Villiers - The V Engine.

Started dismantling our latest engine and discovered a small pull operated lever on the rear of the magneto back plate. Can't see where it should pivot or what it should be attached to. Can anyone shed any light? Also, does anyone have a manual / parts list?

Ah, just had another look. Could it be a massively over-engineered 'kill switch' to earth the LT side of the coil?

Hi Paul,

Exactly as you described


Regards

Richard

More dismantling of our Villiers V engine. Looks like someone has had a go and then given up. The gasket between the carburettor was torn and some numpty had used liquid gasket to fix - thereby blocking all the little orifices!! Having got everything soaking in thinners we had a look in the float bowl. Pretty gungy at the bottom but that will clean. However we'd like some advice on the float/needle arrangement. It looks like the needle, which passes through the float, is loose and was held in place by a couple of spring wires locating in a groove in the needle.
Obviously the wires have disintegrated.





Anyone have any experience of this sort of repair? Any and all advice gratefully received.

Hi paul,

Possibly have 2 ideas for you, the lister D has almost the same principal for holding needle in float and if one will fit the V
I'm sure someone on here would have a spare somewhere, the D float is 40cms across and 40cms from connection on needle to bottom,
image attached.



My other idea is to remove the old wire off the float, get a small paper clip as they are quite springy and make up something like image 1. I used wire as a guide,



Then solder to float as per image 2, I have marked where to solder but you may only need to solder each end, so I would try that first. if you have a dremmel you could grind flat the area of contact to needle or enough that it fits on needle, because the straight wire is overlapped it will push needle into slot on other wire, if this makes sense.

Cheers Richard. Will see what we can do.

Made a start on the V engine. Now need to sort out the carbuetter float and splash out on a Taiwanese magneto coil.

Hi Paul,
They look nice in blue I was glad I painted mine blue but tried to keep to its original colour as I presume you are, looking good.

Regards Richard

Nearly there. Just need to find someone to fabricate a fan cover.

Looking good. Can you cut out a fan cover from course screening or flat expanded metal?

B10Dave wrote:Looking good. Can you cut out a fan cover from course screening or flat expanded metal?

From an 'elf & safety point that would do but I'd rather have something looking like the original.

Got a fan ring so decided to do a bit of clean up on the MK40 at the same time. Pleased with the result




Tank will need a second soak.




I'm considering painting the fan ring with clear lacquer so it looks a bit different - or will I offend the purists?

That engine looks well as is. All my engines where wrecks / incomplete and I have to make parts for them.The Lister A I did this year had no tank sooo I made one. ( I will eventually get it to stop leaking)! Varnish it after all its your engine. Arthur

Cheers Arthur, or maybe black to match the tank straps?

Woodsman wrote:Cheers Arthur, or maybe black to match the tank straps?

Gold leaf, you know you wan to

Stuart.

Could you post a photo showing the carb please, I've just got one and never seen a carb like the one fitted.

Stuart.

As discussed elsewhere WWII spec Amal

Decided to go for blue in the end...

Following close examination of my V engine re Stuarts project,  I have now noticed that - having stripped, cleaned, fettled, polished, painted and reassembled - I neglected to re-install the kill switch so it will have to come apart again !!
Dur!

I didn't even know there was a kill switch, is it on the mag backplate?

Stuart.

See first photo' in this thread.

Kill switch now re-installed.
Had to remove backplate, so had to remove tin work and then flywheel which put the timing out so head off to get TDC - what a faff !

Note to self: remember to install kill switch when rebuilding my V engine

Stuart.

Robotstar5 wrote:I didn't even know there was a kill switch, is it on the mag backplate?

Stuart.

Hi Stuart,
The kill switch can be on the back plate or on the top of the tin ware this was a strip of spring steel fastened to the top the loose end was positioned over the top of the plug depress the strip onto the top of the plug and this shorts out to earth crude but very effective.
Regards,
Chiefy.