206 E. 19th St. N. Newton, IA 50208
Ingersoll-Rand Engine Saved
Last issue we told readers about the 1939 Ingersoll-Rand 8PLVG
needing a new home. Located in Beaumont, Texas, the engine was
finally being retired after 63 years of service pumping water for
the Lower Neches Valley Authority (LNVA) in east Texas. The engine
was being offered to any interested club or organization that could
secure the funding for its move.
Good news comes from readers Mac and Betty Sine, who alerted us
to the engine’s availability, that the necessary funding to
move the engine has been secured, and it will be shipped to the
Shenandoah Valley Steam and Gas Engine Association grounds in
Berryville, Va. Mac says he received numerous calls for the engine,
which was scheduled for delivery to its new home by January 18,
2003.
This is good news, especially following on the heals of the
scrapping of the Bessie 7. Mac says he’ll give us a
blow-by-blow account of the whole episode in a future issue of
GEM.
Ford Tractor Engines
I’m more into hit-and-miss engines than tractors, probably
because I have no farming in my background – my only real
acquaintance with them has been an old Ford 2N that I used for
plowing my driveway.
However, I do also have an interest in old cars, and one that I
own is a 1953 Ford sedan with the six-cylinder engine. I’m only
the second owner and it has covered less than 40,000 miles, which
is probably why I was invited to display it at last year’s
Motor Muster at the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in
Dearborn, Mich.
The Ingersoll-Rand 8PLVG being readied for shipping. One of only
six made, the engine has been adopted by the Shenandoah Valley
Steam and Gas Engine Association.
An older gentleman, who appeared to be around 90, spent quite a
bit of time looking at my car. We talked for a while, and he
mentioned he was retired from Ford engineering. He told me that the
215 cubic-inch OHV six in my car (which was introduced by Ford on
the 1952 models) was also the basis for the four-cylinder OHV
engine that was introduced on the 1953 Jubilee, the new Ford
tractor that replaced the four-cylinder flathead 8N. I’d never
known or thought about this, but the resulting 215 x 4/6 = 143
cubic inches, which would seem to make sense. This same gentleman
also said Ford had a four-cylinder engine of this same displacement
in a number of engineering test cars in either 1952 or 1953, and
was planning on introducing it as its low-cost power plant on the
Mainline sedans.
He said those plans were abandoned at the last moment and the
decision was made to go instead with a smaller-displacement (and
smoother) six that was ultimately used in the Ford Falcon about
five years later. Does any of this ring a bell with anyone who
knows about Ford tractors?
Roy R. Nagel 620 Fox River Dr. Bloomfield Hills, MI
48304
We don’t have a firm answer, but it makes sense since
manufacturers are always trying to find ways to combine
manufacturing and design efficiencies. While your math giving a
four-cylinder of 143 cubic inches is correct, the four-cylinder as
introduced in the Ford Golden Jubilee displaced 134 cubic inches.
This discrepancy could be explained by any number of minor changes
to the engine, however. – Editor
Economy Reunion
I’m enclosing a picture of three 12 HP and one 9 HP Economy
engines that were exhibited at the November 2, 2002, Ed Hollier
show near Hot Springs, Ark. At the next North Arkansas Rusty Wheels
Spring Show, located approximately 10 miles south of Harrison,
Arkansas, on June 6-7, 2003, the Economy engine will be the feature
engine. Five 12 HP Economys have committed to attend, and we’re
calling for all other Economys of any size to come and join us for
a great reunion. If you want to know more, call Charles House at
(870) 743-1511 or you can call me at (870) 448-2789.
Rick Horton HC79 Box 103B Marshall, AR 72650
rdhorton@agfc.state.ar.us
There’s Still Gold (Iron) in Them Hills
In October, I watched a trailer being loaded with engines and
drag saws. In fact, I watched that trailed get loaded twice with
old iron. Most of the engines were stuck and missing parts, but by
now many of the engines have found new homes and are being
restored.
I got a 3 HP International Model M that was missing the fuel
pump and tank, but I now have it all apart and necessary repairs
made. It’s nice to see these engines saved, hopefully to be
running again some day soon.
John M. Edgerton 27 Loon Lake Rd. Bigfork, MT 59911
OilPull Engines
I’d like to reply to ‘Dave,’ who made comments about
Rumely OilPull engines in the SmokStak column in the January 2003
issue GEM.
Your statement about oil rings in Rumely OilPulls tells me you
do not understand a Rumely engine. My father was a Rumely dealer
when Allis-Chalmers took over, and he had us boys running Rumelys
from our teens on. I am 79 now, and have had a 16-39, 14-28, 20-40
and 30-69S. I have restored several OilPulls, and have never
installed oil rings in a Rumely engine. They were not designed that
way, and if you do succeed with an oil ring, which I doubt, you
would not be helping the operator, because he would have to drain
the crankcase to the proper operating level daily. These engines
were designed to burn the excess oil, and the top ring had a
scraper effect to do this.
A picture from a Rumely instruction book shows that with the
proper level of oil the bottom nut on the connecting rod should
just touch the oil, which is usually half an inch in the sight
glass. As to the slobbering and spits, this is caused by people
trying to burn gasoline in an engine that is designed to run hot
and burn kerosene. My mixture was usually 15 gallons of gasoline
with five gallons of diesel. With proper fuel and engine timing
they will run smoothly at any speed as they all have a variable
speed governor. Since these old tractors do not have an idle jet in
the carburetor, it is necessary to use about one- third choke. This
done, they will run smoothly from idle to top speed.
Send letters to: Gas Engine Magazine, 1503 SW 42nd
St.,Topeka, KS 66609-1265, or e-mail: rbackus @
ogdenpubs.com
