Gardner 4LW difficult to start

[Athy]

Just realised you're talking to me!

 

Yes, he resolved it by buying a lister canal star. Not sure what happened to the 4lw.

 

Though by irony I am the proud owner of one. Lovely engine although hideously overcomplicated if you ask me. ( compared to a national or a 70s Lister which is where my knowledge lies. It's the sort of engine for boats where they have engineers.

 

Anyway. Two things I now know about cold starting. 1 it will not start without the cold start button. Even 2nd time if it stalls by being too cold to idle. And 2 I was told to use the priming lever exactly once. More than once is counter productive. (2nd hand from Tony Redshaw who supplied it originally)

 

And I know if I read the manual often enough, with graphs, special equipment and tools. I may, one day, be qualified to do a basic service.

 

For the anoraks around the manual is for a 6lw fitted to some kind of Seddons truck (manual for that included). Which I would happily swap for a proper 4lw marine one.

I'm sorry to hear that the engine was ultimately incurable, though pleased to hear that you have bagged one for yourself. As for complicated, I let someone who knows what they're doing service it!

One thing which I have discovered since this thread was originally running: my 2LW's reluctance to start from cold seems to have been due, according to our local practical gnome, to the newness of the innards: "It's toight", he explained. Sure enough, after last winter, which as you may recall was pretty darned severe, the engine started first time when we first tried it in March - without the help of the cold-start button (which, it won't surprise you to hear, I had completely forgotten about).

Edited February 4, 2012 by Athy

[NBMike]

Just realised you're talking to me!

 

Yes, he resolved it by buying a lister canal star. Not sure what happened to the 4lw.

 

Though by irony I am the proud owner of one. Lovely engine although hideously overcomplicated if you ask me. ( compared to a national or a 70s Lister which is where my knowledge lies. It's the sort of engine for boats where they have engineers.

 

Anyway. Two things I now know about cold starting. 1 it will not start without the cold start button. Even 2nd time if it stalls by being too cold to idle. And 2 I was told to use the priming lever exactly once. More than once is counter productive. (2nd hand from Tony Redshaw who supplied it originally)

 

And I know if I read the manual often enough, with graphs, special equipment and tools. I may, one day, be qualified to do a basic service.

 

For the anoraks around the manual is for a 6lw fitted to some kind of Seddons truck (manual for that included). Which I would happily swap for a proper 4lw marine one.

 

Have you tried the Internal Fire Museum for handbook. I believe 'Friends' of the museum can download all kinds of stuff.

Mike

[Chris Pink]

Have you tried the Internal Fire Museum for handbook. I believe 'Friends' of the museum can download all kinds of stuff.

Mike

 

I'm not desperate, as I say I have a 6 cylinder version on paper, I was just wondering if any truck enthusiasts wanted a swap.

[Chris Pink]

Thanks for the reminder, I've downloaded it and it seems like it might be more straightforward than the one I've got, certainly a quarter of the pages. I will compare when I get back to the boat.

 

I'm a little disturbed to read that my vacuum tank may become 'deranged' I thought that danger was reserved for the captain.

Edited February 4, 2012 by Chris Pink

[bizzard]

My Lister ST has the inlet manifold oil ports but i've never used them as it starts instantly whatever the temp,but when its very cold like now i start it using the decompressors to ease the load on the battery and starter motor.