Trains, planes and automobiles

Speaking of industrial engines - the Toro GroundsMaster
Hi J-man :)
Yes quite a while back I was working as a mechanic on ground equipment for a couple of golf clubs. I had to get an older Groundsmaster going to trade it in on a new one. I was quite astonished to lift the bonnet and find a Renno engine !!! But no problems I had experience and it just needed the points and carby cleaned and ran OK. There were some spares on the shelf too I recognised later. Possibly still there ??
A very neat installation but I believe it was driving from the flywheel but I did no more work on one. There were quite a few petrol ones around the district but our clubs had bought diesel powered units after they were introduced and the 3cyl Kuboto diesel was similar small sized. The engine was at the back driving from the flywheel end, with a hefty belt drive to a side jack shaft, and then to the hydraulic transmission.(edited)
They were the most popular brand and style rough mower. The Groundsmaster 72 had a six foot cutter deck( 72" )
Jaahn
 
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Hi :)
Back 'last century' Renault engines were marketed in the US as Continental brand engines and sold for a variety of industrial uses. Small, light; fuel efficient, reliable, what else did you want ?? If you googled that brand you might find some information. That is the reason they did pop up in unusual situations.

I have seen a R8 style motor in the '70s as an industrial motor with a serious multi belt drive PTO in for some repair. I was told it came from the RAAF and off a mobile starter unit for the Mirages that were current then.

John there could be an interesting thread in this :cool: Here is a starter with the 1973 Owner Manual for a Toro Groundsmaster 72.
https://www.toro.com/getpub/7473
Engine; Continental model R839-46
jaahn
 
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Here is a parts diagram illustration for a later model Groundsmaster 327.
1603018246480.png
 
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Hi :)
Back 'last century' Renault engines were marketed in the US as Continental brand engines and sold for a variety of industrial uses. Small, light; fuel efficient, reliable, what else did you want ?? If you googled that brand you might find some information. That is the reason they did pop up in unusual situations.

I have seen a R8 style motor in the '70s as an industrial motor with a serious multi belt drive PTO in for some repair. I was told it came from the RAAF and off a mobile starter unit for the Mirages that were current then.

John there could be an interesting thread in this :cool: Here is a starter with the 1973 Owner Manual for a Toro Groundsman 72.
https://www.toro.com/getpub/7473
Engine; Continental model R839-46
jaahn

I remember those ground power plants for the Mirages that came with them when they were introduced. Big, low yellow self propelled rectangular units that provided 115V AC to the aircraft, as seen in the attachment Can't remember their name but I'll see if any of my mates can, and what was in them......
 

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I have seen a R8 style motor in the '70s as an industrial motor with a serious multi belt drive PTO in for some repair. I was told it came from the RAAF and off a mobile starter unit for the Mirages that were current then.
I remember those ground power plants for the Mirages that came with them when they were introduced. Big, low yellow self propelled rectangular units that provided 115V AC to the aircraft, as seen in the attachment Can't remember their name but I'll see if any of my mates can, and what was in them......

That makes sense the Mirage fighter was made by the French
 
Speaking of industrial engines - the Toro GroundsMaster

The Torro Ground maters used a R4 motor that ran backwards , in the early 80s I was contacted by St Ives Golf Club and requested to overhaul two of them , inspected them on site to discover that they ran the wrong way. No problem , I rang Wong at Auto France and he had piston kits to suit in stock .
 
I have just learned of the 807 was used by Mercruiser

The MerCruiser 80 has the same spec as the 697 original engine fitted to the Lotus Europa.

The story goes that Colin Chapman went to Renault because he needed a transaxle and Régie talked him into the package deal.
 
And, soon after he bought those warmed-up (ordinary) engines, Renault released the 16TS with a crossflow head. I reckon Renault was one of very few organisations to pull a fast one over Colin Chapman. I stand to be corrected but it is a delicious thought. :)
 
The Torro Ground maters used a R4 motor that ran backwards , in the early 80s I was contacted by St Ives Golf Club and requested to overhaul two of them , inspected them on site to discover that they ran the wrong way. No problem , I rang Wong at Auto France and he had piston kits to suit in stock .
It wasn't the wrong way. It was the way early R4 engines ran. Perfectly correct! I agree it was different. :)
 
It wasn't the wrong way. It was the way early R4 engines ran. Perfectly correct! I agree it was different. :)
Hi John :) and Rally:)
I had an R4 back in the day. Put new 904 pistons and sleeves in it and a cam and some head work just because I could. Just spun the wheels all the time ?? And my then girlfriend, now wife, remembers sitting on a box after the rubber straps failed !! :giggle:

But to my point about the direction of rotation. My thoughts are that the French wanted crank handles, (too mean/poor to buy new batteries ?) so they moved the 'dog' from the back of the engine to the front of the gearbox. Obviously the engine had to rotate the other way. I am not sure but did they just use a chain instead of gears for the timing drive.;)
Jaahn
 
I think early R4s had a celeron timing gear, but wider than the 4CV/Dauphine one and the later ones had the Sierra/Cleon engine with a chain.
On the money re the starting dog and the gearbox! I'd have thought that they could more easily have simply told owners to crank it the other way..... I remember cranking our borrowed 6V R4 way back when.
 
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