Fuller & Johnson, Witte diesels, Lauson and Northwestern

By Gas Engine Magazine Staff
Published on November 1, 2004
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39/11/2: A 12 HP Witte 'Dieselectric' engine and generator unit.
39/11/2: A 12 HP Witte 'Dieselectric' engine and generator unit.
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3 / 5
39/11/4A: Jacobsen air-cooled engine.
39/11/4A: Jacobsen air-cooled engine.
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39/11/4C: Radiator-cooled Fuller & Johnson.
39/11/4C: Radiator-cooled Fuller & Johnson.
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39/11/4B: Unknown marine engine.
39/11/4B: Unknown marine engine.

39/11/1: Fuller & Johnson
Q:
I have a Fuller & Johnson 2 HP hit-and-miss engine Model NB, serial no. 95936. I would like to know the year of the engine and the color code with decal placement. Photos would be helpful. Darrell Tryba, 811 Tryba Road, Hatley, WI 54440.
A: According to Verne Kindschi’s The Fuller & Johnson Story II, your engine was made in 1925, the first year of production for the Model NB. Wendel’s Notebook lists dark green DuPont 1317, DuPont B8046, PPG/Ditzler 3255 and Sherwin-Williams 6780.

39/11/2: Alaskan generators On a recent trip to Alaska we visited my sister-in-law. They had bought a large farm with no electric power. In a well-built building there are two Witte generator units, one is complete and could be used, the other is a parts engine. The complete engine’s serial number is 49268, the parts engine is 49275, and both are 14 HP, 800 rpm, Model CD 14, 5-inch bore and 8-inch stroke with an oil capacity of 11 quarts.

I am in need of the year and a manual for these engines. They are diesel and I know nothing about starting or the like. We want to get this engine up and running for their use. Owen D. Arnett, 6132 Leland Drive, Nampa, ID 83687-9561; (208) 467-4003, (208) 924-0512.

39/11/3: Lauson engines At the Dutton, Ala., Antique Tractor and Engine Show on June 5, I ran into Lewis Skilman, who had a neat-looking Lauson engine for sale. I’ve been interested in that engine since I had heard of them being used on mini-cars back in the 1930s. We agreed on a price, so I took the engine home to clean it and see if I could make it run. It is a Type RSC 591, no. 7-40919. I removed the flywheel and was surprised to see a magneto like nothing I had seen before. It is an Eiseman magneto built on a 1/8-inch brass plate with seesaw points. I cleaned the magneto thoroughly with spray electric motor cleaner to take away any oxide and dirt that might cause a current leak from the points or condenser (I used a Briggs condenser because I couldn’t find one with a screw in the end), and filed the points. Then, I cleaned the carburetor and reset the float level. I had the engine running on the first pull.

At the Piney Chapel Antique Engine and Farm Equipment Show on Aug. 13-14, in Athens, Ala., Lewis Skilman was there again with another Lauson engine mounted with an air pump. I needed air in my shop, so I bought it. The engine is a Type 55S 111, no. 5182516, with a gas tank on the side, a needle valve and a governor-controlled drum carburetor.

There is no name on the carburetor and I have never seen one like it. But it is so simple, I wonder why it wasn’t more popular. With the flywheel off, I discovered a similar brass base-plate, but the points and condenser are mounted on a separate plate together. Here again I could not find the same part to replace, so I filed the old points, pried off the old condenser and replaced it with a Briggs & Stratton condenser. The magneto is marked EW 2126 (Eiseman), but the points and condenser are Wico. A new spark plug and wire, cleaning the foot valve in the tank and blowing out the carburetor gave me another running engine. The air pump work well, too.

My next stop at the Piney Chapel show I bought another Lauson engine – a Type 55S 100, no. 5259351. This engine is almost identical to the Type 55S 111 engine except the magneto and flywheel are marked Wico and the magneto backing plate is a formed steel piece. I treated this engine the same as the other one and have it firing, but it’s still in need of a final tune-up.

I would like to correspond with anyone who knows the approximate age of these engines, and who could tell me experiences with their use and application. Rob Maulsby, 416 Green Acres Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805; (256) 837-4984.

39/11/4: Information for three engines I am in hopes that someone may be able to furnish me with the information I need for the following:

Marine engine: This is a very small marine engine. It has no tags or serial number. There is one casting number – M-2-2. It is 9 inches high and has a 10-inch flywheel. The carburetor is a Michigan Lubricator Co., Detroit, Mich. The engine is a two-cycle and will run either direction. I would like to know who made it and any other information your readers may have.

Air-cooled engine: This engine has 10-inch flywheels with air-cooling fins. It is two-cycle, 2 feet high with a very unusual carburetor. The manufacturer is Jacobsen Mfg. Co., Racine, Wis., serial no. HM-3-906-16. I would like to know how old it is and what it was used for.

Fuller & Johnson engine: This engine is very unusual. It has a radiator on it. I don’t know much about it except that it is a Fuller & Johnson, manufactured in Madison, Wis., serial no. CW 3552. I would like to know the year and engine specifications, as it has a very unusual carburetor and magneto.

Any information would be appreciated. Cliff Albright, 281 Bayview Drive, Cadiz, KY 42211; (270) 924-0512

39/11/5: Northwestern engine I have a 1912 5 HP Northwestern gas engine, made in Eau Claire, Wis. Does anyone have any information or color scheme regarding this engine? Norval Beyrer, E. 8387 1205 Ave., Colfax, WI 54730; (715) 658-1420.

Flywheel Forum is a place for readers to ask questions and share information on their equipment. If you have a question about your engine or tractor, please send it along to Gas Engine Magazine, 1503 S.W. 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609-1265.

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