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The Story Of Bolinder 1051 No 1001

Its Rescue And Refurbishment

So far!

My wife and I purchased narrow boat Scotia (later to become Andora) in 1998 as described else ware on this site. Her motor a Bolinder 1051 No 15371077 although running ok was mechanically noisier than ideal and only running about 15lbs per sq inch oil pressure (65lbs would be good) probably indicating worn main and big end bearings.

My 18yrs with a1969 Triumph T100SS motorbike reinforced the motto “don’t fix it unless it’s broke” and if you must tinker make sure the parts (and money!) are at hand before you start.

Having saved a bit I started looking for parts, I have a parts book but Volvo bought Bolinder Munktell in??/??/?? (Anyone know please) and thereafter used the name Volvo BM on heavy plant. Some time ago Volvo used to sell spares in nice new boxes with the Bolinder wrappings inside...now apparently Volvo put everything in a skip and disposed of the parts.

I met a guy called Kevin Whittle at the Birmingham inland Boat show who was very helpful and encouraging. He runs the Kelvin Register and Vintage Marine Engine clubs engines@vintagemarine.co.uk Tel 01952 541844 and makes batches of parts for anything Kelvin. He assured me shell bearings can be remanufactured or may be available “of the shelf” once I have a pattern, maybe all is not lost. Talking to Kevin about his register gave me the idea that if I could do a similar thing I might get enough people together to make producing unobtainable spares viable. My attempts at a data base were looked at with some sadness by my 18yr old daughter who having recently passed an “A” level in “IT” studies at great cost to the tax payer and me in particular showed off her new found knowledge until the early hours to made all the links and reports run to her satisfaction “Thanks Aimee” and also to Andy who is now our web master thought my idea of a Web Site to gather and display the fund of knowledge that must be out there some ware would be much easier than has proved the case. If you have anything please contact us, you could write what is on the Web on 4 stroke Bolinders on the back of the proverbial fag packet.

I still had no information other than the parts book and was beginning to realise these motors might be a bit unusual if not rare. Then waterways world in July 2003 published an article on Semi Diesel Bolinders with a bit at the end about the 1051/2/3/4 series of motors, this is still the sum of my knowledge and it’s not much! The article did give a contact John Pattle who is a very busy man running a boat yard but is an expert for these motors; he put me in touch with a guy in Gloucester who had a 1051 in a barn. Terry it turned out had bought a 1053 for his boat but had to buy the 1051 as a part of the deal; he had later come across a Gardner and only used the hydraulic gearbox of the 1053 before selling it on to John. Both the 1053 and 1051 had come out of a fishing boat the 1053 being the main engine and the 1051 a wing engine apparently set to one side with its own shaft and propeller for emergency use.

I arranged to borrow a boat trailer and set it up to carry a pallet and went to Gloucester to have a look and with the aid of a tractor forward loader and some cash became the proud owner of a complete but worn set of spares.

The motor had been partially stripped for inspection some time ago and was a mixture of diesel to prevent further damage by the elements (the cylinder was full) and an accumulation of sawdust from the wood mill.

On arrival my wife was most enthusiastic “IS THAT IT???” “You actually PAID MONEY for THAT!”

Funny that because she loves the other one popping along blowing smoke rings “O well”
 

Two trips to the weigh bridge confirmed my new pride and joy weighed 600kgs and 15 minutes with an engine hoist from the local hire shop and she is sat on a raised pallet in the garage
 

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The next Job is to take out and refurbish the crank, big end and main bearings to swap with the one in the boat and in due course end up with two good motors. I aim to do this with photographs as I go along because no one has a workshop manual or do they?

If you have ANY useful information PLEASE contact me via the site.

Dismantling 1001