Tinbasherdan
Bodger in chief
- Messages
- 7,043
- Location
- Bolton, England
Not strictly mine, as it’s our old fellas but I’ll be helping him with the rebuild.
Bit of background- dads always had tractors and has shown them for years, but the past few the shows have started to go a bit down hill, there’s less of an enjoyable atmosphere and they’re getting very cliquey.
As it turns out, he’s always fancied something ex military but never really had the push to go for something until he came to Lytham wartime weekend with me and my boss and the Merlin we display. Completely different experience for him, everyone is so friendly and the atmosphere is fantastic, plus our mother enjoys going too! Obviously a Merlin is a little out of his reach, but by chance our boss mentioned some engines a customer/friend had bought as a lot and may be willing to part with for sensible money.....
Sooo a week or so later I receive this picture and a would I be interested?
It’s an Alvis Leonides 9 cylinder radial, found in various aircraft from the 40s to the late 60’s.
After a chat with dad about the practicalities, we decided it was a direction he wanted to go, and so last week we drove to hull and left with a complete engine on its service/storage stand. The eventual idea is to have a trailer mounted ground running engine, similar to the merlins and Hercules engines doing the rounds currently.
The engine is unseized, and looks fantastic internally, but the first job was to get the flaking paint and inhibitor off, so after borrowing a steam cleaner he ended up with this:
It’s coming up lovely! The next job is to fit one of the starter motors I have currently rattling around in my boot and compression test it to see which, if any of the pots needs pulling and rings sorting!
Bit of background- dads always had tractors and has shown them for years, but the past few the shows have started to go a bit down hill, there’s less of an enjoyable atmosphere and they’re getting very cliquey.
As it turns out, he’s always fancied something ex military but never really had the push to go for something until he came to Lytham wartime weekend with me and my boss and the Merlin we display. Completely different experience for him, everyone is so friendly and the atmosphere is fantastic, plus our mother enjoys going too! Obviously a Merlin is a little out of his reach, but by chance our boss mentioned some engines a customer/friend had bought as a lot and may be willing to part with for sensible money.....
Sooo a week or so later I receive this picture and a would I be interested?
It’s an Alvis Leonides 9 cylinder radial, found in various aircraft from the 40s to the late 60’s.
After a chat with dad about the practicalities, we decided it was a direction he wanted to go, and so last week we drove to hull and left with a complete engine on its service/storage stand. The eventual idea is to have a trailer mounted ground running engine, similar to the merlins and Hercules engines doing the rounds currently.
The engine is unseized, and looks fantastic internally, but the first job was to get the flaking paint and inhibitor off, so after borrowing a steam cleaner he ended up with this:
It’s coming up lovely! The next job is to fit one of the starter motors I have currently rattling around in my boot and compression test it to see which, if any of the pots needs pulling and rings sorting!