English: FM Motor Type L2

[Tk]

Hello

 

My name is Tobias Klippert. I am from Bremen in Germany.

 

I would like to buy a Motor from FM Type L2.

 

The problem is neither me nor the owner have technical information about this engine. Wo do not even know how many HP it has.

 

Could somebody help me out with some information, auch as:

 

How old is this motor, where was ist used, how many HP, Propeller Dimensions?

 

Is there a manual available, we do not know how to connect it or how to start.

 

Are there still spare parts available? The distributor is missing.

 

What about fuel consumption?

 

Bilder:

 

https://baatplassen.no/bildearkiv/10/10238/5a_1_b.jpg

 

https://baatplassen.no/bildearkiv/10/10238/9e_1_b.jpg

 

 

 

Any information would help. Please send your answer to tklippert@freenet.de .

 

Thank you very much in advance for answering

 

Regards,

 

Tobias

[Javi]

Hello Tk!

I don't know anything about FM type L2, but I want to welcome you to baatplassen.no!

[Walter_S]

- Is there a manual available, we do not know how to connect it or how to start.

 

- Are there still spare parts available? The distributor is missing.

Hello Tobias - and welcome to the beste leisure-boating-forum in Scandinavia!!

 

There is a motor-manual for the FM type L2 available right here for you to download in *.zip format. Hopefully it will help you some.

 

I hade an almost similar petrol-engine i one of my earlier boats. But I think it was not quiet as old as yours. Mine was from 1963. From the looks in your pictures, your engine looks older than that (1949?)

 

The FM L2 has 8 to 12 hp, depending on revolutions. From your 2. picture I can see that you are missing som vital parts. The combined electrical starter-and-alternator together with the magnet (which is creating the ignitionspark) for the spark-plugs. In old times such a "magnet-ignition" was used before they converted to an electrical ditributor (as we know from old cars).

 

The factory does not exist any more. I was situated i Fredrikstad before it closed down. This is where the name come from - Fredrikstad Motorfabrikk. There is still a warehouse, now in Sarpsborg, which hase som of the parts in stock.

 

 

I will dig into my old photos, to see if I can find some more informative pictures for your missing parts and a telephone-number (or fax?) for the place where you might be able to find parts.

 

See ya!

 

P.S.: From your picture nr. 2 I can see that your engine has a common gear-box: forward / neutral / astern, while most of these engines here i Norway have the special adjustable-propeller-pitch which gives a fine tuning-thrust to the 2- or 3-winged propeller.

Redigert 18.Mai.2006 av Walter_S (see edit history)

[Walter_S]

Some pictures:

 

 

 

 

Also, see (dynamic links cannot bee shown here):

1

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

 

Good luck!

Redigert 18.Mai.2006 av Walter_S (see edit history)

[Walter_S]

Drawing of the electrical ignition-system. The regulator is from BOSCH (I think). The dynastarter (top / left) is still available here in Norway and in Sweden.

 

 

An this is what a newly refurbished (nyoverhalt) FM (migt be a bigger model with different gearbox, but the ignition-side is the same) looks like!

 

 

So now, you know what your old FM-motor must look like next year!

 

Added:

Fredrikstad-Motorfabrik

Redigert 18.Mai.2006 av Walter_S (see edit history)

[vanntrivsel]

Fredrikstad Motorfabrikk AS - Fredrikstad

 

 

FM benzin

 

[Tk]

Thank you ery much for your welcome an for the information so far.

 

The combined electrical starter-and-alternator might be still there. The owner thought is was only the alternator.

 

Ok, I can see we are getting somewhere. I can buy this motor for about 50 €, so the price is really ok, but......would you say that a FM Motor is relaiable. What kind of petrol is nesseary...and how much of it

 

yours,

Tobias

[Walter_S]

I can buy this motor for about 50 €, so the price is really ok, but......would you say that a FM Motor is relaiable. What kind of petrol is nesseary...and how much of it

The FM is reliable - after all they produced many thousands of these motors (I think I read that FM produced more than 20.000 alltogether) and many of these are still running in boats today. Specially in the eastern part (Østfold) of Norway.

 

But, as with any old motor - it depends on so many things. Specially the electric- / ignition-side of it MUST be in good shape for the engine to start and run reliable.

 

You will probable have to spend another 500 € on additional parts - a new dynastarter alone kosts appr. 3.000,- NOK (complete with regulator and starter-relé (?).

 

Since you have not been able to start the FM, you do not know if the pistons / pistonrings / valves, etc, are o.k. Does the motor turn around easily? Is there enough compression in the cylinders? You should be able to test that, before you start any seriouse repair?

 

Regular 95 octane petrol shoul be good enough. You may have to add some lead-additive. When it comes to consumtion, you must remember that the L2 was designed when petrol was cheaper than today!

 

In old wooden-boats with this motor there ware usually 2 petrol-tanks. One for regular petrol and on for paraffin (gasoline?). Start the motor on regular petrol until the motor reached working-temperatur - then switch to paraffin (which is cheaper) or a blend of 50/50 paraffin + petrol. Befor one stopped the motor, switch back to regular petrol.

But I do not advise this for you. Mainly because this is only something that I have heard (hearsay) an did not try myself (even though I had 2 separat tanks in my boat), and secondly, because to do that, everything on the motor must be tuned perfectly.

 

 

50 € is not so much - if for nothing else, you will have a nice "show-pice" you can place in your living-room.........

[Tk]

Hello

Thanks again for the information. The dynastarter is also there but not mounted. The motor has compression and it turns around easily. The owner is an engineer and kept this engine for years at a dry place. He even took the head of to conserve the inside and he turns the motor regulary.

Some much for that.

 

Talking about show-piece. My wife does not know about this engine and would "kill" me right away if I would show up with 250 kg of trash . May I apply for asylum in Norway if something goes wrong

 

The other problem is, I do not even have a boat or hull for this enigne. I am dreaming of an own boat since my parents sell their rebuild fishing boat. It was from 1947 with an enigne from 1936. Two cylinders and 30hp /300 rpm. It could only be started with pressure air or it has to be "shooted on". I do not know the right translation for this method. So it might be wrong to buy this motor without having a boat for it but....to have it is better than to need it!

 

What Boat dimensions would you suggest for this engine? It should have a cabin for at least 2 persons and a child.

 

What about the propeller dimensions?

 

As it was said, the engine might be from 1949or out of the 50ties, it does not look very used. Could it be that it was the motor of a outranged life boat?

 

Best regards,

Tobias

[Walter_S]

Hello Tobias!

 

The owner is an engineer and kept this engine for years at a dry place

The L2 should be in good shape, then!

So it might be wrong to buy this motor without having a boat for it but....to have it is better than to need it!

Thru enough! Sometimes it is a luxury feeling to aquire something, just for the fun of it. If you have a place for it to be kept i good conditions, then why not?

 

What Boat dimensions would you suggest for this engine? It should have a cabin for at least 2 persons and a child.

All depending on the hull-type. On a slender hull up to 25 feet, maybe - on a heavy-displacement hull (deep and wide) this is, in my opinion, not the right motor. You write about your parents boat and motor with "Two cylinders and 30hp /300 rpm" - this is a perfect example of a low-revolution semi-diesel motor!

 

Personally i prefer diesel to petrol. Specially with children onboard. Diesel is more reliable and safer than petrol. But then, diesel-motors are usually more expensive to by.

 

What about the propeller dimensions?

I have no idea! Because my experience with this motor is with a different gearbox. The variable pitch-propeller which is quit different than a fixed prop. Anyway, you cannot decide on a propeller before you have a boat! Because the calculations for the size and pitch of a propeller depends on several values, where the type of hull is the most vital information. Se propellvalg even though you might not understand everything, but it gives you som idea of the complexity.

 

As it was said, the engine might be from 1949or out of the 50ties, it does not look very used. Could it be that it was the motor of a outranged life boat?

Could well be. When I suggested 1949 in Innlegg #3 - it was a guess, based on the photo of the ID-plaque. ---> where the serial-number starts with 1949.

 

 

Have a nice week-end!

Redigert 19.Mai.2006 av Walter_S (see edit history)

[Tk]

Hello Walter

 

Of course I was looking for a diesel like a Sabb or a Marstal Motor but these engines are not very often sold and if then too expensive.

 

With the information I gathered I will visit the owner again and lets see, if we can start this enigne somehow. Who knows mayby I will show up in Norway some day and visit you

 

I like to renember visits in Norway. I was sailing to Flekkefjord and to Bergen and in several other small harbours.

 

Do you have a map in this forum where you can see where all the members live?

 

Have also a nice weekend.

 

Tobias

[Walter_S]

.......Do you have a map in this forum where you can see where all the members live?

No, unfortunately, ther is no such map available. The only information of location is on the bottom of each member's posting. For instance on the bottom of my postings you can read:

Bosted: Østfold, Fredrikstad Båt: 25' Kommedals-sjark m. 10hk Sabb B: M L: 21-25 M: T

 

Which gives you the following information:

 

- Bosted: Østfold, Fredrikstad = Greater area in this case = Østfold , and town in this case = Fredrikstad

- Båt: 25' Kommedals-sjark m. 10hk Sabb = Boat:

- B: M Type of boat M = Motor S = Sailing, etc

- L: 21-25 = length of boat in feet in this case between 21' and 25'

- M: T = buildingmaterial of boat T = wooden, P = plastic, S = steel, etc

 

You are welcome here to see my boat, if you come to Norway. I can show you the famouse 1-syl. Sabb diesel - of which you can hear a sound-sample (*.Wav-file) if you click the link "MED HERLIG LYD!" in my signature, just below here (above the information).

 

The filling-in of both signature and information is voluntary, not everyone has done so. Some members want to be completely anonymous.

[Tk]

Hello Walter

 

 

You would not believe it, but I had the chance to buy a life boat with a Sabb 1 cyl. in the early 90ties. The owner wanted app. 2000 € for it. The boat was unused. It was too expensive for me in these days. Now I feel ...... that I did not took the chance but I hope that I will find something like this again.

 

regards,

Tobias

Redigert 20.Mai.2006 av Tk (see edit history)

[Tk]

Oh, by the way The FM L2 has an decompression bolt on each cylinder. What is that for?

[vikers]

Thats for what we call "a dram" .

 

Before handstarting - you give each cylinder a littlebit fuel - straight inn via that boltsystem. Fill "the cup" and turn the bolt - fuel goes straight in. Start up quick after that.

 

Its like you took a "Stroh 80%" before a party. Flying start!

[Tk]

A dram I see

 

What is the whole start procedure? I guess you have to close the bolt before handstarting?

 

Stroh 80 is really effective, it cured me once during a sailing boat race from stomach-ache. Unfortunatly I was half an hour later more or less useless for the skipper, but I felt good.

 

 

I was told that the FM L2 has 8-12 Hp depending on the rpm. How many rpm approx.? I thing, this is not a "low revolution" motor.

 

Sorry, if I am asking stupid questions. The last boat motor I was working on was in the year 1976, when I was 9 years old and only because I was small enough to crawl in the very last edge of the motor room to put some grease here and there. I loved to do this although I was in danger to take a ride on the flywheel or to get a vital hearing defect.......or was it because I only got my dinner when the work was done

 

regards,

[Walter_S]

What is the whole start procedure? I guess you have to close the bolt before handstarting?

 

I was told that the FM L2 has 8-12 Hp depending on the rpm. How many rpm approx.? I thing, this is not a "low revolution" motor.

Hei, Tobias! :o)

 

Yes, you must close the decompression-bolt, befor you start cranking the engine - otherwise the petrol will come "fly'ing" up the funnel.......

 

Set the axcellerator (Vergasser?) to 1/4 - pull the "chocke" if the engine is cold. Crank.....!

 

Found som information HERE - motor-manual for FM 8-12 - a better one than the previous. You can download in *.zip -format.

 

L2

Bore: 100 mm

Stroke: 110mm

Volume: 1.728cm3

L2 = 12hk at 1.100 rpm

 

L5

Bore: 90mm

Stroke: 90mm

Volum: 1.145 cm3

L5 = 8hk at 1.100rpm

----------------------------------

 

From the above, it seems that 1.100 rpm is the maximum revs

Redigert 21.Mai.2006 av Walter_S (see edit history)

[Tk]

Hi Walter

 

I hope I can thank you for this some day.

 

regards,

 

Tobias

[Ingar]

Found som information HERE - motor-manual for FM 8-12 - a better one than the previous.

Are the two documents we have in the archive identical? (Except for the quality..)

[Walter_S]

Are the two documents we have in the archive identical? (Except for the quality..)

Yes, Ingar - the manuals are for the same FM 8hp to 12hp - the difference is that the FM 2 cyl. Type L2 seems to be an older publication than the FM_8_12.zip and the quality is different.

 

The FM_8_12.zip has more information, more technical details, better drawings of the engine and is a lot easier to read.

 

:o)

[Ingar]

Thanks Walter! Then we keep only the FM_8_12.zip in the archive.

[Walter_S]

From a historical site I found a short history about the FM-factory:

 

"Fredrikstad Motorfabrikk ble startet i 1923. Motorproduksjonen ble stoppet i 1985, men det ble bygget noen motorer helt til 1988. Fabrikken har produsert mellom 22000 og 23000 motorer - de aller fleste er bensinmotorer. Leverer fortsatt deler."

 

Translated:

"Fredrikstad Motorfabrikk was founded in 1923. Industrial production was stopped in 1985, but some engines were buildt until 1988. The factory has produced between 22000 og 23000 units - mostly petrol-powered engines. Parts are still avilable."

 

:o)

Redigert 22.Mai.2006 av Walter_S (see edit history)

[Daffy]

One for regular petrol and on for paraffin (gasoline?).

This is probably not important any longer, Walther but Paraffin I believe is the same as Kerosene in English.

Many old engines could run on a mix of Petrol and Kerosene. This was also called "Traktor Bensin" Or "Tractor Fuel" in english

[Sleipner93]

I tried a time to screw out the "Dram-valve" on the top of my Sleipner engine from 1953 when it was running. Then it came flames and a high sound! Dont suggest anyone to do this

[skippi]

Hallo. I have a L2 but it is taierd. So I`ll bye an other on, or fiks it.

 

Hei. Min L2 må borres og et par ventiler er brent. Har noen en L2 moror blokk der kompresjon og ventiler er i god stand og er til salgs?

Eller stempler fra størrelse 101 Med komplette fjerer, ventiler og styringer. Tror jeg kan få det på FM.

 

Skippi.