Excelsior engine in a WD

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snark
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Joined: Fri December 22nd, 2006, 12:15 pm
Location: ireland

Excelsior engine in a WD

Post by snark »

Please,

I have been given an unfinished Wild Duck to restore. She has no sail or rigging and needs painting

But my first challenge is the engine. It's an Excelsior 3 cylinder, two stroke and it has been laid up for a _VERY_ long time. Any suggestions as to where I can get help ?

I have taken out the spark plugs and tested them for spark. All are working. The engine seems to rotate freely.

But when I put the plugs back in, the compression is so strong that I have great difficulty turning the starting handle ! The electric starter is really struggling to crank the engine - and this is with a heavy duty battery, fully charged, that normally starts a 6 cylinder Gardner engine no problem :-(

Should I try to start her on one cylinder - ie with two plugs removed ?

Any other tips ? Any idea where I might get a user/service manual ?

I suspect that this engine was installed brand new. So I have assumed that the spark timing is OK.

Thanks

Joe
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Fiddler's Green
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Post by Fiddler's Green »

I have never heard of the engine you have, except in old motorcycle days, but that will be a different animal!

If you are having that much trouble turning it over I would suspect it has oil in the crankcase. That will give exactly the symptoms you have. Old Stuart Turners had crank case drain plugs on the lower crak to drain them, I wonder if this motor has?

Have you tried searching the net for the name, guess you might have done. I thought I had heard of most motors, but to be honest it is a new one on me.

If it is that old and no spares would be available, I would honestly look for a replacement diesel, a lightweight modern one that spares will be available for....

hope this helps
John
Proud owner and builder of 'Fiddler's Green'
snark
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri December 22nd, 2006, 12:15 pm
Location: ireland

Post by snark »

Fiddler's Green wrote:
If you are having that much trouble turning it over I would suspect it has oil in the crankcase. That will give exactly the symptoms you have. Old Stuart Turners had crank case drain plugs on the lower crak to drain them, I wonder if this motor has?
The two strokes that I am familiar with have no oil in the crankcase.

Actually, I have that particular problem solved. I now have the engine running. My problem was _water_ ! Some had become trapped above the pistons. Also the starter was badly earthed.

I have had a wonderful day and a lot of fun getting her going. It really is sweet to hear an engine run that has not been worked for perhaps 20 years.

This engine runs fine, even on one cylinder.
Fiddler's Green wrote: Have you tried searching the net for the name, guess you might have done. I thought I had heard of most motors, but to be honest it is a new one on me.
Excelsiors were quite popular in motor bikes back in the first half of the last century.
If it is that old and no spares would be available, I would honestly look for a replacement diesel, a lightweight modern one that spares will be available for....
Well, as it so happens I have access to some old Enfield 6HP diesels. Would 6HP be OK ?

But, I will not give up on the Excelsior without a proper fight first. I would still love to hear from someone who has experience of them.

Thanks
Joe Mc Cool
Snark, LEYC, River Erne
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Fiddler's Green
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Engine Power...

Post by Fiddler's Green »

The WildDuck could just get away with 6hp, a diesel 6p would do the job !

Search about, there might just be someone with bits, like me and my Seagulls! Though I would say that although I knew of the motorcycle motors, and I was a biker back in the 60's, 70's and up to about 1980, I never saw one on the road, they were museum pieces then!

If you can find a diesel that has parts readily available, I would be inclined to go down that route and sell the old motor as a collectors item, you never know!

Regards,
John
Proud owner and builder of 'Fiddler's Green'
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