gcb

I bought this engine several years ago. It comes (came?) in both iron/steel and ABC replicas. Of course the original was before ABC was invented.
It was done by the CS company. Their reputation was "spotty". My understanding is that the early ones were a bit rough and quality improved as they gained experience. Well...I guess I got one of the early ones!
Fits were not too good in some places. I think the needle should have been made from the next larger size wire. Leaked air like a sieve. I used both fuel tubing and Lok-Tite (blue). Finally got it sealed enough.
The ABC fits were loose enough I had to use the method of putting the piston at TDC, moving the contra down to it, then back off a bit. Finally got the darn thing started and thought things were going fine until it abruptly stopped. Checked everything and all seemed OK. Started it again and the same thing happened. It finally dawned on me that the cylinder was expanding faster/more than the contra and it was losing compression at the contra.
I think a decent fix for it would be to cut a groove in the contra for an "O" ring, but I have not tried it. So far, I just put it back in its box and added it to my collection.
It's a nice looking, simple little engine and perhaps someday I'll try the iron/steel one.
Your good or bad stories about this engine? Iron/steel or ABC?

George

Jim Thomerson

A rumor. I've been told of an instance where the cylinder came apart and the top of the engine went flying off. There is not a whole lot of metal holding the cylinder together at the exhaust ports and it is supposed to be steel rather than brass. A couple of the ABC's have passed through my hands but I have never run one.

Jim

johnvb-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

If the contra is not expanding enough to match the cylinder there could be too much metal in the contra and a bit of lathework to 'empty it out' may do the trick. I've heard stories about an early Doonside version that had the same problem. David Owen could probably fill us in.

Dan Vincent

George,

I didn't know CS made an Elfin 1.5 too.

I have an original and a Russian copy.

The Russians made it in a choice of ABC or steel too.

David Owen

George,
CS did make an Elfin replica, but it was the 249, not your 149.
Your engine appears to be the Russian version, originally commissioned in good faith by Ivor F and sold by him in the first instance. These were produced in both ABC and steel versions, neither of which was a great success.
The steel version can and has been rebuilt into a usable form. I don't think anything can really be done with the ABC version. Sorry.
These Elfins are still offered by a few small concerns and are sometimes referred to as Doonside Elfins.
David Owe

gcb

You guys are, of course, correct. My apologies. I re-checked the box and it is indeed Russian ... with same faults!
If the I/S has the same problems, guess I won't try it after all.
My replica Oliver Tigre is CS. It had a few manufacturing faults, mostly correctable. It runs well, even though the front bearing gets LOTS of lubrication.

George