PS Indian Listeroids

If you do the smallest amount of research, you'll find there's a significant number of Indian manufacturers, some are good, some turn out inferior work, and don't seem to have a worry or second thought about doing so.

It has taken me a good number of years to learn what I do know about Listers and Petters of the old designs. India has improved the design by adding TRBs to the singles, and there are a good many other improvements as well.

Listeroid Longevity is an article found on the Utterpower CD, and it is in the process of being updated. Some of the so called improvements you'll find in some of the Indian variants are shunned by several markets that use fuels that I am interested in, why is that? Are they reluctant to change, or do they know what works and provides long life? Personally I think they know something and I have had the good fortune to receive reports from a good many Countries. Some places are so remote, they get out thru a satellite connection only.  

 Last Night I de-crated a PS 10-1, and I was real impressed with what I found. This company has promised to deliver their best work to North America, and I believe they are doing it (at the moment). This lower end is twice the beef of some engines I have torn into, and the workmanship, threads, fasteners, etc. are all superior, some Indian engines looked to be made with machine tools worn out, the tool operator either didn't have a new tool to replace the worn one, or he was collecting sharp tools to sell after work, (you figure out why, I'm only guessing)  I have yet to measure the thickness of the valve cover, but when I took it off, I instantly recognized that is was the thickest, and nicest pressed steel cover I have found on ANY Indian made engine. The sump is clean, and the case sealed with stuff that looks far more durable that what some others are using.

There is a lube oil pump fitted to this engine, but it is fitted on the exterior of the engine and runs off the roller cam lobe that runs the injection pump, this is a quality looking unit, and it looks like an exact copy of what I have seen on some of the English Listers. There is little doubt in my mind that this engine would splash lube well without the pump, I think P.S. fitted it only to live up to their commitment to provide their best effort. What I like about it most? It gives us the ability to oil the top end, and add a screw on lube oil filter if we care to do so, this will certainly make things easier for those running long hours unattended.

Following is one of the testimonials I have received about this basic design, we need to be careful to sort out what is improved and what is not in the Indian variants. I think I know what makes it better, and what makes it easier to produce at lower cost. For the time being, we'll continue to ask PS to build them the way we want them, and I will be the first to tell you if I catch them cutting any corners..  

 

  Dear George.

Found your site very interesting.
I have an old lister 5/1 engine on my farm, made 1951, I think.

It was connected to a 32 V generator which is now not used anymore. Since the engines valves are now becoming a bit uptight, (leaks air in compression stroke) I went looking for a cylinder head gasket and valves here in Iceland, but it seems not available here anymore. The problem is that the engine runs fine with the cold start on, but starts to malfunction when I screw it out. This engine has been in use for a half century, producing electricity and has also driven a small old fashion sawmill. 

Best regards,

Óskar, Akranes, Iceland.
 

You may not believe this, but the above engine ( a British built Lister) has never been rebuilt, or even had the valves ground. Slow speed has a good many advantages..

Aussie friend tells me he has a 5/1 from the 50s that was rebuilt only one time during it's long life!

Know what makes them live, and what makes many of the Variants shorter lived, they are NOT all the same.

So if you read this far, and you're a regular reader, you'll ask what is the PS brand? fact is, a good many brands you may recognize are built by different manufacturers, and we have grown tired of seeing quality vary from the same vendor. India's QC effort is minimum in all too many cases, and in is not practical to open a crate here and inspect these engines. We must depend on the supplier, and we will drop them at a minutes notice and take our business to another supplier when they deliver less than we expect, this puts them on notice, exactly where they should be....

All the best...

George B.