Little Horses

I've been having fun with a trio of Iron Horses - or BSA derivatives - this last couple of days. I had three rather incomplete engines, one of which was a dynastart generator, a kickstart engine and A N Other engine.

The generator was my first priority and I converted it from an incomplete, none going army genny to a "civilian" version by the removal of the cast iron base tank and direct lift carb and replacing them with the nice little oval top tank and normal carb from another. As you can imagine, it took a good deal longer to do than to say and the amount of time one can soak up cleaning commutators, cutting set screws to length, finding washers and replacing plug leads to say nothing of matching fan covers to engines and building/modifying silencers etc is quite amazing.

But it was done in the end and now I have a lightweight electric start charging plant that starts and runs very easily. This compliments the EX WD one I have already that is very complete and original - but a good deal heavier!

On to the next and I fitted the direct lift carb and base fuel tank to the kickstart engine which has a flat belt pulley and built up the remainder of the bits into a simple top tanked engine with a vee belt pulley in place of the kickstart.

They were all obliging enough to start and run without a lot of trouble, but I am short of a fan cover. Anyone got one spare? Any condition as I'm going to paint these.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
J K Siddorn
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Tut, tut. I'm sure we can't condone all this tampering with history ;-) How is anyone going to know what the correct build spec was for any given serial number if you adopt this 'mix and match' approach? (tongue very firmly in cheek)

Reply to
Nick H

I know, terrible aren't I?;o))

Still, they are well recorded and there are enough of them about for the odd one not to matter. It did cross my mind to paint different parts different colours to aid identification in future years, but decided that piebald engines are not to my taste!

The four variants will make an interesting little display now and I'm curious to see if anyone comments.

I've got a B&S unit with the same genny, but it has so far resisted all my efforts in removing the deeply recessed flywheel nut. They are a real swine when there is no means of holding the flywheel still while you heave away at the socket with ever increasing lengths of bar extension.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
J K Siddorn

Not having seen more than on at a time I have never really studied the variations. So yes, I think that would make an interesting display.

Reply to
Nick H

They are about, I've seen a couple at rallies in the past year, but considering their production numbers and huge range of variations, I'm surprised we don't see more of them.

I like their design, the oil supply system is especially interesting as oil picked up by the timing gears is squished out into the hollow crankpin as it whizzes past instead of relying on a dipper - not such a sensible option in small high revving engines.

They don't fetch stupid money either, I've not paid more than forty quid for any of them, the incomplete gen set was a tenner and it took me ten minutes to get it going, so it's cheap fun!

I'd like a mains genny variant if anyone sees one about for a reasonable figure.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn,

Reply to
J K Siddorn

There must have been a half doz. or so at sodbury (and a sprinkling of Tiny Tims) but one tends to think "oh look another of them" rather than noticing the differences as one would if they were all together.

Reply to
Nick H

I raided my motor factors this afternoon. I normally brush paint engines - if I paint them at all - but thought I'd treat my hybrid gen set to a coat of acrylic so that the paint doesn't wash off the first time I spill petrol on it.

I found that Vauxhall Fern Green makes a very acceptable light version of WD olive drab paint - gloss of course, but it certainly does look the part. Actually, it is not glaringly shiny as it is intended to be clear lacquered to complete it on the car.

I was pleased to find it did not attack the paint beneath it and it seems OK on the exhaust after I ran it for several minutes this evening, not discolouring or flaking off.

I've not brought an engine to this standard for some time and I must say I'm quite pleased with it ;o))

I've also restored a 50 + year old (ish) rotary converter to exhibit with it. I'm sure it isn't an aircraft device, but 24 volts DC in gives 175 volts AC output - the Lord knows what that was intended to drive in the first place. Any ideas, anyone?

Regards,

Kim

Reply to
J K Siddorn

if it's 400 to 24 Hz output, it could be to drive the gyros and such. aircraft used a lot of high frequency equipment. the transformers were smaller and lighter.

175 volts seems a bit high, tho. maybe it was the plate supply for transmitters. it would be rectified and filtered to give 250 volts DC which would be a logical voltage for such. sammmm

Reply to
sammmm

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