Caddy

It doesn't look that well at least......

Had a lovely afternoon yesterday working on her. We've actually spent about 3 days and 5 litres worth of lubricating oil trying to get things to move again. Getting there.

Yesterday we stripped the Aux Gen carb, cleaned and then refitted. I started on the ignition for the Aux Gen, but everything is so rusty I haven't been able to check the low tension feed. Think the Condenser has had it, but will be able to tell once we get hold of a Megger.

The engine turns on the starter motor (no booster coil on yet). We've replaced the fuel filter, but still need to blow out the fuel lines. The fuel tanks need replacing (got a spare set), but we will see if she runs with a temp fuel tank for the moment.

God know's if the charge circuit will work, more cable tracing.

She needs a vaccuum as well.

The starter motor is a Rotax direct cranking starter running as has been said at around 30rpm. It acts directly on the end of the crankshaft.

The booster coil actually fires out sparks fairly indiscriminately to each of the twelve cylinders, sometimes causing the engine to stall against the starter, but eventually, sometimes sooner, sometimes a little later, but always eventually catching the right cylinder in the right position and firing up.

Spark plug changes were a real pain in the a**e though!

It isn't quite like that.

The booster coil's High Tension circuit is plugged into the magneto. Yes it is primed to provide a spark all the time, but as it feeds the retarded electrode on the rotor arm in the mag if that is not in line with a HT electrode then the High Tension side of the booster coil's circuit will be open - there will be nowhere for the charge to go. Basically this method is like a very very simple way of distributing the charge. There is no way it can randomly fire off spark plugs. Electricity won't work that way; it's lazy and will take the path of least resistance so will probably spark at one plug only unless you have a means to move it around.

You should see Phil, Lauren; he's giggling like a little girl!

7 years since she last ran apparently.

Centurion 5/2 AVRE 165 @ Duxford

Just to let you know that she's started to breathe. We got the engine turning over, clutch is seized on.

General idea is to get her running so we can get her under cover.

cracking ol' engine !

Just out of interest ....what's the starting system on such a motor ?

is it a straight forward starter motor on a whacking great big battery or is it maybe an airstart system perhaps of some sorts ?

It's on a starter motor that turns the engine at about 30rpm.

One of the magnetos (usually the exhaust mag), has a feed from a booster coil going in to it which feeds a separate arm on the rotor which is about 30deg retarded. This means that the plugs spark after TDC and turns the engine at a speed where the magnetos will then create a spark of their own.

The booster coil is only used at the start.

Hope that makes sense and helps

Those pistons look very similar to a Rolls Royce Meteor - no help to you whatsoever but just thought I'd put it out there.

Nice, but did anyone ask him how he got an extra 100bhp out of it? I also liked the picture of the spitfire......

In our DLB it looks like the breaker and relay were never there in the first place; there's no hole in the side of the box for the breaker or any sign of the relay.

Ah - that may explain what's going on. I've never seen a DLB without the breaker, yours must be ancient! Here's the circuit diagram for the old version:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]81430[/ATTACH]

 

How many wires does your FIP solenoid have - two or three?

 

Andy

3: 1 common, 1 to pull, and 1 to hold in place.

From what you've said it sound like the pack we've got has had the modification to run with the DLB No1 Mk1 Mod7. And somehow the DLB we have in the 432 is 'bodge'd' to work. If we swap for the DLB Mod7 we should be fine (hopefully).

I wonder if you've ended up with some sort of half-way house between the two versions of wiring. The easiest thing to investigate is the fuel pump as that doesn't go through the relay circuit. Provided you've got 24V on 12F from the engine switch and 24V also comes out of 2G, it should find its way via the paralleling link to 23A and the pump should run.

 

Andy

There's no power coming out of the box to feed the FIP solenoid, the fuel pump, or the starter motor.

Power is going in at the right connections, but it isn't coming out. Wonder if someone has fried it trying dick about with it.

Ta, ancient, that's probably about right........

The link is in place and working, was on top of that from your previous post

Andy,

The Mod 6 doesn't have the 25amp breaker or the relay that sits on top of the TB's on the lid. Have you got any info on this modification?

Cheers

Paul

My life is now fulfilled, thank you

Mr Compo,

any updates?

Stupid Question time!

What does HVSS stand for?

Okay,

A little progress today. My friend has got the fuel solenoid to open and hold, the starter motor to spin and the fuel pump to pump. All this by feeding the relevant cables that connect through the DLB. When we try it through the DLB nuffink.

So the DLB in fried. The one we have on at the moment is a DLB No1 Mk1 Mod6. We have got a No1 Mk1 Mod7 which seems to use the same connections in the same order, but we are still a little worried as to whether we can just use the Mod7 or not, or does there need to be some adaptions to the wiring harnesses?

Any help would be most appreciated

The fuel solenoid was fiddled with by someone who didn't find out how it works. Also there's been a lot of damaged cables. The solenoid is back on and correctly set, electrically checked and all cabling checked, but it still won't work. Same with the fuel pump. Feed it with 24v and it has worked for over 30min non stop, but through the DLB nothing.......

Looking at it we think that someone in the past has re-wired it to take a Mk2 starter with a separate starter solenoid. Also other weird issues with the fuel solenoid......

Andy,

You're not the only one!

I found that as well, but it is different to the one fitted in our 432. The FV numbers are the same, and it is marked up with No.1 Mk1, but there are differences in the wiring.

This DL box is turning into Pandoras Box...

Thanks Clive,

Do you know where I can get a copy of these? Pretty sure we don't have them. Is this something available from Bovington or maybe the REME museum?

Cheers

Paul

G'day,

Does anyone know where I can get a wiring diagram for a DLB No.1 Mk1 FV494570 including MOD mod 4, and if there is an EMER covering the electrical systems using this Distribution Link Box?

I've got the set from andym, but they don't cover this, and we're having real trouble getting to grips with the electrical systems.

Cheers

Paul

I use a battery conditioner on my motorbike (an optimate 3), which kept the battery good for 9 years. Very rarely ran the bike in winter and it kept the battery fresh.

Try Optimate's website. (Google, can't remember it at moment).

Not my MV, but worked on a centurion. We had to install and test the main engine starter motor. The main bus bar had been completely wired up wrong and when my mate turned on the main switch there were sparks jumping out of the starter right next to me.

It's only 24v my bottom - still scary at 200a

And that slightly smaller rig seems to be in lane 3 of a 3 lane motorway......