As a kid in the 90s I used to take the bus quite a bit, and Arriva/Midland Red had some Dennis Falcons that apparently used these engines. But some of them never seemed to idle smoothly. They would sound like they were revving up and down trying not to stall. Design fault?
Gardner engines didn't like turbocharging. Gardner should have developed a new stronger engine back in the late sixties, it was not a secret as every other heavy diesel engine maker was fitting and getting experience with turbo engines. But Gardner continued with a design started in the thirties. Even ERF recommended Cumins over Gardner. You got to move with the times.
@@carllockpick6179 new regs required six BHP per gross ton ie 32 tons gross required 192 BHP to be legal. Gardner 6lxb was only 180bhp at 1850 rpm, and Gardner refused to open them up another 150 rpm to bring the power up, also the 8lxb was too long to fit in 8 wheelers an short day cab artic units. Read the ERf and Gardner book for true story. Gardner would not develop with the times, it's what the customer wants, not the manufacturer. This can be verified in above books.
@@carllockpick6179 aye, great engines in their day, if they had just developed and moved with the times and demand for more power as other engine makers had. Should have listened to young Paul Gardner, not Mr Hugh. It's in the passed now. Still a lot of Gardners going strong in fishing boats all over the world.
I drove an ERF 8cyl Gardener 38 ton tractor unit and it was as flat as a witches tit. If you said hill, you were straight down the box, not that there was that far to go with a 9 speed Fuller.
