Smoke Rings

By Staff
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Hi! To each and every one of you out there in Gas Engine
Land–How’a feelin? Down a little? Well, regardless
what—remember ‘That is the Day that the Lord hath made, we
will Rejoice and be glad in it’—ever sing that? Its a
tremendous uplifting tune comes from Psalms 118:24-I might suggest,
if you are down sing praises to the Lord, even if you don’t
feel like it (The Lord inhabits the praises of His people) and if
you don’t know what to say-take one of the Psalms and sing
it-doesn’t matter about the tune, or just say it aloud-God will
honor it-I promise you it will help chase the blues, or the downs
or whatever–Many good letters coming to you -beginning with one
from W. J. RUNDLE, 2565 D. Kleindaie Road, Tuscon, Arizona 85716,
(who, by the way, also says Smoke Rings continues to be the most
interesting part of G.E.M. to him -and that’s because all you
fellow gas enthusiasts take the time to share your letters and bits
of information with each other)

I need some help in identifying the engine shown in the picture
and hope that you will ask the readers of SMOKE RINGS to help. It
has a name plate which says ‘Kratz & McClelland,
Construction Equipment Machinery, San Francisco.’ Three
collector friends in that area have not heard of Kratz &
McClelland and did not recognize the engine. I am guessing that K
& McC sold it but did not make it. It is not very old judging
from the design and components, but it is different and it
interests me. Has a single relatively small flywheel but the
crankshaft has heavy counter weights. The crankshaft and camshaft
both have Timken roller bearings. Ignition is by an American Bosch
Type S magneto. Power take off is from the camshaft and on the
opposite side from the flywheel. It is throttle-governed and the
mixer sucks gas out of the tank shown in the lower left. Cooling is
with water in the tank bolted to the block and head on the right
side. The letters A G are cast with part numbers in several places
and the serial number is A G 17114. Will appreciate word from
anybody who knows who madeit.

Some information and a compliment makes us happy coming from
JOHN A. RICHTER, 26444 Taft Road, Novi, Michigan 48050: ‘Your
magazines are the best on the market today! I am now very nearly 75
years of age and have been around a farm the most of my life. I
attended Michigan State Auto school in 1922, received my diploma
December 23, 1922. Have been with gas engines, tractors and autos
and all kinds of threshing and farm equipment ever since.

Now, a little information for the gas engine repairmen. Timing
your stationary water-cooled engines, tractors, autos etc., piston
should be a top dead center, exhaust valve just closed as piston
travels downward. Itwill then draw in a new charge of fresh gas.
Timing ignition S/32 before top dead center on compression stroke.
Retard spark if possible before starting engine. I have been asked
about using white gas. White gas of Model T days was fine as it was
regular gas. A good lot of the water-cooled engines were made to
run on a good grade of kerosene. Hope this will help some
beginners. Questions will be answered with SASE.’

ALAN C. KING, 4790 River Road, Radnor, Ohio 43066 who advertises
two of his books in our magazine, asked me to pass this word along:
‘Please tell all my customers out there that I have appreciated
their comments, but due to the large volume of mail that I handle,
it is almost impossible to individually answer them all.’

REED SKINNER, 807 River Acres Drive, Tecumseh, Michigan 49286
has at this time only two engines, but he is very enthusiastic
about them and is awaiting your letters:

‘Although I’ve only subscribed to The Gas Engine
Magazine for a short time, I like other enthusiasts, can’t seem
to wait until the next issue comes out having read the previous one
at least thirty times from cover to cover.

My own engine collection is rather small, consisting of a 1? HP
Stover, a 2 HP Sattley, and an 8 HP Goold, Shapley and Muir made in
Brantford, Canada. I acquired the Goold after completing the
painting of two garages for my uncles. The engine which weighs
close to 2500 pounds was in poor condition with a badly cracked
head, a basket-case Webster Magneto, and a stuck piston which took
42 tons of pressure from a 75 ton press to free! The engine had
laid in a drainage ditch on its right side for many years, and had
been modified by previous owners (?) because the back set of
exhaust ports had been plugged and a carburetor had been installed
inplace of the original fuel pump/injector system. I now have the
engine entirely apart and hope by some miracle and with a little
help from my friends to have it ready for the Portland, Indiana
show this summer. What I would really appreciate from anyone out in
gas engine land is any information about the original fuel system
and paintscheme of this engine. The engine serial number is 12624,
it has a 6′ bore and a 10′ stroke producing 8 HP at 350
RPM.’

PHILIP C. SWAIN, 1, Orchard Cottages, Brewer Street,
Lamberhurst, Kent TW3 8DR, England, has some requests: ‘I have
been receiving the G.E.M. for threeyears now and thoroughly enjoy
reading it, but I am hoping your readers can help me out with a
problem. Some time ago, I got a vertical International Famous
(Nonpareil) engine from a local farmer. It is in a very rough
state, but I want to restore it because it is a rare engine in
England and also the oldest in my collection. The nameplate is
rusted out, but I think it is about 3 HP and it stands 3? high and
has twin 2′ diameter flywheels with 2?’ rims. The diameter
across the top of the cylinder head is 7′ and I presume the
bore must be about 5′. I would be very grateful for any
information on the correct horsepower and age. Also, should there
be a water pump on it somewhere and if so, of what type? My engine
has a sparking plug for ignition, but I wonder if it didn’t
originally have an igniter and low tension magneto; if so, could
someone please send me a sketch of what it looked like. I have some
bits of a fuel pump, but can’t work out how they fit together
or indeed if they are complete. I hope someone out there in America
has an engine like mine and can help with my questions.

I have a collection of twenty engines and tractors which I am
gradually restoring. My latest job has been a Ruston Hornsby 1? HP,
which is coupled to a fruit and hop spraying machine. My tractors
consist of a Field Marshall, Oliver 60, Standard Fordson and
Ransomer crawler.’

DAVE EACH, Box 149, Seaview Avenue, Absecon, New Jersey 08201
says: ‘I just want to tell you what a good magazine you put
together every two months and how much I enjoy it.

I would also like to pass along this tip that someone might use.
If the piston in an engine is worn and leaks or slaps and a new
piston cannot be found, sometimes the old piston can be expanded.
This must be done very slowly in a charcoal fire. The piston is
brought to red hot, then the fire is allowed to go out slowly so
thepiston is cooled in its charcoal bed. If done properly, as much
as 004 can be gained. I hope this information is helpful.’ (So
do I Dave, and thanks for sending it along.)

Somehow, some way, I really ‘goofed’ on the letter on
page 13, March-April G.E.M., the first column -the letter with the
picture of engine beginning ‘over the water’–I failed to
put the address on and now I don’t know who it came
from–please write me and let me know so I can give proper
credit–I’m sorry and I’llgladly take my 20 lashes with a
typewriter ribbon.

CHRIS C. DIEHM, 1238 W. 223rd Street, Torrance, California 90502
writes: ‘There was a picture on page 3 of 1976 May-June Gas
Engine Magaine from Glenn Shoop, Collins, Ohio 44826.

At that time I wrote to Mr. Shoop and gave him the answer to his
question as to why the belt is not crossed or run as a twist belt.
He acknowledged my letter promptlybut he may have forgotten to tell
Gas Engine editors that he had the answer now.

The belt pulley on that make, model and size of Aultman-Taylor
turned or rotated opposite or backwards as compared to 95′ of
the other makes and models of large gas threshing engines.

It had a large flanged idler pulley mounted about three feet
ahead or in front of the large belt pulley to help keep that long
straight belt from running or jumping off the large belt pulley on
a windy day. It is also necessary to have a straight belt pulled
much tighter than a twist or crossed belt. The longer the
straightbelt was, the more the wind affected it. Not all sizes and
models of this make of tractor had its belt pulley running or
turning backwards. It was a somewhat unorthodox or odd-ball
idea.

All steam tractors could run their flywheel pulley or belt wheel
in either direction although all old time’Steam-Rig’
threshermen preferred to run a very long crossed belt. Almost all
of the gasoline-kerosene and distillate tractors could only operate
their belt pulley in one direction. That direction was forward on
over 95% of those old threshing tractors. The old Rock Island
Heider Tractor Company had one or two sizes or models that could
run their belt pulley in either direction. There were one or two
more.

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  • Published on May 1, 1977
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