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Broken Lister

GSer

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GSer Experienced

GSer

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A friend of mine has a 2 cyl Air cooled Lister engine in his boat, it's started to make some mechanical knocking sounds. I know nothing about these engines but it looks very similar the the old dumpertruck engines with decompression levers on the two separate rocker covers.

 

There was a mechanical knocking sound so he stopped the engine straight away and has started to investigate the problem. I just happened to pass and he asked my opinion.

 

On initial inspection there appears to be significant movement if you pull up on the end of the crankshaft(?) ie the central stub next to the flywheel/fan assembly. Question is, is the stub the end of the Crank? Or is it part of the flywheel assembly which might be bolted to a flange that might have come loose from the crank? I only ask the question as the movement feels to pivot on a very short axis, had it been a mainbearing failure and I was lifting the whole crankshaft i'd have expected the pivot point to have been longer/further away from the flywheel?

 

Crankshaft snapped perhaps? I hesitate to ask him to start it up just in case it's terminal!!

 

Sorry it's all a bit vague but he has no manual for the engine and i've no experience of those engines.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

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FORTUNATA Experienced

FORTUNATA

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Could be piston slap. Your guess is as good as mine. Here is Tony Brook's website so click on that "Dutch" flag at the very bottom and you should find a manual for Listers:

http://www.tb-training.co.uk/

There is a main bearing housing but it could be anything. Maybe even a con rod. If it were me, I'd start taking the whole thing apart and work my way down the line, if it's a very old engine and the condition doesn't seem to be that great. Pistons can be removed easily enough as there's a crankcase door that simply comes off.

Otherwise maybe a Lister mechanic.

 

 

A friend of mine has a 2 cyl Air cooled Lister engine in his boat, it's started to make some mechanical knocking sounds. I know nothing about these engines but it looks very similar the the old dumpertruck engines with decompression levers on the two separate rocker covers.

 

There was a mechanical knocking sound so he stopped the engine straight away and has started to investigate the problem. I just happened to pass and he asked my opinion.

 

On initial inspection there appears to be significant movement if you pull up on the end of the crankshaft(?) ie the central stub next to the flywheel/fan assembly. Question is, is the stub the end of the Crank? Or is it part of the flywheel assembly which might be bolted to a flange that might have come loose from the crank? I only ask the question as the movement feels to pivot on a very short axis, had it been a mainbearing failure and I was lifting the whole crankshaft i'd have expected the pivot point to have been longer/further away from the flywheel?

 

Crankshaft snapped perhaps? I hesitate to ask him to start it up just in case it's terminal!!

 

Sorry it's all a bit vague but he has no manual for the engine and i've no experience of those engines.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

Posted
Posted (edited)

A friend of mine has a 2 cyl Air cooled Lister engine in his boat, it's started to make some mechanical knocking sounds. I know nothing about these engines but it looks very similar the the old dumpertruck engines with decompression levers on the two separate rocker covers.

 

There was a mechanical knocking sound so he stopped the engine straight away and has started to investigate the problem. I just happened to pass and he asked my opinion.

 

On initial inspection there appears to be significant movement if you pull up on the end of the crankshaft(?) ie the central stub next to the flywheel/fan assembly. Question is, is the stub the end of the Crank? Or is it part of the flywheel assembly which might be bolted to a flange that might have come loose from the crank? I only ask the question as the movement feels to pivot on a very short axis, had it been a mainbearing failure and I was lifting the whole crankshaft i'd have expected the pivot point to have been longer/further away from the flywheel?

 

Crankshaft snapped perhaps? I hesitate to ask him to start it up just in case it's terminal!!

 

Sorry it's all a bit vague but he has no manual for the engine and i've no experience of those engines.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

 

Sounds very likely to be a loose flywheel.

 

Tim

 

Edit to clarify -

This sounds like an H series engine, with the flywheel at the front?

The stub to which you refer will be bolted to the face of the flywheel, the flywheel itself is mounted on a keyed taper on the end of the crankshaft. If it works loose on the taper, you will get a serious knocking as it bangs back & forth against the key.

 

Further edit - if you're very lucky I suppose it could be just the stub shaft which has worked loose, in which case all you have to do is tighten the bolts ;)

 

 

Tim

Edited by Timleech
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Chris Pink Veteran II

Chris Pink

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Posted

A friend of mine has a 2 cyl Air cooled Lister engine in his boat, it's started to make some mechanical knocking sounds. I know nothing about these engines but it looks very similar the the old dumpertruck engines with decompression levers on the two separate rocker covers.

 

There was a mechanical knocking sound so he stopped the engine straight away and has started to investigate the problem. I just happened to pass and he asked my opinion.

 

On initial inspection there appears to be significant movement if you pull up on the end of the crankshaft(?) ie the central stub next to the flywheel/fan assembly. Question is, is the stub the end of the Crank? Or is it part of the flywheel assembly which might be bolted to a flange that might have come loose from the crank? I only ask the question as the movement feels to pivot on a very short axis, had it been a mainbearing failure and I was lifting the whole crankshaft i'd have expected the pivot point to have been longer/further away from the flywheel?

 

Crankshaft snapped perhaps? I hesitate to ask him to start it up just in case it's terminal!!

 

Sorry it's all a bit vague but he has no manual for the engine and i've no experience of those engines.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

 

Is that Tipton (or do we have a huge co-incidence?)

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GSer Experienced

GSer

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Is that Tipton (or do we have a huge co-incidence?)

 

 

Yes, Tipton.

 

I bought some fuel from them over the weekend and heard his tale of woe, i'm only moored 1/2 a mile away and I was hoping to pop along tomorrow with a couple of ideas to help out. He was going to contact a local Lister guy so he may have it all under control by now, perhaps, maybe :D

 

Sounds very likely to be a loose flywheel.

 

Tim

 

Edit to clarify -

This sounds like an H series engine, with the flywheel at the front?

The stub to which you refer will be bolted to the face of the flywheel, the flywheel itself is mounted on a keyed taper on the end of the crankshaft. If it works loose on the taper, you will get a serious knocking as it bangs back & forth against the key.

 

Further edit - if you're very lucky I suppose it could be just the stub shaft which has worked loose, in which case all you have to do is tighten the bolts ;)

 

 

Tim

 

That's exactly what it feels like, a loose flywheel, the ring of bolts on the flywheel are tight but it appears whatever they are bolted to is loose. Yes, the flywheel/fan is at the front of the engine.

 

Is it a really, really heavy flywheel? It dosn't look to bad but i've been deceived before, he may have got it all under control but I was going to pop along tomorrow as i'm moored nearby.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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Posted (edited)

ne.

 

Is it a really, really heavy flywheel? It dosn't look to bad but i've been deceived before, he may have got it all under control but I was going to pop along tomorrow as i'm moored nearby.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

 

You wouldn't want to drop it on your toe :o

 

I'll hazard a guess at about 75 kg, though it's been a while...

 

Held in place with a special large-headed bolt, the stub shaft has to come off to get access.

 

Even if it can be tightened in situ to get them home, if it's been running as loose as that, it really will need to come off and be properly looked at ASAP.

 

Tim

Edited by Timleech
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GSer Experienced

GSer

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Popped into see the engine again last thursday, stripped off the hand starter/ alternator belt pully assembly from the flywheel, nothing looked out of place, undid the big bolt and the flywheel was still firmly attached to the crankshaft taper

with no apparant slack, it was worth a go though.

 

When turning the engine by hand with the decompressor levers engaged, there is a definate 'clunk' once every revolution, sounds loud and metallic :o

 

Lister expert turning up this week to take a look, lets hope all is not lost.

 

 

A big thanks to the Croften Pump guy who spent some time trying to find a big enough spanner to fit the flywheel bolt, 2.75" AF (70mm) If you need a big spanner thats the type of place to go looking, unfortunatly for us nothing fitted, but a trip to Joe Hirsts in St Mary Bourne led to them lending us a 2.75" snap on socket and 1" drive breaker bar to fit, no questions asked, just handed it over and asked us to return it once finished with, nice blokes and very trusting!

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