Puppeteer

Author Topic: Which Lister Engine should I buy!  (Read 24330 times)

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2010, 07:16:38 PM »
No CS's apart from a dis-assembled SOM.
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

Zagato

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 39
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #16 on: June 26, 2010, 08:46:20 PM »
Compig is a SOM an ordinary 6-1 with a generator added.  I am asking if I bought an ordinary 6-1 could I buy the other generator bits in the future to use it to generate 240 volts practically on alternative fuel or is the SOM a more job specific beast altogether. 

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #17 on: June 26, 2010, 09:02:20 PM »
The SOM has a number of differences, much heavier flywheels, often referred to as electric flywheels, start/stop solenoid assembly that controls decompression and fuel pump rack. The SOM system is quite complex, consisting of a generator/starter, alternator control box and Start-O-Matic control box. Adding the SOM system to a 6/1 SOM engine at a later date, even if you could find the parts, would be quite difficult. Also, SOM's were supplied on a specific base plate that mounted the engine and generator. You could use a 6 or 8/1 SOM engine to drive another generator and make your own base plate, control system etc, but it would not be a self starting and stopping set like the SOM, unless you also added a starter motor and control system.
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

spencer1885

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 207
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #18 on: June 28, 2010, 09:02:48 PM »
I don't here any one consider a lister FR which would be cheaper to buy than a cs and built like a brick s**t house.
Also the entire fuel system is heated because it's behind covers so making it possible to run waste oils.
It is also a cold start engine with two compression ratios like the cs.
Ive seen several  FR gen sets on ebay sell for a fraction of the price of a cs.
The FR engine must be the most suitable engine to run on veg oil in the world,unless some can tell me differently?

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #19 on: June 28, 2010, 10:51:48 PM »
Higher running speed so less desirable to the market. Good engine though, I agree. The CD and CE are also nice lumps.
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

spencer1885

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 207
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #20 on: June 29, 2010, 09:53:51 PM »
You can run a FR at what speed you want.
It has a oil pump so no problems of oil starvation at low speed.
Even at speeds of 1500 RPM your not going to wear it out.
The CD and CE are good also but sell for more money.
The FR engines fuel system inc the fuel filter and all the pipes are heated so making it unique in that respect.
This makes it ideal for veg oil.

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #21 on: June 29, 2010, 10:44:44 PM »
True, but for rated power running speed is higher and doesn't have the chick magnet looks of the CS ;)
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

listerdiesel

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 321
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #22 on: July 18, 2010, 08:55:04 AM »
The FR single cylinder just about manages to make its rated power, there is so much power lost in all the auxiliaries that it has to run fast to get anything out of it!

The CS is a better deal all round, simply because of engine spares availability. There are still plenty about.

FR's are technically a nice engine, but a nightmare to work on with special tools being required for things that are just a spanner job on the CS. Have a look at the manual and you'll see what I mean.

Joe Morris did a superb job of designing it, but it was not a commercial success, being replaced by the air-cooled engines fairly quickly, while the CS went on and on....

There is an issue with the barrier between the built-in fuel filter and the water jacket cracking and letting fuel into the water and vice-versa. Not difficult to get round, but still something that caused a few problems for operators.

Peter

spencer1885

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 207
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #23 on: July 18, 2010, 10:29:09 AM »
That's a bit harsh. The cracking of the block in to the fuel filter is caused by frost damage -not the engines fault but human error.
As far as hp goes it's comparable to other engines of its capacity and not designed to run at low speeds like the cs, but a modern engine with speeds in the range of 1500 rpm.
It is more complicated than a cs but what isn't??  Any competent mechanic would find them easy to work on.
All engine manufacturers went air cooled for all sorts of reasons.
My experience of parts is cs stuff is drying up unless you want Indian parts, but the fr engines can be bought cheaply so a spare engine with good parts is not a problem.
Cheers
Matthew



listerdiesel

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 321
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #24 on: July 18, 2010, 10:42:53 AM »
Not really, Matt, I can remember talking to both David Harris and an operator of a single-cylinder FR1 genny, both said the same thing, it was marginal at best. Twins and upward had enough power reserves to get over the internal losses.

There's an FR1 on ebay at present.

Peter

spencer1885

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 207
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #25 on: July 18, 2010, 01:17:33 PM »
Peter my single is 7.6 hp with cooling fan. I assume 8 hp with out cooling fan because British manufacturers rated hp after auxillary loses unlike foreign manufacturers.
The generator is rated at 3.13 KVA which would be right for the engines HP.
That appears correct to me but perhaps I am missing some thing?
My twin is 18 hp at the same rpm and the generator is 10 kva.
Both these are original so must be correct.
If any thing, the twins hp is over rated and the generator over rated for the engine.
Perhaps you could explain that for me.
Cheers
Matthew

listerdiesel

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 321
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #26 on: July 19, 2010, 07:29:26 AM »
9hp per cylinder was the original figures if I remember correctly, the 7+ hp reflects what I remember about the single. The multi-cylinder engines had much more in hand.

As far as ratings went, the smaller unit could do more, the theoretical output could be over 4kVA, while the larger unit is about right if you take drive losses etc into account.

Peter

DRDEATH

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 411
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #27 on: August 05, 2010, 02:29:31 PM »
Zagato if you are still looking for a SOM I can put you in touch with someone who is buying engines for me and he knows someone who is selling a collection which has 5 SOM in it. PM me for contact. DD
Breast cancer kills. It takes money to save lives.

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #28 on: August 05, 2010, 04:25:08 PM »
I know zagato has now bought a CS, not a SOM, just an engine. Whether he would go for a SOM aswell I don't know.
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

DRDEATH

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 411
    • View Profile
Re: Which Lister Engine should I buy!
« Reply #29 on: August 05, 2010, 10:00:10 PM »
I would love to walk into a building with 5 SOM's in it. Just think of all of the other history that might be in that shed. I might put that on a list of great things above meeting the president. No wait I would put that above meeting our president.  I suppose that is not very nice. O well life can be harsh. DD
Breast cancer kills. It takes money to save lives.