semi diesels

[Rowana]

Thanks Silkie,

I'll see if I can get this to work -

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jXHvY-zY9hA[/youtube]

Edit - By jove, I think I dun it

And some days we never learn a thing

[ash]

Continuing on the theme of marine engines and YouTube.

I tried to find a video which would portray my horror on looking down into the engine room of my first ship and seeing a 4 legged Opposed Piston Doxford Engine working.

As a cadet, I had to open the test cocks, which were horizontal, before the 2nd engineer turned her over on air. The 2nd had a nasty habit of opening up the fuel control before I had time to close all the test cocks and so cause a jets of flame to blast out at waist height.

This isn't exactly as I remember, I thought that the top piston was more exposed, but the closest that I could find.

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WKWOi0C-sak[/youtube]

Ash

[Gordonmc]

But mainly I had the GT380 Suzuki and a Matchless G9 for work, an RD250 for racing and a Triumph T110 chopper with 18" overstock forks.Ahem.

I took my test on a G9... it drank more redx than petrol but still got me around.
Before you point out that the G9 was a 350cc single and the limit for a provisional at the time was 250cc: I told the examiner the bike had been re-engined. He didn't know any better.
I got shot of the G9 and went up to a G11, the 650 twin.
The problem with it was the head bolts were in holes in the cooling fins and the only way to get to them was to grind down a socket. I never managed to get them to the right torque.
The last time I blew a head gasket I shoved the thing into a hedge somewhere near Skegness and never went back for it.
I wonder if its still there?

[sahona]

Poor old Matchless. My best one was a G3Ls, again 350 and superbly balanced (for me anyway) but the valve seats were loose in the head and wouldn't stay "cut". I put in a 500twin engine with a magneto and advance/retard on the handlebars - didn't half make a difference once I'd figured out how to work it.

[FullCircle]

But mainly I had the GT380 Suzuki and a Matchless G9 for work, an RD250 for racing and a Triumph T110 chopper with 18" overstock forks.Ahem.

I took my test on a G9... it drank more redx than petrol but still got me around.
Before you point out that the G9 was a 350cc single and the limit for a provisional at the time was 250cc: I told the examiner the bike had been re-engined. He didn't know any better.
I got shot of the G9 and went up to a G11, the 650 twin.
The problem with it was the head bolts were in holes in the cooling fins and the only way to get to them was to grind down a socket. I never managed to get them to the right torque.
The last time I blew a head gasket I shoved the thing into a hedge somewhere near Skegness and never went back for it.
I wonder if its still there?

Gordon, tut,tut. A G9 was a 500 Twin. The Single 350 was the G3..... and oops, the G11 was 600cc, the G12 was the 650.

[Rowana]

Continuing on the theme of marine engines and YouTube.

I tried to find a video which would portray my horror on looking down into the engine room of my first ship and seeing a 4 legged Opposed Piston Doxford Engine working.

As a cadet, I had to open the test cocks, which were horizontal, before the 2nd engineer turned her over on air. The 2nd had a nasty habit of opening up the fuel control before I had time to close all the test cocks and so cause a jets of flame to blast out at waist height.

This isn't exactly as I remember, I thought that the top piston was more exposed, but the closest that I could find.



Ash

Ash,
You probably were thinking of one of these -


This is a 6 cylinder version. I sailed on a couple of ships with these. My memories are of the water cooled lower pistons springing leaks on the crank arrangement that fed the water to the pistons, and havinng to go into the crankcase ond repack them when we were alongside. That, and the hoses that fed the water to the upper pistons. Much preferred B&W engines myself, but the worst of the lot were the Zulzer 7 cylinder RSAD's. Once you started the engine, it was impossible to see down to the aft end of the engine for the oil haze. Dreadful things!

Somebody likes Doxfords, though -
http://www.doxford-engine.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jim