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Hi guys, not having much luck over here in oz with thesequestions so thought i would branch out!! i have just bought a 3 cylinder horizontally opposed supercharged diesel engine that came out of an early commer truck and i believe the nick name for these engines were the commer knocker? just wondering if anyone knows much about them as i am wanting to put it into a hot rod project and would like to give it a freshen up first.
cheers for any help. michael
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rotary turbo moggy traveller
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,161
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Jan 20, 2013 10:12:12 GMT
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Fantastic engines, almost legendary! Spares non- existent and worth a small fortune in the UK. Do a search for Commer TS, that should find some info.
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bl1300
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,678
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Jan 20, 2013 12:03:27 GMT
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Awesome engine with a very unusual design, unfortunatly getting spares for one now can be like extracting milk from a dinosaur. When you start working on it please please do a build thread.
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Current fleet.
1967 DAF 44
1974 VW Beetle 1303s
1975 Triumph Spitfire MkIV
1988 VW LT45 Beavertail
1998 Volvo V70 2.5
1959 Fordson Dexta
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sowen
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,245
Club RR Member Number: 24
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commer truck enginesowen
@sowen
Club Retro Rides Member 24
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Jan 20, 2013 13:52:59 GMT
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I have nothing constructive to add but there needs to be a build thread of this, and here's one fitted to a Mini  |
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Jan 20, 2013 21:11:11 GMT
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cheers for the enthusiasm guys and the video! the engine will either go into an early 50's bedford sitting on a 1 tonne chassis with a short bed or it will go into a ford prefect chassis with custom bodywork. not sire yet. all info is greatly appreciated. and funnily enough have had 4 offers to buy it already! had no idea they were so rare!
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rotary turbo moggy traveller
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
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commer truck engineDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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Jan 20, 2013 21:15:54 GMT
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its correct name is a TS3. taken from tilling-stevens, which is where commer got the design from.
i know where theres two at quite reasonable money that i was looking to buy, but i was put off by the lack of absoutley anything available for them. even service parts don't exist, need to replace a mechanical part and youre totally screwed. youd be in to big money for one off machined parts.
they also have a few weak points, they're prone to snapping the quill shaft of the crank where the blower attaches, which would mean getting a new crank made from scratch........
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,553 
Club RR Member Number: 33
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commer truck engineBrian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jan 20, 2013 21:34:54 GMT
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One of my all-time favourite diesel engines.
When I was a young lad, there was a haulage firm nearby who had a fleet of Commers, all fitted with TS3 'knocker' engines. I can still remember the scream of the blowers as they laboured up the hill past my bedroom window at stupid o'clock most mornings. Gorgeous.
'Now THAT is an engine' ;D
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CIH
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,466
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Jan 20, 2013 23:13:06 GMT
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Almost sounds like a diesel rotary. Why are parts so dire to find ? Did they just not make many ?
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They made a fair few, but when Chrysler bought the Rootes group they knocked it on the head, having just spent loads of money developing new Cummins engines.
I suspect that there weren't big stocks of parts, and those have been used (or scrapped due to the many changes of ownership and eventual collapse of the Rootes group) in the 40 years since they went out of production.
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bl1300
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,678
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This is why the design is unconventional to say the least. Each cylinder has 2 pistons within it that move towards each other.   |
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Current fleet.
1967 DAF 44
1974 VW Beetle 1303s
1975 Triumph Spitfire MkIV
1988 VW LT45 Beavertail
1998 Volvo V70 2.5
1959 Fordson Dexta
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,840
Club RR Member Number: 174
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commer truck enginestealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Jan 21, 2013 10:14:02 GMT
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I reckon there'll be somebody somewhere with a garage full of bits for them. I know my old boss had a job lot a few years ago and sold them to a collector.
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Jan 21, 2013 10:17:48 GMT
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I have to say that I'd like to do something with one of these, just for the noise. |
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sowen
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,245
Club RR Member Number: 24
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commer truck enginesowen
@sowen
Club Retro Rides Member 24
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Jan 21, 2013 12:29:54 GMT
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I have a pair of scavenge pumps off a Commer TS3 and couldn't even find any useful information on how to dismantle and rebuild them. Maybe it's worth just pulling it apart and hoping that nothing is fundamentally wrong with it?
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Jan 21, 2013 23:01:04 GMT
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its correct name is a TS3. taken from tilling-stevens, which is where commer got the design from. they also have a few weak points, they're prone to snapping the quill shaft of the crank where the blower attaches, which would mean getting a new crank made from scratch........ Dez, having seen what you're capable of acheiving I would have thought you could knock up a new crank with 2 bricks and a rubber chicken....I'm pretty sure Chairchild would take casting one up in a bathtub as a challenge..... |
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