Gardner 4LW....... marine or not?

[jenevers]

How can you tell if a 4LW is a genuine marine model?

[Mike Tee]

Does it have a wife in every port?

Does it yell 'BOOOYAAHHH' all the time?

 

 

 

sorry, I need to start drinking again

[Timleech]

How can you tell if a 4LW is a genuine marine model?

 

Usually they will have a heavy flywheel and an extended crankshaft at the front, the vehicle engine normally just carries a fan pulley.

 

Most original Gardner marine 4LW engines would have had a Gardner 2UC gearbox fitted from new, these are massive affairs, good boxes but cost a fortune to repair if they get worn so often replaced with something more modern and compact. There are all sorts of other differences - water pumps, heat exchangers, cast iron crankcases and sumps but they will depend on what spec the engine was built to.

 

Tim

[martyn 1]

Its a bit difficult to tell as they get chopped and changed around through life that it may well be a marine one that has had all the bits that showed it was swapped out over the years. but a list of some of the tell tail ones are below but not having them might not mean it isn't a marine one. Gardner's are all pretty much one off builds per customer

 

The big one if totally original will be the Gardner 2UC gearbox on the end of the engine.

They tend to have in most cases a longer crankshaft than the automotive versions at the forward end to allow for the mounting of more power takeoffs

they tend to have more brasswork than the auto ones. e.g. decompressor levers and water rails. but not in all cases

If an aluminium crankcase one the material is different than an auto one to help corrosion, the parts are noticeable heavier than the automotive part. marine is aluminium alloy and auto tends to be a magnesium alloy.

 

And if you still cant tell, speak to the Anson engine museum who have the records and they will be able to tell you from your engine number who/where it was supplied to originally.

Edited October 18, 2013 by martyn 1

[Timleech]

If an aluminium crankcase one the material is different than an auto one to help corrosion, the parts are noticeable heavier than the automotive part. marine is aluminium alloy and auto tends to be a magnesium alloy.

 

Are you certain about that?

I believe they sometimes had magnesium alloy sumps, but not heard before of it being used for crankcases - except for the LK, where it was always Elektron (Mag alloy)

 

Tim

[martyn 1]

 

Are you certain about that?

I believe they sometimes had magnesium alloy sumps, but not heard before of it being used for crankcases - except for the LK, where it was always Elektron (Mag alloy)

 

Tim

I was obviously not very clear. What I was getting at is that if the 4LW in question has a aluminium crankcase, Obviously if its cast iron its easy to spot its not aluminium and sump tends to be cast as well. You will find that if it is a marine then the components e.g. sump, timing case housing (in some cases) and bell housing. tend to be considerably heavier than the mag alloy stuff fitted to an automotive one.

 

Mind you this is only any use if the OP has the engine in bits and has a known automotive pile of bits to compare it to.

 

Incidentally looking at a very old Gardner engine marine build spec the RNLI supplied engines are all aluminium components from LM 6 aluminium alloy with the crankcase to Gardner spec L. whatever weird spec material that is.