[SEL] Bodgers

[Listerdiesel]

A subject that I started on our own little engine forum in the UK, but
I was surprised at how little understanding there seemed to exist over
the requirements for restoration of an engine, not the paintwork, just
the basic mechanical parts.

Up until the weekend I had spent nearly 24 hours working on an engine
to take to Nuenen to put up for sale. It was bought last year sometime
and had been parked up at the factory, but with the rally getting
closer, we pulled it out and started to sort any obvious problems as
we did not want to sell it as in running condition, if it wasn't.

What should have been 4 or 5 hours pleasant time spent playing with
the spanners turned out to be a catalogue of bodges, no other word,
and the further we got into it, the more we found.

Saturday at 3pm I had to return home as we had both been hit with
Gastric Flu and were feeling pretty rough, but by then we had
straightened out most of the obvious stuff, cannabalised some parts of
another non-runner and bought fuel fittings to get a working petrol
feed.

The worst bit was a cast-ali fuel tank bracket, which had been
'repaired' with a bit of steel, some bolts and some Araldite or body
filler, then, as the bolts were proud of the base of the bracket, they
has shovelled more filler on to try and get it to sit squarely on the
engine.

It was almost a parts engine at one point, but we have worked through
the list of bits and pieces, and although today is our first full day
back on our feet, we hope to have it all done in time for the Ferry on
Friday morning.

Surely people realise that we need to keep our toys in working order
for future generations of engine owners? surely Dave R isn't going to
have his Austral and Galloway buried with him when he goes ?  :-))
Actually, Dave's standards I have no problem with, or any of the List
guys for that matter.

Peter (Living on Lucozade at present)
-- 
Peter A Forbes
Email: listerdiesel at gmail.com
http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel
http://stationary-engine.co.uk
http://www.oldengine.co.uk