REFLECTIONS

By Staff
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28/8/12 A
28/8/12 A

This piece of copy is being assembled in early June. Simple
logistics dictate that it won’t be in your hands until early
July, but nevertheless, we want to belatedly thank everyone who
stopped by to see us at the Waukee Swap Meet over the Memorial Day
Weekend.

Folks, we’ve seen rain and mud numerous times, but we truly
felt sorry for everyone at this year’s Swap Meet. The weather
remained ‘iffy’ until Friday, and then it rained…it
really rained! Despite the rain and mud though, there were many
bright spots, especially from the many people who stopped by to see
us. Thanks from ye olde Reflector, and thanks from all the folks
here at GEM.

The September issue will be our first sabbatical since May of
1985. Every month since that time we have contributed the monthly
Reflections column to GEM. However, with the two-week trip to
England on the Gas Engine Extravaganza, we’re going to be
absent for the Reflections column in the September issue. Next
month our Editor, Linda Sharron will handle details of the column,
but we’ll be back for the October issue. Through all these
years we’ve enjoyed doing the column immensely, but on the
other hand, it’s fun to play hooky once in awhile.

When this issue reaches you in early July, the show season will
be coming into full bloom. All the more reason for us to ever and
again remind everyone to work and play with care. Don’t
overexert, don’t strain you back, and above all, don’t do
something really dumb. All of us are guilty of this once in awhile,
and almost always we look back on some mishap and say to ourselves
that we were really stupid for having created bodily damage to
ourselves, or worse yet, to someone else! Be careful! and make
those shows happy memories instead of bittersweet ones!

Again this year we plan to represent Stem gas at the annual
Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. We look forward to seeing many of
you there!

Our queries this month begin with:

28/8/1 Alpha Engine. Q. See the photo of an
Alpha engine I found recently in a junk yard. Can you tell me more
about the engine? It has a bent crankshaft. What’s involved in
repairing or replacing it? Bob Mellin, 11 Library Place, San
Anselmo, CA 94960.

A. The Alpha was sold by Delavan, and built by
Lauson. The most obvious answer to the bent crank is to bend it
back exactly like it was originally. That’s easier said than
done, while still keeping the entire shaft concentric. Some prefer
to bend hot, others say it’s best to bend it cold. We contend
that the best way to go about it is to first set the crank up so
that you can pretty closely determine the point of greatest bend,
and then start from there. We would guess that the bend is mostly
in the crank web, so that’s the first place to start. After
getting most of the bend out, and doing as much as you can on a
heavy flat steel surface, if the crank centers are okay, then we
would set it up in the lathe and start dialing it in and marking
the high spots with chalk. It’s best to do one thing at a time,
and since there are several critical dimensions that have to be
concentric, it’s going to take some time. If you’re not
experienced with this sort of work, seek out someone who you think
is capable, or is willing to tackle the job. It can be done, but it
ain’t easy.

28/8/2 Monitor Pumpjack Steve Rekemeyer, Box
129, Amana, IA 52203 would like to know the proper color scheme for
the Type VJ Monitor pumpjack. His appears to have evidence of gray,
white, and red at various places. Could anyone advise him the
correct scheme, and also the proper spark plug to use?

28/8/3 Caterpillar Service Literature Robert G.
Calhoun, 309 Decatur Rd., Marquette Heights, IL 61554 informs us
that a new computer printout publication is available through a
Caterpillar licensee. The catalog is called ‘Legendary Service
Literature’ and is a 414 page printout listing documents on old
machinery, engines, and components. More than 6,600 publications
are available on products built between 1913 and 1967. The cost is
$10.

Each publication is reproduced on antique paper to its original
size. Orders may be placed through Caterpillar Legendary Service
Literature, Midland Press Corporation, 3218 E. 35th St., Davenport,
IA 52807. Call 1-800-228-7821, for more information.

28/8/4 Thank You! Maurice Biehn, 2805 E.
Cedarwood Dr., Lake Bonnet Village, Avon Park, FL 33825 thanks all
the Maytag Friends that wrote him about his mower.

28/8/5 Unidentified AC Tractor Russ Metz, 10037
Struthers Rd., New Middletown, OH 44442 would like to know the
model and further details of the Allis-Chalmers tractor shown in
the photos. If you can be of help, please contact Mr. Metz at the
above address.

28/8/6 Stover CT Colors. Q. Regarding the PPG
44616 Green listed for the Stover CT engines, my local PPG store
could not find this number. Could it be a different number? Also,
are the letters on the flywheels of the Stover engines a different
color? Kent Heidenis, 2 Volovski Road, Avon, CT 06001.

A. Can anyone reference the above PPG number?
We don’t have it in our files, nor do we know who sent us this
number. If anyone can help on this, please let us know! We’ve
seen the cast letters on the flywheels to be in bright red, and
also in a bright gold color. We think that either one is correct,
although the gold seems to be more common.

28/8/7 Adriance-Platt Mower. Q. See the photos
of a mower we recently discovered. It says, Moline, Adriance-Platt;
Branch of Moline Plow Co., No. 5, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA. The fancy
gear cover with Moline on it is cast, and the drive dogs are
external. Can anyone advise the proper colors, when made, etc. I
also have an Ohio Famous mower made by the Ohio Cultivator Co.,
Bellevue, Ohio. It has a two-speed gear box. What color is this
mower, and when was it built? Kevin F. Kurtis, 1855 Bakertown Rd.,
Buchanan, MI 49107.

A. Offhand, we can’t tell you a lot about
either mower. Just making an approbation of when they were built
would take at least several hours of poring through old equipment
guides, etc. So far as colors are concerned, we haven’t a clue.
We’d like to give you some answers, but here are some mysteries
that have never been researched, and so it takes a lot of
painstaking effort to find them, perhaps more than we dare
appropriate within this brief column. Has anyone ever seen or heard
of mowers like these, and is able to provide additional
information?

28/8/8 Bean Engine. Q I recently acquired a
Bean 6 HP engine, No. 7127. The book American Gas Engines shows
them in 3 and 6 horsepower, made by John Bean Mfg. Co. It has a
Wico EK magneto and a brass top radiator mounted behind the
flywheel. The vertical cylinder is water cooled via the radiator
and water pump. I would like to find some information or literature
on this engine, or would like to correspond with someone who has
one. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Kenneth C. Fall, 04917
Boyne City-Char Rd., Boyne City, MI 49712.

28/8/9 Information Needed. Q. Can you supply
serial number information on the following: Case Model C, s/n
4206290; Stover KE 1811B; Fairbanks-Morse 92851 and 816081.S. W.
Bowes, 58 Haynee St., Regina, Sask S4N1P7 Canada.

A. The Case C was built in 1938; Stover is
1926; the Fairbanks with 816081 was made in 1940. You note that
92851 is for a dishpan Fairbanks, so there must be a missing digit,
because this number is far too early for the engine in
question.

28/8/10 Bowsher Mill Wayne Rogers, 10076 Quail
Run Road, Tyler, TX 75709-9761 needs information on a Bowsher mill,
as shown in the accompanying photograph. It has a patent date of
Dec. 8, 1903, and is called an Improved No. 33. He would appreciate
any information available on this old mill. Mr. Rogers also
inquires about the age of a Fairbanks-Morse, no. 618611; it was
built in 1925. We also wish to tell Mr. Rogers that his Witte
engine about which he inquired was made in 1931

28/8/11 Shaw Du-All. Q. I have had the
wonderful good fortune to have acquired a 1937 Shaw Du-All, plow
and sulky from the family of the original owner. I am desperately
seeking a brake wheel (hold wheel on!), engine to transmission belt
guard, and pyramid lugs. I have the original owners manual but
would love to see other Shaw Du-All literature. Any help on the
parts or further information would be much appreciated. Peter Hill,
6189 Parks Rd., New Lyme, OH 44085.

28/6/12 Is it a Maytag? Q. See the photos of an
engine I have. Is it a Maytag? The only marking on it is S-143.
Ronald P. Seymour, 2807 2 Mi Rd., Bay City, MI 48706.

A. This same engine appears on page 296 of
American Gas Engines as a Maytag.

28/6/13 Montgomery Ward Mill. Q. I’m
restoring the Montgomery-Ward mill shown in the photo, and would
like to get the correct color. Traces of orange can be seen. I also
need a picture or a drawing of the piece that runs from the
eccentric to the grain chute that runs from the grain hopper to the
burr area. T. E. Howarth, 221 Maywinn Rd., Defiance, OH43512.

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  • Published on Aug 1, 1993
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