The Petter AB1 Diesel Engine - Dissasembly and Painting

Firstly, I started to strip the Petter AB1 engine down; this is a fairly straight forward task because these engines are rather simple.

After taking off some of the main bits I started to remove the left over paint from the engine with a wire brush and scriber. This was a time consuming task, and I therefore decided that I needed a break! So decided I would remove the fuel injector pump. I didn’t know if this was a simple task, or if springs etc would go everywhere! It turned out to be very simple, the pump is held in place with three bolts. I firstly removed these, and then gently pulled the pump out while moving the ‘Run/Stop’ lever back and forth. The injection pump comes straight out in one piece.

I fist cleaned the pump up, and masked the areas which I didn’t want paint getting to, and then painted it.

Fitting it to the engine is exactly the same as removing it but in reverse order.

I then decided that I would remove and paint the pipes from the injection pump, and the oil feed pipe, which goes to the rockers.

Below is a photo of the engine that is half cleaned with the painted parts fitted in place.

After fitting the injection pump and pipes back onto the engine I removed and painted the ‘Stop/Run’ lever. Like the injection pump, I didn’t know what was attached to this inside the engine, and if anything would fly out!

Like the injection pump, nothing was physically attached to it, there is just a simple cam on the back of the lever which presses against a metal arm inside the engine.

Below is a photo of the lever fitted to the engine. (Note the state that the pressure washer left the paint in, and the bent exhaust!)

After fitting the ‘Stop/Run’ lever I started to strip down the starting mechanism. Again this is a straight forward task. Below are photos showing the mechanism at various stages. Here I have removed the cover and the main gear, which is held in place by a circlip.

After the back plate and smaller gear was removed from the engine.

The engine after the paint had been removed with a wire brush.

The back plate after been sanded and coated with krust.

The back plate primed.

The back plate painted.

The painted starting mechanism fitted back to the engine (cover removed – notice the copper grease on plate which pivots.

The painted starting mechanism fitted back to the engine. (with cover on)