New SIMAR owner seeks assistance!

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  • #34106
    vhgmcbuddy
    Member

    Hi all,

    Long time lapsed member recently rejoined here, good to be back!

    Picked up a SIMAR tiller today, my first one, so there are bound to be plenty of daft questions. The first, and possibly most daft of all is:

    What have I bought?! Best guess from looking through the excellent french website is that it may be a C50… Bigger than a 35, smaller than a 56, no reverse gear etc.

    Next question is of it’s origins. No mention of “British” on the spark plug cover, but sporting a Lucas magneto. So I’m assuming it is a British built machine?!

    Only had it home a few hours but aside from a few small bits, most importantly an HT lead, it seems fairly tidy, clutches work well. But one drive pin is very stuck, penetrating oil is currently doing it’s thing!

    Any thoughts or suggestions would be very much appreciated 😀

    Apologies for photo quality, I’ll drag it outside and get some better ones tomorrow if you chaps are interested!

    Attachments:
    #34122
    charlie
    Keymaster

    Welcome back. You have come to the right place, SIMAR and Geo Monro are my speciality.
    Your machine is a model 50 and would have been made in Switzerland, only the 35 and 56 were British built. The 50 is almost the same as a 56, the major difference is the 56 has an additional segment in the gearbox between engine and main gearbox, which houses the reverse gear. The clutches are dog clutches so have little to go wrong with them. The drive pins are different lengths, depending on which wheel the longer one is in determines which gear is selected, high or low, so I am guessing it is the longer pin that is stuck.
    If you require operators manual or parts manual let me know your e mail address via a personal message.
    I see the miller cover looks as if it has been repaired or fabricated at some time.

    #34130
    vhgmcbuddy
    Member

    Hi Charlie, thanks for getting back so promptly! Good to hear my internet sleuthing was along the right lines. And documentation you have would be excellent, I’ll drop you a PM with my email address.

    It is indeed the long pin that’s stuck, but not totally, when I first wheeled it off the trailer is was semi engaged in the drive hub which lead to a horrible notchy rolling effect and me fearing that the gearbox was trashed. But after tapping the pin in a little farther drive is now positive!

    I suspect this machine has done a stint as a garden ornament as it’s had a good thick coat of green paint applied and not been used since, ie paint intact over semi-engaged drive pin, control rods etc!

    Do you know which Lucas magneto is fitted? As an HT lead is the current hang up.

    #34131
    vhgmcbuddy
    Member

    Oh, also, starting straps… Do you guys make them yourselves or is there a supplier?!

    #34140
    charlie
    Keymaster

    If the HT lead pick up is in good condition it should be easy enough to but a length of HT cable to make a replacement.
    Starting straps can be made, I don’t know of a supplier. I have used 1 inch wide webbing as used on Land Rover tilts. Leather could also be used.
    I will e mail documents to you.

    #34142
    vhgmcbuddy
    Member

    Okay, got the HT parts on order!

    Do you have any idea why the number on this machine doesn’t tie up with any of the serial number ranges on the French site?

    #34143
    roatavator
    Participant

    The drive pins do sometimes become stuck in place. I’ve found if you engage one of the wheel locks or pawls on one wheel only and then move the handlebars from side to side it often frees up the pin. The fact that you could push it in suggests it’s not stuck as such, just held in place. If you want to change gear by swapping the pins from one wheel to the other and the long pin won’t go in, don’t force it, just tilt the nose down while applying hand pressure to the pin and you’ll find the spot where it will insert.
    I made a strap from an old webbing strap with a couple of small bolts and nuts inserted to engage in the two holes on the pulley.

    #34144
    roatavator
    Participant

    Oh. And the gearbox should be in neutral when inserting or removing the pins.

    #34145
    vhgmcbuddy
    Member

    I’ve gotten the short pin removed. The long one is pretty stuck indeed, I tapped it inwards with a hammer to ensure it engaged properly, and I can withdraw it back to it’s original position with the use of a pry bar behind the “t” piece. I’m reasonably sure that the issue is the part which has been exposed through the back of the wheel hub has become rusty and is now very tight in the bore. Current plan is to remove the wheel and attempt to drift it back through rather than risk damaging the “t” bar by prying behind it.

    As an aside, are you in Norfolk Roatavator? I seem to remember you once donated us a Villiers mk12 for spares? Though it’s possible I’m getting mixed up!

    #34152
    charlie
    Keymaster

    The little brass plate with 16126 stamped on it is the engine number. The 10007 cast into engine top cover is the part number. The machine serial number on my model 50 is on a plate on the left hand (carb side) engine side cover.

    #34164
    vhgmcbuddy
    Member

    Ahh I see, the side plates are missing, so perhaps this one will remain a mystery… I assume that Geo Monro imported models other than the 35 and 56 from Switzerland?

    Did I see in another thread that you have access to some engineering drawings Charlie? After some investigative dismantling today I’ve discovered a rather well worn main axle bush on the right hand side (8317D), so it looks like the lathe will have to be pressed into service.

    Embarrassed to admit that I made the mistake of pulling out the hub drive flange, my heart did sink when I heard the pinion drop… Fortunately after allowing the old girl a lay down I managed to wriggle it back in. Phew!

    Though I can’t imagine the gearbox is going to hold very much oil without some remedial work… Video of the sloppy axle here:

    Attachments:
    #34178
    roatavator
    Participant

    Good luck with the repairs! Most of my SIMARs leak oil from the hubs, I can’t quite raise the energy to tackle them. Yes, I’m in Norfolk and if I remember right was the engine for your son to tinker with?
    Peter

    #34179
    vhgmcbuddy
    Member

    Hi Peter,

    I am the son 😀 seem to remember dad had to be sent on the trip to collect!

    Would be interested to hear your thoughts on how much play is too much play when it comes to the bearings? I’d estimate that there’s about 1/16″ of movement in the vertical plane, as shown in the video in my previous post.

    Mike

    #34193
    charlie
    Keymaster

    Mike, I do not have the drawings you talk of, they are at MERL (Museum of English Rural Life) in Reading. I do have a list of what drawings are there as I have been helping catalogue them. They are from Geo Monro and cover model 35, 56 and Monrotiller mostly with a few other odd ones. A lot of the drawing numbers are the part number which helps find the right drawing. Let me know if there are any specific ones you want to know if they hold.

    #34196
    roatavator
    Participant

    Sorry Mike, didn’t mean to imply you were old!
    I can’t say I’ve much experience of bearing play, certainly none of mine have much play at all. If anyone would know it would be Charlie.
    If you’re still in Norfolk perhaps we’ll see each other at one of the events when things eventually get back to normal.

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