George R. Vale Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 I've acquired a Mills 1.3. How can I tell whether it's a genuine Mills or a copy? It has "ENGLAND" on the backplate, but no other markings. TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Jefferies Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 A Mk1 has a block milled from the solid, it is natural Aluminium in colour and I am not aware of any copies. A Mk2 is made from a casting, the originals were black (some kind of coating) and the Indian copies were silver/grey in colour. I have an original Mk1 and Mk2 and neither has "England" on the backplate. I also have an Indian Mills which does have "India" on the backplate so I suspect that yours may be an English (Irvine?) copy...... Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George R. Vale Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Thanks Paul, Mine's evidently a Mk.II with black crankcase. The Irvine copy sounds the most likely but hope springs etc. BW GRV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatMc Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 IIRC the Irvine copy Mills 1.3 had a single, rear, ball race that no other version had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GONZO Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Irvine Mills 1.3 - single ball race, shiny black crancase, screw on fuel tank, sharp well defined (machined) engine case in the style of the cast original. Indian has fuel tank secured by bent metal tabs from tank cover, no ball race and not so nice cast engine case. If you do a Google search for each type the pictures shown will soon tell the whole story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokenenglish Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 I've just seen photographs of this engine and I think there's a bit of wrong info above. I think the engine does have numbers on the lugs, and it appears to be an original Mills 1.3 Mk II, with a backplate from an Irvine and a home cobbled prop driver. The problem with this kind of situation is that everyone always assumes that the engine hasn't been messed with, which isn't always the case... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George R. Vale Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Thanks gents, it seems to be as brokenenglish says, an original Mills 1.3 with odd backplate and perhaps driver. He's right about the serials too, they were hidden under the mounting washers. I've uploaded some pics to an album called `Mills'. Any second opinions on the prop driver? BW George R.Vale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Hi I have four Mills 1.3 Mkll and three of them have a plain black backplate with two holes for a pin spanner and the fourth one that I know is original has the same backplate with England stamped into it . The Mk I had a similar backplate that was not anodised and not stamped either.From your pics it all looks correct and original. The crankcase is cast from magnesium and will pit badly if left in damp conditions. They were originally treated with a chromate anti corrosion process that turns them black but this does wear and a good coating of oil will help prevent more white powder forming as the magnesium oxidises. E.D. PS prop driver looks original . Edited By Engine Doctor on 10/09/2015 16:59:03 Edited By Engine Doctor on 10/09/2015 17:02:17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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