Does any of you know where I could obtain a rev-counter transmitter/transducer for a Rolls 290?
This one is mounted on the front of the timing case and driven by a short cable(which I,ve got)from the compressor.My old one has got the drive rounded out in it so does,nt turn by the cable! The transmitter has two spade/lucar connectors on it
Best regards, Jacko1.
marky:
The 6LYT was Gardner’s equivelent of the AEC AV800 - released before it’s time in 1984 as a last ditch attempt to recapture lost ground from ■■■■■■■ and Perkins…It was a thumping great 15.49 litre in-line 6-cylinder, initially rated at 300 bhp, with later versions pushing out 320 & 350 bhp.
It leaked oil everywhere, failed EU emissions and was ultimately starved of the cash it needed during R&D. It was a great shame because with the previously legendary Gardner engineering, it could’ve been a worthy successor to the LX range.
Also released in 1984 was the 6LXDT which was another new design. It was another in-line 6-cylinder at 12.68 litres and was available initially rated at 270 bhp and was targetted at the eight-wheeler market. It was later available from 230 bhp to 310 bhp, when the models were renamed 230T, 250T, 270T and 290T and 310T but like the LYT couldn’t recapture the share of the market lost to ■■■■■■■■ Perkins and Caterpillar.
I had a 320 Gardner in a 86 Foden ,it was very reliable infact never let me down ,it could pull wasnt the fastest it did 60mph but any more than that and you were hurting it ,wonder what could have been with a little development
‘Square Peg’ is your Vic man over on the other side.
I can remember my days mating on Atkis and ERF’s fitted with Gardners what else in those days if you was Lancashire based and lifting up the button on the pump and pulling the bar back for a few more gee gees(don’t half smoke), on the 180 it was ever so posh you had to shove a key in the front of the Pump.
Ginzani you’ve missed one on your list what about the 200 Gardner which followed the 180 LXB, the LXB was only a blown 150 via the pump and what Gardners were doing was ■■■■■■■ chasing in those days, cheers
Taskman:
‘Square Peg’ is your Vic man over on the other side.
I can remember my days mating on Atkis and ERF’s fitted with Gardners what else in those days if you was Lancashire based and lifting up the button on the pump and pulling the bar back for a few more gee gees(don’t half smoke), on the 180 it was ever so posh you had to shove a key in the front of the Pump.
Ginzani you’ve missed one on your list what about the 200 Gardner which followed the 180 LXB, the LXB was only a blown 150 via the pump and what Gardners were doing was ■■■■■■■ chasing in those days, cheers
ah, but look at Marky’s absolutely definitive list, which includes the 201bhp Gardner 6LXC
Chasing ■■■■■■■■ A 220 ■■■■■■■ couldn’t get near my 150 Gardner across country.
Also, I once followed one of Killingbeck’s double-drive Atkis from Haslingden to Blackburn across the moors - I had a 304bhp F12 tractor, running solo, and he had a (nominal) 240 Gardner and an empty tri-axle flat behind him. Tell you what, the Atki had the legs of the Volvo, and no mistake!!
240,
Maybe not but in days gone by (when you could get away with it) fortyfive tonne of wood pulp off Preston docks was no problem for a 220 with a ZF box on a tank semi, but that was only one of the tricks we pulled 
I had one of the aforementioned Gardner 6LYT 350’s in a C registered double drive high roof Foden. It would just about live with the 14 litre ■■■■■■■ and was a lot quiter and smoother… but you could just never be sure of getting home and it had a nasty habit of throwing the prop off.
Shortly before it threw a piston it decided to part company with a compressor belt on the Blackwall Tunnel approach. I still break into a cold sweat now recalling nursing her through the tunnel desperately trying not to brake, with my air seat having sank to the floor and my range change locked in high.
Taskman:
240,
Maybe not but in days gone by (when you could get away with it) fortyfive tonne of wood pulp off Preston docks was no problem for a 220 with a ZF box on a tank semi, but that was only one of the tricks we pulled
those were the days, eh? Pulp off Preston Docks - who were you working for?
I still own an ex-Northern Ireland Trailers Atki, by the way
240,
Does Jos Walsh ring a bell, NIT’s, I remember them going onto a quid an hour and the rest of us still on about 17/6p an hour. Do you recollect ‘Greenore ferry services’ and ‘Williams’ on Preston docks I worked for both of them at one time or another. The classic ‘Greenore’ job was being sent into ‘White Thompkins’ behind the boxing stadium in Liverpool for twenty tonne of twelve stone sacks, being in Liverpool everything was on the end of a Yo-Yo and if you dropped one of the sacks in the wrong spot you was B------- . Greenore never having any proper sheets they just gave you a roll of blackplastic sheeting to cover it with and several coils of crap rope.
You mention Atki’s at Bamber Bridge a second home to us in those days saying our fleet was made up of Atkis and ERF’s. One particular day I was coming off the M6 at Brig mi two speed axle got stuck into neutral and I still remember the reg, ETE 669B, so it was a walk round to Atki’s for a screwdriver to take the back plate off and wedge the drive over into high with a wallpaper scotch, cheers
Taskman:
240,
Does Jos Walsh ring a bell, NIT’s, I remember them going onto a quid an hour and the rest of us still on about 17/6p an hour. Do you recollect ‘Greenore ferry services’ and ‘Williams’ on Preston docks I worked for both of them at one time or another. The classic ‘Greenore’ job was being sent into ‘White Thompkins’ behind the boxing stadium in Liverpool for twenty tonne of twelve stone sacks, being in Liverpool everything was on the end of a Yo-Yo and if you dropped one of the sacks in the wrong spot you was B------- . Greenore never having any proper sheets they just gave you a roll of blackplastic sheeting to cover it with and several coils of crap rope.
You mention Atki’s at Bamber Bridge a second home to us in those days saying our fleet was made up of Atkis and ERF’s. One particular day I was coming off the M6 at Brig mi two speed axle got stuck into neutral and I still remember the reg, ETE 669B, so it was a walk round to Atki’s for a screwdriver to take the back plate off and wedge the drive over into high with a wallpaper scotch, cheers
Yes, Walsh’s were famous (perhaps infamous!) although a little before my time. I suspect that there are probably photos of ETE 669B about, as I have seen several Walsh’s pics.
I do remember Williams and Greenore, but I was still at school then!
240,
I do remember the infamous bit when the ministry walked in and had a birthday with the log sheets ', I have plenty of original 60’s photos of my own, I will get round to putting them on here to show the baby drivers what a coach built cab looks and rattles like.
Taskman:
240,
I do remember the infamous bit when the ministry walked in and had a birthday with the log sheets
I shall look forward to them! 
Taskman, you must be really old. I don’t feel so lonely now 
.
Great stuff mate, especially the wallpaper scotch .
The things we used to do 
.
Salut, David.
brit pete:
Some one may correct me here but before ERF was takenover by man
all ERIC VICKS motors were Gardner motors . I am not so sure now
perhaps the newer ones are fitted with ■■■■■■■■ Do we have any
drivers from the firm here if so it would be nice to hear about the
reliability and also problems if any with the machine
Hi Pete I’ve just spotted this thread so with my other hat on here goes
Started off with a 150 Gardner and 6 speed David Brown Box in a coach built, ash framed Seddon plated at 32 tons. Always got there eventually.
Then moved up to a 220 Rolls again in a Seddon but this one was a motorpanels steel cab 10 speed fuller range change.
Just about this time Vicks started on the Middle East the flagship motors were two ERF European left hookers steel cabed and fitted with 350 ■■■■■■■ they also ran a Transcon and a 1924 Merc as well as ERF’s
(I never went)
By now I had a 240 Gardner in a ERF
After I’d left the company they continued in the Middle East running 240 Gardners before fitting blowers to them which uprated them to about 300hp.
When I returned to the company the fleet was mainly ‘B’ series ERF’s fitted with the 300 Gardners (straight 8’s with blowers) Even the left ■■■■■■ ‘B’ series had a 300, something that Gardners said was impossible
With the slow decline of Gardners we had a few Perkins (or what ever they were called) 380’s before returning to ■■■■■■■ which is now the main motive power of the fleet (405’s & 420’s)
Why ERF’s? They take us where ever we want to go and they bring us back again. Reliability is second to none and fuel consumption is in the high 9’s.
I can’t tell you much about breakdown problems because we don’t get many.
I once needed a new alternator which was flown out and I was rolling again within 24 hours of breaking down.
If you want to check out some of the mean machines click the “40 years” link in Zzar Bean’s World.
Interesting stuff - talking of Perkins anyone know what a Peregrine is? I guess it fits/fitted between the Phasers and Eagles? Quoted power was 300hp. It wasnt the old 6lxct or something similar? Did Perkins ditch the entire Gardner range when they bought them?
Don’t what it was called but used to have a 6 cylinder 270 Gardner (With blower) that would have been new around '84 (ex Turners) I think they were either 10 or 11 litres but they were eventually upgraded to around 300hp. Biggest problem with them was they got through water pumps like nobody’s business. So much so we used to keep a couple of spare pumps at a bus/coach garage in Belgium.
I forgot we also used to have a couple of 14 ltr marine Gardners.
My last Gardner was a 16 ltr beastie which could be rated between 320 and about 540 (mine was at the bottom end 
)
The 270 was a 6LXDT - it was also available as a 250, 290 and 310.
These engines were rebranded later as the 250T, 270T, 290T and 310T
The 16 litre you had was actually a 15.49 litre 6LYT. Gardner only ever sold them up to 350bhp
Getting back onto the original Gardner post , it all comes down to gearing not litres, I remember many 6X6 Scammells with only a 150 Gardner under bonnet, Strathclyde in particular, it might of took them a fortnight to do a Glasgow / London, but can you see the rubbish of today after a working life being sent off to Honk Kong to be the power unit in a Junk,