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Author Topic: A very sad day  (Read 6505 times)

starfire

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A very sad day
« on: September 23, 2016, 10:23:51 AM »
Today I said good bye to an old friend. My  loyal companion for so many decades breathed her  last. After the con rod oil dipper unknowingly snapped  from a metal fatigue fracture, she continued to soldier on, not complaining or giving  any outward signs of distress, eventually loosing all compression and quietly  coming to rest. There is over 3mm play in the big end,  the piston has nearly 1/8 inch play in the cylinder. Rather than seize through lack of lubrication, she continued to run and  give me her very best right to the end.
 Rather than scrapping her, she will take pride of place on my back lawn as a monument to reliable dependability and how life used to be.
She was 77 years old.
 RIP.

Dieselsmoker

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2016, 10:39:16 AM »
Oh my....  :o truly sorry about that!!!

Have you tried CPR? Automated defibrillator? I'm sure with some patience and a couple of DEV (don't read death) parts she can be nursed back to life!

Our thoughts are with you in these trying times. All the best.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2016, 10:43:03 AM by Dieselsmoker »
1963 Lister 6/1 genset - Restored
1942 Fairbanks-Morse ZC-208 - Restored
1945 Ruston & Hornsby PB 3HP - To be restored
1954 John Deere 40-S - Current project

starfire

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2016, 11:03:03 AM »
Thank you smoker.....
Spares and life saving transplants are all nigh impossible for the little 3.5.  A rebore and sleeve doable ok, but the crankshaft is terminal. I respectfully covered her today in a tarp  as I wheeled in her replacement, an ugly  Nissan TD27..... I didnt want her offended.
 She was the little engine that could.
 There is so  little time for grieving.

EdDee

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2016, 12:13:11 PM »
Hey Starfire...

Sad indeed.... But don't look at it as a loss, look at it as an opportunity....

3mm of play on the big end can quite easily be sorted via either welding up and a crank regrind to original spec, or, grind down till clean and match up the journal size to an off-the-shelf truck equivalent.... The conrod can be bushed to fit the back end of the bearing shell...

The sleeve is another matter, re-sleeve and clean up the existing piston, or bore out to suit something from them injun fellas... No biggie either...

Its not a loss, its an opportunity to breathe new life into a very worthwhile piece of valuable machinery!

Think it over very carefully before you relegate her to monument status....

Keep your chin up!!

Regds
Ed
12/1 750RPM/9HP Roid 5kVA- WMO Disposal/Electricity & Hot Water Gen
12/1 650RPM/8HP Roid 4.5kVa - Demon Dino
Chinese Yanmar - Silent Runner with AutoStart
Classic Komatsu 1963 Dozer/Fergusson 35 Gold Belly ...
Bikes,Cars,Gunsmithing & Paintball...Oh yes, a 5Ha open air Workshop to play in!

dieselspanner

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2016, 12:52:45 PM »
NOOOO!

Don't let her die......

Like the boys say, there's everything you need here,

    http://lister-petter.devprecisionengineers.com/lister_cs.htm

Once I've placed an order it usually takes 4/5 days to get from Rejkot to halfway up the Pyrenees

Go large and upgrade to the 4 1/2" piston -  in Ally mine was around $70, from memory - and you could go all the way to 8 hp. There may well be enough meat in the cylinder to bore it to suit.
 I've just fitted taper roller bearings to a well knackered set of mains with a good dose of Loctite 620, Dev do big end bearings to something like 110 thou" and would probably cast you a special for not too much more

Given your level of ingenuity you'd surely have a viable machine for less than $400 

Cheers Stef
Tighten 'til it strips, weld nut to chassis, peen stud, adjust with angle grinder.

starfire

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2016, 08:09:13 AM »
Thanks all for  your kind thoughts. Realistically she is not worth the expense, I really need more horsepower after using every trick i could dream up to have her work so hard. My location too means its time consuming and expensive for anything to be sent out, or heavy parts to be shipped in. Maybe I can find her a nice new owner......

The good news. Today I found a tidy 10hp Petter AV2. After sitting unloved in a garage for many years, a quick application of fuel,and  a bleed, she fired up and ran like a clock. It will be delivered tomorrow. Not a low RPM one unfortunately, but still a Lister I believe.

starfire

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2016, 10:34:22 AM »
Just wondering. What is a Lister crank made of? Im assumimg forged iron? Are the journels case hardened?

mikenash

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2016, 07:17:32 PM »
Today I said good bye to an old friend. My  loyal companion for so many decades breathed her  last. After the con rod oil dipper unknowingly snapped  from a metal fatigue fracture, she continued to soldier on, not complaining or giving  any outward signs of distress, eventually loosing all compression and quietly  coming to rest. There is over 3mm play in the big end,  the piston has nearly 1/8 inch play in the cylinder. Rather than seize through lack of lubrication, she continued to run and  give me her very best right to the end.
 Rather than scrapping her, she will take pride of place on my back lawn as a monument to reliable dependability and how life used to be.
She was 77 years old.
 RIP.

Yeah, i saw the TradeMe.  Was that you Dayle?  New Nissan engine?  Interesting

LowGear

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2016, 07:54:33 PM »
Sadly starfire I cannot condom the statuary recycling of your very loyal servant.  I used to restore Gibson tractors.  I'd run into the statuary answer and really need a part but NO! 

Let her live on helping others to a better life.  Show respect for this wonderful machine.  Please.

Casey
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starfire

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2016, 09:59:47 PM »
Well, an update to all you worried people out there.  She runs again!!!
With LOTS of sweat and bruised knuckles, She now sports a new set of alloy shells, a second hand cylinder that I paid far too much for, she runs like a dream.
It wont be a workhorse like before without further in depth repairs, but as a show pony at a display, she will be a winner  :)
She will love a shiny new coat of paint, a wee trolley, and puttering away, strutting her stuff enjoying admiring looks.
Soon, she will have a new owner. I think a very fitting retirement for my old friend.


starfire

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #11 on: September 26, 2016, 02:39:00 AM »
Not easy Mike.... I moved heaven and earth to get her running again. I refitted the old worn cylinder head because I just could not move the COV to change it over, this will be a job for the new owner.
This venture uses up all my spare parts collected over the years.
Will post pics soon of the new Petter once installed and running, and a few of the Nissan TD when I get that closer to finished as well.
Right now I need to catch up on other work.

dieselspanner

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #12 on: September 26, 2016, 07:44:41 AM »
Nice one, Starfire..........


Another little piece of history in 'preservation by operation' as the Royal Navy is wont to say.

Whilst it's running it's happy and there's the whole of the future out in front of her!

Cheers
Stef
Tighten 'til it strips, weld nut to chassis, peen stud, adjust with angle grinder.

mikenash

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2016, 08:55:33 AM »
Not easy Mike.... I moved heaven and earth to get her running again. I refitted the old worn cylinder head because I just could not move the COV to change it over, this will be a job for the new owner.
This venture uses up all my spare parts collected over the years.
Will post pics soon of the new Petter once installed and running, and a few of the Nissan TD when I get that closer to finished as well.
Right now I need to catch up on other work.

I hear you

I have a COV that just WIIL NOT come out.  I drilled the hole out to 1/2", went down to the shops and bought a nice grade 12 or whatever they are 12mm X 120mm capscrew and am in the process of making a puller to apply some serious pressure.

In the interim I had to buy a new head. 

Ah well

I'll be interested to see how you do with the Lister-Petter - still going to use 24V via a pair of alternators?

Cheers

starfire

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Re: A very sad day
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2016, 09:54:54 AM »
 Hi Mike. Im pleased as punch I found the Petter, means I can continue to learn things applicable  from everyone on this forum... its very comforting  to know that others have knowledge that I dont and are happy to share this with me.
Im an electronics engineer, not a diesel mechanic, so any info I can get and use is really and truly appreciated.
 I really did get quite emotional over the little 3.5, we spent alot of time together over the years, I cold always tell when she was happy by the sound she made, and when that sound changed, I would fuss over her like an old woman.
Yes, Ill stick with the car alternator setup, it has many advantages. The main one being I have power from the battery bank 24/7, and I can run the engine when its opportune. And, with a major breakdown like this, power is still available to a limited degree.
Car alternators are cheap from the scrap man, they tend to last only 6 months as in this kind of service as they are not continuosly rated.  The constant load too I believe is kind to the engine and electrics in the house being inverter powered have a more stable supply. And, obviously at night, I have full lighting without the thump thump of the engine... the sound carries  further in the dark, and no need to go out in the cold to switch it off at bedtime.
This is the best system that works for me at least. Obviously its a little more complex needing battery banks and inverters, but I like having redundancy when these failures occur, and they always will despite our best efforts.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2016, 10:00:50 AM by starfire »