I'm at it again! Tarpen Resto No. 3

Nuts you could put it on ebay but say it can't be collected till the first week of Feb. so you can sell it and get extra time to finish it. You'd then know how much you'd have coming to sort out another project. Maybe ask for a £50 deposit at the end of the auction just to be on the safe side.
Great news it's up and running and is sounding very well, looking forward to you finishing it off and getting it outside to shoot us a wee vid.

Stu.

Right, it's the big push now to get this one finished. It's going on eBay this Sunday, so I've spent the last of my pennies on some new transfers for the tank. I've gone one size up this time, these are 20mm letters, the last one was 15mm letters, but I think it looks better (or rather will look better once they are fitted).

So, in order to move things on, I have moved things indoors. Yes, that's right, I've "manned up", "grown a pair" whatever you call it. I put some cardboard down & bought the fuel tank in to give it it's final coat of paint....



This had to happen as the tank is the most important bit right now, the paint needs to dry, & needs to look good, before I can apply the new transfers & go over it with some petrol proof lacquer. It's too cold to paint outside & I wasn't going to heat the workshop just to paint a tank!

I also attacked the exhaust pipe the other day with the dremmel tool & a small hard grinding stone. I have ground the whole thing, from end to end, so where the plating remains it has been keyed, & where there were any rust bubbles it has come off to expose the steel underneath. I then followed that with a coat of Kurust....



I will complete it with a coat of high temp black (I bought a new tin the other day, but had to get BBQ paint this time, as the shop was out of the normal High Temp one. It's still Plasti-Kote though, a trusted brand). But this paint needs to be baked on within 8 hours of applying, so I'll do that nearer the time.

Tonight I cleaned up my lighting board & gave it a coat of varnish. I will get some 110v light bulbs & sell it with this engine (I will make myself another one when I get some money & when I need one, I haven't got the time or money to make one right now). I will give it a 2nd coat of varnish tomorrow evening....



Basically, all that's left now is to put it back together & give the rest of the engine a 2nd coat of green where it's needed (some of it's been 2nd coated already), I also need to touch in all the nuts & bolts. For this I will have to warm up the workshop (I won't get away with bringing the whole thing indoors, even if I could lift it over the step) & just get on with it. So that'll be tomorrow's job then, as it all needs to be in one piece for it's photo shoot on Sunday morning, ready for eBay on Sunday evening.

I'm not too bothered if anything goes wrong. I've got a couple of photos I can put up just to get the listing started, if necessary I can just add the final pics later on in the week.

I will take a few more pics as I go & keep the thread updated.

I think one of the best points about you selling the Tarpin is you have the light board to go with it, thus your selling the full packet, it's not just an engine it's a complete rally exhibit and this is what a lot of people are looking for as they maybe don't have electric skills or time/space to make there own board also there's nothing more to do to it apart fom enjoy it.

Stu.

Yep, that's always a good selling point Stu, & if the buyer is a newby to the hobby I would probably throw in a petrol can & a spare spark plug too. I usually include a starting rope with a bit of cut-off broom handle as a toggle as well, & leave some fuel in the tank for them.

I will also be printing off a couple of old Tarpen advert posters & sealing them onto the light board, to complete the exhibit.

If anyone on the forum wants it they can have it at a reduced rate. I'll put it in the for sale section though, not here. Otherwise it's going on eBay tomorrow (I don't mind ending auctions early either, as long as no one has placed a bid).

I've done the painting, just waiting for it to go off now so I can put it back together.

Nut,

Just got back from my West trip and first thing I did was, light the wood furnace and warm up as it was -20*C here.

Then I caught up on some threads and saw yours and remembered that I hadn't finished reading it.

Well I did and I am amazed how fast you work, hats off to a job well done (again!)

I enjoyed your pics and commentary and learned a bunch of stuff.

As for the noise in the other genset, it may be that the cast pistons with the large rings absorb more of the clanging and banging that goes on in there when it runs.
Cast has a funny ability that way where as aluminium may not do it as well as cast, just a thought.

Great looking genny, Regards, John.

John we have problems keeping up with him, he hasn't been a forum member very long and I've lost count of the engines he's restored. Even the engines he ays he's going to take his time on normally from start to finish 2-3 weeks depending on parts needed or repaired.

Good luck with the sale Nuts, sounds as if the new owner will have the complete package.

Stu.

stationary stu wrote:John we have problems keeping up with him, he hasn't been a forum member very long and I've lost count of the engines he's restored. Even the engines he ays he's going to take his time on normally from start to finish 2-3 weeks depending on parts needed or repaired.

Good luck with the sale Nuts, sounds as if the new owner will have the complete package.

Stu.

Hi Stu,

I love to see another man work hard, so I can learn from it lol.

That is amazing really, to do that much in such a short time.
My little "D" will probably take as much time as 8 of Nuts's engines, and he could probably fly here and do mine without missing a beat at home

I wish I had home time like him, that would make it for me.
I have to wait 4 more years to retire, and I may just have mine done by then.

A Lister "A" or Junior will be next if I can manage to find one in reasonable shape and near or totally complete.
Of course I will collect parts at the same time lol, there is still room in the spare bedroom next to the lathe, post drill and other machines for "the shop" if it ever materialises.

Regards, John.

This Tarpen is engine rebuild number 7 since I re-started the hobby back in late June, early July 2012 (last year).

Yeah, I suppose that's quite a few, I also have 2 or 3 more which are started but not finished & to be fair most of them have had little wrong with them (although a couple were in a shocking state).

I don't work particularly hard either, I can't really as I've got medical problems & if I over-do things I get very tired. But I suppose I keep up a steady pace (which I think is the secret to a lot of things).

I dunno what I would do without my engines, I expect I would go mad (more mad???). I've already got my eyes on another project, & I've still got a Stuart Turner P6 to finish off (which I MUST do next!)

Today I took some engines over to Ian's place, to make some space in the workshop, but I ended up coming back with the rest of the bits for the 1931 Briggs & Stratton RC, as well as some other stuff to keep me busy. (I might just sneak the Briggs in before I do the Stuart P6 ). I'm trying to complete some of these part finished projects & get them out the way, but it's not easy when I'm tempted by other new projects.

What I need is one of those big 3-5 ton, multi cylinder diesel engines. That would slow me down a bit!

nutgone wrote:This Tarpen is engine rebuild number 7 since I re-started the hobby back in late June, early July 2012 (last year).

Yeah, I suppose that's quite a few, I also have 2 or 3 more which are started but not finished & to be fair most of them have had little wrong with them (although a couple were in a shocking state).

I don't work particularly hard either, I can't really as I've got medical problems & if I over-do things I get very tired. But I suppose I keep up a steady pace (which I think is the secret to a lot of things).

I dunno what I would do without my engines, I expect I would go mad (more mad???). I've already got my eyes on another project, & I've still got a Stuart Turner P6 to finish off (which I MUST do next!)

Today I took some engines over to Ian's place, to make some space in the workshop, but I ended up coming back with the rest of the bits for the 1931 Briggs & Stratton RC, as well as some other stuff to keep me busy. (I might just sneak the Briggs in before I do the Stuart P6 ). I'm trying to complete some of these part finished projects & get them out the way, but it's not easy when I'm tempted by other new projects.

What I need is one of those big 3-5 ton, multi cylinder diesel engines. That would slow me down a bit!

To what? one a month?

John.

John.

Stu.

Finally got it together for some pics today (I used my old phone, I reckon the camera is better)....













Not bad, but I wish I'd taken some time to remove the dent from the fuel tank. Trouble is bodywork isn't really my forté. here's a couple of before shots....





I haven't run it up yet as I'm waiting for a gauze filter to set on the fuel tap (I had to glue it with J.B. Weld as I couldn't get it to solder). Once that's set & can put some fuel in & run it up.
I have had it running though, so I know it starts. But i need to set the throttle up & get the exhaust hot to set the paint.

I've also still got to make up the starting rope, which should take all of 5 minutes. Suppose I should do that now.

I don't want to do another one though, I think restoring 3 of these within 7 months is enough for anybody!

Bring on the Kohler! I can't wait!

Link to eBay listing is now in the ad in "For Sale" section.

Good luck with the sale.

Stu.

Here you go....



It plays fine on my phone, but seems terrible on YouTube. Anyone else having trouble with it? I might have to re-upload it.

The video keeps stopping and breaking up and the picture goes funny.

Is there something a bit loose and rattling? or just the sound it makes being a 2 stroke.

Stu.

Funny, the video plays fine on the phone. Think I will have to do it again.

The noise is the engine on the paving slabs. Every so often it seems to work up a frenzy & start rattling (these Tarpens never did like firm footing much, they prefer grass). I managed to settle it down with some different carb settings. It may be suffering with a little fuel starvation due to the filter I fitted to the petrol tap getting choked up. I'm going to give the tank another flush through before the buyer picks up on Sunday (it's been sprayed with petrol proof lacquer, so should be well protected).

Would it be any better with a rubber foot glued to the back leg?

Stu.

stationary stu wrote:Would it be any better with a rubber foot glued to the back leg?

Stu.

It probably would Stu, TBH I never thought about that. Some are better than others & they usually vibrate themselves to a spot they are happy with. Might talk to the buyer about a rubber foot, don't think I will add one to it myself now though, might add one to my Tarpen though.

Sometimes the easiest answer is staring you in the face, in other words I need to do it on some of my engines
Just find it's best spot for when the seller trys it so it will sound as sweet as it did earlier.

Stu.

nutgone wrote:Here you go....



It plays fine on my phone, but seems terrible on YouTube. Anyone else having trouble with it? I might have to re-upload it.

Hi Nut,

It works fine here in Salt Lake City, I think it is your phone that may make it a bit shaky but it is very viewable non the less,

Regards, John.