Paraffinalia No 21

May 2003

Hello All!

Technical Tips: Last newsletter, I discussed fuel injection pumps of diesel engines. Now it's the turn of the different types of diesel engine, and the injectors used with them. If we are talking about 'full diesel' engines, there are two main types, those with direct injection and those with indirect injection. About 8 years ago, Isuzu proudly announced on the tailgates of their bakkies (utes) 'Direct Injection' as if they'd just invented it. Far from it! These are the simplest to understand, (See Right) with the injector fitted so that its spray is directed into the space above the piston. Here the piston is often hollowed out to form a combustion space, making the piston rather heavy, which leads to this type of engine's original drawback, limited top speed. The injectors used here are normally multi-hole, and spray into the swirl caused by the induction and compression of the incoming air, causing good mixing and burning. Where the injector is mounted vertically as shown, the cone formed by the spray will be concentric with the centre line of the injector. Where the injector is inclined to the centre line of the Ricardo precombustion chamber arrangement

Ricardo precombustion chamber arrangement

engine, and perhaps to one side, the cone is offset accordingly. This, and other differences, is why nozzles are not interchangeable between engine types and models. Often the chamber in the piston is offset, because the tip of the injector cannot reach the centre line of the bore.

With the indirect injection or Ricardo (after its inventor) set-up, (See Right) the piston is normally flat topped, or may have slight indentations, making it lighter. The combustion space is an air-cell or pre-combustion chamber built into the cylinder head, into which the injector sprays. As the piston rises on the compression stroke, the air is forced into the chamber causing good mixing during injection. These engines often need a starting aid in the form of a glow-plug protruding into the pre-combustion chamber. The nozzle used in this case is normally the 'pintle' type, with an extension on the end of the nozzle valve, which moves up and down in the outlet, with a self-cleaning effect. A notable exception to this is Lanova Air-cell arrangement

the single hole nozzle as fitted to the Lister CS diesels, which have a pre-combustion chamber which is set small for starting and larger for running. Another interesting deviation to the indirect injection set-up is the Lanova system, (See Right) where the air-cell is on the opposite side of the head to the injector, which is mounted at right-angles to the bore, and the nozzle sprays across the top of the piston, and the air-cell is inclined slightly downward, to direct the force of hot gases from combustion towards the top of the piston. This arrangement was noted on the MM powered Massey Ferguson, as well as an old Massey Harris at Sandstone Estates. Look for the horizontal injector, and the angled air-cell on the other side of the engine!

South Cape Motor Show Mike Thurgood reported from this show in George: I attended the George meeting of the Southern Cape Vintage Car Club, Saturday, Feb. 14th. There were lots of old, and not so old, cars and motorcycles on display, and in the prestige motorcade. Charles van Zyl was in charge of the tractor group. Looking after my two hot air engines - the Robinson and hot air fan (See right) I really didn't get any chance to walk about - there were far too many people interested in the hot air engines! When you consider what the show was all about, the high level of interest in these insignificant engines was quite extraordinary. Charles took the trouble to announce that I had travelled from Milnerton, Cape Town, to have the engines on show.

Louis Boshoff writes in from Up North: Friday and Saturday (21, 22 February) a group of engine and tractor enthusiasts got together at the Heilbron Agricultural Show. We had a excellent time as usual. What stole the show was David Naudé's 9 cylinder, 15 litre, 450HP Continental radial engine from a Sherman tank.(See lower right:) Wish you could experience the sound! I hope David will bring the engine to more shows so that more people can enjoy it. I include a picture. ( Rumour has it that Deon Bouwer's Continental is due to start in about a month's time).

Dave Menasce sent in this report from Gerald Buitendag's Engine Day: The event took place at Gerald Buitendag's house in Northcliff on the 5th of April 2003. Picture a pristine lawn in a Northcliff property in the middle of Jo'burg. Now add some engines (some Villiers, lots of Fairbanks Morse, some Petters, Crossleys, Listers, International Harvesters and some Wolseleys and two vintage lawn mowers). Now imagine them all running together. Don't forget the smoke or the noise. Now imagine the smiles of the exhibitors and the scowls of the not-so-happy neighbours :-). Add to this a braai (barbecue) and our genial host Gerald with 5 of his own engines. Add all these images together and you get a great day had by all (exhibitors that is), and a great week had by the lawn company. PS: The event has become so popular that it is rapidly out-growing his lawn. There were probably 40 engines altogether.

Philip Gray-Taylor wrote in about the show at the Cape Town Society of Model and Experimental Engineers. The CTSMEE held their annual show this weekend at their clubhouse in Rondebosch. A couple of experimental modellers belong to the CVE&MS as well, and decided to take along some engines to display; I suspect to show the modellers that you can have even more fun with the full size stuff instead of playing about with toys :-). Mike Thurgood had his hot air engines inside the clubhouse whilst Steve Sokolic, Darryl Bailey and I had our 8hp F/M ZC, (See right) Wolseley WD8, F/M ZD, Briggs WMB and Norman outside. My little Briggs & Stratton WMB ran continually throughout the day belted up to a corn grinder to the delight of the children. The engines appeared to be well received judging by the smiles on the faces of child and adult alike. Highlight for me was chatting to a chap who had a yacht powered by a Norman many years ago and was delighted to see my one running. He even bent down to feel the vibrations and remarked "Yes, that's exactly what my one felt like!" All in all I think us engine nutters showed the others how to make a proper noise and attract the paying public.

Sandstone Heritage Fair 1325 km towing an engine behind a car is a long way to go, but every moment of this sho Thys Jonker's International Famous

w made it worth it! The welcome we received from the Farm Staff, as well as from the other enthusiasts from 'Up North' was fantastic. The standard of restoration and the variety of engine was amazing. There may have been two or three Lister D's, but who's ever heard of a SNOB type D, 1½hp 154cc i.o.e engine, made in Düsseldorf between 1921 & 25? Or Neville Botha's Cavanaugh & Darley Red Devil? Or Koos Naudé's Warwick Eagle? Or Johnny Verreynne's Lauson, for that matter? And those vertical petrol Blackstones! You don't find them under every tree! Nor John & Dave Menasce's Petter BA2 Air-cooled twin-cylinder Diesel! The Gray-Taylors and I had towed up the Southern Cross YD which might be the sole survivor.... The stunning standard of the restorations of, for example (and I can't mention all of them), Thys Jonker's International Famous, Johnny O'Grady's V4 Wisconsin and Norman Spykerman's little Onan Genset give us an idea what to strive towards! But there are no rules in this Society, so an as-found working-clothes engine is just as welcome! It was great meeting Michael (Blackstone) Key, all the way from England specially for the show, who kindly treated us to a slide show under the stars on the history of Blackstone. From Stilfontein, the George and Koos Botha paid a flying visit. From the Western Cape came Derick & Carine Kleynhans, with that rare B&L, made in Occupied Japan, and the Bailey's and Stephen Sokolic also brought engines along. Ronnie & Estelle Crowther went up, as well as a whole group of tractor enthusiasts from Villiersdorp. Petrus Roux had a mechanical apple peeler and corer, which he was kind enough to leave there, to join Sandstone Heritage Collection. Then there were all the other attractions SNOB engine made in Düsseldorf between 1921 & '25

SNOB engine made in Düsseldorf between 1921 & '25

to see.... sheds full of old tractors and engines, the Steam Train to ride, road steam and portables, the vintage aircraft, as well as Air Force demonstrations with Alouette helicopters, the School of Armour Museum display, and much more. Two days were over too soon, and it was time to load up and go home. It would have been even more enjoyable had more people been there from the Eastern Cape and Natal, as the real highlight was meeting all those people for the first time!

Footnote: On the way up, Ronnie Crowther was stopped while towing his Studebaker Champ, (which has 230 000 miles on the clock), by someone who said, "These were such good bakkies in their day, I'm so glad they're making them again!" :-)

South African News: Can you imagine this locomotive being cut up? (See right) Dylan Knott sent this in: Steam Locomotive Class 6J 641 in danger of being cut up.

Steam Locomotive Class 6J 641 in danger of being cut up.

News just in is that Steam locomotive class 6J 641 4-6-0, currently plinthed at the University of Stellenbosch Department of Mechanical Engineering, is in danger of being scrapped if not removed by June 2003.

This locomotive has been leased to the Cape Western Railway Museum Trust (CWRMT) since 1998. They apparently promised to restore and remove the loco. To date she still stands plinthed in the same location since 1985. A quote of R28 000 has been received from RACEC to move the loco to Epping Industria. So far R3500 has been raised. A railway enthusiast has set the ball rolling by starting the bidding at R500. I figure R500 is fine, but any odd rands and cents will help. Maybe you could sent out a special note to all your members? They could all end up saving a very historic locomotive. History of 6J 641: Built by Nelson & Reid in 1902. Spent most of its working life in and around Western Cape, Bethlehem and Karoo areas. Last used as a station pilot at Bethlehem until 1970. Preserved at Touwsriver in 1970's/80's as a monument. In 1985 it was towed to Stellenbosch and presented to Stellenbosch University in recognition of all the South African Railways engineers who graduated there. (or something to that effect) Contact Dylan on aknott@lantic.net

At the recent Douglas Water Festival in the Northern Cape, Hendrik v d Berg and his son Francois showed off their newly restored mielie threshing machine, (See right) driven by their Ruston & Hornsby PB. The machine is wrought and cast iron, with a wooden frame. It has two chutes, into which the cobs are fed, and the tray on the right shakes, causing clean mielies to fill the bag hanging at the end. With the weight of the flywheel, Hendrik says the PB hardly noticed it was working. Surely this machine rates a mention in Farm & Horticultural Collector Magazine?

John Menasce from Jo'burg recently obtained these two Deutz engines from Deutz Dieselpower up there, for preservation. (See lower right)....He goes on to say: ...as delivered to my house and after I gave them a good wash. The MA 514 (petrol) had no push rods so I made some up from bright steel bar as you can see from the photograph. A thorough clean out of the crankcase, fresh oil, a new plug lead, some fuel in the carb, and a good crank and the engine back-fired and stopped. I turned the magneto through 180 degrees and on the next crank she gave a stupendous backfire and started up. She runs ok but I think the valve timing is out as she won't start unless she gives an almighty backfire. The MAH 514 (diesel) needs a flywheel. The engine has an unusual output housing, with forward and reverse reduction gears and an over-centre multi-plate clutch, so it may have driven a winch. Engine turns OK but only after I had removed a rag tangled up in the crankshaft. Fuel injection system is not in good repair and I need a fuel pump. Injector cracks at 1000 psi but spray pattern is not so good. Have left the fuel system to soak in clean diesel. Compression is very poor so I suspect stuck rings. Also cylinder barrel is very badly corroded on the water jacket side and may even have gone through the cylinder walls. Stuck for technical advice, we approached Folker Streitberger, who has retired from Deutz Dieselpower in Cape Town, who in turn contacted Mr Dietmar Voß in Germany, who has sent copies of the manuals, (in German, from their archive) to help the project along!

Australian News. Rob Laurent reports from Highfields, Qld: The big news is that the Workshop Manual for the big Deutz at the Highfields Pioneer Village (See right) finally arrived. 60 pages - all in German of course. There'll have to be a bit of interpreting going on at Highfields. Folker Streitberger (from Cape Town) who sent it, was wondering what had happened to it, so I contacted the PO and was told that it was held up in Customs - the country's gone paranoid since the Bali bombing! This sort of cooperation is what makes our hobby interesting! Folker is even prepared to help them with the translation!

Patrick Knight sent in this report from the Australian National Rally: The 9^th Australian National Rally, organised by the Heyfield & District Vintage Machinery Group, a branch of the country's National Historical Machinery Association, took place over the holiday weekend of 8-10 March at the Gordon Street Reserve, Heyfield, Victoria, and was an outstanding success. There were close on 600 exhibits listed in the show catalogue, covering virtually every sphere of preservation, but as Paraffinalia is primarily interested in Stationary Engines, I will limit my jotting to these. In my view the display of engines was outstanding, and without doubt, the sight of so many medium to large engines, many of which were genuine portables, will remain with me for a long time.

Unfortunately it would be impossible to list all the engines that were worthy of a mention, so I will limit myself to commenting on just two which caught my eye.

The first, and in my view the most outstanding engine of the show, was the 12 ½ hp split-frame portable Hornsby Akroyd (See right)owned and restored by Hans Jensen, seen here with it.

When purchased the engine was in a very poor state. When I say the engine was in poor condition, I mean that most of the brass-work was missing, other parts were also missing or badly corroded thanks to lying outside for countless years. However, this was highlighted by the fact that the engine and transport had been cut in two by scrappies, but luckily, they had never collected it. After nearly three years work the engine is a tribute to Hans' skill and determination, as I feel very few enthusiasts would have ever contemplated restoring the engine.

The second engine was the 6bhp two-stroke Jelbart, (See right) restored by John Gilson. The Jelbart engine is an engine you either love or loathe; they can have many little foibles, erratic running etc., so often associated with the two-stroke engine when not under load. They also have a distinctive exhaust note heard long before you actually see the engine. I must say however, that John had the engine running rather sweetly when I saw it. Overall I would say that the show was well organised, had a high proportion of outstanding engines, and the reception we got from the locals was second to none.

Peter Ogborne writes to say that Peter Dymond, who has taken over the Trusty project from him, now that he has moved away from Perth, is going to the UK for the Great Dorset Steam Fair, and hopes to make contact with Tim Macaire, to compare notes on their respective Trusties.

News in from Sofala NSW is that Rick Wigglesworth, who has a museum there, has been given a Clayton & Shuttleworth Trusty, making it the fifth known to have survived into preservation. His is so far the one most like ours in design, and so we hope he will be able to help us make up missing parts by sending photographs and drawings.

New Zealand News: The next step in the flurry of record setting/breaking attempts comes from New Zealand. On 29-30th March 2003, the South Canterbury Traction Engine Club will attempt a world record by having up to 13 threshing mills operating at one time. They will all be driven by Burrell traction engines. 2003 marks 100 years since local threshing and hauling contractor Bill Clarke started operations with one old Burrell engine and a Clayton & Shuttleworth mill. His business expanded as the country was developed, until the late 1920's. At the height of his operations, he had 13 mills out threshing, and all were driven by Burrell engines. When the engines weren't threshing, they were out hauling grain or wool, or chaff cutting. Manufacturers of English threshing machinery considered W J Clarke to be one of the biggest threshing contractors in the world. This rally will be run as a tribute to his part in the development of South Canterbury. Bill Clarke also built a specially designed threshing machine that was much lower and easier to fork the sheaves into, reducing the workload of the men working on the mills. Latest news is that they actually managed 14!

New Members: (Don't worry, we're a no rules, no subs Society, membership only involves reading this newsletter!) David Worth is an industrial Archaeologist at the University of Cape Town, doing postgraduate studies on the late lamented Cape Gas works in Woodstock, which when it closed in 1996, was the only Victorian Gasworks still in production. Hennie Swanepoel was introduced by Thys v d Berg in Pretoria. Rainer Wagner from Robertson is pictured here, (See Right) a 10-year-old nephew of Johan Stemmet, cranking his tank cooled Wolseley 5hp. Graham Fisher is looking for information on his Baudouin engine, see below under Wanted. John Harraway from Lancing, near Brighton, England, visited the Cape recently. He has a Fordson Blunebottle, complete with genuine aluminium cab, and timber-winch, as well as two early Unimogs. Michael Hanrahan from Ashburton, NZ, is the editor, and Alan Lewis the Subs editor of Vintage Scene, (See For Sale below). Gavin Fagrew, Dr. Tony Behrman, Matt Greyvensteyn, David D'Auncey and Richard Bowen approached our members who were displaying Stationary Engines at the recent Cape Town Society of Model and Experimental Engineers Show (See above). At the Sandstone Heritage Fair, it was great to meet AJ Vanderwalt from Aliwal North, Norman Spykerman, Thys Jonker & Neville Botha, Johnny O'Grady, Johan Roodt, who is Editor of The Illustrated Heritage Magazine, from Sandstone Heritage Trust, Victor Jee, whose Hallett Diesel was mentioned last issue, and Fred Rashcher, with Les Maker. Tony Beckett was at the Parow Autojumble, organised by the Early Ford Club with old radios, and also had some old spark plugs! On the way back from the Sandstone show, Ronnie Crowther stayed with Gordon & Sue Scott at Abbotsbury, near New Bethesda. They have an interesting Westinghouse 110V genset they're planning to restore.(See Right) Ron Wiley in Adelaide, South Australia, put us on to Curt Andree in Freeport, Illinois, USA, who keeps the Stover records, and is happy to help with dating. Rick Wigglesworth who has the 5th Clayton & Shuttleworth Trusty engine to have surfaced in preservation, is mentioned above, under Australian News.

For sale/Available:

Albion of Scotstoun, A Century of Cars, Trucks & Buses, by Paul Adams & Roy Milligan, (See right) is an extremely informative book for anybody with an interest in this marque, or in very early cars, and trucks and buses up 'till much later. The chapters are brief, factual and easy to read, covering the various stages in the firm's development. The photographs (hundreds of them!) each have a full caption, making research into a particular model easy. There is a fascinating chapter about the development of the flat-opposed 12 cylinder 14.64 litre KP engine, and the KD23 mid-engined under-type lorry it was fitted to, developed expressly for the Road Motor Services of South African Railways, Albion's biggest single customer. Contact Paul Adams direct, and fast, as there aren't many copies left! pauladams_avpt@yahoo.co.uk

The Blackstone Collection, a quarterly magazine for Blackstone enthusiasts, not only their engines, but agricultural equipment and much other interesting stuff. The latest issue concentrates on the Carter Brothers, and their contribution towards making Blackstone the world renowned firm that it became. Contact Michael Key, 3 Medina Close, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7QR, or michaelstamford@aol.com.

Vintage Scene, New Zealand's Specialist Magazine for all Vintage Machinery Enthusiasts, Edited by Michael Hanrahan . Contact Alan Lewis, 61 Boston Avenue, Christchurch, NZ, email is racine@xtra.co.nz (hard to guess he's a Case fan isn't it!) for subscription details.

Rob Laurent's book on Southern Cross Engines. 300 pages of info, including hundreds of B&W illustrations and production records for 90 000 engines. From Blue Flyer Publishing, PO Box 50, Highfields, Qld 4352, or blueflyer@cnnet.com.au

Jan Vegter's book, Patent Brons, One Hundred Years of Vaporizing Cup Engines www.bronsmotor.com for more details, or contact Uitgeverij Profiel, PO Box7, 9780 Bedum, The Netherlands.

The Amateur's Lathe by LH Sparey (See right) is a classic book for anybody with a lathe at home, or, as it says on the cover, for every small garage proprietor, and every light engineer. It's a book I've been looking for for years, but it has been out of print. The good news is that it's available again, through Camden Miniature Steam Services, Barrow Farm, Rode, Somerset BA11 6PS at a price of £8.95 plus postage.

Wanted: Graham Fisher has a 6 litre, two cylinder Baudouin DB2 engine in his narrowboat on the canals in the Midlands of England. (See right) It was built in Marseilles, France in the 1930s, and he's desperate for more information on it. Please contact me or him direct on
g.fisher@yescomputers.co.uk

Rob North sent in this request for information:

I have two similar small dark green Gensets and wonder if any others of these makes are around.

The first one (A) is of unknown make. The very faded manufacturers plate is there but after trying all sorts of tricks, all I can read is "Barlows Engineering Services". The air cooled single cylinder engine (2.75" bore and stroke) is close coupled to a 32v generator which also supplies12v. There is no identification of either engine or generator. The ignition system is unusual as it has a pair of external contact points (connected in parallel) operated by a pin from the camshaft. Presumably a coil and a battery are also needed. Valve clearance adjustment is also unusual. A pivoted lever is used as a cam follower and its thickness adjusted by means of a sliding wedge which is locked by a pinch bolt when the clearance is correct.

The second one (B) is a POWERLITE and is identical to (A) but has an aluminium flywheel with a magnet and ignition is provided by an internal coil and a single set of points. If (A) is not a Powerlite then I presume that some form of badge engineering is involved and (B) is a more recent model.

Any information and background on these gensets will be most appreciated.

Dylan Knott asks this: Can you please add a request in the next newsletter asking members if they know where any ex-South African Air Force aircraft parts are located? This can range from wheels to wings to fuselage bits. Some of these items are desperately needed for certain preservation projects. Contact me or him on aknott@lantic.net

What's on:

24 May 2003: Autumn Splendour at De Doorns. Phone Hendré Daniller on 023 354 8743

June 2003 5th Winter Warm-up at Arthur's in Groot Drakenstein. Date to be advised. As this year is the 50th anniversary if Victa, has anybody got an early Victa mower, or even one of those upmarket Go-karts to display?

8th and 9th August: Groot Skou - The annual show of the Western Cape Tractor & Engine Club, this year back at Brandvlei, between Villiersdorp and Worcester.

The 2003 Vintage & Steam show will take place on 3, 4 and 5 October at Rawdon's Estate, Nottingham Road. SAVTEC have decided that the National Show should be held in conjunction with Vintage & Steam, so the organisers are expecting a bumper turn-out of tractors and engines, as well as a large number of visitors from around the country (and overseas). All the features that have made Vintage & Steam so popular will be there, together with a couple of fresh ones.

For more information, telephone (033) 263 6308 or e-mail notts@futurenet.co.za

Please remember to wear your name-tags, even if you are just coming along as a spectator!