Last time, you will recall that Motor Rail 1111 was receiving repairs to its engine in an attempt to create oil pressure. This succeeded, and the engine ran just fine. It started at the first twirl of the handle, much to the surprise of the individual holding the handle at the time. Less good was the water leak which became apparent from the cylinder block - it seems time had rather taken a dislike to the water jacket. The Dorman 2JO engine petrol engine, as fitted to MR1111, is pretty good for accessibility and repairability. Removal of the block is relatively straightforward, and leaves the two pistons & rods waving gently in the air. The pistons are of considerable interest. The more IC-engine minded reader will note several curiosities. Firstly, there are no oil control (aka Scraper) piston rings - the holes in the piston skirt seem to fulfill that function. Secondly, the piston crowns are most odd, with a bevelled edge to the flame face. Thirdly - not readily visible - the gudgeon pin retaining arrangement is also very unusual. Your author has seen a lot of IC engine pistons in his time - in some cases in rather small pieces - but these features were all new to him. Still, every day's a school day. The block was quickly repaired, which left the task of reassembly. Even with the help of a piston rung compressor and several willing extra pairs of hands, this was distinctly fiddly - but seems to have succeeded in the end. Hopefully, MR1111 will have no more glitches and will be able to take its place in the line-up at Tracks to the Trenches in September. By the way, please note that tickets can now be bought for the event in adva
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