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BOLINDER ENGINES


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Hi,

 

Thought the filming quality of the video excellent, does the engine blow smoke rings?, I still think the Gardner method of switching on the ignition and pushing the start button is easier, athough you 'Kelvin Chappies' might miss the sound of a load of nails rattling round in a galvanised iron bucket .

 

Albi.

 

Hi Albi,

You've got it all wrong - Gardners smoke, not Kelvins! :lol: (Ducks as a windlass whistles past ear)

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Hi Albi,

You've got it all wrong - Gardners smoke, not Kelvins! :lol: (Ducks as a windlass whistles past ear)

 

Gardners don't need all that fuss for starting, though :lol:

A well-maintained 2/3 L2 or LW will start very easily by hand.

 

It's a lie, they don't all smoke (though admittedly some do when cold)

 

Tim

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True. But basically I’m lazy, because it’s still not that easy to start simply with the magneto and starting handle on a cold day. Also by turning the engine over with the low compression petrol chambers it puts far less strain on the battery and starter motor.

It’s reassuring to know that I can start the engine without a battery if I have to in the same way that I could, according to the Kelvin manual, remove the pistons via the crankcase doors, but I think I’d be mad to try it, especially in a force 10!

BTW I used to have a 25 hp Seffle which had the usual semi-diesel way of starting with a blow-lamp and kick start. But it also had a compressed air start. The legendary boatman, Jack Monk, who had the Seffle in Willow Wren days, used to have a trick of of standing on the counter and, having heated the engine up with the blowlamp, would pull a piece of string which released the air valve and the engine would spring into life – just as though he’d pressed a starter button. I never managed to replicate this, however, in all the ten years I had the engine!!

 

If I ever work out how to transfer an old VCR tape to digital format I'll post a video of starting the Seffle.

 

Thanks, johnthebridge, the boat's the ex FMC Owl

Jack was a nice bloke. You could never keep up with him!

What happened to the Seffle?

I had an 8hp years ago, which we had in a little Dave Harris tug. Sweet little thing. Still got the manual for it somewhere.

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I had an 8hp years ago, which we had in a little Dave Harris tug. Sweet little thing. Still got the manual for it somewhere.

 

Did it run OK?

 

I had an 8 or 10hp (can't remember for sure now) for a little while, took it in part-ex from the Tay where it had been nothing but trouble.

One problem was that he'd got some new sprayer parts from Sweden which were clearly wrong. I made some 'temporary' bits myself to try out, proved to my satisfaction that they were at fault, but ran out of time to play (& do a proper job) as I only had a few days before having to take the engine out.

 

I've got a little Sabb 12 hp now, like this but not that revolting shade of blue :lol:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwJEltD9ehc

 

Just need a reversing prop for it and a suitable boat to put it in :lol:

 

Edited to add this smaller version is worth a watch :lol: :lol:

 

 

 

Tim

Edited by Timleech
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Did it run OK?

 

I had an 8 or 10hp (can't remember for sure now) for a little while, took it in part-ex from the Tay where it had been nothing but trouble.

One problem was that he'd got some new sprayer parts from Sweden which were clearly wrong. I made some 'temporary' bits myself to try out, proved to my satisfaction that they were at fault, but ran out of time to play (& do a proper job) as I only had a few days before having to take the engine out.

 

I've got a little Sabb 12 hp now, like this but not that revolting shade of blue :lol:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwJEltD9ehc

 

Just need a reversing prop for it and a suitable boat to put it in :lol:

 

Edited to add this smaller version is worth a watch :lol: :lol:

 

 

 

Tim

Yes, it ran like a bird.

Didn't Tay have a 1051 Bolinder in it? I thought when Steve Wade had it in the late 70s it did. Maybe I'm wrong.

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Yes, it ran like a bird.

Didn't Tay have a 1051 Bolinder in it? I thought when Steve Wade had it in the late 70s it did. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

Yes, it did have a 1051. It was in need of overhaul, sadly Steve took some vital parts to a firm in Manchester for reconditioning and left them rather too long. When he eventually went back for them, there was no trace of his bits :lol: Not long after that, the company went bust.

He did try to find another 1051, but eventually gave up & fitted the little Seffle instead. It was a very late model (1960s), & had provision for electric start (glow plug & Dynastart).

Current engine is a BUKH 2G105, Steve is still the owner.

 

Tim

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I've made an instruction video in case my wife ever has to start the Kelvin for herself!

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wEaS097_tww

 

Nice video

I also have a K2 in my boat so I was particularly interested to see your video.

I thought you may be interested in a few differences between our starting and stopping methods. Sorry to everyone else as I am aware I have gone :lol:

I never manually fill the govenor with diesel. In fact I do not have the facility to do so, but the injector spill pipes are routed to the govenor and I have a tap to check that it is full (it always is). I guess this must be because one of our engines is older than the other.

 

You say to check that the petrol combustion chambers are getting warm when running on petrol. I am puzzled by this as, if the engine is firing, aren't they bound to be getting warm? If only one cylinder were firing you would clearly hear this.

 

In my experience the priming of the side chambers (you used an oil can filled with petrol) is only necessary when starting by hand, (and not even then if you wind the engine over several times with the taps open). When starting electrically the air/fuel mixture will be sucked from the carb. into the combustion chamber within a few revs. As far as I can tell, my engine fires up as quickly after pressing the start button as yours did in your video.

 

I am dubious about your method of stopping the engine. By opening the side chamber valves and then taps you appeared to get a hefty spray of residual petrol which could one day meet an ignition source. It was suggested to me that pulling the govenor chain across and holding it until the engine has stopped rotating is all that is necessary. I have subsequently done this and although the flywheel rocks back and forward a few times on compression I can't see why this is actually harmful. Unless someone knows better of course :lol:

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Yes, it did have a 1051. It was in need of overhaul, sadly Steve took some vital parts to a firm in Manchester for reconditioning and left them rather too long. When he eventually went back for them, there was no trace of his bits :lol: Not long after that, the company went bust.

He did try to find another 1051, but eventually gave up & fitted the little Seffle instead. It was a very late model (1960s), & had provision for electric start (glow plug & Dynastart).

Current engine is a BUKH 2G105, Steve is still the owner.

 

Tim

I thought Steve had sold the Tay Tim? He offered it to me a few years back but my wife put her foot down. I had a 15hp Bolinder sat in the shed for it to. Lovely boat.

 

As far as the Bolinder tractors went I always thought it was a shame they never made a single. To my knowledge they were all twin or more. A friend has a nice one. The early ones are based on the lightweight Bolinder W series if think I remember correctly.

 

Marshall did a stationary engine version of the Field Marshall engine but it never found its way to marine use. It wasn't popular. The Petter Atomic found use in a couple of narrowboat tugs. That was very similar but it was costly to buy so didn't find favour. Hindley's The Lion I think was one. Owned by Malcolm Braine for some time who changed the engine.

 

John

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I thought Steve had sold the Tay Tim? He offered it to me a few years back but my wife put her foot down. I had a 15hp Bolinder sat in the shed for it to. Lovely boat.

 

As far as the Bolinder tractors went I always thought it was a shame they never made a single. To my knowledge they were all twin or more. A friend has a nice one. The early ones are based on the lightweight Bolinder W series if think I remember correctly.

 

Marshall did a stationary engine version of the Field Marshall engine but it never found its way to marine use. It wasn't popular. The Petter Atomic found use in a couple of narrowboat tugs. That was very similar but it was costly to buy so didn't find favour. Hindley's The Lion I think was one. Owned by Malcolm Braine for some time who changed the engine.

 

John

Hi I remember Malcolm having Lion in the 60s, he had a twin cylinder Fowler in at the time. Nice little tug.

Cheers

Dave

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I thought Steve had sold the Tay Tim? He offered it to me a few years back but my wife put her foot down. I had a 15hp Bolinder sat in the shed for it to. Lovely boat.

 

John

 

He still owned it in the spring of this year, and had decided to revive it (and his enthusiasm) after several years of neglect as he'd been busy elsewhere.

 

Have any of the little Bolinder twin semidiesels survived in (or even out of)boats? I remember one going into the wooden Jupiter in the late 1960s, but I don't think it stayed in for very long, I'd gathered that they weren't the company's greatest product. Is that the W series you mention?

 

Tim

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Warbler had a Bolinder twin fitted in its Willow Wren days, gaining it the nickname Wobbler. I can't recall whether it still has it in now.

 

Was that the little hotbulb twin, or the more common cold start 1052 tractor engine ?

 

Tim

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Pretty certain that Warbler has a 1052 - and I think that "more common" is a very relative phrase!

 

Chris ( 2 x 1052s) G

 

Well yes, 'more' is a relative term. 'very relative' is a bit like 'very unique'. :lol:

 

The 1052 might not be very common, but it's much more common than the little semidiesel twin.

 

Tim

Edited by Timleech
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The 1052 might not be very common, but it's much more common than the little semidiesel twin.

 

Tim

 

There was a 2 cylinder W engine for sale for months, at a very, very low price, on the Dutch auction site marktplaats - but some wretched person snapped it up just as I had managed to persuade my wife that it would be a really good thing to buy! BTW, marktplaats.nl is an excellent place to look for interesting engines - they turn up pretty frequently and prices are much lower than in the UK.

 

Chris

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BTW, marktplaats.nl is an excellent place to look for interesting engines - they turn up pretty frequently and prices are much lower than in the UK.

Wow, yes! There's a JP6 cw gearbox on there now; currently 1500 Euro. Waterskiing anyone?

 

MP.

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There was a 2 cylinder W engine for sale for months, at a very, very low price, on the Dutch auction site marktplaats - but some wretched person snapped it up just as I had managed to persuade my wife that it would be a really good thing to buy! BTW, marktplaats.nl is an excellent place to look for interesting engines - they turn up pretty frequently and prices are much lower than in the UK.

 

Chris

Intresting site some nice old boats as well

 

 

double posted

Edited by denboy
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