Alan

On closer examination of your picture it appears that the box on top of the generator is the wrong way round.



Mick

What kind of bulb are you using to trigger the startomatic system?  It needs to be at least a 40 watt incandescent light bulb, modern led bulbs wont work it.

This describes how to keep the set running without having to keep your finger on the button.


SECTION 5
PUSH BUTTON STARTING. HAND STARTING AND STOPPING
OF THE ENGINE
In the event of trouble developing on the switchgear or control
solenoids the engine can readily be started by hand and the plant
run direct on to the load by following the instructions given below.
Before resorting to Hand Starting always check:-
(a) That the trouble is not due to a blown fuse in the house
distribution fuse box or main switch-fuse. or perhaps
even a faulty lamp.
(b} That the battery fuse which is accommodated in the control
box on top of the alternator has not blown.
(c} That the Emergency Hand Reset Thermal Switch J has not
tripped. Press button with thumb to reset.
Move Rotary Control Switch IS to HAND OR PUSH BUTTON START.
FOR PUSH BUTTON START.
(a) Press the button labelled “Push Button Start”.
(b)} Operate the fuel control solenoid bell crank lever by hand
and insert the collar provided between it and the top of
the coil case.
FOR HAND START.
(a} Use starting handle as described in the engine instruction book.
(b} Operate the fuel control solenoid bell crank lever by hand
and insert the collar provided between it and the top of
the coil case.
TO STOP THE ENGINE.
Remove the collar from between the bell crank lever and the top
of the coil case.

This is a picture of a control box I rebuilt 5 years for someone else its still working fine.



Mick

eBay item number:163833444864 Might be what you need

I said I had this brochure a year ago.  I have scanned it and cleaned it up a bit.  It shows how the engines were built to BS 649/1958 and alternators to BS 2613/1957 Both of them capable of being run continuously and 10% overloaded for up to an hour in 12 hours. So theoretically the Lister 4.5Kw alternator is capable of producing 4.94 Kw absolute max for an hour.

Vegoil

Check this out its a serious university report on running a lister 6/1 on vegoil with 3 simple modifications.  Personally I think it is flawed.  They make a preheater out of the CS bung to increase the fuel temperature to 90 degC just before it enters the injector.  I dont believe this is of any benefit at all.  They have a thermostat on the engine and they do all their testing when the engine is up to 90 deg C. Not once do they ever do a test without preheating the fuel even when they don't use their fancy preheater they use electric heating on the injector pipe.  How can they know if it makes any difference when they haven't tested it with no preheating?

In their report they increase the injector pressure and adjust the timing. They recommend 15Mpa injector pressure which is 148 atmospheres. This is nearly the same as the injector pressure for the 16/2 engines see excerpt from 1971 Lister manual. They also advance the injection to 25 deg BTDC which again is similar to the 16/1 setting.




https://www.utterpower.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Basinger-Fuel-Article-1.pdf

Mick

All painted green. Original 1974 startomatic in original uncleaned condition.





Mick

I can confirm that it is legal to use 2500 litres WVO or biodiesel tax free in the UK.

From Wikipedia
The changes came into effect on June 30, 2007. There is no longer a requirement to register to pay duty on vegetable oil used as road fuel for those who "produce" or use less than 2,500 litres per year.