Ruston Hornsby RV3H.

[entropycatcher]

Hi folks.

 

There's a Ruston RV3H looking for a new life of use for anyone interested, also a box of spares.

It was the spare engine for a chain-link ferry, been sat in the yard for a few years now and it's time to pass it on.

 

There's also a large independent gearbox, which I can't find any identification plates on, but a solid lump it is. Bit of TLC should see it right.

 

Many thanks in advance for any interest.

[MtB]

Interesting. But Googling I can't find any such engine.

 

Are you hoping to sell it (in which case it ought ot be in 'For Sale and Wanted') or are you just looking for a good home for it?

 

MtB

Edited January 26, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman

[madcat]

Interesting , do put a photo up and tell us more. There's a few on here who are keen on interesting engines.

[entropycatcher]

Interesting. But Googling I can't find any such engine.

 

Are you hoping to sell it (in which case it ought ot be in 'For Sale and Wanted') or are you just looking for a good home for it?

 

MtB

Hi Mike.

 

You're quite correct, my bad, it is indeed a 3VRHZ.

 

Sadly, as altruistic as one would like to be, it's up for sale.

 

Thanks for pointing out the suitable category, not great on these forum things.

[Rusty Rivet]

Thought it might be a typo and should read 3VRH. It's the same bore and stroke as a Lister JP - 4.5" X 5.5" but a bit more powerful - 49.5 horses @ 1500 rpm, there is a marine version 3VRHM 37.5 hp @ 1250 rpm.

I believe the 3VRHZ was also used in narrow-gauge locos and cranes.

[entropycatcher]

Interesting , do put a photo up and tell us more. There's a few on here who are keen on interesting engines.

Hi Madcat.

 

Working on it, not quite sure just as to how.

 

Thanks.

.

[entropycatcher]

I hope these come through, would like to upload them all, but not sure how as the capacity appears limited, however...I must confess.....I haven't the foggiest what I'm doing!

 

 

 

 

 

How's that folks?

Many thanks.

Edited January 26, 2015 by entropycatcher

[madcat]

I'm sure there was a boat round our way powered by a Ruston Engine origionals in a crane.

[billh]

I'm sure there was a boat round our way powered by a Ruston Engine origionals in a crane.

3VRH(Vertical/model R/ High speed .not sure what Z means. 35 HP at 1100rpm as fitted in early 10RB Ruston Bucyrus Navvies and cranes. Very similar to JP3 .Would be excellent in a boat with the right gearbox. Sounds great too.

[entropycatcher]

3VRH(Vertical/model R/ High speed .not sure what Z means. 35 HP at 1100rpm as fitted in early 10RB Ruston Bucyrus Navvies and cranes. Very similar to JP3 .Would be excellent in a boat with the right gearbox. Sounds great too.

Hi Billh.

 

Here's the gearbox on offer.

[andyberg]

I run a Ruston 2yda in my 57 foot trad...its a great bit of kit and attracts regular 'fantastic sounding engine' comments :-)

Edited January 27, 2015 by andyberg

[X Alan W]

I'm sure there was a boat round our way powered by a Ruston Engine origionals in a crane.

My friend recently sold his Butty style B Jenkins built 60ft narrow boat " Kestrel", that had a 3 cyl Ruston motor that came out of crane not sure of the model # & PRM gear box It was sold from Sawley but have no idea as to it's whereabouts now.

[jake_crew]

The gearbox looks rather like a Gleniffer (see the video in my signature) but not exactly.

 

Though MtB and I know of them attached to the engine, I'm aware of a guy in the USA who has one as an independent unit.

[MtB]

The gearbox looks rather like a Gleniffer (see the video in my signature) but not exactly.

 

Though MtB and I know of them attached to the engine, I'm aware of a guy in the USA who has one as an independent unit.

 

 

I thought that too, but a lot of details don't really match.

 

MtB

[by'eck]

3VRH(Vertical/model R/ High speed .not sure what Z means. 35 HP at 1100rpm as fitted in early 10RB Ruston Bucyrus Navvies and cranes. Very similar to JP3 .Would be excellent in a boat with the right gearbox. Sounds great too.

 

Maybe Z suffix means reverse rotation - that's the code Lister used for such.

 

Loco versions had L suffix BTW, and there was a M suffix, presumably marine version. Various power outputs quoted between 1100 and 1500 rpm.

[Jay4424]

Interesting that it looks like only 2 of the cyclinders are used.... only two have an exhaust, the third appears blanked off, and the injector for that one has a rubber hose attached... or am I looking at the wrong bits?!?

 

whats the ball park figure you want for this anyway, is the "proper" advert going up / gone up and I've not seen it yet?

 

 

Jay

[billh]

Interesting that it looks like only 2 of the cyclinders are used.... only two have an exhaust, the third appears blanked off, and the injector for that one has a rubber hose attached... or am I looking at the wrong bits?!?

 

 

 

 

Jay

Looking at the wrong bits Jay! That's a water cooling pipe. The exhaust pipes and inlet manifold are on the other side of the engine. The rubber hose looks like a temporary fix to replace another steel cooling pipe that's possibly corroded away from the top of the heads. There is usually a cooling circulating pump below the dynamo, I can't see one so maybe there is some other pump elsewhere for this marine application.

ETA: There doesn't seem to be any exhaust pipes(3) or inlet manifold and air cleaner on this engine.

Edited January 28, 2015 by billh

[Proper Job]

Interesting that it looks like only 2 of the cyclinders are used.... only two have an exhaust, the third appears blanked off, and the injector for that one has a rubber hose attached... or am I looking at the wrong bits?!?

 

whats the ball park figure you want for this anyway, is the "proper" advert going up / gone up and I've not seen it yet?

 

 

Jay

 

With the lack of detail provided, I would think it'd be not worth much more than its scrap value.

 

The injectors appear to be missing (but may be in the box of spares). The injector holes could have let water in to the cylinder heads/bores. The fuel pump has had the injector pipes cut off and again may have let water in to the fuel pump. All expensive/difficult to source items.

 

It doesn't actually say if it turns over or is seized.

 

Spare engine for a chain link ferry? No location given but it could be assumed to be costal, stored in a yard? Salt air environment?

 

You pays your money and takes your chance

Edited January 28, 2015 by Proper Job

[entropycatcher]

 

With the lack of detail provided, I would think it'd be not worth much more than its scrap value.

 

The injectors appear to be missing (but may be in the box of spares). The injector holes could have let water in to the cylinder heads/bores. The fuel pump has had the injector pipes cut off and again may have let water in to the fuel pump. All expensive/difficult to source items.

 

It doesn't actually say if it turns over or is seized.

 

Spare engine for a chain link ferry? No location given but it could be assumed to be costal, stored in a yard? Salt air environment?

 

You pays your money and takes your chance

Hi PJ.

 

The Ruston was bought around 1976 (ish), it was the spare for the Isle of wight, Cowes, Chain-link ferry (floating bridge) and has been in my friends possession (whom I'm advertising it for as he's in his 70's and even more of a technophobe than me), up-until 6 years ago it was stored in a garage, but has since been stored in a yard, under cover, adjacent his mooring on the river Medina.

 

It was stripped and rebuilt 2 years ago and runs, fine, although the pump, which isn't the original, could do with being independently stripped or replaced as it was "none too clever", as my friend puts it. Unfortunatly the gauge got damaged, but not the end of the world with that. The manifolds are both there and there are at least 2 new heads and injectors in the box of spares, which we'll dig out to take pictures of, sorry we didn't have more complete pictures to put up, but we just took a few snaps as we were clearing the yard and popped them up to see if there was any interest.

 

We haven't gone so far as to stick it all back together and get it purring, but...it's certainly not ceased within the last 2 years and still turns by hand, we just haven't had the time to focus on it as a priority, so perhaps I've advertised it a wee bit prematurely, however...my friend assures me that this lump will run, no problem, Anyone interested is more than welcome to come and inspect it and spin it over and anyone is free to message me for my friends phone number for a more detailed and personable chat, other than that, then please......feel free to as *any* questions you feel are relevant.

 

It was myself that suggested this site as the folk tend to (or at least appear to) be more artisanal and appreciative in their approach to quality engineering and the practical use of it. My friend is 'old school' you see and he'd rather it went to such folk rather than simply flinging it on the 'market' for any old 'merchant' to send it through the £'s multiplier, it wouldn't take all that much to get this thing close to pristine, painted up and flogged for top dollar, but that wasn't really the intention.

 

Many thanks.

[Glenn M]

Quite interesting reading these posts, the engine has remained in that same shed on the Isle of white until yesterday when I bought it! Will be bringing it back in the next few weeks and then will start marinizing it to go into our recently acquired trad narrowboat

 

[MtB]

23 minutes ago, Glenn M said:

Quite interesting reading these posts, the engine has remained in that same shed on the Isle of white until yesterday when I bought it! Will be bringing it back in the next few weeks and then will start marinizing it to go into our recently acquired trad narrowboat

 

 

 

Congratulations!!

 

Rustons are lovely things to have....

 

Hard as I try, I still have more vintage diesels than boats to put them in!

[john.k]

Looks very similar to a JP Lister in layout....weighs the same too ,likely 1 ton as it sits there......When you could get Ruston spares they were crazy expensive prices ,now i dont think you can buy anything....Doesnt appear to have any provision for electric start either.......a motor scooter on the flywheel was popular once.

[Glenn M]

Quite interesting reading these posts, the engine has remained in that same shed on the Isle of white until yesterday when I bought it! Will be bringing it back in the next few weeks and then will start marinizing it to go into our recently acquired trad narrowboat

 

well, I’ve done an awful lot of trawling the net as you do and I’ve managed to find a starter ring that is 480 mm for less than a hundred quid! The engine has a 25 inch flywheel but it has 2 steps in it with the smaller one being about 500mm …. and having found a pic on line of one with electric start, the ring gear was fitted to said smaller step! .. so with (a lot of) luck it will fit the flywheel. On the subject of luck, I do have someone down here who can spin a 25 inch flywheel in his lathe! I will leave the county while he does it though!!🤔😁.. then it’s just a starter to sort. A bit more luck is that I have a set of 3 new VSH injectors which I was really lucky to pick up from Lincoln diesels a few years ago for a 3 VSH that I bought but as it’s way beyond sensible salvage I was going to sell them, looks very likely that they will work according to my local diesel pump and injector expert friend.. I also have a spare injector pump off a JP3 (total luck) which is the same model but might need some alterations to make it work as the rack on the Ruston one is solid at the moment!! All good fun

On 26/06/2022 at 21:38, MtB said:

 

 

Congratulations!!

 

Rustons are lovely things to have....

 

Hard as I try, I still have more vintage diesels than boats to put them in!

Thanks John.. I’ve got to sell some of mine too! Workshop will be overrun soon if not! 

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Glenn M said:

On the subject of luck, I do have someone down here who can spin a 25 inch flywheel in his lathe!

Can't you just bolt a lathe tool post to the engine beds, and get someone to turn the engine over on the hand start?

[BEngo]

3 hours ago, Glenn M said:

subject of luck, I do have someone down here who can spin a 25 inch flywheel in his lathe! I will leave the county while he does it though!!

Why?  The engine is rated at 1500 rpm, so the flywheel itself  will be safe mechanically to at least  3000 rpm or more.  I doubt his lathe will go that fast.

More important is the speed needed to turn the thing.  If using High Speed tooling the surface speed needs to be about 90 ft a minute, aka about 15 rpm.    You can probably double that to 30 rpm if using carbide tooling and halve it for carbon steel tooling.  I would choose HSS tooling because you can get it sharp, which carbide never is, and it holds an edge.  Carbon tool steel sharpens better but the edge goes very quickly if it is working hard..

 

I would certainly want the begger well fastened to the lathe though.

 

Certainly it is practical to machine the flywheel as David Mack suggests.  The hand start winder  will need at least one extra weetabix for breakfast, and a pint or two afterward though. I have seen  photos of the GWR maintenance team turning the spindle of the water wheel of the Claverton ram using a temporary tool post, temporary spindle  bearings and the power of the water wheel to turn the spindle.  Swindon engineering at work!

 

There are other ways too.  The late Tim Leech posted  photos of a JP flywheel on a (big)  rotary table in his Bridgeport first of it being "turned" to size with a milling cutter and  then the gear teeth being cut individually.

 

N