Ancient Gardner starter motor

[Sir Nibble]

A few months ago a mechanic brought in a starter from a Gardner engined boat. I rebuilt it and it came back after about a month full of seawater. The engine was standing in a foot of water and the flywheel was throwing it up to where it got into the starter through the hollow drive shaft. Water being thrown up from the flywheel is a common cause of starters failing and the mechanic had already given his customer a heads up on that and now it's been reinforced b a letter from me. Anyway, I had to rebuild it again and I thought folk might be interested to see these pictures.

The reason I thought it might be interesting is that this is not the usual CAV starter but an old Simms SG series co-axial machine and it must be thirty years since I've had the back off one of these. No parts are available so I had to make a few things like sleeving the drive end bush for instance.

[matty40s]

Ah, good, I know where to come if mine stops starting then.?

Won't be any seawater in it( unless we do Trent Falls on a very bad day), maybe cat hair and a bit of oil.

[Sir Nibble]

20 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Ah, good, I know where to come if mine stops starting then.?

Won't be any seawater in it( unless we do Trent Falls on a very bad day), maybe cat hair and a bit of oil.

If you have one of those things then the antiques roadshow is the place to take it!

[MtB]

I want to know how come that commutator looks so brand new!!!

 

 

[Sir Nibble]

26 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I want to know how come that commutator looks so brand new!!!

 

 

Because that's what I do.

[MtB]

Just now, Sir Nibble said:

Because that's what I do.

 

I reckon you've been spinning it on yer lathe....

 

 

[Sir Nibble]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I reckon you've been spinning it on yer lathe....

 

 

In all honesty, it's because Simms units were designed to last by serious minded men with serious hats and probably smoking serious pipes. What we used to call engineering.

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Sir Nibble said:

In all honesty, it's because Simms units were designed to last by serious minded men with serious hats and probably smoking serious pipes. What we used to call engineering.

 

I know all about that.

 

 

[system 4-50]

2 minutes ago, Sir Nibble said:

In all honesty, it's because Simms units were designed to last by serious minded men with serious hats and probably smoking serious pipes. What we used to call engineering.

This is what I call poetry.

[Sir Nibble]

3 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

This is what I call poetry.

Good engineering has an elegance and beauty of function that serves as a hymn to human progress.

[Sir Nibble]

I even fixed my own boiler last weekend ?

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Sir Nibble said:

I even fixed my own boiler last weekend ?

 

Are you still alive??!!

 

[matty40s]

13 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Are you still alive??!!

 

No, don't be silly, that kind of ting only happens in films.

[Sir Nibble]

Not really a big deal blowing out a pilot light jet. Once you find the bugger.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Sir Nibble said:

Not really a big deal blowing out a pilot light jet. Once you find the bugger.

 

Problem will come back. When it does, boil the jet in vinegar.

 

Make sure you don't get fooled into buying the 'non-brewed condiment' chip shops palm you orf with....

 

 

[Sir Nibble]

26 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Problem will come back. When it does, boil the jet in vinegar.

 

Make sure you don't get fooled into buying the 'non-brewed condiment' chip shops palm you orf with....

 

 

Top tip!