bankman

Hi Josh, I am at Cromford steam rally this weekend but am around during the week.

A few weeks ago I was given this machine to save it from scrap: "You collect old junk, here's a project for you" were the exact words. It was owned by the local Fullwood milking salesman who passed away a few years ago and has been stored inside since. Well I saved it, but don't really need another project but do need the space so it is a 'freebie' for anyone willing to collect it from Matlock, Derbyshire. Everything seems to move ok, has the various accessories, the engine turns and has decent compression but is missing its silencer. Fuel tank is spotless inside, some wear in the axles but generally not too bad. Don't know if they are a 'collectable' machine but it is what it is. Anyone interested get in touch but PLEASE no time wasters, I have had plenty of those in the past! Pete.

An email to Belle Engineering with serial numbers may get you a date? The company was formed in 1961.

I will be there as usual, but in the stationary engine section. Will have a wander around at sometime during the weekend and have a look at you all!

Not customised in the true sense!! This was just one of the Rolls and Bentleys owned by a local scrap dealer. First task after delivery new from the factory was to remove the rear seats and weld steel plate in to carry the gas cutting equipment he carted around with him. My late step father in law worked for him and the cars got a good bashing and a lot of welding and plating was involved! Rolls were not too happy about it. Pete.

They were used for setting the speed of lathes etc in machine shops. Pete.

It was an excellent display of engines, you lads didn't do so bad yourselves though! I didn't get round your area at all (or see that many of the engines) , my legs wont carry me far nowadays and by the time I had taken my missus round the stalls in her wheelchair I was fit for nothing else that day. Pete.

It was a fantastic show. Luckily I was under a tree with my engine all weekend so stayed nice and cool. Pete.

That attends many rallies in the North and is always popular, however until now I hadn't realised what actually powered it though! I did realise it wasn't steam...... Pete.

Pleased to see that my old friend Eric Moody was there keeping his chair warm! Also John Lowes with his sparkplug collection as he hasn't been too well of late and I wondered if he would still be attending events this year. We were at the Heskin rally otherwise we would have attended this. Pete.

I will be there but in the s/engine section, I haven't room for a horticultural exhibit as well but will come and have a look around your displays.

Well work has progressed very steadily of this project. Checking the rest of the machine over I found the frame was twisted (not a big issue really) but the wheels were both rotten where the machine had presumably been left on wet ground for a long period and the axle was also badly corroded. Given the missing engine parts as well I was fortunate enough to come across another machine fairly local and cheap enough to take a punt on. This machine is in much better condition frame-wise, it has the hand control and cable, a decent set of the double blades and also a totally worn out engine! Valves flopping in their guides like the proverbial p**** in a bucket, almost a 1/4" of endfloat on the crank, big end rattling around but it does have the manifold and carb/aircleaner and a better fuel tank so the plan is to make one good machine from the pair. I also bought a rotary mower attatchment as well, that needs a full restoration of course! The other frame looks to be a good candidate to form the basis of a trolley for moving my argon cylinder around, nothing wasted here! The tool head from the original machine is all finished now, just some washers required for the filler and drain plugs; The later machine, now in pieces; Pete.

Straight fins on the cylinder head Wristpin. That new gasket will be fine, it touches in all the right places and just needs another hole making! When I return home next weekend I will line up the fuel tank temporarily as the fuel line is still fitted (it hasn't been cut) and it will tell me where abouts the original carb and inlet manifold were positioned, I can then try and search for the correct set up. I think that it will be similar to the one on Paul Mackellow's Gardenmaster 85 as his engine looks to be the same as my one with a similar spec plate, no hurry though as still plenty of work needs doing on the framework. Pete.

Proceeding steadily with this project. I ordered a headgasket for a Tecumseh H30 and what came proves to me that it isn't one of those engines so Aspera seems most likely, however with a little bit of trimming and punching an extra hole it should still be useable. New piston rings arrived and were fitted, the bore was honed and piston installed. Timing set, valve clearances adjusted to spec and a new governor bar made as the old one came out in 'three halves' as shown! Engine block/crankcase now in primer and I'm now away for a weeks holiday in Lancashire while it hardens off haha. Pete.

Wish I had known some of you lads were there as there was nothing listed in the Events section so assumed you were not attending this time. I only saw the Auto Culter display and missed the other machines, I was hoping to see a Gardenmaster 85 or something with an Aspera motor fitted to take som pics for reference but I was only exhibiting on the Sunday and didn't have the time to explore the halls properly alas. My leg problem doesn't allow for much walking about nowadays! It was a decent show though, and the weather stayed dry but cool. Pete.

Making steady progress, too cold and damp yesterday for outside work though. The tool head gearbox has been dismantled and cleaned, oxy/propane heat was needed to remove the driving dogs from the side shafts though. The crownwheel bearings (plain bronze bushes) were also partially siezed to the shafts basically due to old age and poverty! A well made little unit though. The worm bearings are fine, new oil seals are on order, gaskets have been made and the various castings are currently primed and in the 'paint shop' (kitchen!) hardening off. Pete.

Thank's both for your input. H30 seems likely. Rings are on order, 2 5/16th" bore, and oil seals are sorted, just the manifold/carb to find. There are a few of the downward angled, like a S bend, manifolds on ebay (USA) and there appears to be plenty of cheap carbs around but which one is correct? Anyway progress will slow now as I have Newark show this weekend and then a weeks holiday. Maybe a scrap machine might surface from somewhere, although I'm guessing that the later carb/manifold setup should still fit? Pete.

Thank's for those Wristpin. Right, a few pics! I think that this engine is probably an early version, the valves are retained by pins, it is breaker and coil ignition (coil has a decent HT reading!) and the number 30 is stamped on the crankcase. The breather is also different to the later ones. The Aspera name does figure strongly on the fuel tank, but so does the other two? Also there are no mounting holes in the frame where the throttle control is usually fitted, all the pics I have seen on here regarding these machines has the fitment there. Maybe these will help identify who manufactured it and where! At present the metal work on the tool head, tines etc, is in the electrolysis tank de-rusting!

Mmm, not sure how to move this to the Rotavator section? I assumed that only moderators could do that. I will sort some pics out tomorrow anyway, I have ordered some seals and rings so while they are in transit progress on the frame can continue! Pete.

OK, today I completely dismantled the engine and decided just which parts I require for the rebuild. Well made little units, nice and simple! I can post some pics if anyone is interested, though seeing all the restorations on here I guess most will have seen inside one as they seem to be a common engine. Rings and seals should suffice, the valves lapped in OK and don't leak petrol so all is fine there, just the clearances to be sorted once the camshaft is in place. The governor rod was siezed in the crankcase and sheared off so I may have to make one of those. Wristpin you could well be correct regarding it being a H30, stamped under the paint in a corner of the crankcase near the engine mounting lugs is the number 30 and the threads are all UNC which to me would indicate a USA manufactured unit? Lauson perhaps? So, I still need to sort a carb and manifold for it, could be 'fun' finding them. I also realise that I posted this thread in the wrong section, maybe it can be moved to the 'Rotovator' section?

Hi Wristpin, I believe that the machine was purchased new by the chap I obtained it from so I don't think it has been altered in any way. I assumed that the engine and carb setup would be the same as the one on Paul Mackellows Gardenmaster 85 but it may well have had the manifold protruding at right angles instead, that may account for it having been sheared off? I also notice that there is no mounting holes in the frame for the hand throttle control so perhaps it had a clamp on one, all that is missing anyway! OR, perhaps it had a fixed throttle, I'm not familiar with these machines? Pete.

Hi Alan, thank you for that but I think that the manifold stud orientation (big word for this time of night!) is wrong, your one seems to be at a lesser angle than mine or perhaps they do sit slightly downwards? Carb etc might be the same though, maybe someone else can shed some light on the matter. Let's see what develops! Pete.

Just getting back (slowly!) into the world of horticultural machinery after a break and I have a question already! Last year I purchased a stationary engine locally for my collection and the old boy selling it threw a Gardenmaster 85 into my van for free. I have just got around to looking at it, a bit of a mess but hopefully saveable. I have stripped and freed of the gearbox assembly and fitted new seals etc and the frame is being stripped and repainted. I have seen Paul's thread on these machines so know that 'Titch' can supply decals for it when the time comes. What I am struggling with is the engine! It is an Aspera/Tecumseh but I'm not sure which model, the plate is virtually unreadable apart from the numbers 014 followed by 065345. I assume it is in the BH series, my problem is that the engine is missing the inlet manifold and carb etc and I'm not sure what it would look like. There are several manifolds and carbs on ebay but I don't know which one I need. The engine was solid but that was just tightness of the crank in the bronze bush in the timing cover, that freed off and the engine has been stripped now. The governor bar through the crankcase was siezed and snapped trying to remove it but I can probably find one on a scrap engine, it is mainly the manifold and carb that I need. Any advice welcomed! Pete. Some pics of the engine;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/stationary-engine-/272805139722?hash=item3f8474150a:g:UlsAAOSw3HJZkbz0 Spotted this item on ebay, it was posted on another forum. I'm not interested in purchasing it myself but I wondered which Landmaster machine this would have been fitted to and what make the engine is? Pete.

Thank's for the replies, the owner has had it for around ten years but knows little about them. At lest we now have an approximate build date year wise. Pete.