My first Petter A1

I collected a nice Petter A1 today, I had no intentions of buying another engine but I wanted the wheels for another project.  The engine and the wheels came at a very good price, cheaper than buying a set of cast iron wheels!




 The Petter is almost complete just needs a magneto. It has very good compression, carb has been ultrasonically cleaned and everything seems sound. I will keep an eye open for a mag, Andy Waters has informed of which mag I need (thank you)
This is a petrol/Tvo model, don't know if there are lots of these or how old it is, perhaps someone could let me know?

That looks tidy!
PM with email address if you need a manual.
Good luck.

Has great potential 6 digit number A1 with aluminium timing case, most likely 1948/49
The year stamp can be found on both pieces of tinwork and your engine doesn't look like its been tampered with apart from no paint on the aluminium cover. Oddly the colour makes it more likely to be 1950 with the lighter green.
I hope you make the best of it

Thanks Andy for the info.  There is a darker green underneath the light green, don't know if that makes a difference?
I will in time give it a good going over and a nice coat of paint, I would like to get it running before I do too much and I have other projects on the go!  
I've been looking through various sites for a magneto and I've seen a lot of Wipac CJ mags (all ally including points/coil cover) do you know if they would fit?

Yes CJ type were used later. Darker green is more fitting to the engine number.
The stop button on the CJ is often knackered I prefer Wico myself

If you remove the head tin to expose the top right hand corner of the flywheel tin and strip the paint you’ll find a year stamp there. The head tin may have a stamp in the centre but that varies

Example

Thank you! I don't mind fitting a different mag if it means that I have a running engine, the mag can always be changed to the correct one when one becomes available?
I think I did ok with the purchase price, I gave £45 and a few hrs of my time to go and collect.

That is ridiculously cheap The carb would fetch that alone or even a starting handle

Thanks for the info, I will have a look tomorrow!
All I really wanted was the wheels for another project, and as you know you can pay a lot of money for cast iron wheels!  I know they're not a matching pair but not too worried about that.

From one of your posts you said that your looking at or buying another Lister D, you may have the 'D' BUG, lol

I’m watching two with pumps

Awesome!
I've just found a mag so going to get that!

One has a H1 the other a H2
Well done

Thank you. You'll be busy this winter!

Re manual.
You forgot to include email address in your PM. Will send as pdf.

Email address sent. Thank you!

Manual sent.

I had a scrape and a good look today but couldn't find any date stamp, took the head tin cover off, perhaps i'm looking in the wrong area!

Typical

That part of the cowl is completely clean shiny metal, no date stamp, will have another look!

With camera on full zoom and a torch, i can see something but it's very difficult to work it out, could be the winning Lotto numbers for all I know, lol

Magneto should be here in the next few days so i thought I'd check everything things is ready to go, I did notice some play in the big end bearing, hopefully it's not too much that it sounds like a diesel when running.
I think I've got my head around the timing now, just hope I get it right first time.

Magneto turned up today, all fitted and i managed to get it to fire with a drop of fuel down the plug hole. Will Put the tank back on tomorrow and fire the engine up properly.

Magneto on and she runs, slight knock from the big end, will sort that when I strip it down for a repaint!
https://youtu.be/PINsnVjN8Vg

I found it a little awkward get the magneto on as there's not much room and trying to line up the floating coupling drive not easy!

I've got two other engines on the go before this one.

Great!  
Please keep us posted.

I found this earlier today which is interesting!  I purchased the engine not that far from the 1st customer of the engine!
I can only assume that the engine was manufactured around 1950

Manufacturer Petters Ltd Model A1 Order No 08/36257
Engine No 559435 Record Type Petter Day Book Record Date 1950-08-01
Description Pulley 5" x 4.5". Petrol.
In Preservation
Customer F J Glass & Co. Okehampton, Devon. Driving
Agent Workman Read & Co. Ltd.Bristol. Set No
Additional Info