EAGER ENGINE ENTHUSIASTS

By Staff
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Courtesy of Fred Hickerson, Box 602 - R.D. 6, Newton, New Jersey 07860
Courtesy of Fred Hickerson, Box 602 - R.D. 6, Newton, New Jersey 07860
2 / 4
Courtesy of Fred Hickerson, Box 602, R. D. 6, Newton, New Jersey 07860.
Courtesy of Fred Hickerson, Box 602, R. D. 6, Newton, New Jersey 07860.
3 / 4
Courtesy of Fred Hickerson, Box 602, R.D. 6, Newton, New Jersey 07860
Courtesy of Fred Hickerson, Box 602, R.D. 6, Newton, New Jersey 07860
4 / 4
Courtesy of Fred Hickerson, Box 602, R. D. 6, Newton, New Jersey 07860
Courtesy of Fred Hickerson, Box 602, R. D. 6, Newton, New Jersey 07860

Box 60S – R.D. 6 , Newton, New Jersey O7S6O

I used to collect Model ‘T’ and ‘A’ Fords,
however, when prices became high I lost interest. Ten to 15 years
ago you could buy cars for $100. to $300. and parts were plentiful
and relatively inexpensive. For the past few years I have been
collecting old gas engines and enjoying the hobby very much. I also
agree with a previous author in GEM who feels the people collecting
engines nowadays are friendlier and a more interesting group than
the antique car collectors. My youngest son, Tom, and I have about
80 engines from Maytag size up to 25 HP. The average price we have
paid to date is around $22. per engine; most are restorable but a
few are only good for parts. It is always hard to determine how
much to pay for engines; we like to get them as cheaply as
possible, which is natural. I think we’ve done pretty good. Any
comments from GEM readers?

We particularly enjoy tracking down leads, negotiating for
purchase, and hauling our new found treasures home for further
examination, tinkering, and eventual restoration. Many people spend
$25. for a day’s outing or something; we end up our day’s
outing with an engine and great enjoyment finding and obtaining
them.

My most prized engine is the ‘Safety Vapor’ engine
patented 1889 – 1893. I purchased this for $25. from a Mr. Harvey
from Connecticut. He tells me it was originally used by his father
to grind coffee in New York City, and it operated on ‘city
gas.’ When they moved to their farm, it was converted to burn
gasoline. If anyone has a similar engine or knows about them, I
would appreciate a letter. When we purchased this engine, it was,
of course, ‘stuck fast’ and we did a lot of careful
disassembly and ‘freeing’ of the moving parts. You’ll
notice that it has a belt driven flyball governor similar to a
steam engine to regulate the fuel/gas mixture into a rotating
‘disc’ containing the fuel inlet and exhaust outlet ports.
The timing chain works the trip igniter which breaks the electrical
contact inside the cylinder, causing a low tension arc and
subsequent ignition. When firing under no load, we sometimes have a
problem getting the carburetor adjusted so that it doesn’t
misfire every other time. Under load she fires great.

Our largest and most costly engine is a 25 HP ‘Y’
semi-diesel Fairbanks Morse built in 1920. We purchased this from
the State of New Jersey on sealed bid. We found the engine sitting
in High Point State Park. It was originally used on a sawmill rig
and was in pretty good shape (free). In bidding, I offered $51.75,
as I thought some scrap metal dealer might have also bid. (I’ll
never know if $10. would have been enough.) It must weigh about 3
tons. For $40. more, I had it carried on tilt bed truck to my home
20 miles away. We first mounted it on a steel wheel wagon but my
son made me remount it on a concrete base (which we built), since
the wooden beams on the wagon were sagging and close to breaking.
As soon as we rig up a water cooling system for it, we’ll fire
it up. It has a ‘hot’ plug for starting.

My ‘heart breaker’ is a 1 HP OTTO which is in such bad
shape it breaks my heart to look at it. It is rusted into one
piece. We tried soaking it and tinkering with it but only succeeded
in making it worse by breaking the timing gear on the
crankshaft.

Tom and I, with our 1920 vintage 25 HP FM Semi-diesel. We built
the base for it and hope to have it running soon. Flywheels are 5
feet in diameter.

Other interesting engines include a 12 HP Witte, purchased for
$10. from the owner of an abandoned farm. It is throttle governed
and runs ‘beautiful’ on kerosene, two nice 6 HP
Woodpeckers, a good running 5 HP Galloway, a nice Waterloo, a 2 HP
Foos Jr. with an unusually high (35 inch) water hopper built to
hold a pump jack arm, several (2-1/2 and 4 HP) Fairbanks
‘Bulldogs’, a 1 HP ‘Tom Thumb’ International
salvaged from a WWII scrap drive by my father-in-law, a 6 HP 2
cylinder Edwards, a 5 HP Ottowa drag saw, a Fuller and Johnson Pump
jack engine complete with pump, 2-1/2 and 4 HP Novos, and an
assortment of Fairbanks Morses, Hercules, Stovers, Economys,
Internationals, Maytags, a couple of steam engines, etc.

In the front to the left is a 6 HP INTERNATIONAL [savaged from a
junk yard] being rebuilt. Behind it is a 12 HP WITTE and a 5 HP
GALLOWAY. To the right front is a 6 HP Woodpecker.

Two Delco Light Plants, an 850 W. and a 650 W. Both operate
good; the small one was completely restored by my son, Tom. Note
the original type clear glass 32 volt light bulbs placed on the
engines.

To free engines which are really badly rusted fast, I highly
recommend the procedure of using a hand operated grease gun filled
with oil. All that must be done is to make sure the valves are
closed and seated fairly well, then modify an old spark plug or
connect to any port entering the chamber (such as priming port on
igniters), a standard grease fitting. Be sure to fill the cylinder
with oil; this may be accomplished by pouring the oil in through a
valve port, into the spark plug hole, or any other way. By pumping
oil in with the grease gun, pressure is built up which expands the
cylinder wall at the same time applying pressure to move the
piston. Once the piston moves, the problem is 90% over and normal
force will allow piston to continue to move. The grease gun system
is superior to other methods because of the expanding wall.
Hammering with a mallet or using a ‘press’ on the piston
doesn’t help the cylinder wall to expand, resulting in
continued binding of the rusted parts.

A word of caution for those who may not be aware. Be careful not
to turn your newly acquired flywheel engine over until you have
chocked to be sure the valves, the igniter, the governor, and all
other moving parts are free. The cast iron rocker arms can easily
be broken when the flywheels are turned if the valve stems are
frozen in the head. Stuck valves can usually be freed by clamping
lock grip pliers on the shaft, squirting valves with penetrating
oil, and twisting back and forth, being careful not to break the
shaft. By continuing to use penetrating oil, the twisting action
will allow oil to work in along the shaft and free the valve.

As a collector I am perhaps more fortunate than most, for my
son, Tom, who is 17, is truly an excellent mechanic. He takes to
engines like a duck to water. Last year he won the N. J. State
Small Engine Repair contest so I am rightfully proud of him. My
other three sons are good mechanics, also. Tom’s pride and joy
is a 650 watt Delco light plant beautifully restored, complete with
original 32 volt DC light bulbs.

2 HP Foos Jr. Note the 35 inch tall water hopper which probably
supported a pump jack. The carburetor is not original but works
fine.

Tom and I enjoy reading GEM’s stories and letters from other
old engine enthusiasts. There is no other hobby that gives as much
‘bang for the buck.’

  • Published on Mar 1, 1974
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