Norman T300 marine engine

[J K Siddorn]

I've really been getting on quite well over this last few days, the engines
I've built up start and run OK and ancillary devices like rotary converters
and instruments are coming together too.

I thought I'd have yet another go at starting the T300 marine engine I
bought off Ebay some months ago. There was nothing obviously wrong with it,
sparks in the right place from the BTH mag and plenty of compression, but
lacking a throttle cable (not governed, of course) it would fire but not run
as I couldn't get the throttle setting to hold still while I cranked it.
Naturally, the longer I tried, the wetter it all got in there.

I'd run out of Easy Start, but remedied that with a shiny new tin and that
did the trick.

Brrrrm!

It was very uneven, but screwing the pilot jet screw in several turns (!)
made a big difference and I got it to tick over really slowly - certainly in
the 500's I'd judge. It's a Mk II, so I was surprised to find it was a great
deal smoother than the stationary engine version along side it, also a Mk
II. Having spent perhaps ten minutes twiddling with the carb etc, I suddenly
noticed that the starting handle (fixed and spring loaded on these engines)
was moving in and out a little as I revved it. This was because the spring
that holds it out of engagement with the dog was missing....

Retrieving a peg from the clothes line, I clipped it over the shaft to avoid
any disasters.This naturally was the moment to discover that the kill switch
wasn't connected. The points cover was off, so I tried shorting out the
centre screw.

Nope.

Pull off a plug lead - and it ran even slower, ticking over on one like it
was what the maker intended. In the end, a thick wadge of rag on the
flywheel rim did the trick.. To my surprise, I found a spring in my junk box
really easily and discovered an ingenious bodge when I took the handle off
to fit it. Someone had lost the Woodruff key and had cut off an arc of a
flat washer, slotting that into the keyway. With the nut tight it was a good
repair, but now I'm looking for a proper key, of course!

Now it goes, I need to decide what to do with it .................

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

[Roland and Celia Craven]

Buy a small boat :-)
regards
Roland

"J K Siddorn" <kim.s...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c6740n$8l13n$1...@ID-151486.news.uni-berlin.de...

[Peter Short]

Kim,
The Normans seem to be reasonably common here in NZ, I have seen
probably 5 or 6 over the years at shows, but I think only one other
marine type. Impressively smooth running little engines.
I have one of the Mk2 marine engines too, it was given to me by an old
friend (now deceased) who had it in a boat many years ago, the boat
sank, and he only got as far as partially dismantling the engine to dry
it out, that it how it still is. He did get the mag rebuilt. The mag
seems a bit different, sealed a bit better than normal.
There is a long control handle so you can work the throttle from your
seat.
One of these days....

--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

[J K Siddorn]

Buying a small boat would be fine, storing it and its trailer AND finding
the time to play with it would be something else, I fear.

Perhaps I'll compromise and build an exhibit to pump salt water ;o))

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

[Campingstoveman]

Kim my old friend,
As somebody who has experience of the evil stuff Easy Start, please do not
use, regardless of peoples view engines can become addicted to the stuff.
My brother bought a Bedford TK with a Bedford 330 Diesel fitted and was told
by the previous owner that he had to use Easy Start in the winter to start
it. Over the ensuing months my brother had the injectors refurbished then
replaced with new, the diesel pump refurbished and retimed correctly on the
engine, compression checks, cylinder head refurbished and still he had to
use Easy Start from cold until it would not start in the warmer months
without a squirt. Still nothing wrong with the engine as such.
You can if unlucky do some serious mechaical damage to an engine if you ovr
squirt as well.
Please be carefull.

Martin P

[J K Siddorn]

There was a discussion on this very subject here about a year ago. Peter
Forbes and others confirmed that it was a Bad Idea and we gnawed at why for
some time. Although none of us could come up with a cogent solution, I grew
to the opinion that Gypsy's Breath (love that term!) washes away what
little oil remains after standing all night from around the top ring lands
and accelerates wear in what is probably a engine teetering on the edge of
needing serious work.

I'm aware that Volvos ANO decry the stuff and threaten loss of warranty etc,
so there must be a sound technical reason for not using it, although no-one
could be found who could say why.

That said, my experience is that engines that have stood idle for a long
time profit by its use in order to make them run the first time. We have all
had motors that just will not start - fire, perhaps, but not run - and I
think this is often down to the carbon on the piston crown and around the
ports being saturated with oil and inhibiting combustion. Perhaps it
increases the surface area and the petrol condenses out on the surface
before the flamer front can get to it. Whatever the reason, it is not
something I've found happens to engines that have been stripped and rebuilt,
only devices that have stood awhile and the longer the induction path, the
worse it gets.

Anyone got new info on this?

--

Regards,

Kim Siddorn,

[J K Siddorn]

It has been nagging at me that this 'ere engine still does not start like it
should, so although I'd dragged a bit of W&D through the points whilst in
situ, I ought to be practicing wot I preached to the new chap with the
Coburn. Therefore, I took out the points assembly from the BTH mag and
cleaned and reset the points.

And now it starts easily. Innit good to take your own advice ;o))

The Wessex SEC has a crank up at the Radstock Museum on Sunday and I thought
I'd take a brace - or even a hat trick if I'm feeling strong - of Norman
twins

Regards,

Kim Siddorn,