How often to run the engine in a Centurion?

[45jim]

The air intake horn location and the updraft carb of the Centurion may make it difficult to get the oil into the cylinders as you really can't pour from above with the engine running. You might be able to rig up a curved tube and follow Perry's method, it may work as well if not better than just oiling the cylinders. It just might be physically impossible for the engine to draw the oil up through the carb.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Fascinating conversation of by-the-book, use of the gray-haired archives, parallel job experience, similar actual experience, and mechanical curiosity.

(I am no expert, so please do not take my word.) I would think that if the biggest internal concern is the rings seizing against hard RR cylinder sleeves, then putting a barrier layer in there should be an important effort. Intuitively, I like the idea of pulling the spark plugs, adding machine oil directly, and deliberately turning the engine over would add that layer.

Batteries can be charged, changed and removed. Fluids pour and drain by gravity. Grease squirts in under pressure. Auxiliaries can be literally walked up to and problems addressed. Transmissions are oily by nature. Clutches though are always deep inside the hull, so whatever you do is better than nothing.

For what it's worth, I support dry storage versus outdoor storage. However, I had an unusual encounter with condensation on my M38A1 when there was a humidity pocket inside the shelter one late winter day. The water droplets formed on the vehicle could be wiped off like rain. I opened up the doors and turned on blower fans to move the moist air away as best I could.

In my other experience, if at all possible, heated indoor storage with batteries on tenders, and some form of monthly run-up cycle would seem like the best possible preservation. As I learned from a physiotherapist, muscles are made to move. Extend that to our hobby, ships are not built to stay in harbour.

[Malcolm Towrie]

Waaay off topic, here, but Terry, you mentioned batteries. What a problem that is for us. Something like 80 running vehicles get parked in the fall for their long winters nap. We don't have a program to look after those ~ 150 batteries because it's a thankless, and very time-consuming job. So come spring we have our fair share of dead batteries, some of which can be recovered, some not. It upsets me, but not enough that I'll volunteer to run the program!

And, in my opinion, running a battery program is quite skilled. You need to be physically strong, know enough about batteries to be able to connect and disconnect them without melting wrenches and battery posts, know how to carbon pile load test, take SG measurements, effective ways of charging them, new technologies that can restore a sulphated battery, and most important know when a battery is toast and further effort is futile.

What do others do?

Malcolm

[Jonathan Moore]

Malcolm,

Very good question, I trickle charge about 10 batteries but they don't really like it, so I will be very interested to hear what other people do.

Jon

[Lynn Eades]

Malcolm, most automotive batteries these days are calcium batteries which apparently don't work very well with a generator. I just thought i'd throw that in to complicate things for you

[Malcolm Towrie]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Malcolm, most automotive batteries these days are calcium batteries which apparently don't work very well with a generator. I just thought i'd throw that in to complicate things for you

Good grief. I didn't know that, Lynn!

Here's a quick explanation for others in my state of ignorance.

"What is a “Calcium” battery?

A Calcium battery is a still a lead acid battery; they are usually sealed maintenance free. Calcium replaces antimony in the plates of the battery to give it some advantages including improved resistance to corrosion, no excessive gassing, less water usage and lower self discharge. Silver is another additive used by some manufacturers, the addition of silver enables the battery to be more resilient to high temperatures.

Calcium batteries require a higher charge voltage than conventional batteries. If used in a deep cycle situation it is advisable to use a charger designed for calcium batteries of has a calcium charging mode to get the maximum life out of the battery."

Malcolm

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Towrie

Waaay off topic, here, but Terry, you mentioned batteries. What a problem that is for us. Something like 80 running vehicles get parked in the fall for their long winters nap. We don't have a program to look after those ~ 150 batteries because it's a thankless, and very time-consuming job. So come spring we have our fair share of dead batteries, some of which can be recovered, some not. It upsets me, but not enough that I'll volunteer to run the program!

And, in my opinion, running a battery program is quite skilled. You need to be physically strong, know enough about batteries to be able to connect and disconnect them without melting wrenches and battery posts, know how to carbon pile load test, take SG measurements, effective ways of charging them, new technologies that can restore a sulphated battery, and most important know when a battery is toast and further effort is futile.

What do others do?

Malcolm

I'm glad you spoke up about that part of the collection. I had the pleasure of a visit in May, to survey the V100 in comparison to the other V100 in Canada. (Nice machine, well restored, but it needs to run more often.) I saw the pile of batteries in the side shed.

It occurred to me that if the current crop of volunteers are skilled wrench pullers, restorers and troubleshooters, but as you frankly admit are not battery techs, maybe the collection needs to partner with an outside company to get a better routine in place. Not telling you your business, but thinking out loud. Imagine someone who knows exactly the things you mention and will do it for a tax receipt.

The collection where I kibbitz, burn gas and break things, has a facility not unlike Oshawa's but not as crowded. The crew chief has a monthly run up routine. Fuel doesn't go into most vehicles' fuel tanks, but is fed into the line with portable tanks. And, from what I've seen, a battery tender is wheeled around on some regular sequence.

[Malcolm Towrie]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

I had the pleasure of a visit in May, to survey the V100 in comparison to the other V100 in Canada. (Nice machine, well restored, but it needs to run more often.)

It occurred to me that if the current crop of volunteers are skilled wrench pullers, restorers and troubleshooters, but as you frankly admit are not battery techs, maybe the collection needs to partner with an outside company to get a better routine in place. Not telling you your business, but thinking out loud. Imagine someone who knows exactly the things you mention and will do it for a tax receipt.

Terry, the V100 has dodgy plugs. It was running very badly in May and sometime after that I tested, cleaned, and regapped the plugs. It then started well and ran smoothly. But when I saw it running again recently (as you say, it gets run rarely), it was running rough again. It needs 8 new plugs. (And the clutch needs bled.)

Not a bad idea about getting a third party involved. I can't see anyone doing it for a tax receipt, though! A cost benefit analysis is required!

Malcolm

[eddy8men]

over winter i used a 12v ctek battery charger on my cromwell. it worked well but would only do one battery at a time (the 24v version was 5x more expensive)

[jdmcm]

Malcolm

We have been running our centurion at least once a week, we try to get it fired up and run it around the property for 30-40 min (best chore ever) Fortunately Rick had all the fluids topped up and the coolant was good to -25c when it arrived, which if we ever see -25c here on the west coast I'm going to buy one of those stupid Donald Trump hats and move to Arizona, but I digress. As the shop is jammed full the Centurion has to live outside and in the interest of easy starting we keep a C-tek battery charger on each battery, a small thermostatically controlled electric heater in the fighting compartment keeps the moisture away, especially the "sweats" you get having the tank tarped in this humid climate, and finally two Temro heater magnets attached to the radiator header tank, this keeps the coolant warm and boy does it make the tank easy to start. I was going to add one to the oil tank but currently it is just too oily in the engine bay to be safe, perhaps once we get a chance to steam it all clean.

John

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