9th October 2012

Spent a few happy hours moving forward with the engine. Firstly I needed to wire brush the main casting so I could prime it. I have thought about shot blasting but concluded it would not add a lot. I raised the casting up a bit higher and used a rotary wire brush in my 4" angle grinder. The engine plates had to be drilled off and will go back with new rivets after the painting (note to self - put them on before the flywheels go on).
I have been unsure how to remove the stuck exhaust valve and removable guide from the cylinder head but concluded that heating it in a bonfire might be best. I also have two big end bolts stuck in the bearing cap which I thought might respond to the same treatment. I built a small hardwood bonfire and after it was going  put the cylinder head on top. I added more wood round the outside and left it to get hot. I also put the bearing cap in too. After about one hour and half and the fire was dying down I knocked the exhaust valve in a little and loosened the guide. I also knocked the bolts on the big end cap and they both moved. I then left the whole lot to cool down for a few hours.
Back on the bench with some WD40 etc I disassembled the bits. I was careful to file down the valve stem where it had slightly mushroomed before driving it through its' guide.
You will note that I have now found a crack in the cylinder head (see photos). I was very worried that I had done this on the bonfire, but looking at its position at the bottom of the head and being part of the water jacket I am concluding that this is frost damage from long ago. Looking at earlier pictures I have taken of the cylinder head, the crack was not obvious. May be the bonfire opened it up. Another job to research!

Preparing to wire brush the main casting

Removing the badges by carefully drilling the rivets, starting with a small drill bit and working up.

The stuck exhaust valve (top left).

The valve and valve guide removed after firing

The separated big end cap from its bolts. Wondering whether the bolts should be reused or new ones made?

The casting crack at the low point of the water jacket.

2nd October 2012

Today I made some new studs to hold the bearing caps down on my Ruston Hornsby 4AP. I do not have any idea what the top main bearing shell looks like. The pictures below show the bottom shell which is located in the main block by a cast in lug. Nigel Burney's book shows the top shell of an IP bearing but that has two lugs that align with two cut outs in the bearing cap (Drawings 166 and 167 show this clearly). As you can from the second photo that cut out is not there on this bearing cap. I can only assume that instead of a tab there is a flange the whole way along the shell to stop it turning. Has anyone got a picture of a top shell please? I have also looked in the Illustrated Spare Parts List but that does not seem to help. Thank you.

Lower shell half removed with locating lug clearly visible

Bearing cap showing no cut out for locating lug. Also one of my new studs