I own a 1957 4.5 KVA Startomatic (Without box of tricks) used to run power tools and workshop as an electric start generator. My first encounter with a Lister CS was as a toddler out at my uncles farm a Startomatic CS sat on the floor in the corner of his workshop. I remember outgrowing the flywheels and eventually the rocker cover. I remember my sister and I playing on the alternator and base pl
ate (stored separately) The CS Startomatic in question had run the farm before electricity had been installed and had been taken out because of a fault with the decompressor as my father once told me. The Startomatic would probably not have been terribly old when taken out as I was born in 1959 and for example my set was built in 1957. I have no idea where set went as both my uncle and my father are no longer about to ask. Another CS Startomatic encounter was on a visit with my father out to a local agricultural engineer who worked from a converted house with no electricity. Up in the rafters of what used to be the first floor running merrily was a CS Startomatic. The purchase of my own Startomatic came about when I worked as an engineeer for a generator / welder hire company. I spied her in a sales paper as a project CS engine with a startomatic generator as spares. My interest was in the "can only be described as junk" Startomatic. The engine was siezed, engine had obviously spent years as a garden ornament judging by the coats of various colours of paint. Bore was full of wet leaves as the exhaust valve left open with no manifolds fitted, luckily the chrome bore was undamaged. The cylinder block had two big triangular frost damage holes in it, the exhaust valve seat was completely corroded away. the resistor box was completely rotten full of wet leaves and a birds nest. Control box missing (Did not really need this anyway) all wires leading from alternator and resistor box were cut off injector pump seized. And as I later found out the governor was gummed up. At one point I rang Lister Dursley to get a wiring diagram, they told me there was no longer anyone there who knew anything about them they told me to ring Lister Scotland as they were still working with them. Lister Scotland faxed me wiring diagrams and dated my set to 1957. A PROJECT !!! New piston and rings. New big and small end bearings. Holes in block welded up. Exhaust valve seat insert fitted. Injector pump and injector stripped and freed. New resistor box made. Governor freed. Lister dumper engine fuel tank fitted. Alternator and resistor box rewired. Fuel stop modified for more power. Push button wired to starter contactor. Modern 20 amp breaker fitted in resistor box. Modern resettable fuse on charging circuit. Modern blocking diode acting as rectifier on charging circuit. Cranking power by 2x135 ah deep cycle batteries. Boy she loves deep cycle batteries over truck and car batteries which I had used previously. I changed to deep cycle because I also run a 24 volt inverter to run lights and intermittent power tool usage without the Lister running. Listie charges the batteries from her own charging circuit tho I plan to put up a 500 w 24 volt wind turbine as well just to charge up the batteries while I am not at my workshops. Painted in Land Rover green as I was unaware of Mid Brunswick green Also the Landy paint perfectly matched original paint on the alternator body which I have not repainted only end plates and covers painted. I know the Startomatic is vintage stuff bit I have no problem using modern bits on it. I am not a purist I love modified stuff of all sorts and this is a working set not a show engine. Not that I have any issue with show engines, it's just not for me. That's my CS Starto push button matic
