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BOLINDER ENGINES


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Rocking Horse Pooh sums it up quite nicely..

 

And if you do happen to find one then they are very expensive rocking horse pooh!

 

Here are a few Bolinders fitted into narrowboats.. magnificent exhaust note.

 

 

 

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How's about one of these on your narrowboat? I was reading through a book in which the author was considering a vintage engine such as a Bolinder. Not that I'm tempted but does anyone have one of these?

 

Pretty much everyone's dream nb engine - once heard, you want one - the end ! :lol:

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How's about one of these on your narrowboat? I was reading through a book in which the author was considering a vintage engine such as a Bolinder. Not that I'm tempted but does anyone have one of these?

 

Hi, there's quite a lot of these about in FM&C and claytons etc, I'm guessing at about 15 to 20 in boats, but it IS a guess. You kick start them with a flywheel sprung loaded pin, and hope to hell it doesnt fire too early, as with your foot on the pin, youre likely to be propelled backwards through the engine room doors, but the 9hp, ( known as a pup) was the worst for this as it revs up qiucker. Many fitted a steel plate across the engine room beds with a slot for the pin in it to avoid aforementioned unvoluntary evacuation.

The 15 is far better (6 litre though) and 15 is a very loose description of hp.With the oil rod in, I'd guess at 25 to 30. Talking of the oil rod , if ya want to spend money on fuel, thats the way, but even without, Id say 2hrs per gallon if youre lucky. green lubricating oil as well is a use once and waste scenario, but most decent semi's have been rebuilt taking all the play out of the eccentrics and moving parts external to the engine, which is where they all are.

Engine bearers have to be good as everything tends to shake on a boilnder boat.

Never had one of these but 'borrowed' one for a holiday years ago, and I wouldnt have missed the opportunity for anything . Cactus still has one and will

be on the move over the next few days moving to a rally on the BCN from ( i think ) the black country museum.

martin

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After seeing the amount of write ups these engines get I thought I'd look them up.

 

I've seen one on a narrowboat programme on tv and it did sound very nice.

 

It's probably been on here before but try this link http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/Marine/bolinder.htm

 

And if you really want one this 1054 was going for a snip @ £14,000.00 http://www.bolinder-engines.info/new.html but the add is Dec. 2007.

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Seriously guys - if you haven't seen or heard these things in boats, you've GOT to get to a rally somewhere where old working boats and other trads are congregating...

 

Once you've heard a Bolinder's uneven cough, you'll always recognise it again.....

 

We're not up to it yet, but some guys can tell you whether its a Kelvin, Lister, Ruston, Gardner or whatever, when the boat's still half a mile away.....

 

For us, a vintage engine is a must......

 

But they do need an engine room - and LOTS of tlc....

 

 

NB// When you're at the rallies, don't be shy - the guys and gals who are lucky enough to own them, love to talk about them and show them off.....

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NB// When you're at the rallies, don't be shy - the guys and gals who are lucky enough to own them, love to talk about them and show them off.....

 

Yep I agree, ogle the engine room / engine all you want but they most likely will not like you poking your nose into their back cabin unless asked. I know I wouldn't.

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Interesting engine, fabulous exhaust note but if you want a 'turn key' engine one to avoid. To much fannying about for my liking. Personally if I were to run a 'high maintainance' engine it would have to be a steamer - especially after the pleasure of viewing Dhutch's 'Emily Ann' at the recent Wolverhampton boat show.

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These folks here don't seem too worried their old vintage Bolinder can't quite match a modern Perkins or Yanmar. The boat seems to be struggling quite a bit but that's perhaps the fun of it all. I wonder how much such an old engine costs?

 

Yep I agree, ogle the engine room / engine all you want but they most likely will not like you poking your nose into their back cabin unless asked. I know I wouldn't.
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Hi all

The Bolinder semi diesel referred to is doubtless the archetypal working boat engine and its chracteristic exhaust not justly famous. They certainly aren't for the faint hearted and seem to need a certain knowledge and experience to use, which is why they tend to stay in working boats.

Martin is 100% right about the vibration, I've known a wooden hull twist in time as the motor idles, tea mugs are regularly shaken off the slide!

" Cactus" was at Park Head recently, ticking over and commanding much attention, but a long time boating mate I was talking to said "Not sure I'd want to stand behind that all day".

I've always said "Lovely engine - In someone else's boat" and I recall Joe Hollinghead saying to me once " 2 things not to have on boats... diesel fired heating and F****** Bolinder engines"

Smile!

Dave

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Why do people think that Vintage engines are unreliable and difficult to run, maintain etc?

 

I've ran numerous old engines (not a hot bulb semi diesel though) and they have all proven to be reliable when basic routine maintenance is carried out.

 

OK - when running you do have to turn the odd grease cup now and again and give it a squirt of oil here and there, but I know what I'd prefer to stand behind all day. My JP at 500 rpm cruising or a converted van engine at 1500 - 2000.

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No problem I've lived with them for year BUT you have to LIVE with them

 

They are definately Female as they change each day.

 

And each engine of mine ilso completely different (and I've got a few)

 

I put a clip on youtube of a video of me that somebody (was it you?) sent me of a recording in 1990

 

My Bolinder Clip 1990

 

Enjoy

 

Shall be posting somemore this week from my old videos

 

Drew is at factory this week getting Greyhound's engine cleaned off ready to go back in.

 

Should be on our FactoryCam

Edited by bargeeboy
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These folks here don't seem too worried their old vintage Bolinder can't quite match a modern Perkins or Yanmar. The boat seems to be struggling quite a bit but that's perhaps the fun of it all. I wonder how much such an old engine costs?

 

What is the going rate for a Bolinder these days? About £20K ?

 

Richard

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What is the going rate for a Bolinder these days? About £20K ?

 

Richard

 

With the scarcity of them these days , more like free Bolinder BUT the boat it's fitted to will cost you ££££££ :lol:

 

Edited to add :

 

Mind you the last one took an age to sell.

Edited by Baldock
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I have a Bolinder fitted in my all steel 35' cruiser stern narrow boat. My Bolinder is over a 100 years old.

I don't always keep it there, it often lives in the kitchen at home, but I always fit it to my boat especially if I'm going anywhere near a rally.

 

Mine operates off a handle, it has a terrific throw on it and has to be well secured otherwise if it comes loose there's a hell of a mess.

 

bolinder.jpg

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I liked the gardner fortunata, they dont make them like that anymore.

you still see those on the lancaster.

 

Hi,

 

I like the 2L2 video as well, but it does seem to be ticking over too slowly 420rpm is the recommended min level by Gardners, nice to see the oil pressure gauge increase slowly from start up - I thought mine was unique!

 

Albion.

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The 2L2 in the video is mine, it is started from cold in the video and is not run long enough for the engine to warm up, similarly the alternator is on fairly high load. Once properly warmed up the tickover settles down and is smooth. The one major benifit of Gardners is that there is no complicated starting procedure unlike many of the vintage engines. The value of the 2L2 is now somewhat silly, purely because there are none available.

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Gettin back 'on topic',

the vibration is legendary, particularly with wooden bottomed boats, and at a certain rev, the stands, mast were all visibly jumping up and down on Dragon in the 1970's before it had the recently removed steel bottom fitted ( i hope it didnt hog it like most do ), but on the trip to 'the port' after a day on the counter, we arrived in chester, tied and headed for the chippy, which was the first time in the day ( 13 hrs) that we had stood still whilst the cod was doin, and we said to the owner, 'is this shop on solid ground???' we were honestly still wobbling up and down with the day long vibration !!!!!

like I say, wouldnt have missed it for anything, :lol:

ps, I've a 'spare' bolinder head in the shed somewhere,,,, just need the rest of it !!!!!

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We were standing on the bridge at the entrance to Braunston Marina watching the parade of vintage boats a few years ago. As a boat came slowly past with a lovely Bolinder in it, a woman standing near to me turned to her companion and said in a very loud and highly upper-class voice "I'm surprised they let that old boat take part in the parade when its engine is misfiring so badly"

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