This is one of the best Lister D video's I have seen,most of the others go through the startup procedure and hey presto away we go, but you showed the failures and how you overcame them by thinking the problem through,process of elimination and determination,(as well as plenty of cups of tea)well done Norman and you have a lovely looking engine there
@@bixanorak Hi Norman. Well, rust removed and all painted up now. Loose-fitted all the parts today, and now impossible to lift of course, LOL! Magneto is the worry, but I know of someone not too far away who can check it over for me. I do have a new spark plug! Watch this space. Cheers.
@@GWRDukedog9021 Hi Geoff. Don't worry, I'll be watching out for further info. Hope you've been taking photos so you can make a video or slide-show of your progress. Indeed, the magneto is crucial. A weak, feeble 'clicking' spark like I had seemed OK in the open air - but inside the cylinder under compression, the air/petrol mixture is *much* denser & the spark might not occur. You need a good fat 'snapping' spark outside - which I'm sure you'll figure out how to get. Keep up the good work! Cheers, Norman.
Hi Norman. I love your Lister D. I went out the other day to buy a Lister D, discovered it was sold (very sad I was) and ended up buying a 1930's Lister CS 3 and half hp (happy again, in fact drooling with delight) ! Anyway Norman, I absolutely loved your video presentation, no bs, simple and to the point. You are a star. Well done and keep lighting up the lister. Regards Brian.
A great 'how to' video. I really enjoyed your natural presentation. I have just bought my first Lister D and go to collect it tomorrow. I've not had an engine with magneto ignition since I had a Stuart turner 2 cylinder petrol engine in a boat back in the 60s and 70s. Your video brought back a few memories.
That's great, Jon! Wishing all the best of luck with your new engine. I got both the standard books on the D, which were a great help. And btw, there is a common error lurking around, about the tappet clearance - a misprint that somehow survived. The wrong one is far too big - so big it's 'obviously wrong'. 8^) Cheers, Norman.
Wonderful. I have been going to a local thresheree show for 20 years and as far back as I can remember one of my favorite displays has been a large line shaft flour mill station ran by a large lister engine. The man running it has been coming to this show for at least that long if not longer. The tradition hasn't changed and the restoration of the engine is as old as the years it's been at the show. It's wonderful to see the engine age the more years I go ... Just wonderful.
Hi Stu - your message has made me chuckle, because only a couple of days ago, I made a very short video for some mates - I left it unlisted, but you can see it at: th-cam.com/video/Wga9KX5GpNQ/w-d-xo.html , where the Lister is still running OK, albeit 8-stroking because it hadn't warmed up! Hope you're hoding out OK in these strange times- it's fine here. Take care, & best wishes, Norman.
As far as valve clearence goes. Set them wide. Run the engine on a load to get it nice and hot. Stop the engine and measure them again before it cools down. This will give you an idea of how much they tighten up between cold and hot. The rest of the cap is to allow for the valves wearing out between services. If its just a show engine then you can set them on the tight side to quieten it a bit.
Hi Norman, I have one of these now and your video is going to be a great help in sorting it out. It's also nice to see that you change your shirt more often than I do :-). Very entertaining and enjoyable, thanks.
Bognor Bill Congrats, Bill! I dare say you are already experienced in this sort of engine? If not (as I wasn't!) it might be a bit uphill at first. But there are all those helpful blokes out there on TH-cam - so the very best of luck, and looking forward to hearing of your success. Cheers, Norman.
Great video. Very entertaining to watch and it shows just what to expect from 1000 year old spark plugs. You should always use a brand new plug when first running an engine and this helps to eliminate at least 1 problem.
Many thanks: glad you liked it! Yes, owning a Lister 'D' was an ambition, acquired years ago when I was an interant jazz musician, doing gigs at Steam Rallies, Village Fetes, County Shows & the like, and would spend intervals looking at everything, especially the stationary engines. The 'D' appealed because of its prosaic functionality, over some of the more elaborate, larger (and more expensive) types. Your suggestion of a Lucas C40 has been carefully noted, as it must do some work v soon!
Hi Barney Dog. Since the video, I made a new needle valve - the tip of the old one was pitted, as remarked, so its action was a bit unpredictable. It's a 5/16" BSF thread, so got a piece of studding & turned a taper on it to as near as I could get to the same angle. Now, the entire range is about three-quarters of a turn from fully closed (i.e. fuel turned right off), to cold starting position at about 3/4 of a turn open - and of course you press down the the top of the air inlet valve when starting from cold - this acts as a choke to richen the mixture. As soon as it fires, let the air inlet valve go, then turn the disc a bit (usually clockwise) until the engine runs, even if a bit rough to start with. Mine usually 'eight-strokes' at first, but as soon as it starts to warm up a bit, it will properly four-stroke, then you can screw in the disc until it is open maybe half a turn or a bit less. Of course, they'll all be different & have have their own 'preferred setting' - but once you've found it, you should find it pretty reproducible! Cheers, Norman. P.S. The main point is, it all happens in about one turn; if you open it 2 or 3 turns, it will almost certainly flood & never start. That's what kept happening to mine, as the end of the needle valve was wonky.
Hi again Norman. Thanks for reply. These engines have a demonic soul. I bought this one to help me ease into retirement .I'm totally refurbishing it , knowing the parts are costing me far more than I can buy a running engine but it has a hold on me. So simple but so good and it'll be bitter sweet when it's finished. Regards Mike P.
Hi Norman, Many canal narrowboats are powered by Lister engines - I recognised the distinctive sound. So maybe what you now need is a narrowboat to go with your engine !
Glad you liked it, Alec. Have installed it in my garden shed - it seems to work OK with about 6 feet of exhaust pipe. But as yet, it still doesn't drive anything. This is a serious state of affairs & needs fixing! 8^) Cheers, Norman.
Thanks for watching this different type video. Your comment on sandals is absolutely correct, wholly justified, and has been noted - many thanks. It's true I wasn't actually dismantling anything heavy, but I might easily have dropped the starting handle on my left big toe, which is prone to gout. This would have required severe editing of the audio track! One neighbour's son has a motor bike, which he tunes up often; on the other side, they are rebuilding their house; so it's OK so far! 8^)
Well, that was different; and brought back memories of working on BMC A-Series engines on my aged cars in the late 60s and early 70s. I fear for you, though. Working on machinery whilst wearing open-toed sandals is not wise. It was impressive to see and hear it running, though I suspect your neighbours will come to regret helping you get it into the back garden. It's not exactly a quiet beast.
Hi there & thanks for writing. Yes, little tiny things can be a complete drag. I made a new one in the end from a piece of studding - I think it's 5/16" BSF, but check that. Happily I have a small lathe & was able to machine a nice tapered point on it. 5 years on from the video, it now lives in my garden shed - I fitted a long exhaust pipe that goes through the shed wall and up several feet, with a top hat to stop the rain getting in. I run it for half an hour every 2 or three months, and (touch wood) the magneto is still fine & it starts easily. Best of luck with yours! Cheers, Norman.
Thanks for writing! Glad you liked it. It now lives in my garden shed, and I don't suppose it likes having a copper exhaust pipe about seven feet long with two elbows to get the exhaust through the shed wall & up in the air a bit. The normal exhaust is what, 7" or 8" long? Still, it's survived in the shed for over four years, and almost always starts pretty easily. Of course, for the first start of the year, you check the oil, top up the governor, oil the magneto chain, change the sparking plug for the other one, freshly brushed & cleaned, &c. It's also helpful to mutter a few mystic incantations, and to verbally praise the engine for its many virtues. Then, it will usually go on first crank. It mostly eight-strokes for the first few minutes (I put that down to the long exhaust pipe?), but as soon as it has warmed up a bit, you can thin the mixture, and then it's perfectly happy. Finally, I hope that everybody who has wanted a Lister D (or anything similar) will somehow be able to get one, because - I can't quite describe the emotion of it all - it's just such a rewarding thing to have. These machines (whether the small ones, or the great big ones) helped to underwrite so much sheer achievement in agriculture, farming and industry, that they seem to me to be a small but vital part of the very soul of this country. OK; I've had a couple of drinks; but what the heck! Cheers, Norman.
About 6 years ago i was giveing a wherehouse with everything inside and going true everything there i came across 6 of this machines now i still dont know what to do with all of them but all of them are un good working conditions Maybe i will just keep them for future use of them on my 65 acres farm
Glad you liked it! Actually, it'll be going up for sale as soon as I've fitted a better petrol cock & feed pipe. All the best for now, &thnaks for writing! Cheers, Norman.
This is one of the best Lister D video's I have seen,most of the others go through the startup procedure and hey presto away we go, but you showed the failures and how you overcame them by thinking the problem through,process of elimination and determination,(as well as plenty of cups of tea)well done Norman and you have a lovely looking engine there
Good to watch your video,have not come across many people talking about the electrical side of the motor.
Great! Just thinking about rebuilding my 1949 Lister D, from an Oogle hay elevator, so pretty rusty! 12 years since I took it to pieces!
Good Luck. Let everybody know how you get on! Cheers, Norman.
@@bixanorak Hi Norman. Well, rust removed and all painted up now. Loose-fitted all the parts today, and now impossible to lift of course, LOL! Magneto is the worry, but I know of someone not too far away who can check it over for me. I do have a new spark plug! Watch this space. Cheers.
@@GWRDukedog9021 Hi Geoff. Don't worry, I'll be watching out for further info. Hope you've been taking photos so you can make a video or slide-show of your progress. Indeed, the magneto is crucial. A weak, feeble 'clicking' spark like I had seemed OK in the open air - but inside the cylinder under compression, the air/petrol mixture is *much* denser & the spark might not occur. You need a good fat 'snapping' spark outside - which I'm sure you'll figure out how to get. Keep up the good work! Cheers, Norman.
@@bixanorak I'll keep you posted on the Magneto. Yes, I have some video shots and some early photos too. Regards
Here you go Norman, short video of first running, thank you: th-cam.com/video/FjZFO0Nw1r0/w-d-xo.html
Hi Norman. I love your Lister D. I went out the other day to buy a Lister D, discovered it was sold (very sad I was) and ended up buying a 1930's Lister CS 3 and half hp (happy again, in fact drooling with delight) ! Anyway Norman, I absolutely loved your video presentation, no bs, simple and to the point. You are a star. Well done and keep lighting up the lister. Regards Brian.
A great 'how to' video. I really enjoyed your natural presentation. I have just bought my first Lister D and go to collect it tomorrow. I've not had an engine with magneto ignition since I had a Stuart turner 2 cylinder petrol engine in a boat back in the 60s and 70s. Your video brought back a few memories.
That's great, Jon! Wishing all the best of luck with your new engine. I got both the standard books on the D, which were a great help. And btw, there is a common error lurking around, about the tappet clearance - a misprint that somehow survived. The wrong one is far too big - so big it's 'obviously wrong'. 8^) Cheers, Norman.
Thanks for uploading this video. I look forward to the day I’ll have one in my back garden, but I’ve learned an awful lot here. Thank you.
Wonderful. I have been going to a local thresheree show for 20 years and as far back as I can remember one of my favorite displays has been a large line shaft flour mill station ran by a large lister engine. The man running it has been coming to this show for at least that long if not longer. The tradition hasn't changed and the restoration of the engine is as old as the years it's been at the show. It's wonderful to see the engine age the more years I go ... Just wonderful.
Nice video Norman and glad you got it going although this video is now 7 years old I hope she's still going.
Hi Stu - your message has made me chuckle, because only a couple of days ago, I made a very short video for some mates - I left it unlisted, but you can see it at: th-cam.com/video/Wga9KX5GpNQ/w-d-xo.html , where the Lister is still running OK, albeit 8-stroking because it hadn't warmed up! Hope you're hoding out OK in these strange times- it's fine here. Take care, & best wishes, Norman.
Lovely presentation. I wonder though, is that a resistor type plug cap you've used?
Thanks for the mention, enjoyed the video!
Nice engine that one too, seems to go well and sounds spot on.
Lovely engine, I have 1952 and it runs so nice, thanks for sharing this video
As far as valve clearence goes. Set them wide. Run the engine on a load to get it nice and hot. Stop the engine and measure them again before it cools down. This will give you an idea of how much they tighten up between cold and hot. The rest of the cap is to allow for the valves wearing out between services. If its just a show engine then you can set them on the tight side to quieten it a bit.
Hi Norman,
I have one of these now and your video is going to be a great help in sorting it out. It's also nice to see that you change your shirt more often than I do :-). Very entertaining and enjoyable, thanks.
Bognor Bill Congrats, Bill! I dare say you are already experienced in this sort of engine? If not (as I wasn't!) it might be a bit uphill at first. But there are all those helpful blokes out there on TH-cam - so the very best of luck, and looking forward to hearing of your success. Cheers, Norman.
Great video. Very entertaining to watch and it shows just what to expect from 1000 year old spark plugs. You should always use a brand new plug when first running an engine and this helps to eliminate at least 1 problem.
Like it mate, a good production about a good engine.
Many thanks: glad you liked it! Yes, owning a Lister 'D' was an ambition, acquired years ago when I was an interant jazz musician, doing gigs at Steam Rallies, Village Fetes, County Shows & the like, and would spend intervals looking at everything, especially the stationary engines. The 'D' appealed because of its prosaic functionality, over some of the more elaborate, larger (and more expensive) types. Your suggestion of a Lucas C40 has been carefully noted, as it must do some work v soon!
Hi Norman, thanks for the video. Can you tell me how many screw turns the run stop valve should be please. Leon
Hi Barney Dog. Since the video, I made a new needle valve - the tip of the old one was pitted, as remarked, so its action was a bit unpredictable. It's a 5/16" BSF thread, so got a piece of studding & turned a taper on it to as near as I could get to the same angle. Now, the entire range is about three-quarters of a turn from fully closed (i.e. fuel turned right off), to cold starting position at about 3/4 of a turn open - and of course you press down the the top of the air inlet valve when starting from cold - this acts as a choke to richen the mixture. As soon as it fires, let the air inlet valve go, then turn the disc a bit (usually clockwise) until the engine runs, even if a bit rough to start with. Mine usually 'eight-strokes' at first, but as soon as it starts to warm up a bit, it will properly four-stroke, then you can screw in the disc until it is open maybe half a turn or a bit less. Of course, they'll all be different & have have their own 'preferred setting' - but once you've found it, you should find it pretty reproducible! Cheers, Norman. P.S. The main point is, it all happens in about one turn; if you open it 2 or 3 turns, it will almost certainly flood & never start. That's what kept happening to mine, as the end of the needle valve was wonky.
Thanks Norman, very helpful. Regards Leon
Hi again Norman. Thanks for reply. These engines have a demonic soul. I bought this one to help me ease into retirement .I'm totally refurbishing it , knowing the parts are costing me far more than I can buy a running engine but it has a hold on me. So simple but so good and it'll be bitter sweet when it's finished. Regards Mike P.
Hi Norman, Many canal narrowboats are powered by Lister engines - I recognised the distinctive sound. So maybe what you now need is a narrowboat to go with your engine !
Enjoyed the video very informative, cheers
Thanka a lot, Brian. It's still going. in the shed.... see th-cam.com/video/Wga9KX5GpNQ/w-d-xo.html ... 8^) take care in the plague... Cheers, Norman.
Really enjoyed the video, cheers Norman!
Glad you liked it, Alec. Have installed it in my garden shed - it seems to work OK with about 6 feet of exhaust pipe. But as yet, it still doesn't drive anything. This is a serious state of affairs & needs fixing! 8^) Cheers, Norman.
I've just bought one now! Tank cooled...
Hello Norman. I'm curious if you still have your Lister D and if you ever got it to drive a device.?
Thanks for watching this different type video. Your comment on sandals is absolutely correct, wholly justified, and has been noted - many thanks. It's true I wasn't actually dismantling anything heavy, but I might easily have dropped the starting handle on my left big toe, which is prone to gout. This would have required severe editing of the audio track! One neighbour's son has a motor bike, which he tunes up often; on the other side, they are rebuilding their house; so it's OK so far! 8^)
was wondering how too get my lister d going a big help mate thankyou
Well, that was different; and brought back memories of working on BMC A-Series engines on my aged cars in the late 60s and early 70s.
I fear for you, though. Working on machinery whilst wearing open-toed sandals is not wise. It was impressive to see and hear it running, though I suspect your neighbours will come to regret helping you get it into the back garden. It's not exactly a quiet beast.
Nice, I must just out why my Lister don't want to keep running, that needle of mine have a little bend on the tip, I will fix that and try
Hi there & thanks for writing. Yes, little tiny things can be a complete drag. I made a new one in the end from a piece of studding - I think it's 5/16" BSF, but check that. Happily I have a small lathe & was able to machine a nice tapered point on it. 5 years on from the video, it now lives in my garden shed - I fitted a long exhaust pipe that goes through the shed wall and up several feet, with a top hat to stop the rain getting in. I run it for half an hour every 2 or three months, and (touch wood) the magneto is still fine & it starts easily. Best of luck with yours! Cheers, Norman.
Norman Field Thanks Norman, appreciation for your reply, I will try your advice on Saturday, I will let you know
I want to find anyone who has bored out s D for liner fitting. How much can I take out before breaking into the jacket?
Lovely video, many thanks.
Thanks for writing! Glad you liked it. It now lives in my garden shed, and I don't suppose it likes having a copper exhaust pipe about seven feet long with two elbows to get the exhaust through the shed wall & up in the air a bit. The normal exhaust is what, 7" or 8" long? Still, it's survived in the shed for over four years, and almost always starts pretty easily. Of course, for the first start of the year, you check the oil, top up the governor, oil the magneto chain, change the sparking plug for the other one, freshly brushed & cleaned, &c. It's also helpful to mutter a few mystic incantations, and to verbally praise the engine for its many virtues. Then, it will usually go on first crank. It mostly eight-strokes for the first few minutes (I put that down to the long exhaust pipe?), but as soon as it has warmed up a bit, you can thin the mixture, and then it's perfectly happy. Finally, I hope that everybody who has wanted a Lister D (or anything similar) will somehow be able to get one, because - I can't quite describe the emotion of it all - it's just such a rewarding thing to have. These machines (whether the small ones, or the great big ones) helped to underwrite so much sheer achievement in agriculture, farming and industry, that they seem to me to be a small but vital part of the very soul of this country. OK; I've had a couple of drinks; but what the heck! Cheers, Norman.
About 6 years ago i was giveing a wherehouse with everything inside
and going true everything there i came across 6 of this machines now i still dont know what to do with all of them
but all of them are un good working conditions
Maybe i will just keep them for future use of them on my 65 acres farm
I would LOVE one of those.
Brilliant Your the man Norm.
Ah the BBC Television Newsreel theme!
Thankyou
This is a great video
I hope you wouldn't have overlooked appropriate video editing to spare the blushes of the lip-readers amongst us!
Magic Cheers 👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Glad you liked it! Actually, it'll be going up for sale as soon as I've fitted a better petrol cock & feed pipe. All the best for now, &thnaks for writing! Cheers, Norman.