Starting Gardner 6LW

Tangent Engineering starts the 6LW engine for 62' yacht "Heatherbell".
Joe is a master engineerer and can be contacted at:
www.tangentengineering.co.uk/

[@douglasrainford5533]

That's the right sound for Gardner. I can't get enough of it.

[@timjackson3954]

That sound takes me back to 1978, as I recovered consciousness with my car embedded in the radiator of an ERF truck. A Gardner 6LX ticking over a couple of feet from my head.

[@andrewlewis8835]

At the Red & White omnibus Co every 250,000 miles the bus was brought in, engine stripped down cleaned and rebuilt and put back into Service. This would happen until 1 million miles was reached after witch the bus would be sold on. We had a Bristol BVW double decker come in one day and the crank was sent around to the machine shop to be reground as the engine had done 1,250,000 miles. However the crank was returned to the Engine shop with nothing done to it as there was no wear.

[@dieselengines1760]

Is this some legend? If there was no wear why the crank was sent for machining? I worked on few Gardner and they needed all sort of machining.

[@bulletz9280]

@@dieselengines1760 unfortunately the world of vintage engines is full of nonsense "stories" like this, making it difficult for anyone doing research.

[@3549Kevin]

I owned and drove a Scammell Piponeer 1941 with a 6LW. Sure she smoked when starting on a cold morning but once warmed up never saw another puff from here all day. She worked shifting houses in New Zealand. Beautiful motor never missed a beat. Nice video joe...thanks.

[@matui6983]

Still plenty of Gardners in all models here in NZ.

[@Peter-nv3wu]

Gardner's are in a class of their own, just listen to that heartbeat !

[@bobbyhutchison9861]

The best sound you'll ever hear a Gardiner diesel engine in an Atkinson borderer

[@jim2757-w8m]

All the memories came flooding back just at that sound. I laugh when I think that when anyone started a cold Gardner in the workshop, the shout would go up 'Engine starting' followed by a white cloud of smoke. 😀

[@scopex2749]

I had one of these in my old Scammell These engines are a pleasure to drive with, reliable powerful and smooth as a Swiss watch. My Scammell was flat out at 30MPH downhill with the wind behind her but she would get there! That old Gardner would keep going night and day.

[@MrCptjohn]

Very popular engine,run forever,so many were shipped to India after vehicles were scrapped so many years ago,and still running today as workhorses driving farm machinery and pumping water,very nice to hear one again after having one in the fishing boat 50yrs ago.👌👍

[@harrygatto]

I can remember in the 50s and 60s the travelling fairgrounds in the UK using big Gardners to drive their generators.

[@thomascatford2627]

Now that's an engine and a man who knows what he's about

[@creigmacc]

I watch this whenever I need to hear some sweet music.

[@JohnWalker-gv5zm]

I Served my time at Gardners it was a great place to work and learn a trade brings back many memories watching these video clips

[@eddkennedy6458]

Did you work in the garage in Manchester, we ran Foden 8x4 trucks with 6lxb engines.

[@JohnWalker-gv5zm]

I Worked in the Factory Baton Hall Engine Works Patricroft@@eddkennedy6458

[@TheFlyingBusman]

I’ve sat on lockdown and listened to two things to keep me on an even keel..... Gary Numan and Gardner engines!

[@davidboochoo]

Best engine ever made, last lifetime the light ships had 1. 2. 3. cylinder engines 1930 busses had 4 and 5 cylinder . Could listen to one running all day.

[@Grux9329]

我年輕時跟父親常常修理返新這類引擎，從鍚杯士到今天的合金杯士都修理過不少，見到這種引擎令我回憶了不少年青時代🤔盆頭的銈佬彈弓，從開尾邊鎖定到，現在的牙仔扣。

[@richymick937]

Take me back to my childhood when my farther ran a ERF A and B series. I seem to remember the garage full of blue smoke when they started from cold, to the point that you couldn't see!

[@markhunt2756]

I have a 4LW on my barge, a truly robust engine that conquered the Kennet and Avon during 2015 despite much keel grounding due to a lack of water on most of the journey.

[@RODALCO2007]

What a beautiful sound, great job.

[@railtrolley]

The only vehicle I have driven with a Gardner 6LW is a Victorian Railways (Australia) 153hp Walker diesel railcar. Seems like a versatile engine: trains, trucks, boats, generators etc.

[@ao2528]

What a nice and smooth working diesel, perfect.

[@mrspivvy]

I love gardners. that lovely slow, rolling idle

[@jonnykeeb]

The best sound is your man’s Northern Irish accent!

[@ReviewMarineProducts]

Beautiful sound. Just as good now as when it was made.

[@jaggass]

The mechanic looks the happiest man alive.

[@creigmacc]

There is something about an old diesel that makes me think iron can actually come alive. Awesome!

[@assimonem1189]

My friend and i had a Bristol mw (bus,eastern coach works) fitted with this engine,,I am sure it had 500,000 miles on the clock(1959-1993))although sometimes i wonder about my memories. We drove over the pyranees and back .It was a lovely engine,pum pum pum allday,it felt like it would go for ever. Sadly(or happily)my friend took it once again to spain and some hips stole it,that was twenty yrs ago. from the valleys of south wales as a psv to retirement in spain. nice to see one running again.

[@andrewlewis8835]

+assimonem I was an apprentice mechanic at the Red & White bus company and they would do in excess of 1 million miles before being sold on. A minor dock was 250,000 miles and a major dock was 500,000 miles. All mechanics loved the Gardner.

[@assimonem1189]

Andrew Lewis So my memory was ok!. Yes Was a lovely engine,always ready to go. Nice to see the engine on here.. I hope whoever knicked it looked after it!!

[@slantfish65sd]

Great video Gardner diesels awesome this illustrates what we all need to be doing shut your mouth and listen to the folks that came before us because they've been there and done that

[@trevordeane3940]

Great engines Gardner.

[@douglasrainford5533]

Those engines have a very distinctive sound. Also, they sound very good in a Leyland Victory or any London double decker.

[@htimsid]

Or in a Jaguar Mk iX.

[@douglasrainford5533]

What does that one look like?

[@reynardbizzar5461]

London double decker😂I think not.

[@kmmining1359]

A thing of Beauty

[@stevedawson256]

Music to my ears.

[@andrewlewis8835]

If you listen carefully he's got one slightly heavy tappet. Beautiful sound though. My apprenticeship was overhauling these engines for the Red & White bus Co. Never lost my love for them and would love to have one in my shed to rebuild.

[@lucherve6169]

Beautiful sound ! Engines like this one were fitted on Bernard lorries in France before WWII . With 100 hp only to 180 hp in 1967 always with the same Block.

[@charlescrisp2814]

a beautiful sound awesome

[@evanjones2539]

Joe is the Gardner god...................

[@jacko74fisher70]

I,m a commercial fisherman and let me tell you theres NOTHING! beats a gardner!

[@kobusdutoitbosman6240]

…he must surely be the world’s most skilled and foremost engineer on the Gardner What an absolute joie and privilege to watch and observe the intricacies of his knowledge his rare understanding and grip of this excellent brand of machinery SUPERB‼️ a true blessing a gift of natural excellence 🥂💫 👊🔥 🪖

[@grumpystruckshop3807]

Had to deal with the aftermath of dropped valves on 180 a couple of times over the years,

[@mydc2200]

Great engine, i should have bought the scrap one from old ship, but i wasn’t too sure about spare part at that time, regret

[@Pingpong657-w3r]

Wow amazing

[@johnadams3730]

When drivers were drivers now if it’s not a automatic these young drivers would not no what to do .

[@therepairguy1]

He is absolutely correct, start it once a month in winter, Diesel engines are made to run, if they could they would run indefinitely !

[@leathandrubb]

i used to drive hudswell clarke dm series and hunslet undergraound locomotives fitted with gardner 6lw engines at a yorkshire pit before it sadly closed in 1992.the oldest hudswell we had was number dm 718 built in 1951.even in the harsh dusty environment of the pit and running for almost 24 hours a day major overalls were far and few between and complete engine changes were rarer.we had about 15 locos and it's a pity they couldn't be saved.

[@frazermountford]

We need someone to do 8 hours of gardner engine idling for sleep sound or studying white noise

[@boxermiko4711]

Wunderbar so einen schönen 6 Zylinder zu hören und arbeiten zu sehen. Ein Nachteil sehe ich in den Einspritzdüsen und Leitungen unter der Ventilhaube. Wenn mal eine Leitung in der Nähe der Düsen bricht oder undicht wird verdünnt der austretende Diesel das Motorenöl...oder liege ich da falsch... :D

[@edilsonmartins6653]

Muito bom!

[@Heatersandfridges]

I should think that they do comply with environmental requirenments because they use so little fuel when running. I was running a pair on a yacht "Giriz II" and they were amazing. we had the two engines 6 cylinder ones 250 hp each and they would use 5 litres per hour at full power. that was also with a belt drive 3 phase generator running off the starboard engine. when we stopped the engine we had to start the perkins 4136 generator and that used 5 litres per hour at low load!

[@nicholaspowrie8415]

+Owen Cox Yes, the Gardner was true to Diesels original thesis of what an oil burner should be, the most feel efficient diesel ever built. I have an aluminium blocked 4LW in my shed, for the last 25 years. Just can not allow myself to let it go.

[@matui6983]

Physically impossible for A 250hp engine (even a Gardner ) to use 5 litres per hour at full power. The fuel usage at max rpm would be closer to 35-40litres per hour. Gardners rule of thumb was an imperial gallon of fuel ( on LW, LX,LXB series engines) produces 25hp. On the later 6LXDT and 6LYT and 6LYTi engines it was a gallon of fuel for 33hp. If you ran a 250hp Gardner (which if yours were 6cylinder engines could only really be a 6LXDT or a 6LYT poss a 6LYTi) at full throttle in a marine application out of only a 5 litre container there is no way it would run for an hour.

[@Heatersandfridges]

@@matui6983 we never ran them at anything like full power. Cruising at 8 knots the engines were barely ticking over. Ours were 175hp if I remember well. The consumption may have been a bit more but lets just say way more economical than the Perkins generators.

[@matui6983]

Its just when I read what you wrote in the comment about a 6cylinder Gardner of 250hp burning 5 litres an hour at full power it just didnt compute. Ive just run an 8L3B set of injector pump tops on her own injectors tonite set at 230hp at 1150rpm and just 1 cylinder receives 78ml of fuel in 50 seconds, which for all 8 cylinders is 624ml of fuel in 50 seconds. Doesnt sound economical at all but they blow the rest into the weeds on fuel usage.

[@countytruckservices2675]

Very nice 🖒

[@bigjagjim]

Being from lancashire and a marine engineer living in northern ireland i allways wondered who this guy McCool was! Also ran my own passenger boats with gardners the thing is a gardner engine its a cart horse good for all day not like the modern rev bag diesels which are race horses and only good for a mile! Enjoy that british lump of art.

[@trevormason1732]

mr mc,cool has no clew what he is talking about he his only waffling

[@TheAlicemccoolx]

Trevor Mason who are you?

[@geraldswain3259]

My mum always said I broke my first set of teeth on a gardener piston !.

[@RakiuraHerzhoff]

Einfach Schön!

[@london1026]

well boss , any cheap gardener engine for sale ?

[@spaseangelkoski4452]

Where are you located

[@sergekaeslin485]

superb video hallo. I also have a gardner 6 LW. I have a problem the diesel does not go to the injectors ... the starter tigue no longer moves in the passage of the injection. how to do ? Salutaions Serge

[@TonjeHavstad]

I would send a mail to [e-mail] :)

[@sergekaeslin485]

@@TonjeHavstad Tank you very much

[@carllockpick6179]

Stuck rack bar

[@comethiburs2326]

i'm surprised how balanced and smooth this engine looks like. is it really?

[@andrewlewis8835]

At the Red & White we used to do the old penny test, Start the engine let it warm up. On tick over place an old British penny on it's edge and let go. If it stays upright then the engine is OK.

[@andymandyandsheba4571]

nothing like that sound

[@Runeakb]

Hvad er højeste turtal/omdrejningstal på sådan en Gardner?

[@TonjeHavstad]

!500RPM er vanlig, tomgang ned på 360. Jeg ligger oftes mellom 900 og 1100.

[@Runeakb]

@@TonjeHavstad tak for svar.

[@NJPurling]

The best diesel engines ever made? But what led to Gardner's closing? Changing environmental rules? Maybe this range would not have ever been compliant, but what else was in Gardner's range that did? A 2 cylinder unit would be great in a narrowboat.

[@povlgade9594]

+NJPurling ask: What led to Gardners closing? Well too many strike, could not deliver to customers, and Gardners old fasion, to cope withe modern times hydraulic, demands. And not so many v.belts 6C belts.-for winshes etc.After all Gardner WAS for truck + buses, well the L3B also for rail roads locomotivee, the L3B were never the less a near marine diesel with dry exaust manifold, and old type 3UC gear. I like many regret closing the factory lant at Manchester.

[@g8ymw]

Wasn't Gardner bought out by Perkins? Also I think the British truck industry ceased to be.

[@garethifan1034]

As many British firms, especially trucks - Gardners got left behind when they refused to move with the times. When Heavy Truck weights and power were going up, Gardner failed to produce engines that kept pace with the need for bigger power outputs and turbo-charging. Up until about the mid 80's, all their engines were naturally aspirated, and when they began playing with Turbo chargers - it was all too little, too late - in an effort to 'catch-up' - development was inadequate and there were all kinds of problems. By then, Cummins had become the engine of choice in ERF trucks along with Rolls Royce and in the vertically integrated motors- Volvo and Scania had vast experience in Turbo Charging heavy duty diesels and producing TD engines to great effect. By then, it was all too late for Gardner. Unfortunately, they were left behind where they started in terms of technology - the 1930's.

[@kmmining1359]

many narrowboats with Gardner 2LW and a few with 3 cylinder models. beautiful engines and hypnotic exhaust sound.

[@crossleydd42]

It's actually the Gardner 6LW engine, not as described.

[@lyntonmcmullen2405]

Hey mate, im in NZ and have one of these but have some issues with it, can you help?

[@TonjeHavstad]

I think the man you need is Joe MacCool! [e-mail] [phone] He is the one talking here, and he rebuilds Gardner engines. www.tangentengineering.co.uk/

[@Mercmad]

I served my Apprenticeship on Gardners 45 years ago in Parnell(Auckland) Lovely machines .I have touched one for 30 years now.

[@weka2005]

Have you tried Shaw Diesels in Auckland.

[@MrPacemaker1]

Driven A few trucks with them in , Whats the diference in A 6LX & A 6 LW

[@michaelparker5072]

About 50 hp

[@billalbion]

6LW is 8.4 litres, 6LX and 6LXB are 10.45 litres.

[@woodthorpe100]

Good engine but they were underpowered. When the Scania LB76s first came over. I had an ERF with a 150 Gardner. I couldn't keep up with a loaded Scania when i was empty.

[@paulwilson6540]

You would have overtaken the Scania when it kept stopping to re fuel and overheating

[@CosgroveNotts]

I used to rebuild 5 lw and 6 lw with my eyes closed and they still pissed oil out all over

[@jimlepeu577]

cosgrove notts Maybe should have done it with your eyes open then 😁😏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@carllockpick6179]

@@jimlepeu577 well said.

[@mrstephenthomas100]

I always find a large hammer fixes most things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@henrikjorgensen1614]

;-)

[@douglasschaefer3750]

Cap on

[@douglasschaefer3750]

Find energy

[@Draxindustries1]

These engines may have longevity on their side but they were totally gutless. At 38ton they were pretty much hopeless.

[@michaelparker5072]

Anything would be hopeless with a 180 hp at 38 tonnes

[@Draxindustries1]

@@michaelparker5072 I've run a lot of trucks all over Europe as an owner driver years ago, all Volvo. F7 224hp, , F10 300hp, F12 400 hp EDC and F16 700hp. The F16 would pull 44t++ at 100kph in top gear on the AR & AP gradients, a brilliant truck but... the little 6.7litre F7 which I started out with 224hp still managed to pull 40t but obviously had to use all 16 of its range change/splitter gearbox, as you can imagine it was dire on the hills. A 180 Gardner wouldn't be rated at such weight, more like 26/30 tons at its time but the drivers must have struggled to even manage 40mph on the flat..

[@michaelparker5072]

@@Draxindustries1 yes,i know all that,what i'm saying is the power to weight ratio of 180 hp at 38 tonnes is pretty dire,and that you wouldn't expect it to get much of a move on

[@carllockpick6179]

@@michaelparker5072 well said

[@user-fd5rg4ce9n]

6LW

[@user-fd5rg4ce9n]

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