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Vintage Engines


shelly-123

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3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Snippy

Buy 5 and you might have enough bits to keep one running?

There is that, having said that, spares become readily available through the medium of baler engines and stationaries coming on the market. because of that, they are better for obsolete spares than most, as long as you're willing to get your hand dirty. And yes, we have 5. and a 3 pot. and a 1 pot........

;)

 

Dan

 

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I suggest you consider the varying degrees of ease of the suggested engines. We have a Gardner 3LW. Its simple to to start, much like modern engine. I understand that a Kelvin (e.g a K2 etc) requires more attention re maintenance and starting. Various Youtube videos will show such Kelvins being started. Personally I would like to have a Kelvin and would be happy to live with the additional activities required, but I suggest its not for everybody and possibly not the optimum choice if you are not familiar with that sort of technology. 

I realise that the above is a great simplification and no doubt others will have different views, but I seriously suggest you spend some time with one of the engines that you propose to have.  Ask nicely on here and you may get someone offering to show you ? Alternatively visit one of the various meetings or the Crick show and get to see some of the options there.

 

 

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Hi, I'm not sure how far down the route of having a hull built you actually are, but if you can, it would be far better, IMO, if you were to find a really good second hand boat. Two main reasons for this: it will be cheaper , and you can forget any worries about the RCD.

There's a lovely full length Brinklow boat with a JP2M for sale at the moment for less than your new boat is likely to cost...

 

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24 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:

Hi, I'm not sure how far down the route of having a hull built you actually are, but if you can, it would be far better, IMO, if you were to find a really good second hand boat. Two main reasons for this: it will be cheaper , and you can forget any worries about the RCD.

There's a lovely full length Brinklow boat with a JP2M for sale at the moment for less than your new boat is likely to cost...

 

Other reasons are that you can see what you are buying and there is no risk of the builder going bust and taking your money with him.

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18 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Can you really, really, actually in practice.

I know they still advertise it as a possibility, but I'm seriously wondering when the last time was that they actually completed one, and it got put in a boat.

Does anybody know of any actual example in (say) the last 3 or 4 years?

I did..2013..and fitted it myself

20170729_093005.jpg

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For what it's worth, I travelled from Gloucester Docks to Upton upon Severn today.  Water levels were "normal" due to minimal rain and the tide was low when we departed, so nothing was too challenging.  We maintained 3.5 mph at 850rpm and the thermometer reached a whopping 54 degrees and the keel tank return feed remained cold.  Downhill a few days earlier, we were achieving 5.5 mph with ease at the same engine speed.  This is with a 3LW Marine 36 hp, PRM500 (2:1) and a 23" prop set up.  On the canal we typical cruise at 600 rpm and tick over is 420 rpm.

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On 23/09/2017 at 21:20, stagedamager said:

Engine beds are easy to add in at the build stage, there are several craft with the K2 in, and they certainly turn heads, but as mentioned above, with most vintage engines, it's all about the swim, and stern post depth. It would be good to know how far in the build is, who's building it, and max swingable prop.

Kind Regards

Dan 

I'd definitely agree with this. There's no point paying for a lovely rebuilt vintage engine and dropping it in a poorly designed hull. To make good headway on a river it is all about swim shape/length and being propped correctly. 

I had a lesson in this a few years ago when risking a run up to cranfleet from Beeston lock with the river very swollen. I followed - with some difficulty- an ex working boat with an air cooled twin,(hr2 I think) that was actually assisting his friend in a modern 2LW equipped boat by towing him! It turned out the newer boat was useless on rivers despite the more powerful engine due to it's crap shape underwater. A friend of mine had a very heavy/deeply draughted Ted Spencer tug, he mooored on the Trent and had no problems in any conditions with a well propped HRW2.

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23 hours ago, GRLMK38 said:

For what it's worth, I travelled from Gloucester Docks to Upton upon Severn today.  Water levels were "normal" due to minimal rain and the tide was low when we departed, so nothing was too challenging.  We maintained 3.5 mph at 850rpm and the thermometer reached a whopping 54 degrees and the keel tank return feed remained cold.  Downhill a few days earlier, we were achieving 5.5 mph with ease at the same engine speed.  This is with a 3LW Marine 36 hp, PRM500 (2:1) and a 23" prop set up.  On the canal we typical cruise at 600 rpm and tick over is 420 rpm.

My Gardner runs a bit hotter so 54C seems cool to me. I have never worried about this as I understand Gardner recommended 60-70C or have I missed something?

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6 hours ago, noddyboater said:

I'd definitely agree with this. There's no point paying for a lovely rebuilt vintage engine and dropping it in a poorly designed hull. To make good headway on a river it is all about swim shape/length and being propped correctly. 

 

Not really true, the boat may well spend a fair bit of time on the canal and that's hard going for a deeper boat whatever its shape..

and, ..... if the swims are not brilliant then that engine will need to work harder and that's when they sound best.:D

...............Dave

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28 minutes ago, jonesthenuke said:

My Gardner runs a bit hotter so 54C seems cool to me. I have never worried about this as I understand Gardner recommended 60-70C or have I missed something?

The reading is taken from a glass thermometer so there is bound to be a fairly large tolerance.  Given that the coolant circulates through the keel tank and the thermostat opens at 60 deg C, I suspect I am actually within 60-70 deg.  My point was really confirming the suitability of a 3LW for river work as it doesn't appear to work very much harder under normal water level conditions. 

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