Old Marine Engine: Semi Diesel

Semi Diesel

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peter_bell
New member
Username: peter_bell

Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2004

Posted on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 07:10 am:

Anyone help identify this engine please?

It is supposed to be a Wichmann but the plate is missing. It stands about 2.2m high, flywheel is about 1m dia and is2.3m from front of flywheel to the end of the shaft coupling.

Thanks Peter
engine pic1

keith Tollett
Visitor

Posted on Thursday, October 21, 2004 - 10:58 pm:

Peter,
Looks a lot like a Kramhut (krom-hoot)hot-bulb or semi diesel engine. They were made in Holland in the 20's and 30's up to 600hp,6 cyl.

Keith

peter_bell
New member
Username: peter_bell

Post Number: 2
Registered: 09-2004

Posted on Friday, October 22, 2004 - 03:39 am:

Keith,

Thanks for the reply. Just found out it is a Norwegian engine. A Wichmann AB from 1940's 60hp at 350rpm. Mine is a semi diesel, after 1950 they were made as a true diesel simply by modifying the cylinder head. 320mm bore and stroke, piston looks pretty impressive!

Peter

Keith Tollett
Visitor

Posted on Saturday, October 23, 2004 - 07:16 pm:

Peter,

Check out my 1929,6cyl,140hp,Atlas Imperial Direct reversing engine that is in my 78' yacht. It and the boat are original to each other.

http://www.oldmarineengine.com/discus/messages/4/1678.html?1086761514

Good luck with your project, they are sweet when you hear them running!!

Keith

ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie

Post Number: 427
Registered: 01-2002

Posted on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 07:15 pm:

Here is a pic of the 2 cylinder Wichmann at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT USA

peter_bell
New member
Username: peter_bell

Post Number: 3
Registered: 09-2004

Posted on Friday, October 29, 2004 - 09:11 am:

Thanks for the pic Ernie. Tried to download it previously from that site but failed. It looks like a twin cyl version of ours, later perhaps as it looks like a full diesel by the cylinder head shape. Should be 120hp @350rpm.

Peter

ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie

Post Number: 429
Registered: 01-2002

Posted on Friday, October 29, 2004 - 06:06 pm:

It requires torch heat to start, if that helps id yours better.

rholcomb
Visitor

Posted on Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 04:23 pm:

Try this site has a lot of wichmann information
bob....

http://museumsnett.no/alias/HJEMMESIDE/hfs/verft/motormuseum/

peter_bell
Member
Username: peter_bell

Post Number: 4
Registered: 09-2004

Posted on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 03:18 am:

Thanks for the info Ernie, do you have any better pics especially of the heads? Ours also uses a blow torch as well to start it, which uses the engines compressed air tank to drive it.THis is the nearest pics to our enging I have seen.
Thanks for the info but I think our engine is a bit later than the ones shown on that site Bob. They all seem similar though. We have now got an instruction book on ours but of course it is in Norwegian! Difficult language to translate, at least for me.
Also found this link. The movies showing the engines being started are good especially the 50 hp single cyl Brunvoll

Peter

http://www.semidiesel.no/

Dennis K Williams
New member
Username: dkwflight

Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2006

Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 07:02 pm:

Hi Thats a nice old semi diesel.
The gear near the output flange is for a variable, reversable pitch prop. No transmission needed for reverse!!
I love these engins.
Dennis

Dennis K Williams
Member
Username: dkwflight

Post Number: 4
Registered: 02-2006

Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 07:10 pm:

PS near the top of the cylinder is a burner for the "Hot Bulb" ignition, two valves? In preperation for starting the engine you would pump up some pressure on a kero tank and light the fire. While you checked the oil etc. the burner would heat the bulb or surface in the cylinder to a dull red then crank it. Very reliable engines and they would burn some pretty poor fuel.
Sorry I cant help with the manufacturer
Dennis

Flan Poehls
New member
Username: gilly

Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2006

Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 09:47 am:

Hi Peter
I'm a trainee of the Flensburger Shipbuilder Company. We have trainee projekt to restore an old Wichmann Semidiesel. It's a model like yours.

When you restore the oiler, could you please send me all the Pics of it!!!! We need it all. Because it's very difficult to find any information or drawings about it.
Here some pics of the first stage of restoring...

PS.: Sorry for my horrible english...

peter bell UK
Visitor

Posted on Monday, March 20, 2006 - 12:15 pm:

Hi, Nice to see you have got a decent project! Our engine is an AB, 320mm bore, 320mm stroke.Is yours the same model?
We have overhauled our lubricator. We had to repair the ratchet pawls and clean everything out, dont think it had been working properly for a long time. Our big end had failed but had been repaired, perhaps because of the oil box not working well. I also have a manual on the engine with english translations if it will help.

Peter

Stian Moltubakk
Visitor

Posted on Monday, May 21, 2007 - 08:21 am:

Old wichmann diesels was buildt at rubbestadneset and the factory is still there. Wartsila bought in the early 90's and the engine production was stopped in 1997 and there latest development was a copresor and turbocharged v16 diesel that newer made it to production. They have a engine museum on the plant where they today only fabricate gears and proppelers and do maintinance on old instalations.

You can still special order wichmann engines up to the v12 size.

I think if you contact wartsila they will be able to get you in contact with some off the seniors in the service department and they will be able to provide you all the information you nead.

Sindre Nilsen
Member
Username: wichmann

Post Number: 7
Registered: 03-2006

Posted on Thursday, May 24, 2007 - 06:27 pm:

Not all that is true Stian. The Wichmann Factory, is named Wärtsilä Norway, today, and can supply spare parts only to type: DC, AC, AX and VX engines, -all full diesels. Flan Poehl`s engine is an type F, and I think its made in the 50`s. Peter bells engine is an type AB, culd be older. The oiler must not be dismantled, only clean the box inside.

Robert
Senior Member
Username: robert

Post Number: 357
Registered: 07-2003

Posted on Monday, April 05, 2010 - 03:26 am:

minor edits as requested, reposted by Andrew 4/6/2010

Just brought home a Wichmann single cylinder 8hp. What a monster! Missing some parts unfortunately, but we'll see what can be found. The large cast-iron muffler is the biggest problem. Have the nut for the end of the crank. The flywheel is now fully removed. This engine reportedly came from the Slocan area of BC and was used as a stationary engine in its last life. Sindre was kind enough to research this engine in the factory records, and it was sold in September 1930 to a Norwegian-born fisherman in Vancouver, B.C. He imported quite a few engines from Wichmann apparently. Probably for sale to other Scandinavian fishermen on the West Coast who were familiar with and preferred such engines. Fitting this engine would certainly reduce the need for ballast; the bed plate is over an inch thick everywhere! The Scandinavian builders definitely emphasized quality and durability: they all seem to have bought the more expensive all-bronze/brass Manzel lubricators, which are much less common on North American engines.

Peter Nordström
Member
Username: loke

Post Number: 14
Registered: 07-2006

Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - 02:19 am:

Hello!
Speaking of crude oil engines, so I (found) a plate belonging to a (Drott) motor.Phytagoras Norrtelje Sweden made two models Fram and Drott Drott was exported, maybe this nice plate was meant for an engine to Argentina.//Peter Droot engine