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2LW serial number?


Athy

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While we were having a bit of work done on Trojan last weekend, the boatyard owner showed me a Gardner 2LW which he'd just bought. It appears to have been used for a military application, as it is painted in an army green sort of colour. He doesn't have much to do with the internet so he asked if I could try and find out a bit about its history. So, here goes.

Cast into the pretty side, between the two cylinders, is

 

LW

6A

E4983

then either 6 or b followed by 121.

 

Stencilled on the other side, in light-coloured characters about 2" tall, is

4185 SE 52

 

I initially thought that the engine might have been in a military vehicle and that this was the vehicle's registration number. But a bit of research shows that army vehicles have only two figures before the letters in their registration mark.

Can anyone make any sense of these markings, please?

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The numbers cast in the side of the block are pattern numbers and should be on all LW blocks with slight variations in numbers between 2 and 3cly blocks and possibly of different ages when there has been a modification to the pattern, and or batches of castings for identification later.

The engine number should be stamped into the top of the crankcase just behind the injection pump next to the front cyl block holding down stud, if the engine has many layers of paint it is probably obscured, the injector pump should also have a number either on a plate or stamped on which matches the engine number, assuming its the original pump to the engine.

The number stenciled on is probably a plant number as you suspect, I have seen ex Trinity House engine's painted green so maybe one from there.

If you can find out the engine number then it should be possible to find more information by asking the Anson Engine Museum to check the records (small fee)

or maybe Martyn can help.

Steve

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Thanks, Steve. In a post a few years ago you mentioned how to interpret this pattern number: something to do with the date in reverse order? So, obviously this one would not mean 3/8/94, as 2LWs were not being made in 1994 (I know they were revived later in the '90s but this appears to be an old one). Could it mean 3/8/49?

I did not notice an engine number - but then I have never noticed one on my own 2LW either!

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During my military service in the RAF in the early 1950's the ammunition & ordnance store/dumps in the Middle East had a 6 or 8 cylinder Gardner driving a water pump used to boost the water pressure for fire fighting equipment also a 2 or 3 cyl model with a generator attached to light the unit in the case of failure of the "leccy" supply The ones I came in contact with were all 8l3b's & 3LW's

  • Greenie 1
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41 minutes ago, Athy said:

Thanks, Steve. In a post a few years ago you mentioned how to interpret this pattern number: something to do with the date in reverse order? So, obviously this one would not mean 3/8/94, as 2LWs were not being made in 1994 (I know they were revived later in the '90s but this appears to be an old one). Could it mean 3/8/49?

I did not notice an engine number - but then I have never noticed one on my own 2LW either!

The post that you mention most likely refers to a different number. Each crankcase was pressure tested before being used, the date of the pressure test was stamped on the crankcase usually on the rear face as per the picture , this one is dated 1/11/51 and was tested as a completed engine in May 1952.

On painted cast iron engines the serial number tends to get obscured by the paint job so unless you go looking it is not always easy to spot, and if it was a South African engine it may have even been altered.

Steve

IMGP0230.JPG.63f6817fb803fef33ed2ec3f362fe9a0.JPG picture

Edited by Split Pin
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