Lister CS 3.5 hp - Complete rebuild.

1937 Lister CS 3.5 hp - Complete rebuild from bottom to top.
This slide show is a compilation of photos taken during the rebuild.
It is not a detailed log or diary of the overhaul and therefore many of the parts that were refurbished or replaced are not shown. However the photos are in chronological order of the rebuild and most of the photos should be self explanatory.
Simply slow down your playback speed or pause the video if you wish to study any particular photo.
I hope that you enjoy this slide show, ...I do have a couple of other videos of the engine running on my channel if you are interested in seeing and hearing the finished product.

[@1943L]

Love the project and the music.

[@NormanSurgeon]

...Thank you...👍

[@daveenns1119]

..Excellent choice of music.

[@NormanSurgeon]

Thank you, ...I am glad that you enjoyed it.

[@TheRebelOne.]

Superb mechanical restoration and presentation in it's original iron. Very well done. 👍

[@NormanSurgeon]

Thank you for your kind words and appreciation.👍

[@mastergates5168]

Nice Job well done looks great!

[@joschmoyo4532]

Superb job.

[@NormanSurgeon]

...Thank you...! 👍

[@joschmoyo4532]

@@NormanSurgeon I just bought a cs 6/1. Looking forward to rebuilding it. Wish I had your engineering skills.

[@NormanSurgeon]

@@joschmoyo4532 ...I wish I could help you out. All the best with the 6/1 rebuild. 👍

[@joschmoyo4532]

@@NormanSurgeon well as long as I can get the parts that may need replacing I should be fine. I bought it sight unseen. It was made in 1938, so quite old. Looks in good condition though.

[@andrewdegozaru74]

Well that was a fantastic rebuild that looks like it left the machine in better condition than when it was new. I'm a mechanical novice and have never turned a metal lathe in my life but I have a Lister CS 3.5/1 mf'd 08/42 that needs just this treatment. I got it to do just what you've achieved, in time. It'll be lots of research, reading, talking to experienced elders trial, and probably some error.

[@NormanSurgeon]

I hope that your rebuild goes well, they are great old engines to work on and it is very satisfying once they are up and running again.

[@andrewdegozaru74]

@@NormanSurgeon I took a bit more of a look around inside the engine tonight. It appears very sound inside. Rust on the water jacket and a few broken bolts are the main problems. I was told it only received light duties, so not surprising. I note you used electrolysis to remove the rust. Could I please get a steer on what did you do anything to maintain the surface finish after? I see no paint and the shine remains as it was when rebuilt a year later. I'm still considering repainting in its original colours but I really do like the silver finish you've achieved.

[@NormanSurgeon]

@@andrewdegozaru74 After electrolysis I cleaned the castings with a high pressure washer and detergent and then dried them thoroughly with compressed air. I then thoroughly coated all surfaces with WD40. All that I have done since then is give it an occasional spray over with WD40 which seems to retain a waxy surface over time. I have had no issues with surface oxidization since using this method. However, the engine does live inside a dry workshop and is kept under cover. If it was a working engine outdoors or in an open shed, I would recommend painting it to reduce the chance of it rusting.

[@gilgaweber]

Que coisa mais linda, ótimo trabalho...meus parabéns..❤

[@NormanSurgeon]

Obrigado, é muito apreciado.👍

[@sumanmondalsuman7635]

Sir 🙋🇮🇳💯

[@josemendes9593]

Faltou ligar o motor, Para ouvir a sinfonia. Trabalho maravilhoso. CONGRATULATIONS 🇧🇷

[@agenciakiesse6281]

Good afternoon I found this engine of this model in an abandoned house for over 40 years, is it possible to exchange contacts to help me with parts?

[@NormanSurgeon]

Sorry, I am neither a supplier nor manufacturer of parts. And I don't have any parts for this engine. The few new parts that I used on rebuilding the engine were sourced from the UK or India via searching the internet. Regards, Norman.

[@trevortrevortsr2]

Curious - What is that very white main bearing material?

[@NormanSurgeon]

Hi Trev, ...I was wondering how long it would take for someone to ask. The material is called 'VESCONITE Hilube' and is a high lubricity thermopolymer. If you Google it, you can read about it's properties and qualities and why I decided to use the material for my main bearings. Cheers, Norman.

[@trevortrevortsr2]

@@NormanSurgeon Fascinating - I looked it up - it seems to be a kind of sintered polymer - I wondered at first if it might be one of the machinable ceramics - all rather posh - I just rebuilt my 1934 CS1 and used tin based white metal bushes - I'm hoping with modern oils and an inline filter it will last - I did make a hollow dipper with 2.5mm bore to feed the big end - I can see that bearing material useful in marine & Food applications - look forward to seeing how it coped with the low frequency thumping loads.

[@NormanSurgeon]

@@trevortrevortsr2 The old girl has run for about 15 or 16 hours since the rebuild and the main bearings are looking and feeling perfect.

[@trevortrevortsr2]

@@NormanSurgeon I assume you left the old drip feeds from the pump in ?- what oil are you using? are you using an oil filter?

[@NormanSurgeon]

@@trevortrevortsr2 Yes, all original drip feeds to the mains. The oil pump was overhauled with new seals. It is not running an oil filter, just the wire strainer in the sump. Currently using SAE 25W-60 API SL/CF4 oil which is a multigrade, general purpose oil for older engines with loose clearances and suitable for petrol engines or lightly loaded diesels.