New toy

I was at the Bristol club rally on Sunday & there was this little two stroke Villiers engine for sale for not a lot. It is approximately the same size as the JAP Model 0, perhaps a tad larger. It is poised on a rather nice oval footed cast aluminium stand and several small parts are decoratively chromed. I'd say it was an ex display engine and I can trace no exact likeness. The flywheel magneto is smaller than the huge brass flywheel generators, but it still has the neat little points box inside. If asked to guess, I'd suggest that it might be late 1950's or 60's.

No spark, but some HT coming up the lead. Cleaning the points & widening the gap made it fire and in this condition I spent a quiet Monday afternoon pulling at a bit of twine to try and make it go.

The plug is an 18mm Champion & looks bran new. The float was stuck but freed off without trouble. The plug was getting wet & now had a decent purple spark at the end of the lead but it still would only fire once & no more. Just as the Archers finished, I stopped cleaning the plug, fitted another one (a mica insulated rather rusty unrestored plug out of my spares box) and it ran beautifully straight away, continuing to do so until the carb ran out of petrol.

Once again I resolve to follow my own advice to change the plug if it doesn't go!

The model plate is missing from the fan cover, it is "engine green" - photos later- but any ideas what model it might be?

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn
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Oh good - we haven't had a new toy post for a while. Any engine number stamped on crank case?

NHH

Reply to
NHH

Not that I can see - a significant omission perhaps! I've taken photos, post later.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn

Photos may be seen at

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Also, a very curious silencer that I have come by recently. I believe that it is for a two stroke engine as you can take the back off and clean out the gunge.

Any thoughts about engine or silencer identification would be welcome.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn

- and now I've bought this!

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It doesn't look like anything I ever saw before - any ideas anyone?

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn

Sherman tank I think

Reply to
Roland Craven

Sherman's had Tiny Tims I believe, but of course that doesn't mean the ALL had TT's!

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn

I have a manual and its not a TT

Reply to
Roland Craven

I had another go at the Villiers last evening & after a while got it to run properly & it then ran until I turned the petrol off & ran it dry.

I'm tempted to actually restore this one as it is an ex show engine.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn

Well, the little Villiers is now running very well. In fact, once it was hot, I gradually turned the hand nut on top of the carb down until you could discern the flats on the nut securing the pulley whilst it was running - perhaps 2-300 rpm. Loading it with a bit of rag deepened the note but interestingly the revs didn't drop.

It vibrates quite a lot though & walks across the poor dry lawn in a steady and purposeful manner.

I'm using a mica insulated plug ATM but will revert to the one it came with next.

I'm quite keen now and will be looking into what model it is more avidly!

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn

Just had a flick through Jack Sizer's booklet and it looks like a Midget Mark 3 (the first with flywheel fan and cowl) or later. Apparently a diagnostic feature of the Midget range is that the deflector is at right angles to the crankshaft rather than in line with it. No introduction date is given, but the Mark 2 appeared in 1949.

NHH

Reply to
NHH

NHH wrote (snip):

But - looking at contemporary guide (by B E Browning) the deflector is set in line with the crank shaft in the convetional manner - perhaps Jack's comment only refer to the original 1931 unit.

I'll scan and email the relevant pages which should give you enough info to confirm or otherwise Midget ID.

NHH

Reply to
NHH

Thanks Nick, just the job. The destructions say that the deflector face should face the transfer port, the inlet port being on the side of the cylinder.

Got me going now, I have a couple of Mk 1's & a Mk 3 (not Midgets) somewhere......

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn

I took the Midget 3 to the Wessex crank up on Monday. I had some initial trouble starting it, but an 18mm NOS aircraft plug was given to me and serendipitously that fixed it straightaway. It ran very slowly all evening & used an immeasurable quantity of fuel. It was on bare dirt in a car park and very slowly rotated, making a noticeable dent in the dirt after a couple of hours.

I also had the ST flattie with me which also ran contentedly all evening.

Wessex are at the Hayne's Motor Museum on Sunday should you be in the area.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
kimsiddorn

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