ENGINE RESTORATION

By Staff
Published on May 1, 1972
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Anker H. Hanson
Courtesy of Anker H. Hanson, Malta, Montana 59538.

30 Skene St. Whitehall, New York 12887.

I started the engine collecting hobby when my neighbor dropped
off a Fairbanks-Morse upright 3HP in my back yard. This was set up
tight as usual and did not have any mag. It has a cam shaft across
the front and one end is the fuel pump and the governor fly balls
are on the cam gear. It has a hit-miss type governor and a make and
break type ignition for which I use a coil from an old tractor
magneto with a hot-shot battery. This rig has an upright water tank
that holds at least ten gallons and has upper and lower hose
connections. The crank is oil-tight and it has a dip scoop on the
connection to pick up oil from the bottom to lubricate the rod
bearing. This rig runs, but the bearings are in poor condition, as
if it had been low on oil. It has a drip cup on the cylinder for
the piston lubrication, a simple flow through carburetor with free
action intake valve, and cam push rod exhaust valve.

MORE HELP!

In the May-June issue of GEM I sounded a May-day on an engine
that I could not make run. So, I guess I better send in a report to
the contrary as I finally found the secret. I did receive some
letters from readers of GEM but not much of any help. What I needed
and still would like to have is a close-up picture of one so I can
see if I am hooked up right. All lines, both gas and air, were
gone–so I had to guess at what was what. I found a small leak in
the suction line and as the exhaust has to create the vacuum there
can be no leaks. I forged a choke on the exhaust pipe and that
seems to do the trick.

Once again for those that did not see the May-June issue, I
shall give the name of the engine-The Brown Marvel SN 274 Ballou
Mfg. Co. HP 3? Belding, Michigan-For best results use vacuum number
1 gas engine oil (That’s what is on the plate).

It is two cycle and will run either way by turning the eccentric
180 degrees. As this picture was taken it was running at 400 rpm,
governed by hit or miss and fired make and break, battery and coil.
I must say that it does run nice.

I would still like to hear from someone who has one like it.

I own the following machines and have restored them to running
condition.

A Bulldog 3 HP horizontal cylinder Fairbanks with a tri pole
make and break ignition. This engine has a pull-rod action to
operate the exhaust valve and the oscillator.

An Ottawa log saw. This rig is a 5 HP with one flywheel, and a
Wico mag with push rod for each valve. This saw runs very well.

A Deering 3-HP throttle governed with enclosed crankcase. The
rod is greased by a cup on the end of the crank shaft and has a
gear-driven mag with a make and break ignition. It has a three
control valve carburetor, runs on kerosene and water mixture, and
starts on gasoline. This is a real slick running rig. It has a fuel
pump and flow-through carburetor from the main tank with a small
reservoir of gas for starting and has a drip cup oiler for the
piston.

A 3-HP Hercules that has a Wico mag with spark plug and suction
type carburetor. It draws the fuel from the base tank. This rig has
a three-speed lever on the hit and miss governor.

A l?-HP Hercules that was in very poor condition. The mag had
been stripped of the horseshoe magnet, so I had to fit a plate over
the hole for the mag and drill it for a spark plug. Then I put on a
timing contact, so it would hit the crank at the right firing
position and used a vibrator coil with a battery.

Two Wittes: One has a Wico mag with spark plug and is
throttle-governed, and in good running condition. The head needs
welded where it was frozen. The other is in very poor condition and
very rusted. I have finally freed the piston. This has an
air-cooled head and water-cooled cylinder, but I cannot identify
the mag. It also has a spark plug and is the only one that has not
been run.

A New Way air-cooled that has a fan on the side of the cylinder
that is driven by a belt that runs on the fly wheel. It has a side
chamber exhaust valve that is operated directly from the cam push
rod. This has a hit and miss governor and uses a battery and
vibrator coil with spark plug for ignition. It runs in opposite
rotation than the other rigs as the power stroke is when the crank
is on the bottom.

I am totally blind and find that this makes a very interesting
hobby to restore these rigs to good running condition.

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