special nut. Welding the new pipe to the manifold proved impossible & an industrial epoxy resin adhesive was used.

The German Eismann magneto was rebuilt - new capacitor, slip ring and coil wind - and remagnetised.

The mating face of the crankcase was badly damaged, so I had this cleaned up. The timing case mating face also required a 3 thou skim to correct it's bowed face. As the timing side main bearing is carried in the cover, I had this very carefully set up & improved Mr Bradshaw's work by having four ground pins set in the mating face.

The crank has been assembled from the best bits of two and two pistons cleaned & oiled ready for assembly.

Offering up the crank & rod assembly to the crankcase, it is beginning to look like it cannot be assembled in that state, the rollers & collars needing to be fitted to the big end journals after inserting the crank into the case. I'm still mulling this one over as it seems so damned unlikely!

However, things are moving along and I hope to get it down to the exhaust man within a few weeks. Pictures here .......

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They are a bit disorganised, but I cannot persuade the rearranged photo to stay where I put it!

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn
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I suppose gennys are generally very solidly built, and the only thing that would kill them whilst just sitting there is a breakdown in insulation due to natural decay. Heating/cooling shouldn't be an issue because there must be enough slack in the windings for them to cope with that during normal start/stop cycles anyway - which also means there's enough slack for them to handle a bit of damp/freezing.

(incidentally, anyone know if bare wire can be DIY-enamelled at home suitable for use in windings?)

cheers

Jules

Reply to
Jules

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Sounds like you're doing some good work there. Nice to see an engine which must have come perilously close to being scrapped or broken up on numerous occasions in the hands of someone who will put in the effort to bring it up to a state where it should be pretty safe from any such considerations in the future.

I get the impression that our Granville was not much of a production engineer meaning that many of his designs while ingenious and elegant, are not as easy as they might be to manufacture or maintain. Mind you Scott motorcycle engines and the Stuart Turner 'N' also have to have the 'rods and big end rollers threaded on to the crank in situ - though both of those have overhung cranks so it's not too bad.

Is the Eisemann mag that big open frame job shown on the engine? If so it looks suprisingly primative for the date.

Did a bit of shifting about at the weekend to ensure that ABC/Inglis/Skootamota engine is accessible and one 'ting' of those turned fins reminded me that despite the single cylinder it is every inch an ABC!

NHH

Reply to
Nick H

Yes, that's the magneto! I assume that it was one of the several alternatives that were forced upon ABC & it perches uneasily in a space designed for the American Dixie.which must be a third smaller. As to date, I'd have put it around the early war years - Made in Germany, so part of a failing stock.

The Cladel-Hobson carb soon went & mine has an "Bradshaw patent" ABC carb.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

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kimsiddorn

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Charles Hamilton

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