Iím sure this is the way the bug afflicts countless enthusiasts across the country / world.

A fascination with old machinery, working or not, figuring out what it did and how it was used.

If it has been neglected, then an uncontrollable desire to see it operational again - regardless of the time it will take (weeks, months, years, millennia) and the feeling of neglect the family is sure to encounter while you tinker in the shed until the early hours of the next morning.
 

Hi, my name is Craig Waight, Iím 32 years old and I live in Bendigo (Central Victoria, pop. 85,000) with my wife Merryn and our son Alec (he was born in August, 2002).

For years Iíve enjoyed going to rallyís/displays and watching the stationary engines putt, putt away, sometimes driving water pumps and other pieces of old equipment and I have always gone home thinking, ìOne day Iíll get an engine and restore it, yeah one dayî.

That day was getting closer.

In March 2002 I spent 2 weeks cruising around Tasmania with 3 mates on our motorbikes, enjoying the fabulous roads, scenery and history of the State. Visiting the Don Railway Museum and the Copping Collection to name but two. My mate Rod mentioned towards the end of the trip, an avid collector of anything old, that he was thinking of concentrating his engine collecting on air-cooled motors and offered me one of his water cooled engines.

Yep, Iíd love one - when can I come and get it?

Hmmmm, priorities, before the trip I had just started painting the exterior of our house and wanted to finish that before winter. Got that done and the Echuca Steam Rally came round so with my wife, and her parents we headed up to Echuca to check out the ìold motorsî etc....

ìHmm, I think that looks like the motor Rod has offered me, or it could be that one, or is it one of those?î

Came home inspired, better extract the digit and fit the towbar to the Holden Rodeo so I can go out with the trailer and collect ìthis motorî.

Worked out an amicable deal with Rod for the motor, a Lister D tank cooled model 2hp, but unfortunately it was left out one night around Christmas, and it had rained. He put it back under cover the next day, but being busy he hadnít looked at it since and now it wouldnít turn over - stuck solid.

ìOh well, you can have the other one too, it runs.î

Over the next half hour we wore ourselves out cranking like crazy with the odd pop or putt but no real success.

Got spark, got fuel - probably flooded?

ìPuff, pant, sheíll be right Iíll get it home and have another goî.

Got home and unloaded them - crikey these things are bloody heavy, especially by yourself.

Had another go with the Ronnie but still no success, hmmm I might ask Coley, my Father-in-law, next time heís around, heíll know what to do. I think Iím very lucky having a motor mechanic for a Father-in-law. Semi-retired his years of experience could fill countless books.

The next time Coley was around I wheeled out the Ronnie and proceeded to crank like mad but with no success. He pulled out the spark plug and found the problem straight away. Even though there was spark, the plug had gunked up and most of the sparking was happening deep in the plug, not at the electrode. The next day he was back with 2 new spark plugs. Popped one in and after the third crank, away she went. I had a grin from ear to ear - I got one of these ìold motorsî AND she goes.

Now click on the links above and check out my motors and other stuff.

Hope you enjoy my website, please feel free to email me with you thoughts/suggestions.

Regards,

Craig

Updated December 15th, 2003

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