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Gardener 2LW or Kelvin K3?

Markinaboat

By Markinaboat
in Gardner

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Posted
Posted

 

One should be able to see the flywheel in my personal opinion. It's enclosed/concealed on a 2LW.

 

An exposed flywheel is one of the major features of a 'vintage' engine for me!

 

 

MtB

The 2-6LW was also available in Non Unit Construction which had an exposed flywheel, usually used in stationary applications where there was no requirement for a gearbox.

 

The Marine version was a Unit construction type.on which the gearbox encloses the flywheel

 

If date of introduction plays any part in what defines a vintage engine then the LW has to right up there with all the more commonly considered engines

 

Gardner L2 introduced 1929

 

Gardner LW introduced 1931

 

JP series introduced 1932

 

RN DM Introduced 1930

 

Kelvin K series introduced 1933

 

The Gardner was an advanced design for its period in as much that it was the first engine in the UK with direct injection.

 

Steve

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

That is one of Gibbo's early jobs - the Haart Freedom 20 interface - about 20 years old now - still going.

 

 

Ok thanks!

 

I've downloaded the manual and it's still hard to get a grip on what it does. It seems to do three stage battery charging on a shoreline and supply 240v mains power when out cruising.

 

The bit I couldn't establish is whether it also does three stage battery charging from the engine alternator. This would be really useful!

 

MtB

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

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Posted

 

 

Ok thanks!

 

I've downloaded the manual and it's still hard to get a grip on what it does. It seems to do three stage battery charging on a shoreline and supply 240v mains power when out cruising.

 

The bit I couldn't establish is whether it also does three stage battery charging from the engine alternator. This would be really useful!

 

MtB

The sterling 3 way above is now redundant if that helps...........icecream.gif

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Tam & Di Influencer

Tam & Di

Posted
Posted

The 2-6LW was also available in Non Unit Construction which had an exposed flywheel, usually used in stationary applications where there was no requirement for a gearbox.

 

The Marine version was a Unit construction type.on which the gearbox encloses the flywheel

 

 

Ah ... that explains why my 6LW does have an exposed flywheel. We got ours from Trinity House when Thatcher cut-backs reduced the number of buoys in use. Ours had been used as a stand-by generator engine. It is stamped 9/12/74 but had effectively zero hours running when we bought it late 80s/early 90s. Our partner Tim Wood marinised it with a toothed drive between the flywheel and Twin Disc gearbox, with a layshaft driven from here. The shaft then gave us power take-off for engine and domestic alternators and hydraulics.

 

Tam

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martyn 1 Community Regular

martyn 1

Posted
Posted (edited)

Non unit construction type 5LW with open flywheel. With the smaller engines you tend to see in narrowboat having it with enclosed flywheel just makes the gearbox installation neater/easier

 

gardner_5lw_diesel_engine_001.jpg

Edited by martyn 1
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LEO Influencer

LEODonate to Canal World

Posted
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Non unit construction type 5LW with open flywheel. With the smaller engines you tend to see in narrowboat having it with enclosed flywheel just makes the gearbox installation neater/easier

 

gardner_5lw_diesel_engine_001.jpg

 

Hi,

 

What a beauty, look forward to seeing it when you have worked 'your magic'. Any history on this engine?.

 

L

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martyn 1 Community Regular

martyn 1

Posted
Posted

 

 

Oh, I took it to be one Martyn had just finished!

 

biggrin.png

 

 

MtB

 

 

 

(Only kiddin' Martin!)

It's a new version, I believe the Americans would call it a rat motor biggrin.png means we dont have to bother cleaning, painting, polishing etc etc etc wink.png

 

But unfortunatly in the case of this perticular engine, it turning over would be a start, got a seized pistons at the moment.

 

LEO - It was supplied new to power a slurry pump at a sand pit near southampton which it continued to drive up until about 20 years ago and has been sat in a farmyard since.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

P1050163_zps7d04a491.jpg

 

I think this thread needs a bit of balance - so here's a Kelvin.tongue.png

 

 

Would that "bit of balance" be lots of ballast up the front end of the boat, to compensate for this being near the back? :lol:

 

(And for clarity, I can live with a K2 in a boat like yours, but having seen how that goes when hardly trying helps convince me that a K3 in a leisure boat is a step to far).

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mark99 Veteran II

mark99

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Posted

Hi,

 

I've been a live-aboard for some 14 years and now in the process of buying a new [second-hand boat]. We've seen two that we really like and price aside, would very much appreciate some feedback on the pro's and con's of the 2LW V the K3 based on the fact that we will be continuously cruising (average 4 days per week) for maybe 2-3 years.

 

 

Is the K3 from NB Enid?

 

If so that's a nice boat. (Deep draughted).

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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

I am biased, but would go for the Gardner 2LW. It is very suitable if (like me) you have little mechanical knowledge: all you do to start it is to turn the key, whereas I believe that those (beautiful) Kelvins need various prepping jobs doing before they will burst into song. All I ever need to do to my 2LW is check the oil (it never uses any) and the water, and to polish it (Brasso bill can become expensive depending on the amount of vigour expended).

 

If it did ever go wrong, a key feature for me is that Gardner still exists (as "Gardner Parts Ltd.") and so genuine new bits are readily available without having to hunt out men with long beards in remote lochside boatyards. When newly rebuilt and still tight, mine did blow a starter motor, but as this was a Ford unit it was easy and not expensive to replace.

 

With regard to the "vintage" point raised earlier, the LW series was indeed introduced in 1931, and the first 2LW left the Patricroft factory in 1932. The engine was in continuous production from then until 1973, and was reintroduced (largely for the narrowboat market) in the 1990s by which time, always a premium-priced engine, it had become screechingly expensive so they did not sell very many - I heard a sales figure of 33 quoted. I think the last one was outshopped from the then floundering factory in 2000.

Edited by Athy
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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

The night before last a guy from CTS went past towing a boat with a K3 in it up to the grove. The plan being to remove the K3 as they'd sold it and bought a Gardner. Not sure what, if anything that says.

 

 

It says they prefer engines with no soul...

 

:)

 

MtB

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by'eck Veteran

by'eck

Posted
Posted

With regard to the "vintage" point raised earlier, the LW series was indeed introduced in 1931, and the first 2LW left the Patricroft factory in 1932. The engine was in continuous production from then until 1973, and was reintroduced (largely for the narrowboat market) in the 1990s by which time, always a premium-priced engine, it had become screechingly expensive so they did not sell very many - I heard a sales figure of 33 quoted. I think the last one was outshopped from the then floundering factory in 2000.

I understood the 2LW engine production was resumed in the 90's as a result of a substancial order from South Africa to re-engine the mining loco's, which presumably had proved very reliable. By then it was well established as a classic canal boat engine and Gardners's touted for extra business from this relatively new market to help justify the small production run.

 

I believe the last ones of this run where built around 1995, after which many of the South African mining engines returned to the UK for rebuild via an Irish importer although I understand the source is now drying up.

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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

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Posted (edited)

That story has done the rounds for a while but I am not sure if the Safrican contract was ever fulfilled, or even if it existed in the first place - Kevin Whittle in his A to Z of Vintage Marine Engines book casts doubt upon it. But the Safrican mines had been loyal customers - the last batch of original 2LWs built in 1973 were exported out there - so it's possible.

 

Some engines were imported to Ireland, yes, but Walsh's in Manchester told me that they imported theirs directly from S. Africa. As I mentioned in a thread last year, they have now restored all the ones which were restorable, being left with just two or three total wrecks, so yes, that source has dried up.

 

I have seen the narrowboat which is powered by what's claimed to be the last 2LW ever built and it does carry a date plate. I thought it was about 2000 but I may be mistaken.

Edited by Athy
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