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Halley restoration


DAN THE STEAM

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[ATTACH=CONFIG]87081[/ATTACH]

 

This photo is almost certainly of a Commercar. The radiator, with the notches in the header tank, is definately from one and you can just see the famous Commercar curved name plate on the bulkhead. The lattice framework under the chassis is another clue that confirms things. However, there are some oddities - there are bonnet louvres, the rear axle doesn't look chain drive (or at least the chain covers are missing) and I've not seen Y spoked wheels on a Commercar before. Presumably some field mods have been carried out?

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Have to admit the photo intrigues me also. It certainly resembles a commercar as described, but I cannot explain the seeming lack of chain drive?? As for the wheels, there are nice clear photos of two commer trucks with these wheels on the State Library of Queensland site. I had assumed they were filched from Vulcan or some other truck, however maybe these wheels were common for ex-military Commercars.

 

As against all that... could it be a Maudslay? Apart from the lack of chain drive, the front spring hangers don't seem right for Commer. I have photos showing that not all Maudslay chassis were inverted. Wheels and hubs seem about right. The radiator is not but could it have been an ASC replacement there being no Maudslay alternative.

 

Robert

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I think you will find the engine is a c.1914 Continental as per attached and fitted into a Palladium chassis

[ATTACH=CONFIG]87087[/ATTACH]

Richard Peskett.

 

I suppose it is possible that they bought part engines, castings or even the rights/drawings to make the engines. To design and develop their own engines would have been a lot of extra work.

 

trevor

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If I remember rightly and Halley was in Glasgow. then that was a world-venter of iron founding at the time and the patterns, castings, machining and design of a basic engine would not have been a problem.

 

They may have bought-in a design and made it themselves as I don't know of a small engine manufacturer round there, but castings and the like absolutely not a problem locally.

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Point missed here I think, Halley probably did make their own engines as rightly said , around Glasgow there would be plenty of materials and skills for scope of ' in house' engine manufacture. Palladium for example were a smaller organisation and bought in engines and other components, the Continental in the lorry chassis was replaced later in 1915 with the British built Dorman engine. The engine in question has detail differences but models would have changed year in etc. and the Palladium use was probably just one of several applications at that time.

Richard Peskett.

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Hi all, i'm just working on removing the valve caps on number two cylinder and whilst wire brushing it i have found a crack on the side of the water jacket, going from the water inlet up to the top water jacket cover opening.

 

Its only a hair line crack but im sure it will still leak when it warms up, so not quite sure how to sort this out without causing more cracks or damage.

 

 

*need advise on this please*

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Its only a hair line crack but im sure it will still leak when it warms up, so not quite sure how to sort this out without causing more cracks or damage.

 

As a first step, I would try ignoring it. Perhaps is won't leak.

 

If it does leak then the normal repair is metal-stitching, but there are also specialists who can weld engine blocks.

 

http://www.castironweldingrepairs.co.uk

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Hi Dan.

 

As Andy says, I would ignore it! Our FWD also has three cracks just like that. They don't leak when parked but are inclined to weep when the engine is running. They are an annoyance but don't stop us running and I think the risk of doing more damage trying to fix them is quite high. Leave it alone and see what happens!

 

Steve

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Hi Dan.

 

As Andy says, I would ignore it! Our FWD also has three cracks just like that. They don't leak when parked but are inclined to weep when the engine is running. They are an annoyance but don't stop us running and I think the risk of doing more damage trying to fix them is quite high. Leave it alone and see what happens!

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve, thanks for that i wasn't sure about fixing it as i know it is possible to do more damage than good some times, so i'll leave it well be then.

 

Also thanks Andy, for your advise as well and thanks for the link.

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*need advise on this please*

 

General agreement on this;

 

1. Leave it till it is running and see if it leaks.

2. If it does leak try a proprietary leak sealer like Radweld or Barrs Leaks.

3. Still a problem? Then call Metallock who can do a site repair, after which you can forget it for the next 100 years.

 

Sides of water jacket castings are generally thin and they normally crack at changes of section, so any form of welding or brazing repair will probably cause it to run and you might end up with more grief. Might be good to clean down and crack check the whole of the accessible block surfaces with dye penetrant now though, before you put a lot of time, money, and effort into it. If it does have multiple cracks, and many old block castings do, then just freight it to your nearest Metallock branch and get it back in a month or two completely fixed. It's easier for them to do repairs in house and I'd guess cheaper if there was no urgency in the finish date.

Edited by Gordon_M
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General agreement on this;

 

1. Leave it till it is running and see if it leaks.

2. If it does leak try a proprietary leak sealer like Radweld or Barrs Leaks.

3. Still a problem? Then call Metallock who can do a site repair, after which you can forget it for the next 100 years.

 

 

 

I would personally recommend K-Seal over and above the two products you have mentioned. A far superior product.

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What might be beneficial is, by using crack detector, find the end of the crack, then drill and tap it with a brass screw and gently peen it over. I say brass, because you will not want to strike it hard, just enough to swell it in the thread, copper would be better. This will stop the crack from running.

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A little further research has revealed that Halley built their own engines from about 1911 and previously had used Crossley and Tylor products,

Richard Peskett.

 

Ah, now that sounds like a reasonable development path. As a former engine development engineer, I know how much effort has to go into getting even a simple engine to work well and reliably in production.

 

trevor

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Hi all, have just finished removing the last valve cap, valve's and valve guides from cylinder number two , the last valve cap put a good fight but with heat and lots of oil and more heat then let it cool down then a big bar shifted it.:yay:

 

Also have removed about a cup of limescale and rusty dirt from the water jacket, and there's more to remove:shocked:.

 

Have also cleaned up the cam shaft ready to figure out what to do about the key way, there is a few options i,m thinking of, anyway here's some pictures of what it look's like so far * so tired now :yawn: but thought i'd sort out a post before i go home.DSCN0883.jpg 6 Cylinder number 1 awaiting the same treatment.

 

Good night from a tired Dan.

DSCN0877.jpg

DSCN0878.jpg

DSCN0879.jpg

DSCN0881.jpg

DSCN0882.jpg

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Hi Dan, thanks for the parts and your help today, made it to work office and home with no problems from the disco. I will helicoil the hole and turn up a new brass screw at the weekend. Check the price of a new top hose £65, think I will do my modification first.

great to see the engine and the progress, think I could spend all day looking at stuff in your work shop.

 

Best Regards

ian

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Hi Ian, glad the repair held out and you got back safely thanks.

 

Have just finished cleaning out all the treads of rusted or broken studs plus last night i cleaned up the outside of cylinder number two, and put some grey primer on her, just makes it nicer to handle and looks nice.

 

Will post some pictures soon Dan.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all, just an update iv just finished stripping the other block down, that the valve caps were so seized it was unbelievable.

 

also i think i have a solution to the missing pistons, the bore of my engine is 4 1/8 ID a fordson standard is also 4 1/8 so that was a good match but even better than that, the chap who sold me the radiator tube's had a brand new set of Fordson pistons all complete plus 0.0040 over sized and cast iron.

 

There still in there original box with GWR labels to Bristol Temple Meads Urgent! Well maybe not that urgent then.

 

Dan

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