Vintage Engines: Which ones are the simplest to maintain?

[anniedesigner]

If I said Gardners, Russell Newberys, Listers, BMCs & Kelvins, what would your answer be? I'm guessing some models within the same engine manufacturer require different maintenance, so I'm leaving it up to you to be more specific if appropriate.

 

Oh, I know they all require a daily routine, but as a newbie to vintage engines, there may be some that are harder to work with than others? Do some or all require a man's strength to get started, nuts, bolts, two-handed jobs, etc?

Edited November 2, 2015 by anniedesigner

[John V]

Vintage engines: Which ones are the simplest to maintain?

 

Other Peoples !!!

[anniedesigner]

Got yer drift!

[John V]

sorry couldn't resist

[RLWP]

If I said Gardners, Russell Newberys, Listers, BMCs & Kelvins, what would your answer be? I'm guessing some models within the same engine manufacturer require different maintenance, so I'm leaving it up to you to be more specific if appropriate.

 

Oh, I know they all require a daily routine, but as a newbie to vintage engines, there may be some that are harder to work with than others? Do some or all require a man's strength to get started, nuts, bolts, two-handed jobs, etc?

 

You'll find all of those with electric start

 

You'll pay more for the label on an RN or Gardner

 

BMCs are not vintage engines, you'll usually find them in cruiser sterns

 

Kelvins often have a more complicated starting routine

 

All were designed to be used and abused by unskilled labour

 

Where are you going with this? Will you buy a boat with a Lister and swap it for a Kelvin? No, you'll stick with the engine in the boat. Buy a boat that you like, you'll learn to live with it

 

Richard

[LEO]

Each make has it's dedicated band of followers - but look for the make which starts 'on the button', even in cold weather and is easy to maintain - usually painted grey.

[RLWP]

Each make has it's dedicated band of followers - but look for the make which starts 'on the button', even in cold weather and is easy to maintain - usually painted grey.

 

Lister Marine - good choice!

 

Richard

[by'eck]

If I said Gardners, Russell Newberys, Listers, BMCs & Kelvins, what would your answer be? I'm guessing some models within the same engine manufacturer require different maintenance, so I'm leaving it up to you to be more specific if appropriate.

 

I think all pre war vintage engines were designed in an era when only basic tools were available to the end user. Lack of computers meant they were over-engineered and so very rugged and allowing ease of maintenance.

 

Russell Newbery, National and Gleniffer used horizontal valves on opposte sides of head with clerestory combustion chamber between which added valve train complexity although not sure that made them any less rugged. Listers and Gardners seem the most popular choice but that may be due more to availability in numbers. Spares ought to be a major consideration as well as ease of maintenance so for that reason alone would stick with either of those two makes.

[Alan de Enfield]

I'm led to believe that Vintage covers the period 1919 - 1930, whilst pre-1919 is 'veteran'.

Post 1930's become 'Classic' ( but there are 'conditions' - such as 'must be worth preserving, collectable, worth restoring)

 

Is this solely cars ?

It seems to be a fairly generic description on google dictionaries.

[Athy]

 

 

Oh, I know they all require a daily routine, jobs, etc?

Not so. The only "daily routine" required with my Gardner 2LW (painted grey, hence Leo's comment above) is to advance the throttle about half way and turn the key. Within a few seconds, the engine starts. I check the oil and water levels every few days, but it rarely needs water and never needs oil. I have the oil and filters changed once a year. Although Gardners are no longer made, their parts division still exists, so spare parts can be obtained off-the-shelf.

 

Perhaps the only operational difference between it and a more modern engine is that the Gardner needs to be left to warm up for five to ten minutes before I move the boat off its mooring. As the engine weighs about half a ton, it does take longer to warm up than a modern one.

 

 

I'm led to believe that Vintage covers the period 1919 - 1930, whilst pre-1919 is 'veteran'.

Post 1930's become 'Classic' ( but there are 'conditions' - such as 'must be worth preserving, collectable, worth restoring)

 

Is this solely cars ?

It seems to be a fairly generic description on google dictionaries.

The divisions must have changed recently if what you cite is correct. For cars, the eras used to be:

Before and up to 1904: veteran.

1905 to 1916: Edwardian.

1917 to 1931: vintage. (Whether by accident or design, this latter date coincides with the end of the original Bentley company).

Post- 1931: PVT (Post-Vintage Thoroughbred). This is a more elastic category.

 

To the best of my knowledge, these categories apply only to internal combustion engine vehicles - not, for example, to traction engines, and certainly not to boats or their engines.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Athy

[MtB]

Each make has it's dedicated band of followers - but look for the make which starts 'on the button', even in cold weather and is easy to maintain - usually painted grey.

 

 

Any vintage engine in good condition will 'start on the button' in cold weather. If it doesn't, it's knackered.

 

Same applies to any engine really...

[Giant]

Any vintage engine in good condition will 'start on the button' in cold weather. If it doesn't, it's knackered.

 

Same applies to any engine really...

 

Ours doesn't... it doesn't have a button!

[MtB]

 

Ours doesn't... it doesn't have a button!

 

Ok then, when you turn the BIG HANDLE!

(Unless you have a hot bulb semi-diesel, in which case all bets are off, of course!)

[stagedamager]

Armstrong Siddeleys are pretty simple although not on the list. spares however........like hens teeth!

[Laurence Hogg]

I have always favoured the engines that were used extensively in fleets of real working narrow boats, these gave long service and one must then look at what replaced them.

National / Russell Newbery ran for years but fell to Petter and Lister replacements on the GU fleet. Arguably the Listers ran for the longest time.

 

Bolinders are nice to look at but are really a loaded boats engine and seem awkward and a little impractable in a boat today (Sorry Bolly crowd!)

 

The Gardner was in some fleets but never to my knowledge as the LW version although without doubt they do go well in narrow boats.

 

Others used were Ruston & Hornsby, Armstrong Sidderley, Bolinder twins, whilst in tugs various larger engines like Glennifers were found.

 

For simplicity and ease of spares Lister HR2, HA2 or 3, electric start would be my choice.

[Athy]

Armstrong Siddeleys are pretty simple although not on the list. spares however........like hens teeth!

Well, the company ceased production a loooong time ago - early 1960s I think. If memory serves, the ones occasionally found in canal boats (AS2 and AS3) are actually Petters branded as AS's, or at least built by them to AS's design.

[stagedamager]

Parsons produced models based on the AS engines. Mergansers were the 2 pot and Peregrines the 3.

[Athy]

Parsons produced models based on the AS engines. Mergansers were the 2 pot and Peregrines the 3.

...and apparently a 4-cylinder Goosander too.

[bag 'o' bones]

Vintage engines and simple maintenance don't tend to go hand in hand. It also depends on what you class as 'simple'.

[J R ALSOP]

I always thought that the Goosander was the single cylinder.

[Athy]

I always thought that the Goosander was the single cylinder.

...and I believe that you're correct. I got my info from the Parsons web site (they still exist under a slightly different name) where the Goosander is listed as a 4-cylinder unit. BUT, on close inspection, its power is listed as only 11 h.p., which does suggest that there's been a typo and that it's a single-pot model.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Athy

[Peter-Bullfinch]

I know it's probably not vintage but I am a big fan of our easily maintained 1970s twin pot Sabb. Starts easily, sounds lovely and is powerful enough for the canals and rivers in our 57ft boat.

[LEO]

I know it's probably not vintage but I am a big fan of our easily maintained 1970s twin pot Sabb. Starts easily, sounds lovely and is powerful enough for the canals and rivers in our 57ft boat.

 

Excellent engines, good value and often overlooked, bags of character.

[Athy]

Yes, they do sound good. A few hire boats still have them. I think the parent company still exists but they no longer make the engines.

 

A note for the uninitiated: yes, they are called Sabb and are Norwegian, nothing to do with the Swedish Saab.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Athy

[RLWP]

Vintage engines and simple maintenance don't tend to go hand in hand. It also depends on what you class as 'simple'.

 

I'm sorry - this is nonsense. Most 'vintage engines need the same as a modern on - oil and filter changes. Except they are easier to access. And often don't have filters

 

A service on something like a Gardner or a JP is much easier than on a Beta

 

Richard