Radiator help..my first new engine (lister CS)

[Stans]

Hi all...I picked up my first engine today, a Lister CS complete with radiator and original fuel tank. Can anyone help me in testing (gently) my radiator to maybe 3 or 4 lbs pressure to see if it is sound? I don't want to hook up my compressor to it but if there is any other way of testing small rads like this I'd like some advice on it.
stan

[Mike Rollins]

Nice engine, If the radiator has a regular automotive cap, try an automotive hand raditor preassure tester. They have a small hand pump with a preassure gauge and a hose with a cap on the end. Place the cap on the rad and pump up to your desired preassure. Watch the gauge for 15-20 minutes if it does not loose preassure you have no leaks. You can test just the rad, if you isolate it and plug all ports, or your entire cooling system. This can also be a great test for your head gasket. Check with your local auto parts store, they may have one you can rent. If not I believe JC whitney sells them.
Good luck,
Mike

[Stans]

Thanks Mike...the auto rad tester is a good idea but the rad filler cap on top is much bigger than an auto rad and the threads are very fine. I'll have to come up with another solution.
stan

[ListerDiesel]

Originally Posted by Stans

Hi all...I picked up my first engine today, a Lister CS complete with radiator and original fuel tank. Can anyone help me in testing (gently) my radiator to maybe 3 or 4 lbs pressure to see if it is sound? I don't want to hook up my compressor to it but if there is any other way of testing small rads like this I'd like some advice on it.
stan

The Lister rads were unpressurised, so don't go putting anything down there that might blow a tank panel out.

I'm still looking for your flywheel weights... :-))

Peter

[Stans]

Tnx Peter...I put the engine's age at 1949 with a serial # of CS68410. What I can't understand is the plate that says "LISTARD" followed by "Van Der Horst" followed by the british patent numbers.
Stan

[Craig A]

Originally Posted by Stans

Hi all...I picked up my first engine today, a Lister CS complete with radiator and original fuel tank............I'd like some advice on it.
stan

Well Stan...........the only time we NEED to pressurize a rad is when the customer doesn't KNOW where the leak is.
If it's gonna leak it's gonna leak..................and if it doesn't leak, consider yourself lucky and leave it alone..

[Stans]

Tnx Craig...good advice, I"ve got lots to do tearing her down and rebuilding her anyway. Now I've got to go and hunt down whitworth sockets for the head nuts???
Stan

[ListerDiesel]

Originally Posted by Stans

Tnx Peter...I put the engine's age at 1949 with a serial # of CS68410. What I can't understand is the plate that says "LISTARD" followed by "Van Der Horst" followed by the british patent numbers.
Stan

Listard, Chromard and other trade names were used for the Chrome bore finish. Van der Horst were the original patentees and companies like Lister paid for and used the process for many years.

Displaying the Patent number was a part of the licencing process.

Peter

[Robt.]

Lucky break!

I was just a little behind one of these out of Powell River. It was sent to the scrap if you can believe it.

How people can be that thick in this day and age is beyond me.

[Stans]

Thanks for the reply Robt...My daughter's inlaws live in Parksville and I get over to the Island occasionally.
I've spent the last 2 years telling everyone that would listen I was looking for one of these, even packed a picture around with me. You sure find out who your real friends are. Anyway, I've got a lead on another one just up the road a couple of hours. Talked with the guy and he swears it's a lister cs, he's also got what sounds like a petter av2. We'll see when the weather clears up a bit, its 10 deg C. below, windy and snowing about an inch an hour tonight.
Stan

[Robt.]

I've spent the last 2 years telling everyone that would listen I was looking for one of these, even packed a picture around with me.

Good for you Stan, that's exactly what I used to do with another type of engine I was after. Turned up quite a few that way.

Williams Machinery used to sell the Petters I believe, saw an AV2 recently.

Well, there's quite a few people who could use a Start-o-matic around here tonight!

A 16/2 would be the ultimate find. They're out there...

By the way, if anyone out there is interested, I know where there are at least four Lister FR2s sitting awaiting rebuilds. Most have built-in clutches and electric starters too. 1200rpm & 12hp. About $1800. US would take them all. VERY heavy engines and pretty quiet too I'm told. The last of the cold-start diesels. I guess governed down to 600 rpm, they'd make about 6-8hp.

[ListerDiesel]

Originally Posted by Robt.

By the way, if anyone out there is interested, I know where there are at least four Lister FR2s sitting awaiting rebuilds. Most have built-in clutches and electric starters too. 1200rpm & 12hp. About $1800. US would take them all. VERY heavy engines and pretty quiet too I'm told. The last of the cold-start diesels. I guess governed down to 600 rpm, they'd make about 6-8hp.

They wouldn't like running that slow unfortunately, especially with any kind of load. The water and oil pumps are going to be running much slower at half speed and you'd probably get problems with cooling etc.

Because of the internal complexities of the engine compared with the CS series, you'd probably find that there is not a lot of usable power left at that speed. The FR1 was said to be very marginal on power at anything less than full speed.

Peter

[ListerDiesel]

Originally Posted by ListerDiesel

They wouldn't like running that slow unfortunately, especially with any kind of load. The water and oil pumps are going to be running much slower at half speed and you'd probably get problems with cooling etc.

Because of the internal complexities of the engine compared with the CS series, you'd probably find that there is not a lot of usable power left at that speed. The FR1 was said to be very marginal on power at anything less than full speed.

Peter

I just dug out the power curves for the FR2 series.

Continuous rating at 1800rpm is just under 20bhp.
Continuous rating at 1500rpm is just under 16bhp.
Continuous rating at 1000rpm is 10bhp.
Continuous rating at 800rpm is j 8bhp.
The curve stops at 800rpm, but running the line down the graph gives 7hp at 700rpm

Peter

[Robt.]

Thank you for that information Peter.

Does this graph indicate that the engines could be run continuously at 800 rpm under load, or is it only a theoretical rating, bearing in mind your previous reply about the water and oil pumps etc.?

[superglide]

G'day Stans. Nice old engines aren't they !! I have 2 CS Listers here that i have to rebuild. One is a 3HP model and the other is a 6HP model. I'm really looking forward to doing them up and hopefully putting them to work on our small farm. Best of luck with yours. Cheers.....Superglide.

[ListerDiesel]

Originally Posted by Robt.

Thank you for that information Peter.

Does this graph indicate that the engines could be run continuously at 800 rpm under load, or is it only a theoretical rating, bearing in mind your previous reply about the water and oil pumps etc.?

It's a 'confidential' factory document that wasn't released to the public, probably in the days before the engine was sold. I'd suggest that as there is no mention in the handbook of running at low speeds then they should be operated at the nameplate speed.

In practice the FR series could be run between 1000 and 2000 rpm, so use that 1000rpm as the lowest figure unless we could find something that says it is safe to do otherwise.

Peter

[Stans]

Thanks for the reply superglide...I just found a 10/2 today that I don't know if I am going to purchase, it looks quite bad, been sitting in a field for a couple of years without the heads on it.

Where are you going to source your new parts? Listeroid parts or are you going to try and find original new old stock stuff.
Stan

[superglide]

G'day Stans. Thanks for the reply! Getting Lister parts isn't a drama here in Australia as far as i know but if i get dramas, i'll resort to Listeroids parts if i have to. The 6HP engine had a chrome bore but a few floods later and the chrome has all but rusted away. I'm hoping to fit a sleeve to this engine if it will allow but time will tell when i get to that point. Do you have a workshop manual for yours ?? When i picked up the 3HP engine, it came complete with the original workshop manual. I have a who is an avid engine collector and he also has a working CS. Stans, keep in touch if you like as i'm sure we can share info, if and when required. All the bast with yours !!
Cheers....Superglide (Dave)

[ListerDiesel]

Originally Posted by ListerDiesel

In practice the FR series could be run between 1000 and 2000 rpm, so use that 1000rpm as the lowest figure unless we could find something that says it is safe to do otherwise.
Peter

The sales brochure quotes 800rpm as the lowest speed for the FR.

Peter