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lister diesel

petepilot

petepilot

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heres one ` three cyl lister air cooled diesel from the 50s 33hp cast iron lump. tried firing it up today and let it get air in the fuel sys.it did start and run for a few mins. everything is closed in on this thing so I have no clue how the fuel system works as to bleeding it any ideas anyone ? dont have a pic of it right now will post one tomorrow
 
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Birken Vogt

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If it is like the ones I think where the filter is a bolt together affair then the best you can easily do is to bleed it at the filter. Then the lines go down to the unit pumps, no return except maybe some incidental leak off lines. So it pays not to run them out of fuel. But not terribly hard to prime, the lines are not very big. Also if it is the one I think, down on the governor there is a little knob that is almost flush. Pull it up and it stays up until the engine comes up to speed, that is the excess fuel knob for cold starting, injects a bunch more fuel than usual, also could probably help in priming. Pictures good.
 
petepilot

petepilot

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Birken Vogt said:
If it is like the ones I think where the filter is a bolt together affair then the best you can easily do is to bleed it at the filter. Then the lines go down to the unit pumps, no return except maybe some incidental leak off lines. So it pays not to run them out of fuel. But not terribly hard to prime, the lines are not very big. Also if it is the one I think, down on the governor there is a little knob that is almost flush. Pull it up and it stays up until the engine comes up to speed, that is the excess fuel knob for cold starting, injects a bunch more fuel than usual, also could probably help in priming. Pictures good.
Click to expand...
well I know a lot more now than I did an hour ago`that little knob you mentioned had me buffaloed` think I might know how to get it going again` thanks much still will put up a pic or two :)
 
colson04

colson04

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I've never seen a lister, but I'd like to own one for kicks and giggles some day. Such a simple, robust design made to run at designed output pretty much forever.
 
Tugger2

Tugger2

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It Should have compression realease levers,one for each cylinder. Some of them are linked together. That will ease your cranking when priming. I have a 2 cylinder on a genset .It will sit for months,i just pull the compression realease on one cylinder and it flashes right up.
 
petepilot

petepilot

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central shenandoah valley va,
Birken Vogt said:
If it is like the ones I think where the filter is a bolt together affair then the best you can easily do is to bleed it at the filter. Then the lines go down to the unit pumps, no return except maybe some incidental leak off lines. So it pays not to run them out of fuel. But not terribly hard to prime, the lines are not very big. Also if it is the one I think, down on the governor there is a little knob that is almost flush. Pull it up and it stays up until the engine comes up to speed, that is the excess fuel knob for cold starting, injects a bunch more fuel than usual, also could probably help in priming. Pictures good.
Click to expand...
LISTER 3 2 picsDSCN1376.JPG
 

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Birken Vogt

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Yes, pretty much what I thought it was. The tag says HA does it not? I am not the expert on these things but have worked on enough of them. They are bulletproof. Those are the decomp. levers as Tugger mentioned by the oil fill holes. A lot of times there will be a priming lever on the fuel pump there. The higher mounted filter will have some place to bleed it, or just loosen a banjo bolt or something. Once you are pretty sure you have fuel to the injectors, a little snort won't hurt to wake the thing up.
 
Cmark

Cmark

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Remove the side cover, the one with the data plate attached. Inside you will see the three injection pumps. They may each have a bleed screw which needs to be loosened while you work the transfer pump. Or they may have a fuel rail for self bleeding.
Next remove the rocker covers and loosen the injection lines. Crank it until air free fuel squirts out. Re tighten then you should be OK.
 
Cmark

Cmark

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I spent a good part of my early apprenticeship fixing these things. Back then they were still in daily use and making money. You REALLY learn how to build a diesel engine. On the hand-start ones you need to get everything right. Fuel timing, pump synchronization, bump clearance, valve seats lapped. If you get something wrong you can be cranking away for ever. I guess this one is electric start?

And by the way, don't stop the engine using the decompressors. Use the fuel shut off lever.
 
petepilot

petepilot

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central shenandoah valley va,
Cmark said:
I spent a good part of my early apprenticeship fixing these things. Back then they were still in daily use and making money. You REALLY learn how to build a diesel engine. On the hand-start ones you need to get everything right. Fuel timing, pump synchronization, bump clearance, valve seats lapped. If you get something wrong you can be cranking away for ever. I guess this one is electric start?

And by the way, don't stop the engine using the decompressors. Use the fuel shut off lever.
Click to expand...
it is electric start`it had not been started for at least 7 yrs. I hooked up a fuel hose to a can and with a good hot battery it cranked right off ran long enough to warm up the covering then my fuel hose got loose she got air and quit . did not get back to it today but I think I have it figured out now. was my first exp. with a lister. I never use a compression release to stop an engine unless its trying to run away:eek:
 
John C.

John C.

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I used to see them in light plants and conveyors. Nice piece of engineering.
 
Tugger2

Tugger2

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I remember some frustrated loggers night shifting with the grapple yarder. The Lister light plant wouldnt start ,so they wrapped straw line around the the extension that sticks off the crank and tried pull starting it with a pickup. Jerked the poor old Lister right off the back of an 044 and demolished it.
 
petepilot

petepilot

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central shenandoah valley va,
Tugger2 said:
I remember some frustrated loggers night shifting with the grapple yarder. The Lister light plant wouldnt start ,so they wrapped straw line around the the extension that sticks off the crank and tried pull starting it with a pickup. Jerked the poor old Lister right off the back of an 044 and demolished it.
Click to expand...
I can picture that happening
 
Tones

Tones

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A tow behind vibrating roller that was very common back in the day had a Lister motor on them and sounded just like that. I can't remember the make (could have been an Aveling Barford) but the model was a 54T.
 
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