Letters and Miscellanies

By Staff
Published on April 1, 2006
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I got this engine in November 2005 from the gentleman who made
it. He bought the casting kit from DeBolt in March 1987. I have the
original bill of sale with the prints on how to machine the
castings. In the notebook with the prints are notes on what he did
and also a note saying he spent 143 hours doing the machine
work.

I saw the engine after it was made but not running. In the 18
years he had the engine, he never tried to run it.

After I got the engine, I put a coil in the base, wired the
igniter and tried to get it to run, but could only get a pop once
in awhile. After I had a new check valve made, and worked with the
igniter, it ran.

With more adjustments and diddling, it runs very good now at 350
RPM. It will fire, then coast 12-14 revolutions and fire again.

I don’t know why the previous owner never ran the engine. The
regret I have now is that the self-taught machinist has died. I
would have liked to have been able to run it for him.

Russell Roland
6430 S. Malta Road
DeKalb, IL 60115

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