Ruston Hornsby 3YC

[MtB]

Saw a boat for sale the other day with a Ruston Hornsby 3YC engine. Not ever having encountered a 3YC I had a brief Google and it seems to be an extremely rare engine.

 

Now the question: Might buying a boat with a RH3YC engine turn out to be a mistake, from an engine maintenance point of view? Or are such engines easily fixed by specialists like Tony Redshaw?

 

Or might it be more sensible, should we end up buying the boat, to hook the 3YC out and fit something more common, like a 2VSH, or maybe a Bolinder ;-)

 

 

Cheers, Mike

Edited September 21, 2008 by mike bryant

[Timleech]

Saw a boat for sale the other day with a Ruston Hornsby 3YC engine. Not ever having encountered a 3YC I had a brief Google and it seems to be an extremely rare engine.

 

Now the question: Might buying a boat with a RH3YC engine turn out to be a mistake, from an engine maintenance point of view? Or are such engines easily fixed by specialists like Tony Redshaw?

 

Or might it be more sensible, should we end up buying the boat, to hook the 3YC out and fit something more common, like a 2VSH, or maybe a Bolinder ;-)

 

Cheers, Mike

 

Most things of that vintage are 'fixable' one way or another though it can sometimes be expensive.

Have a look at

 

http://users.skynet.be/sky34301/index.html

 

for Michael Clarke's experiences with a 2YC.

 

Tim

[MtB]

Most things of that vintage are 'fixable' one way or another though it can sometimes be expensive.

Have a look at

 

http://users.skynet.be/sky34301/index.html

 

for Michael Clarke's experiences with a 2YC.

 

Tim

 

 

Hmmm thanks for the link Tim. Interesting reading!

 

Looks as though if this one's a runner and has reasonable compression then it's likely to be very durable. If/when something like the injectors pack up or it needs new liners, then it's probably a scrapper.

 

Cheers, Mike

[David Schweizer]

Saw a boat for sale the other day with a Ruston Hornsby 3YC engine. Not ever having encountered a 3YC I had a brief Google and it seems to be an extremely rare engine.

 

Now the question: Might buying a boat with a RH3YC engine turn out to be a mistake, from an engine maintenance point of view? Or are such engines easily fixed by specialists like Tony Redshaw?

 

Or might it be more sensible, should we end up buying the boat, to hook the 3YC out and fit something more common, like a 2VSH, or maybe a Bolinder ;-)

 

 

Cheers, Mike

 

As far as I know the 3YC is still made in India and marketed in this country as the Greaves 3YDM.

 

See this link:- http://www.longboat-engineering.co.uk/3ydm.html

 

If that fails I can give you the name of someone else who has connections with the former Ruston and Hornsby Factory in india and has a 3YDM in his tug.

[MtB]

As far as I know the 3YC is still made in India and marketed in this country as the Greaves 3YDM.

 

See this link:- http://www.longboat-engineering.co.uk/3ydm.html

 

If that fails I can give you the name of someone else who has connections with the former Ruston and Hornsby Factory in india and has a 3YDM in his tug.

 

 

Hi David,

 

Thanks for the link. Very interesting!

 

Just tried to call them to ask if stuff like injectors, pistons, gaskets etc are available as spares and interchangable with the Ruston Hornsby original, but got the answerphone. I'll let the board know if/when I get the answer.

 

Cheers, Mike

[GSer]

I might be me but £6000 sounds alot for an Indian built industrial engine.

 

Paul

[David Schweizer]

I might be me but £6000 sounds alot for an Indian built industrial engine.

 

Paul

 

Why the put down?

 

The Greaves Cotton Company have along and distinguished association with both British and German engine manufacturers. They started assembling Ruston and Hornsby engines in Mumbai in 1939 from British manufactured parts, and by 1955 were manufacturing the components themselves. These were known as Ruston and Hornsby (india) engines and after manufacturing finished in the UK the Indian engines were exported to Europe.

 

It was some time later that the company in India reverted to badging the engines as Greaves, but they are still essentially built to a Ruston and Hornsby design. At £6000 they represent very good value for money. If they were still made in this country you would be paying at least twice that price for essentially the same engine.

Edited September 22, 2008 by David Schweizer

[MtB]

I might be me but £6000 sounds alot for an Indian built industrial engine.

 

Paul

 

 

I thought it sounded quite affordable given that a Russel Newbery is twice the price IIRC....

 

and I bet their engineering is as good as anything built in the UK.

 

 

No answer from Tony Redshaw yet, either....

 

 

Cheers, Mike

[Bob the welder]

I thought it sounded quite affordable given that a Russel Newbery is twice the price IIRC....

 

and I bet their engineering is as good as anything built in the UK.

 

 

No answer from Tony Redshaw yet, either....

 

 

Cheers, Mike

hi if the indian Enfield m c is to go by i think not lot of bike for money but not much quality

BOB

[David Schweizer]

hi if the indian Enfield m c is to go by i think not lot of bike for money but not much quality

BOB

 

But we are not talking about the Enfield M/C.

Edited September 22, 2008 by David Schweizer

[Bob the welder]

But we are not talking about the Enfield M/C.

hi.no but its all engineering quality all said and done .speak as i find BOB

[GSer]

Why the put down?

 

The Greaves Cotton Company have along and distinguished association with both British and German engine manufacturers. They started assembling Ruston and Hornsby engines in Mumbai in 1939 from British manufactured parts, and by 1955 were manufacturing the components themselves. These were known as Ruston and Hornsby (india) engines and after manufacturing finished in the UK the Indian engines were exported to Europe.

 

It was some time later that the company in India reverted to badging the engines as Greaves, but they are still essentially built to a Ruston and Hornsby design. At £6000 they represent very good value for money. If they were still made in this country you would be paying at least twice that price for essentially the same engine.

 

 

Not a put down, just an observation.

 

£6K is a lot of money in India (it's a lot of money here ) To pay that kind of money for a crude ditchwater pump seems steep.

 

Having had products made for me in India, I can vouch for their price and craftsmanship, however their quality control leaves huge room for improvement.

 

Paul

[David Schweizer]

hi.no but its all engineering quality all said and done .speak as i find BOB

 

 

Not a put down, just an observation.

 

£6K is a lot of money in India (it's a lot of money here ) To pay that kind of money for a crude ditchwater pump seems steep.

 

Having had products made for me in India, I can vouch for their price and craftsmanship, however their quality control leaves huge room for improvement.

 

Paul

 

£6000 is what you pay for it in the UK . The company that imports them will have their own mark up on the engines and will have checked them over thoroughly before supplying them, they will also have to guarantee against any faults which arise from poor manufacture. Having said that, Greaves have been manufacturing this engine for more than 50 years so they must be doing something right.

 

The person I mentioned in an earlier post who fitted one in his Tug has a PhD in Enineering and has a consultancy role with the Indian Government Fisheries Department (the main Customer for Greaves engines in India) He regularly visits the Greaves Factory in a consultative/Inspectorial role. His day job is as Director of Engineering Design at Cranfield University where one of his research projects is the development of a Diesel Motorbike for the American Marines in association with the Royal Military College of Science. If he thinks the Greaves engine is OK, then that is OK with me.

Edited September 23, 2008 by David Schweizer

[Bob the welder]

£6000 is what you pay for it in the UK . The company that imports them will have their own mark up on the engines and will have checked them over thoroughly before supplying them, they will also have to guarantee against any faults which arise from poor manufacture. Having said that, Greaves have been manufacturing this engine for more than 50 years so they must be doing something right.

 

The person I mentioned in an earlier post who fitted one in his Tug has a PhD in Enineering and has a consultancy role with the Indian Government Fisheries Department (the main Customer for Greaves engines in India) He regularly visits the Greaves Factory in a consultative/Inspectorial role. His day job is as Director of Engineering Design at Cranfield University where one of his research projects is the development of a Diesel Motorbike for the American Marines in association with the Royal Military College of Science. If he thinks the Greaves engine is OK, then that is OK with me.

good for you some one has to buy them.

[3yc powered]

Saw a boat for sale the other day with a Ruston Hornsby 3YC engine. Not ever having encountered a 3YC I had a brief Google and it seems to be an extremely rare engine.

 

Now the question: Might buying a boat with a RH3YC engine turn out to be a mistake, from an engine maintenance point of view? Or are such engines easily fixed by specialists like Tony Redshaw?

 

Or might it be more sensible, should we end up buying the boat, to hook the 3YC out and fit something more common, like a 2VSH, or maybe a Bolinder ;-)

 

 

Cheers, Mike

 

 

Hello there,

I know this is a very old topic, but just noticed it!

 

I have a 3YC in my 60ft Narrowboat, it was fitted by the previous owner.

 

It has been reliable and fairly economical,I Knew it needed some work when I bought it and managed to get all the parts for a top end rebuild from RHL spares in Lincoln.

 

Everything on it is nice and chunky and quite spanner proof, been running for a couple of years since the top end work and i'm very pleased with it.

 

I noticed that the NB Edith, for sale at Whilton, has one of these in. An unusual looking boat but of course each to their own!

 

Also there is a good website from a chap who has the 2YC in his boat, just google Ruston 2YC and it comes up.

 

Matt.

[Laurence Hogg]

As far as I know the 3YC is still made in India and marketed in this country as the Greaves 3YDM.

 

See this link:- http://www.longboat-engineering.co.uk/3ydm.html

 

If that fails I can give you the name of someone else who has connections with the former Ruston and Hornsby Factory in india and has a 3YDM in his tug.

The 3YDM is not the same as a 3YC. It appears that YDM are no longer made, certainly missing from the Greaves Cotton website, http://www.greavescotton.com/Main/index.aspx

We imported the 2YDM with David Brown mechanical gearboxes in the late 1980's and early 1990's, very good engine but sadly production ceased.

[Chris Pink]

hi.no but its all engineering quality all said and done .speak as i find BOB

 

That's like saying because the Sinclair C5 was crap all British engineering is crap.

 

And India's a lot larger than Britain.

[Arnot]

Saw a boat for sale the other day with a Ruston Hornsby 3YC engine. Not ever having encountered a 3YC I had a brief Google and it seems to be an extremely rare engine.

 

Now the question: Might buying a boat with a RH3YC engine turn out to be a mistake, from an engine maintenance point of view? Or are such engines easily fixed by specialists like Tony Redshaw?

 

Or might it be more sensible, should we end up buying the boat, to hook the 3YC out and fit something more common, like a 2VSH, or maybe a Bolinder ;-)

 

 

Cheers, Mike

I also have a 3YC (and a 2VSH) and they are a pretty good engine. Not as pretty as the real vintage jobbies but will tickover very smoothly at low speed. The 3YC has load of power but the 2VSH is smaller and sound sexier with the syncopated beat of a twin.

 

Spares seem to be available still but you have to hunt around for them a bit but on the plus side, it's doubtful if you would need anything if the engine is in good order, they are pretty bulletproof. Maintenance is a doddle but they do take a lot of oil at an oil change. If the original oil and fuel filters are still in place these can be shased out and re-used but frankly mine didn't seem to have caught much.

 

If you do buy it and want any information, PM me. I have manual and part list.

 

Regards

 

Arnot

[steamraiser2]

Within the UK there are plenty of specialists who can restore vintage engines and others who can supply aftermarket or bespoke parts. The older Rustons are great engines and , if maintained properly, will run on for years and years. The choice between a modern engine with all the parts supply convenience that brings or the call of a real classic engine is a very personal one which most boaters will have a view on I'm sure. The answer lies in your own capabilities perhaps? If you are a competent mechanic, or have one in the family etc, a vintage engine should not be a daunting prospect. If you are not mechanically savvy and are going to rely on commercial support you may well need to have deep pockets. Don't be fooled into thinking the Indian engines can be classified as good bad or indifferent. Lack of consistant quality can be an issue. But then the worst castings I've ever seen on an engine were on a Kelvin ( cue screaming Kelvin fundamentalists ! )