I have restored vehicle engines but never a Lister CS Single cylinder. I have looked at dating it but the number does not suit the date on the plaque. It has a cracked cylinder block. Is it best to replace with new or can it be welded?
Yours is a 1940 engine - they were sequentially numbered from introduction in 1930 through to the end of 1951. All CS models were numbered like this, i.e. the 3, 3.5, 5, 6 HP singles, and the 10/12HP twins. From what I can tell, the JP1/JP2 engines were also in this sequence.
I need to get the engine dating tables up on this site somewhere...
WRT the frost cracking, this is extremely common on CS engines, they were frequently stuck out in unheated sheds/barns/fields, and (especially the tank cooled variety) very rarely, if ever, had antifreeze in them. Lister went so far as to print strict instructions actually on the side of the engine, explaining that the coolant should be drained in freezing weather - I guess people couldn't be bothered towards the end.
They're hard to weld - the bit that breaks is quite thin, where the rest of the casting is pretty heavy. It CAN be done, but it's not easy. There are three simpler options, in increasing order of inconvenience/time:
1) JB Weld, as Hugh suggests. This will work fine, as the cooling system is not pressurised.
2) Braze it back together. Easier than welding, but still a bit of a pain.
3) The many, many, many bolts method...
Option 3 is similar to the "metal stitching" option linked by Hugh. Essentially, you drill through the crack, tap the hole, Thread in a bolt or a bit of threaded rod. Rinse & repeat along the crack, getting the bolts/rod as close together as possible. Next, you drill between each bolt, thread the new hole, screw in bolt/rod. Repeat until you've done all the gaps. Grind down flat, paint, and as long as your threads were decent, enjoy a leak free head! I assume, anyway, I've never done it myself... Fingers crossed, I have one of the few un-cracked cylinders on my CS!
