As we assemble this column in early November, a touch of snow
has descended upon us here in the midwest, namely, Iowa. We’ll
grant that you won’t see this copy until early December, but if
you haven’t already, be sure to check those engines and
tractors to be sure they are drained. Don’t forget little
things like the petcock on the bottom of the waterpump.
We’re continuing to work on our Standard Catalog of
American Tractors, and once again ran across our file on the
Ford Tractor Company at Minneapolis. Rated as an 8-16, the Ford of
1915 sold for $350. By 1917 it was rated as a 10-20. Only a few
were built, and they were never considered to be a roaring
success.
The main problem with the Ford Tractor Company was that
newspapers, and eventually the courts, found it to be not quite so
reputable as it might have been.
Unfortunately, this situation occurred numerous times in the
early days of the tractor industry. Due to the heavy demand for
tractors, it was relatively easy to set up shop as a tractor
manufacturer, and for those unscrupulous enough to do so, it was
also easy to set up one of those pie-in-the-sky companies that
offered its prospective stockholders fantastic returns on their
money. In these situations, the brokers took most of the money, a
little of it went toward the ‘factory’ and the investors
saw no more of their money. By the time anyone got around to
complain to the authorities, the money had vanished, as did the
perpetrators.
Plans are moving forward on a tour to England for next summer.
Right now, it looks like we’ll leave somewhere around June 20
for about 15 days. We’ll plan on attending the Tatton Park 1000
Engine Rally, and hope to also attend the Banbury Rally. In
addition, we’ll visit various collections, museums, and other
sites. By the time this copy is in your hands in early December, we
should have our itinerary well under way. We will only be taking
one coach on this and future tours, and that limits us to a maximum
of 46 people. How ever, this has its advantages–one of them being
that it is a lot easier for ye olde Reflector as the tour host.
We’ll keep you informed as things come together.
34/1/1 Chain Belt Company Q. I have a small 1?
inch centrifugal pump with a one-cylinder air-cooled engine
directly attached. The pump has a ‘Chain Belt Company,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin nametag, 3000 gph, and s/n B4027. The pump
casting has ‘Speed Prime Pump’ and ‘Rex cast beneath
it. Can anyone provide further information on this unit, such as
its age, probable use, and the like? Any information would be
appreciated. Paul C. Van Sickle, 3672 Porterville Hill Rd., East
Aurora, NY 14052. Email. FLOBBLE@GATEWAY.NET
34/1/2 Johnny Boy Engine Q. I have an
Associated engine recently imported from the United States. It is a
Johnny Boy 1? HP, s/n 259038. Can you provide me the date of
manufacture from the s/n? We have no details on the ]ohnny Boy
here. Joseph Callow, 4 Meeting Lane, Towcester, Northants, England
NN126JX.
A. We know of no serial number lists for the
Associated engines. If anyone can provide specific information on
the Johnny Boy, kindly contact Mr. Callow.
34/1/3 Fairbanks-Morse ‘Z’ Q. See the
photos of a Fairbanks-Morse Type Z engine with Wico EK ignition.
Everyone tells me this is wrong, but I see no signs of the engine
ever having any other type of ignition. There are no mounting holes
for any other type of magneto. Can anyone provide further
information?
Also, can anyone provide further information on the Snapper
mower I recently restored? It is from the early 1950s (photo 3C).
Walter Headrick, 3601 Old Hwy 100,Tallipoosa, GA 30176.
A. F-M experimented with numerous kinds of
magnetos, probably including the Wico EK. We would guess that your
engine probably was shipped with the Sumter Plugoscillator, which
wasn’t the greatest magneto. Somewhere along the line, it could
have been changed over using a retrofit kit, perhaps from Wico, or
perhaps from Fairbanks-Morse.
34/1/4 Sattley Engine Q. I have a Sattley
kerosene engine, s/n 2838 with solid cast flywheels. Can you tell
me when it was made and the original color? Is this a hit-and-miss
engine? Edward R. Woodley, 710 N McKenzie St., Luverne, UN
56156-1335.
A. If the tag reads ‘kerosene engine’
it was likely set up as a volume governed engine. We know that the
1? HP size was available in hit-and-miss or throttle governed
styles. These engines emerged in the late 1920s. They used a number
of Model T Ford parts, including the piston and valves, as we
recall. The later ones used dark green enamel similar to DuPont
7498.
34/1/5 Heavy Equipment Website We’ve
learned that there is a new web site for heavy equipment, farm
equipment, horses and cattle. The address is bbmfic@netscape.net;
type ‘More Info’ in the subject box.
34/1/6 John Deere Model E
Q. What is the year built for a John Deere Type
E, s/n 356101? Was there any special striping besides the John
Deere decal on the water hopper? Bobby G. Burns, 11277 Louisville
St., Louisville, OH 44641-9605.
A. Your engine was built in 1943. To our
knowledge there was no striping.
34/1/7 Pumps and Hydraulic Rams
Q. In the July 1994 issue of GEM, page 10, you
mention a book, Pumps and Hydraulic Rams by Paul N. Hasluck,
printed in 1909. Do you know where I might be able to purchase this
book if it is still available? Also, can you tell me anything about
the Deming Company of Salem, Ohio? I have a No. 3 Deming hydraulic
ram which is restored to working condition. David L. Womack, 1001
South 10th St., Gadsden, AL 35901.
A. So far as we know, this book has been out of
print for years, but occasionally an antiquarian book dealer might
be able to find one for you. Also, it is sometimes possible to find
out of print books on the Internet. We have no history on
Deming.
34/1/8 Root & Vandervoort I have a Root
& Vandervoort 2 HP engine, s/n BL19708, built for John Deere
Plow Company, Syracuse, New York. Can anyone tell me 1) when it was
built, 2) an instruction manual, 3) a needle valve? Edward Turner,
8294 Halsey Rd., Port Byron, NY 13140
34/1/9 On Using E-mail Robert R. Jessup,
Redneck Ranch, PO Box 118, Clarcona, FL 32710 notes that some folks
are using only their e-mail address in their queries. This makes it
difficult or impossible for those without email to respond. Kindly
use both addresses, your e-mail AND your snailmail address!
34/1/10 Fairbanks-Morse Type Z Q. I have a 1?
HP Fairbanks-Morse Z, s/n 440684. This engine should be of 1920
vintage. During restoration I located a casting number of 21820 on
the governor side of the engine. Can I assume that this block was
cast on February 18, 1920? Also stamped on the main journal cap is
the number 3RIV. What does this represent? Gary Everett, 15500
Glenwood Ave., Overland Park, KS 66223.
A. The 21820 number could be the date of the
casting, especially since most companies left the castings cure for
a time before machining them. However, we are totally clueless
about the 3RIV number on the journal cap.
34/1/11 Casey Jones Information Needed Q. Does
anyone know the color for a Casey Jones engine, s/n 8474? All I can
tell is that it is a red color, but I would like to be more
specific. Jasper Harmon, 1255 Edmund Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104.
Email: reidesin@pressenter.com
A. We have no paint number information on the
Casey Jones. Can anyone help?
34/1/12 LeRoi EngineQ. I need
information, preferably an instruction book on a LeRoi stationary
four-cylinder engine with a 4?x6 inch bore and stroke, possibly
known as a Roiline Model D-382. Any help would be appreciated. R.H.
Wenzel, EPC Co., PO Box 5097, Orange, CA 92867.
34/1/13 Thanks! To Gus Simms, 25 N. Front St.,
Mountaintop, PA 18707 for sending along model information on the
Briggs &. Stratton engine line. It is appreciated, and is
already in the B &. S file.
34/1/14 Sattley Engine Q. I recently purchased a Sattley 1? hp
engine, but would like to determine the correct color and when it
was built. Harry Gurr, 17401 Gunn Hwy, Odessa, FL 33556.
A. See 34/1/4 above.
34/1/15 Advance Rumely 30-45Q. My family and I are looking for more
information on the Advance Rumely 30-45 models, as well as a
troubleshooting manual. Is there an address that can be obtained to
write about such a manual? Any help would be appreciated. Dallas
Womack, 424 So. 7th, Fairview, OK 73737.
34/1/16 Syracuse Engine? Q. About a year ago I
purchased an engine the seller called a ‘Syracuse’ engine.
How ever, all I can find are the marine engines from Syracuse Gas
Engine Works. See the photos. Can anyone identify this engine? M.
S. Hitchcock, Rt 2, Box 1132, Madison, FL 32340.
34/1/17 Northwestern Engine Q. I just purchased
a Northwestern 2? HP engine and would like to know the correct
color and when it was manufactured. Any information appreciated.
Robert H. Schneider, 2154 Grahn Dr., Santa Rosa, CA 95404-3008.
34/1/18 Adams Road Patrol Q. I have a
horsedrawn Adams Road Patrol No. 41 by J. D. Adams Mfg. Company,
Indianapolis, Indiana, s/n 884. Can you give me information as to
the year, color scheme, or any other information? Dean Mitchell, PO
Box 1665, LaFeria, TX 78559.
A. The only thing we have is an approximate
color. An old catalog shows the Adams in a Brewster Green, similar
to DuPont 2015.
34/1/19 Information Needed Q. See photo 19A of
a Witte headless engine, s/n 54413. I would like to know when it
was built, along with any other information. Photo 19B shows the
remains of a Delco plant. Any information appreciated. Photo 19C is
a Novo engine, s/n 21816 with a 33/8 x 4 inch bore and stroke. The
tag on the hopper is that of a jobber and reads, John Reiner Co.
Inc., Diesel and Gasoline engines, New York. Woody Sins, 3 Edna
Ter, New Hartford, NY 13413.
A. Your Witte was built in 1921. A great many
engines were sold through jobbers. Some of the larger ones used
their own nameplates, usually in cooperation with the manufacturer.
Mobiloil for one, had a promotional deal whereby manufacturers
and/or jobbers could get a nice attractive plate recommending
Mobiloil along with including the company name and having
specifications for the engine.
