Hi everyone, I recently found something interesting in a shed at my local boatyard. I gave the guy who owned it £25 which is what he valued it as scrap and following a phone call to our host John it seems I am now the proud owner of a 1934 Marston Super with neutral and forward gears!! Now the bad news. although it isn't seized, corrosion in the waterways has burst through the cylinder casing, and also it has been "converted" to later Seagull type Villiers ignition. Does anyone out there have any parts or know where I may be able to find them to restore this baby?
Regards,
Steve.
Marston parts
Moderators: John@sos, charlesp, Charles uk, RickUK, Petergalileo
Hi Steve - congratulations on your Marston find - even with the problems it has. The cylinder - I don't know of any replacements, and it is a question of how bad the corrosion is. The water jacket only needs to be watertight - ie. there is no pressure involved, and brazing is a possible solution, but it is a fair bet that if corrosion has broken out in one or two areas, other areas might not be far behind. Are there corrosion holes, or cracks?
There is more hope on the magneto setup - again I don't know of any spares at the moment, but these units were commonly used on other engines - eg. lawnmowers of the period, although there were also a number of subtle variations to details. The basic dimensions, and coil, points assembly etc remained the same.
I'll get back to you if I come across any parts, and equally post a message if you have any luck with parts. Rick
There is more hope on the magneto setup - again I don't know of any spares at the moment, but these units were commonly used on other engines - eg. lawnmowers of the period, although there were also a number of subtle variations to details. The basic dimensions, and coil, points assembly etc remained the same.
I'll get back to you if I come across any parts, and equally post a message if you have any luck with parts. Rick
Marston parts
Hi Rick, thanks for your reply. The cylinder has cracked its water jacket on the outside but the bore seems unscathed so a repair would be an option if a replacement can't be found. Thanks for the info about the ignition being common to lawnmowers etc, it might be worth having a look online to find some vintage lawnmower websites. There must be some people out there like us who get their kicks in the garden instead of on the water!!
-
Charles UK
Marston Bits
Your chances of finding a cylinder for your OF or OG Marston are very slim,
I think your going to have to investigate cleaning & repairing the one you've got.
If you let us know where you are in the UK & exactly what you have, engine number & a picture I can put you in touch with fellow Marston owners who might be able to offer technical help.
Charles Large (01628 622359 home)
I think your going to have to investigate cleaning & repairing the one you've got.
If you let us know where you are in the UK & exactly what you have, engine number & a picture I can put you in touch with fellow Marston owners who might be able to offer technical help.
Charles Large (01628 622359 home)
Marston parts
Hi Charles, thanks for your reply. The engine number is OF.511.0.515 and I live on Anglesey. Photos to follow when I get some new batteries for my camera. If anyone has some pics of the original ignition system I could do with seeing them so I know what to look for.
Regards,
Steve
Regards,
Steve
-
Charles UK
Marstons
The nearest person to you with a similar Marston is Rick UK. If I remember right he has a magneto in bits I'm sure he would send you pics, he is also compiling a Marston registry comprising of who has what & which spares with contact details.
So i suggest you contact him by private mail & send him all your details & pics so that we know exactly what you have & what parts you need.
Good luck with your quest.
Charles
So i suggest you contact him by private mail & send him all your details & pics so that we know exactly what you have & what parts you need.
Good luck with your quest.
Charles