A SPECIALIST FOR 25 YEARS IN REPAIRS,
Page 70
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Some Notes on the Activities of the Laystall Motor Engineering Works, Ltd., which Caters for the Commercial-vehicle Owner and Makes a Feature of Crankcase Overhauls.
nNE of the best-known concerns 'L./dealing with specialized repairs for all classes of motor vehicle is the Laystall Motor Engineering Works, Ltd., the head offices and works of which are at Ewer Street, Southwark, London, S.E.1.
The company was founded in 1002 and commenced in a class of work for which there appeared to be ample scope, as has been proved by the fact that during a quarter of a century this work has sufficed not only to keep the works well occupied but has necessitated several considerable extensions, with the result that the company has the good fortune to possess an excellent staff of highly qualified men and the work produced is good and accurate, although it may not be so cheap as is sometimes the case, for this might involve a serious loss of the high reputation which the company now enjoys.
Work Oil Commercial Vehicles.
It is a good recommendation that many of the jobs are undertaken for users of commercial vehicles, and during a recent visit which we paid to the works, both at Ewer Street and Gravel Lane, we saw quite a large amount of such jobs in hand, but before referring to this in detail we will give a few notes on the arrangement of the work.
This is now organized so that each department has its own group of machine tools. The main welding department is at the Gravel Lane Works. Here cylinder blocks are repaired in respect of frost cracks and other breakages, quite a number. being found defective in the bore, in k which ease the eylinder is turned out and a sleeve in B44, serted. Here is also situated the engineoverhauling department, and power units of any size can be dealt with, many being for independent buses.
The main shop includes equipment for cutting helical crown wheels and a selection of lathes, etc. To ensure accuracy, crankshaft bearings are always bored out in line in the case. Froude dynamometers are employed for making break tests, and, as showing the amount of work which is got through, it may be mentioned that there are four of these devices, whilst an Avery balancing machine is provided for dealing with connecting rods and pistons.
Special provision has been made for commercial work. New pistons of a Special light pattern and erankshafts.of many types can be provided. Then there are what are known as crankcase overhauls. These include remetalling the bearings and boring them in line in the case and grinding the crankshaft. Owners of motor vehicles who have fitting shops can use ouch a crankcase overhaul as the foundation for their own work. The scheme proves extremely useful for those who run from 12 to 20 vehicles and who, whilst having their own repair shops, wish to have a real foundation for accurate work, as the method is infinitely better than boring the bearings apart from the case and fitting them separately. The
average cost of such a crankcase overhaul in the case of a seven-bearing shaft on a" commercial vehicle is £9. When entire overhauls are undertaken brake tests are, of course, given.
The new crankshafts deserve special mention. They are turned from solid forged billets, shaped to the approximate size of the shaft and made of chrome-vanadium steel. Stocks are kept for well-known vehicles, such as the Leyland R.A.F. type and London bus types, Tyler JB4, Karrier-Tylor, Maudslay and Dennis subsidy, Thornycroft J type, Daimler Y and CB types, whilst any others can be provided in seven days. These shafts are not mere copies of the originals, but where any of these has proved to possess weaknesses, points where these occur are reinforced in the Laystall shafts. Every shaft is machined all over and guaranteed for a year. Testing is carried out on rotary balancing machines at some 2,400 r.p.m. These machines are Nortons and two are continually in use. For the Daimler Ytype engine the crankshaft is made with a straight web instead of the web set at an angle as in the original design, and an extra counterweight is provided, so that engines can be run at higher speeds without vibration.
£5,000 Worth of Pistons.
The Laystall cast-iron pistons are light but very strong, with internal ribs. They are being provided for the Leyland Lion, Maudslay, etc., and it is interesting to learn that many people are replacing aluminium pistons by those of the Laystall light cast-iron type, and in order to meet demands the stock of pistons 'only represents a value of £5,000. When it is considered that this is but one section, and stocks here to he kept in many others, whilst the machine-tool equipment represents a capital value of £35,000, the extent of the business conducted by thie specialist in repairs will be realized. In the grindingdepartment alone there are 13 machines, including Churchills and four other makes.
• Other classes of work done by the company include camshaft grinding, gear cutting, -balancing of rotating and reciprocating parts, cylinder and crankshaft grinding and the repairing of scored cylinder bores by filling with