new here guys and girls

Hi Carl, You can download a manual for the D at

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Internal Fire, Museum of Power, Wales

Hi Carl, welcome to this information-packed news group :)

If it's your first restore I recommend getting the book on restoring the D-type. I used it for mine, and it helped me out a couple of times, teaches you the basics, although I didn't use the book, I had all the issues of SE magazine that make up the article. The book can be found on here

Regards Chris

Welcome Carl -- You've been left an ideal starter kit for this hobby, & you#ve found this list so you have started off right...

Not sure where you are locared, but we are right in the middle of rally season. Best start is to get to a local rally, & chat with folk there. The D (or A,B,J or whatever similar Listers) are very rugged, & easy to work on & get spares. Only likely problems are usually caused by poor maintenance (no oil, winter frost damage caused by leaving water in engine during big freezes). The only other common problems are typical of any old engine that's not been used for many years -- magneto needs cleaning & possibly remagnetising; carb jets all bunged up with crud; piston stuck; oil seals dried out etc

Work Google to death (text & pix). A search on Bamford corn mill gave plenty of hits this morning, so that would get you started.

Get a copy of Stationary engine magazine. May be in your local newsagent if you are in a rural area, but no chance in Chelsea. Try their web site (Google again). They have a good booklet on the D's ( & also others on different Listers). Gives history & tips. They have done many articles over the years on mills, & I suspect their farm equipment publication has also covered them many times.

Rebuilding mill is pretty straightforward. First photograph everything in detail. Then peel back slowly, cleaning as you go. Keep photographing, & watch for broken castings, chipped teeth etc -- in case the missing pieces are in the next pile of dirt you are about to clean off & throw out. If bearings completely shot, several ways to rebuild -- shout here if necessary for pointers. If you have gone back to bare metal, paint with primer before the rust grabs hold. Don't wait months between strip & rebuild, or those photographs will be even more important, & the cat will have run off with key small parts in between .....

Check the mill & the Lister out. You'll find engine numbers & machine models on them. Record them, as you'll need them to track down fellow owners of similar kit.

Two really good sources for research data are the Museum of Rural Life at Reading University. Online, worth checking out the website of the Musuem of Power in West Wales

Enjoy. I'd gather info, find owners, & watch others until the fall, then get stuck in over the winter ready for next spring's season. Whatever you do, there are folk willing to help if you get stuck.

Last tip -- there are some engine owners who are patronizing towards Listers & the D in particular. Ignore their prejudice & stupidity -- the D was probably the most reliable & numerous engine to be found on farms everywhere. A true farmers best friend, & much to be encouraged!

'best,

Colin

If the mill is similar to mine, you may need an engine bigger than the D-type to run it in anger (good excuse to acquire a bigger engine). A Bamford combined roller and grinding mill is said to absorb approx 5HP, so a Lister CS would be a cheap way to do it justice.

In message , Carl Ray writes

Hey Carl, if you're interested theres a nice pic of a D here (that Anthony took), I was thinking of doing the flywheel on my D like that but I hadn't seen it before so didn't know how it would look. However I think it looks great, so i'll be doing mine like that as soon as work on my replica trolley has finished.

Damn it, sent it by mistake, here's the linky: