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The Triplex 84 dates back to approximately 1968. Are there any identification plates on the tractor?

The very early machines had rope-start Villiers engines, which were superseded by Kohler engines.

I see that your machine has a mesh panel at the front above the original grille – has your bonnet been lifted and a replacement engine fitted at some time?

Thank you for your suggestions, these will be discussed and considered at a future committee meeting.

Having been through the same issues with another organisation I belong to, here are a few ways to cut the costs.

1. Use slightly cheaper paper for the magazine so that it is lighter and doesn’t cost so much to post. We now use 80gm A3 folded in half to make $ sides of printable A4 – and we keep the issues to 2-3 sheets of A3
2. Only post-out the…[Read more]

Yes to everything, A for sale and wanted section bit on here think would be good.
David

Yes , Im all for the increase to keep this wonderful club afloat. I’ve also long thought that there should be a forsale section on here , but for CLUB MEMBERS ONLY , even more so if we have fewer magazines , perhaps we could have a membership vote on this??

Andy.

Did look at two stage as the optimum pressure required for the Hunter rotators was 40 psi. But had to factor in cost of the pump, cost of the extra fuel to obtain that pressure, the pressure exerted on the existing pipework and connections, would still have the slime problem blocking the filter. Can get second hand single stage petrol pumps for…[Read more]

What you need is a small two stage fire pump so pressure not volume, I was always at Knights engineers for anything from re-bores to any type of shaft grinding, they had a small splined shaft that had been hard chromed in places and was set up for grinding it back. They said here you are guess what sort of engine and hp drives onto that shaft,…[Read more]

My pump saga has been an interesting one. My original irrigation system was a bit of a hotchpotch of bits and pieces I had picked up over the years that included the Villiers/Alcon pump. In 2011 I purchased the Hunter MP2000 Rotators and found straight away the Villiers pump would not supply enough pressure. It always took 3+ minutes to pull…[Read more]

OK David , but I can assure you the first 2As were fitted with the JAP carb , the Zenith came much later.

Andy.

Andy
It isn’t yellow paint and for some reason with the LED light ether over exposed bits and changed material colour, its 60 years of crud from evaporated petrol, some places it was on very thick but did blow off a bit. that carb in my infancy I fitted for my father, as originals with the ball floats being dented looking like golf balls often…[Read more]

David , the groove you refer to was an idea/design that JAP toyed with for a short period , it was also used on 4/3 , 5 models , but was quickly dropped. So in it’s original format that engine would have been fitted with a carb with the JAP logo cast into the fuel bowl , it was a very similar looking carb to the Zenith13. Traces of yellow paint on…[Read more]

Andy
On both pumps there are non-return flap valves just inside the threaded suction hose connection, so not really foot valves but do same thing not on the pipe, and both pumps are sort of the same, the faster priming one has a smaller water re-circling jet and different housing where the ball fits. I did take it into Panks and they said never…[Read more]

David/Grahame , it may be worth getting in touch with Panks in Norwich , they used to be Alcon agents , pumps of all types was their speciality. My Father bought a brand new Villiers/Alcon unit from them when I was a youngster.
I know neither of you will agree , but the Alcon type pumps are not meant to be used for pressure applications , my…[Read more]

Hi David,

Fantastic video. The seal I took out of the Villiers/Alcon pump was all covered in crud and breaking up. Vulcan Seals asked if I could send it to them so a replacement could be identified and also they would have a record of it on their database. Just looked it up and it was in 2011 when I got the new seal. I cannot recall what the…[Read more]

Grahame
Both pumps seals might be ok, the old faithful has the just rubber washer and carbon ring running on a brass bush and is very quick to prime other has real good suction but takes ages to do so, the others carbon bush was robbed so thats got modern Alcon seal ceramic buts looks more to fail, never seen more than just over 20psi with those…[Read more]

Hi David,

Took a couple of pictures of the one I got at the auction. Also my old original Villiers pump to add context. The JAP pump has a nameplate on the cowling with the first number being 1943. Do not know if that is the date it was put together, or if it is a coincidence. Also do not know if Alcon purchased the engines unpainted, then…[Read more]

If any bit of equipment is not going to be used in the next few months I get the fuel out and if its a steel tank suck it completely dry, spray bit of oil in helps and same with the water side but you must not get oil near any part of the rubber seal. Just after the much used Alcon primed and with two engines running didn’t twig which of one of…[Read more]