Petter M runs - first time in at least 40 years

Just got my 6hp Petter M running. Started almost first time after I sorted out the major error with the repair I made to the vapouriser (managed to fill the centre hole up with solder). I've had it since the early 80's, and I guess it must have stood for at least 10 years before that. Now I've just to to work out how to search the archive to see if I can find anything out about it. Its a late one (no 76262), and was driving a winch (which I have also). I guess it had done very little work - all I had to do was have the magneto rewound, replace the piston rings (which I broke trying to extract them from the grooves, where they were well stuck), and mend the vapouriser - I guess it had come into contact with the piston at some stage.

Ian

 

Ian
Well done. Not that late as around 1931-2. Just email David Edgington (Enginbooks@aol.com) for the basic sale details. He will also give you the order number as this is the sequence in which the archive was filmed. Any problems with locating your engine let me know or just give me the order number and I'll find and index it for you. Once indexed a simple serial search will find it.
BTW Mac McGowan, rattlenackers (sic) on Ebay sells atomisers for £11.00. They are frequently broken off usually by being dropped or clumsily handled

cheers
Roland

 

I have found and indexed Ian's engine. A superb, and unmolested, original example of Fowler spec. It has the air filter, extended crank and the taps on hopper and base tank drains.
Pics below posted on Ian's behalf. It drove the winch pictured. Was it part of a large batch concrete mixer? The size of the chain drive suggests it didn't hoist large loads.

cheers
Roland

 

What a nice unit.

Cheers, Steve

 

Hope that the engine/winch set is exhibited as one, it would look really good and is fairly rare I believe. A superb set.

 

Ian,
As Dave says it is rare to have an engine/winch as a complete unrestored unit. A heavy lump to display - best to start looking for a trailer! Pleased to see you are back in stationary engine circles.
Eric

 

Speculation of course but it seems reasonable to suggest that the Fowler spec. extended crank carried the chain drive cog and the crowned flywheel face drove the drum.
Does any one have or know of a picture of a large Fowler mixer?

cheers
Roland

 

Lovely engine there, thanks for the photos.
Can I ask who was the company or individual you used to rebuild the magneto, looks like new?

Regards
Dave

 

Not sure I'll ever show it, as its just too heavy! I bought it in south Kent about 30 years ago, its been lurking about ever since, and I thought I'd like to get the engine running. Quite what the next stage is, I don't know!

The magneto was rebuilt by Tony Stairs in North London (I have contact details if anyone is interested). He's not cheap, but the only person I've found who can do mags reliably. Hes done all the commercial vehicle magnetos I've had done for the past 20 years.

The whole unit had had very little use. I'm fairly sure that I'm the first person to have removed the crank, and Tony though the mag was untampered with!

BTW thank Roland for posting the pics!

Ian

 

Tony Stairs! Now there's a name from the past. Must be 20 odd years ago I went to Tony's place to collect some mags for a Gipsy Major. IIRC we had to have them inspected afterwards which made it an expensive job as Tony didn't have a ticket for Aircraft stuff but was well regarded then.

Mark

 

Ian has now sent a pic of the winch plate. can anyone decode it please?



regards
Roland

 

Roland,

John Fowler and Co makers of Traction Engines made many things including Concrete Mixers.

Martin P

 

erm. yes

 

what did you mean by decoding then

 

Ah yes!
The small o underlined means this is a priority message
No 20224 translates to "we are going to invade"
The proportions of the oval plate indicate March 21st 1943

That what you had in mind?

(These damn tablets are making by brain fade)

P

 

It’s more important then a Priority, O is an Immediate. :roll:

Cheers, Steve

 

Obviously sitting at home bored out of my skull is taking its toll, I haven't a clue what your all on about :?

Martin P

 

Since yesterday I am officially an OAP and my brain has instantly atrophied. At least I think it has as I found dealing with the DWP a nightmare of petty bureaucracy. They seem to expect one to understand their systems and have no concept of Customers I gave up trying to correct their mistake as no-one seemed to be able to take responsibilty. No doubt I'll be made to pay for their error at some point!

By decode I simply meant; is it possible for some clever person to suggest what sort of plant the winch set came from. I favour a good size batch mixer but have no proof.

Cheers
Roland (SOG)

 

Roland,

If you go to this link you will see a link to concrete mixers http://apps.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a ... =5-71#5-71 and as you scroll down you will see the following; Folder icon PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM. TR FOW/PH2/71 1924 - [c.1930]

These documents are held at Museum of English Rural Life

Bound volume

Contents:
Concrete mixing machinery. Compilation of thirty two CN series prints. PhN CN31, 1, 20, 4, 21, 45, 8, 9, 22, 41, 42, 44, 37, 7, 6, 32, 46, 26, 30, 47, 27, 38, 56, 57, 50, 51, 54, 33, 35, 59, 60, 52. Uncaptioned and undated prints. The CN series print reference albums are not extant. Apart from the present album, thirteen loose CN prints, C79-205, are all that is left of the series. The series commenced simultaneously with the C, G, L, R and T series. Individual print details, where known, are entered in the subsidiary photograph register to this catalogue.

What I cant find is if we can actually gain access to the catalogue's or pictures.

Martin P

 

yes I had found those but as you rightly say they are not on-line. Reading is not somewhere I go or want to

Hissing down here!!
Roland