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Author Topic: Wilesco D430  (Read 211 times)

classixs

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Wilesco D430
« on: March 28, 2021, 02:17:43 pm »
Always found the D430 Portable Engine the most interesting of all their mobiles, as far as out of the box realism goes (the golden brass finish aside).

Theyīve always been been a little too pricey for my taste though, so have been looking for a used one with a few issues, to keep the price within my range
One has to be careful how much one wishes for something i assume...
It would appear that iīve just purchased one with not just a few flaws, but a fullblown case of dezink-like moisture damage all over.
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Anyway, at €99 iīm happy with it, and look forward to see how much i can fix, and how much that needs replacement.
(Am keeping my fingers firmly crossed for the boiler condition though, as it will severely damage my D430 budget if i have to replace that.)
Cheers
Jan
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Nick

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2021, 02:28:34 pm »
Yikes! At least it was cheap and you knew about the damage. Maybe stored wet with Esbit at some point...

I’m sure you may have spotted it, but looks like a chunk missing here

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classixs

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2021, 02:35:40 pm »
Yes, the first thing i noticed as well Nick.
Went very carefully through the pictures after that, before i decided to take a chance and click the BIN.

It does have some serious issues, but am keeping my hopes high that quite a bit of the damage can be fixed, and the replacement parts needed can be kept to a minimum.
Cheers
Jan
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Woe is me

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2021, 03:52:10 pm »
Something like you have there Jan. I would make sure nothing's froze up and free. Run air through it, fix any leaks
do your repairs. Then I would get some black heat paint and do the whole thing. Bake it, call it good. Maybe do the
wheels red, that's all.
Tommy

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classixs

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2021, 04:01:08 pm »
Itīll be black Tom :)
The only thing i donīt like about this model is the color, i donīt want it shiny and blinged out, its a workhorse.
It was decided many moons ago, back when i started looking, that if i ever found one it would be painted all black, as soon as it hit the doorstep here.
Cheers
Jan
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ShadetreeMotorcycle

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2021, 04:16:39 pm »
I read somewhere that Wilesco polished these brass wheel models then a coat of clear Lacquer to hold the shine. This is fine for a shelf queen but all my engines must work...the moment the clear runs across a dusty floor the clear would be scratched. I really like your plan to go black.

St Paul Steam

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2021, 07:23:32 pm »
Oh my...
I have also been on the hunt for one of these for over a year now , you have lots of "opportunities" there , they are pricey but the right bargain will come around sometime.
Looking forward to seeing your progress 😊👍
Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
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classixs

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2021, 09:27:10 am »
A small update:

It arrived yesterday, and is (almost) in the exact condition shown at the pics...so far so good.

When i tried to remove whistle and safetyvalve, they both came out with their bushings, so will have to get those soldered back in there, to give the boiler a proper hydrotest.
The engine was completely stuck, but after soaking in some some WD40 and thin oil for an hour or so, i was able to get that freed up.
Tested the engine with compressed air, and it runs good and strong in both directions.

Biggest problem right now, is that i canīt decide if my newly modded D405 wheels should go to this one instead, and then keep the tractor in original condition instead.
Have another Mamod tractor here, but it is a complete older TE2 with exhaustvalve, and would sort like to keep that one "on its feet".
Cheers
Jan
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komet163b

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2021, 10:40:08 am »
  Neat looking engine...sorry for the zinc-pest problems.

  I read a recent suggestion to increase the strength
of these problem parts.  After carefully wiping away
loose crap, try allowing a 'thin' superglue to soak
into the part to make it stronger.  You may need to
sand it a bit for smoothness, then paint it as you
normally would.  I've done similar procedures on old
wood frames to save old fragile carvings.  I used a
syringe to inject the glue directly into the wood.
Once cured, the part is solid enough to work with.

Good luck,
Wayne


classixs

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Re: Wilesco D430
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2021, 12:24:22 pm »
The zincpest and dezink doesnīt really scare me much, especially on something like this, with every part needed being available from the manufacturer :)

Only theorizing with my restricted personal experience here, my firm belief is that it doesnīt really do diddly gluing them up...unless thereīs some broken off part one wants to glue back on there.

I have kept 2 heavily damaged Mazak parts here for about a decade, done absolutely nothing to them, besides checking on their condition once every other year, and they havenīt changed at all since they entered here.

What i believe is that this is a simple chemical reaction, formed by two or more incompatible metals, which uses humidity/moisture as a catalyst, to expand and thereby break the material to pieces.
It is highly unlikely that this is an undiscovered perpetual motion formula, so if left in a dry environment, or when the chemical process has completed, thereīs no more fuel left, and the deterioration will stop.

One could argue that glue will seal out any incoming moisture or humidity in the air, but so will a layer of paint or a clearcoat.
As long as the part is completely dried out before coating, that would most likely work to some extent.
Cheers
Jan
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