18 December 2005.
Wolseley Style 4 or R Type - which is correct ?
Hi all you guys out there in "engineland". It's finally happened - the engine I've been dreaming about for the last few months (since I first met it) finally followed me home this week from a shed about 500 miles away.
Wolseley engines were very common in South Africa and as someone said " There is one under every bush" but this refers to the later Wolseley WD range dating from the late 1940's. To find one as old as this is "gold". Bear in mind 1) that we have had a thriving scrap metal industry for many years and 2) that most of these engines went to Australia and New Zealand.
I have been unable to ascertain if there are any others around (in S.A.) - a friend of mine has the same engine but the smaller model. I have read that they were made in 3 ½, 5 & 7 H.P. (petrol models) and 4 & 6 H.P. (paraffin models as mine is) - please correct me if I'm wrong. The one pic below has sizes marked - I would appreciate if some of you guys in Aus could compare these to your engines and give me some feedback.
I like the Wolseleys and am trying to collect the complete series of WD's (we had about 8 manufacturers making them under licence in South Africa) so it stands to reason that this one (the grandaddy of them all) had to be part of my collection and now it is.
The general condition of the engine is good and it is loose. The downside is that the flywheels are missing and the chances of finding a set here are zero. Because of the weight I could not even consider importing a set from Aus - even if I could find one. I could of course have a new set cast here but I'm one of those guys that does not have an unlimited budget.The answer seems to be the set of Lister 6/1 flywheels I picked up - at least until I win the Lottery. I would appreciate it if one of you Aussies could measure your flywheels diameter and face (for the 6/7 H.P. model) and forward the information to me. If someone has one loose then the weight would also be a great help. The Lister flywheels will need some fancy bushing and other work done to them but will have to do. I realise that the Wolseley will no longer be original but, as far as I'm concerned, if I can get it to run then I've achieved something!. Did the Wolseley flywheel have a heavy "counter balancing" section on one side as the Listers have or were they just straight ? This is something I will have to sort out - any suggestions and help will be appreciated.
The "U" shaped tube from the exhaust side of the manifold to the inlet that prewarms the air is missing and some good closeup pics and dimensions from someone would be nice. I will probably be able to fabricate a "reasonable facsimile" although it will probably not be necessary as the engine will run on petrol (gasoline) in future. We no longer have Power Paraffin (Kerosene) in S.A. Also the intake manifold has a small section broken away but this should not present a problem to repair. The silencer is missing and I will have to fabricate a new one - also quite easy to do but some dimensions would also be good from our Aus friends. I have access to the smaller silencer to get the shape right.
Something of interest is the "thingy" on the cylinder head above the exhaust valve. It looks like another position for a spark plug - could this be a decompressor valve or something? Of course I will be able to find out once I have removed the head but that will take a while yet.
The fuel tank would normally have been mounted on top of the cooling water tank but this one has been modified and mounted above the engine on flat bar brackets held by the cylinder head bolts. I will decide later what to do about it - original would be nice but then it will be prety big and difficult to transport to shows as well as needing a lot of water to fill an original size cooling tank - at some of our shows one needs to carry water by bucket to your engine - time will tell but I do hate the bucket idea.
Here are the pics.
 Home at last - still on the back of my pickup. Note the modified position of the fuel tank. This would normally be mounted on top of the cooling water tank. Can anyone confirm the identity of the engine from the given measurements? It is a Petrol / Paraffin model and I assume it to be the 6 H.P. model.. The flywheels were missing and I hope to use the Lister flywheels shown. Any ideas? |
 Closeup view of head and carburettor. What is that "thingy" next to the sparkplug ? Could it be a decompressor valve? |
 Patent No.173359-20 on a brass plate on the exhaust manifold. Can anyone tell me where to search for this on the net? I think Peter Forbes or Dave Croft may be able to help here. |
 The original Wolseley decal is still in good condition considering that the surrounding paint has all weathered away. |
If anyone can give me any more information on this engine I will be eternally indebted to you. What are the chances that someone has a manual that could be scanned ? Although not necessary it is always nice to have.
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Click on one of these links to go to pages relating to some of the other engines we picked up last week. Thanks for reading this far.
| Bradford |
Petter (4
engines) |
Petter
Aircooled Genset |
Alco
Featherweight |
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