Restoration of my TS3 Commer "knocker" two stroke diesel engine.

[@robbrislin5196]

Thank you for sharing and congratulations on a great resto. Hell of a job. I've had a 1959 model for a number years and just about completed attaching a 5 x 4 inch water pump to run it under load up to 60Kw No diesel likes to be run unloaded. You will find they start, what looks like oil spitting out of the exhaust. It is actually unburnt fuel and carbon. Because the Cyl pressure are not high enough to allow the rings to seal properly. I have had this happen on a 14.8Lt Cat and a 2 Cly CD Lister. After attaching a load source they now run as clean as a whistle. The Lister has 390 psi on run position and 500psi on start. Thank again.

[@seanryan4131]

This proves that perseverance pays off, respect to you Sir.

[@machineryrescue]

Thank you for your visit and kind comment.

[@rockymountainhandyman840]

Nice work restoring the ts3.

[@redbeard4518]

Fantastic effort, especially finding all those parts for the early engine... they are super rare! Incredibly I found out about a guy in the South Island of NZ around 150miles from me who used to make trailers out of Commer trucks in the 1990s/ 2000s and scrapped the TS3 motors! :-( I donʻt think this person made them - it is too far away, but there are 4 trailers on farms around my district that were built on Commer trucks. You can always tell by the little pin extension on the front axle nut which held the hub cap on. They must have used Commers for trailers because they were cheap and tough? Another contact had a yard across a lane way from a scrap metal dealer just out of Ashburton in the South Island and he saw lots of TS3s going through the scrap yard. No one was interested in them back then! :-( We have a little in common as I grew up in the cab of a Rootes TS3 powered Commer, being the very young driverʻs mate for my father on trips carting stock around Banks Peninsula in NZ - very hilly country. In later years when I was playing in bands, I had two Commer vans for my sins (a 1960 PA and a ʻ73 PB) My brother had a ʻ64 and my father a 1971 camper so they ran in the family. Horrible to work on with the engine insie - cutting your arms on the panel edges around the motor, but easy to work on at the same time. And parts were easy to come by being Hillman car based. The guy that lead the team that designed the TS3 (Eric Coy) had a lot to do with the design of the 1390 - 1725cc ohv car motor used in the 1500 / 2500 vans. The two design offices were next door to each other on the third floor of the admin building at the Stoke Aldermoor Humber - Hillman works at Coventry before the TS3 design team moved to Maidstone after Rootes bought Tilling Stevens. That sound is embedded in my memory banks - such a glorious sound.

[@machineryrescue]

Thanks for watching and the information.

[@peterbrown5201]

I used to work on these back in the 60s as an apprentice commercial vehicle mechanic. Although you could remove the engine we would work on them from inside the cab after removing the seats and flooring. Weakest part of the TS3 was the blower shaft. Always snapping, shaft wasn't man enough. Even after 57 years I still remember that engine sound and that whine from the blower as you changed through the gears.

[@barryphillips7327]

Can you imagine for a moment an engine like that in some sort of car, sitting at the lights, with an engine sound like that, you would get a lot of looks!

[@Sam_artsy80]

Legendary engine !!!

[@peterscandlyn]

Oh man! I can recall these around my district from way back and what a hiding they took, yet hanging together. Really decent motor. Shame the 'great' Chrysler outfit stuffed up a good thing when they favoured Cummins following the overtake of Rootes.

[@whitecatimports]

Nice save!😄

[@marcconyard5024]

What a shame this type of engine wasn’t available for use in military vehicles during WW2

[@robstirling3173]

These had the power, but couldn't match the fuel consumption of a turbo 4 stroke. They suffered from stuck piston rings, as the oil then wasn't as detergent/dispersant as today's.

[@redbeard4518]

Where did you get this info from? Did you ever operate any? That goes totally against all the TS3 operators I have talked to over the years in NZ. They swore by the fuel consumption of the TS3 - and if you look up any photos of them in NZ / OZ, they were used (abused) a lot harder than any in England. My father drove one on hilly country around NZ (the one I used to ride in) and NOTHING could match the fuel consumption of a TS3 and no truck review I have ever read of modern turbo 4 strokes gets close to what the TS3 achieved. A friend with one got 19.5mpg on a trip with a loaded flat deck trailer on behind on flat going - still has it recorded in his notebook from back in the day, where he used to record all his trips / consumption..

[@ballymossno1895]

First I have heard of this type of engine being used for rail traction. Did you get a picture of the rail car It came from.? Would love to see a photo if you took one.

[@JosephCowen-ru7up]

It's a English rail car , used in UK , Australia ect. It is for the most part a bus on rails , it has normal H pattern manual trans with a clutch pedal ect, used a lot in India

[@paulwood4131]

Same engine as in my 62 CA, great job! The starter motor is a great alternative to the ca45, but here in the uk, I can't locate one with that part number you mentioned anywhere, is there an alternative number, or what perkins/vehicle does it fit?

[@machineryrescue]

Starter motor is a Nippon Denso I'm not sure what Perkins it fits but I failed to mention that it is actually 24-volt and the part number is CES9110ND. A 12v version may be available.

[@phantomrose1999]

Hi, have two of these, one in a truck. I am searching for the air compressor driven by a gilmer belt for the air brake system. Any info you can share on the scrap yards pls ? Hoping they may have one

[@phantomrose1999]

It’s a Clayton’s dewandre SC6. The gilmer pulley is unique

[@machineryrescue]

Hi, Unfortunately the yard where I got my parts from was solely owned by an elderly gentleman who passed away a few years back and now the yard has been closed for some time and is currently being redeveloped. There is a company in NZ called Commer Co "www.commer.co.nz" they may be able to help with new/recon compressor.

[@phantomrose1999]

@@machineryrescue thanks for responding. Many who used to work on these are leaving us. I have found a compressor from a Perkins. Most likely will be making up a pulley for it.

[@dginia]

Are you aware of the aviation group in New Zealand that is recreating WWI era aircraft, down to recreating engines? Maybe they would have some suggestions for making new pistons.

[@machineryrescue]

Thanks for the info I will look into it👍

[@johnhili8664]

Nice engine you got there, I am a a stationary engine collector from Malta I do have a Commer TS3 engine in my collection it is missing some parts such as injectors and fuel injection pump, and the blower. I managed to save this engine as it was already being tied up to be used as a boat anchor!!!!!do you know were I can get some second hand parts for these engines please:-)

[@machineryrescue]

Thanks, Hmm parts are very hard to find,. If yours is a later model try Commer.co.nz as they still have some new and used parts. If its an early one like mine I am afraid you will have to hunt around maybe looking in farmers yards and keeping your eye out as you travel around and may be knocking on Doors that's how I found my parts. Some farmers have quite the scrap yard on their property and by knocking Doors it's amazing what you can find, good luck with it

[@johnhili8664]

@@machineryrescue Here in Malta there are definitely no TS3 engines or parts there of !!!You have to appreciate that Malta is a very small 20 miles x 8 miles, most probably the engine I found came second hand from UK!!! Some body told me that in Australia there was a chap who specialized in TS3 the problem was that when I tried to contact him I was told he passed away due to an accident with his forklift:-((( I will try that site you gave me in NZ . Thank you for your help:-))

[@jacquesblaque7728]

"Supercharged"? Not really, mechanically scavenged, possibly resulting in cyl. pressure slightly above ambient.

[@machineryrescue]

Yes that's right it uses a Roots supercharger to scavenge at about 4psi

[@jacquesblaque7728]

@@machineryrescue Sorry, but again, no, it's a Roots blower, for scavenging. You might be conflating the TS3 with 4-strokes supercharged with such a blower, like for drag-racing. A Roots blower is NOT inherently a supercharger, and 4 psi is hardly supercharging. Really. Detroit Diesels are hardly considered supercharged, whereas some, later, Cleveland Diesels, in EMD locomotives, had mechanical blowers for low speed/load operation, with turbochargers to take over at higher speed/load- all their later higher performance 645 and 710 diesels.

[@machineryrescue]

Thanks, I understand the difference and think the confusion is innocent as the "Blower" actually has " Wade supercharger" written on its identification plate.

[@machineryrescue]

I apologize it's actually a Wade fitted to my TS3 not a roots.

[@barryphillips7327]

Basically two stroke diesels need the supercharger too run, without it they will not run.