Thorneycroft Handy Billy

[Poecheng]

Does anyone still operate a boat with a DB2 Handy Billy?
If so, I have a couple of bits that I would like to find a home for.
For someone running a DB2 and not for people who just like old bits

 

[Keith 66]

The motor yacht & dunkirk little ship Carreta had two of them in her, she was laying at Tollesbury. I believe she was sold recently & is being refitted. Might need some spares?

 

[ianc1200]

When the owner brought Carreta to the Trad Boat Rally at Henley (mid 90's?) he had two handybillys & he said travelled with a complete spare engine. Going back many years before that the same owner had articles in Motor Boat & Yachting about Carreta travelling on the continental canals & rivers, a well travelled boat.

 

[ARRONTINA1]

Hello my name is Arron I just typed in thornycroft db2 handy billy into google search. In a hope to find some spare parts for my two handy Billy’s which I have in my boat.
This site popped up with your message as a weird turn of events I see you’ve had some reply’s which actually happen to mention my very boat. I’ve receantly purchased a Naval Piannace m33 also known as Caretta which was built in 1898 this is a truly amazing relliac which served in the Boer war Gallipoli beaches in ww1 and ww2 it’s now classed as a national treasure. Also now has a very large write up on the national historic ship register also the Britain’s serviving First World War
So it is a real special bit of kit
I have purchased the boat approx 7 months ago from tollesbury marina in terrible condition with extensive damage and rot which a
I am pleased to say I am now all but finished with the restoration
With just the engines to sort out
The problem I have with the engines is purely down to spark I have a very weak and irractic spark on one engine which now seems to be non existent and nothing at all on the other I’ve tried cleaning the points etc but so far nothing so I am desperate for a set of magnetos and poss any other parts you have available for sale my phone number is 07732596228 I’d love to hear from you or anyone with parts

 

[Poecheng]

Hi Arrontina1,

Sorry but the bits I had have gone and went earlier this year (March) to get another engine going.

I will PM you with their destination as the chap who took them knew these engines.

Kind regards

A

 

[ARRONTINA1]

hi Thank you so much for your reply, to be quite honest I didn’t think I would get a message back as I could see this message was posted quite a while ago.

However thought it was worth a try..

Thankyou anyway

I shall keep searching I’m sure I will find some parts eventually

Funny thing is I have a new spare cylinder head 2complete piston and ring sets new points shells virtually everything to build another ŵ2 engines all accept the magnetos

S*ds law

Regards Arron

 

[rotrax]

I think you will need to send the magneto's to a specialist rebuilder if you want reliability. As a long time specialist in antique motorcycles which invariably used magneto ignition I can speak with some authority on this subject.

You can remove the mags, put them somewhere warm and dry for a few weeks and you might get a spark after fiddling about with them.

It is highly likely that once hot they will fail-non or bad starting the most common symptom.

Get them overhauled properly, expensive but worth it in the long run. Once done, ensure they are removed from the boat and then keep them in the airing cupboard at home when the boat is laid up.

Damp boats, sea air and corrosion are not good for expensive electro-mechanical devices.

As an aside, in the past I have converted antique agricultural eqipment, outboard motors, mowers and motorbikes to battery and coil ignition very successfuly. Biggest plus was ALWAYS improved starting. Finding some way to operate the contact set was the problem when changing from a rotating armature magneto-the points rotate with these, not the operating cam.

Whatever you decide, skimping on the ignition is a bad move.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I think you will need to send the magneto's to a specialist rebuilder if you want reliability. As a long time specialist in antique motorcycles which invariably used magneto ignition I can speak with some authority on this subject.

You can remove the mags, put them somewhere warm and dry for a few weeks and you might get a spark after fiddling about with them.

It is highly likely that once hot they will fail-non or bad starting the most common symptom.

Get them overhauled properly, expensive but worth it in the long run. Once done, ensure they are removed from the boat and then keep them in the airing cupboard at home when the boat is laid up.

Damp boats, sea air and corrosion are not good for expensive electro-mechanical devices.

As an aside, in the past I have converted antique agricultural eqipment, outboard motors, mowers and motorbikes to battery and coil ignition very successfuly. Biggest plus was ALWAYS improved starting. Finding some way to operate the contact set was the problem when changing from a rotating armature magneto-the points rotate with these, not the operating cam.

Whatever you decide, skimping on the ignition is a bad move.

I don't know if this is relevant - it may well not be. But on the Saving Old Seagulls website there is a trick for remagnetizing the magneto ignition systems of Seagulls - apparently it is a well known problem with them. Could something similar help? I have fond memories of the Thorneycroft Handy Billy - my Dad's first "big boat" had one (it was a converted lifeboat), and on the whole it worked! There was a fault on the water pump, though, and I do remember one time when it failed, and the ball-bearing inside that formed the valve was lost in the bilges - we were trying to replace it with the ball-bearing that formed the roller at the bottom of a toy Dalek I had at the time!

 

[rotrax]

Re-magnetising the magnets is, of course, important. In my experience, unless the windings have been re-done with a modern insulating varnish, the old shellac will absorb moisture and subsequently fling off the rotating armature. This can seize the armature in the body-its like a strong glue!

Seagull flywheel magnetos are a totally different animal to the separate units fitted to the Handy Billy.

Both suffer from damp, salt air and internal corrision, none of which is good for their long term survival.

IIRC, Alec Rose had trouble with a Handy Billy. He asked for the engine to be overhauled, with special regard to the magneto.

The mag sparked and started the engine, so was left alone and not done.

You can guess what happened when the engine was REALLY needed!

 

[davidej]

There is (was?) An old boy living near Maldon who rebuilds magnetos for vintage cars.
I can probably find his address and phone number if it would be any help.

 

[ARRONTINA1]

Hello thank you for your advice on the magnetos i completely agree skimping at this stage would be foolish.
it could quite poss be the damp as the boat has been shut up for many years with water in the bilge
all damp and horrible

ive tried hunting around for parts but i think if i got 2nd hand parts of same age and design i might be back at square 1
with same problem in the future so im looking to getting them rebuilt expensive but then isnt everything with boats

thanks again for advice and merry christmas

 

[ARRONTINA1]

hello thankyou for you message
if you have or can find the guys information i would be very great ful
the boatyard will be craning my boat back into the water 21st jan 2018
so i am going to try to get the old magnetos going temp and it would be lovely to motor the boat out of the harbour the i shall get it towed to its new birth

but getting these magnetos reconditioned asap would be my priorty thankks again for your help
arron

 

[davidej]

PM sent with details

 

[ARRONTINA1]

hi sorry had trouble with internet just got it back on what details were you wanting as previous message cannot be found?

 

[davidej]

hi sorry had trouble with internet just got it back on what details were you wanting as previous message cannot be found?

I sent you a PM with the details of the man in Maldon (Burnham actually) who rebuilds magnetos.

Did you get this?

 

[burgundyben]

Some Handy Billy parts on ebay at the moment.