22/2/14 Q. I am a pattern and model maker and
am interested in making kits for gas and heat engines. Could you
advise as to engines which are popular but not readily available in
kit form? Also where is the best place to obtain plans and drawings
for various size engines? Any help will be appreciated. E.J.
Williams, 149-A Voelbel Road, Hightstown, NJ 08520.
A. As we noted at the beginning of this column,
there are quite a few people interested in doing just what you
propose, but lack the information needed to go ahead. We hope that
some of our readers will respond to you (and to us) in this regard
so that the information can be passed along. We would think that
the Fairbanks-Morse ‘Z’ engines, the IHC engines, the
Stover, and several others would make excellent model projects. So
far as we know, the avail able scale models have been built from
scratch, and that includes taking an original engine, making all
the measurements, and then scaling it down to the desired size. We
wish we could be more helpful at this time, but quite frankly,
there is virtually nothing we know of in the way of printed
material at this time.
22/2/15 Q. Can anyone help me identify this
engine? I thought the Webster magneto listing in the December GEM
would help, but the bracket on this engine isn’t listed. The
closest I can find is A303K179A for a Field-Brundage 1? HP. Alan
King’s Gas Engines, Vol. 6 does not have anything like it. Some
part numbers include: water hopper, DD213-A; carburetor DD30A.
Would appreciate hearing from anyone that can help. H. Rossow, Box
15, Weston, ID 83286.
22/2/16 Q. Need help in identifying this
engine- see photo. The man I bought it from thought it might have
been used on a bicycle. I’ve been told it is Simplex. Bernard
Marvel, RR 1, Box 44, Browning, IL 62624.
22/2/17 Q. Would like to know the year built
for the following two engines, and would like to know where to
obtain owner’s manuals for same: IHC LA, 1 1?-2 ?HP, s/n
LA6353, IHC LB, 1 ?-2 ? HP, s/n/ LBA 108990. John W. Lewis, 4386 N.
Five Mile Rd., Route 3, Williamsburg, Ml 49690.
A. The LA was built in 1937; the LB was built
in 1946. Contact the GEM office-I believe they have an
operator’s manual.
22/2/18 Q. Can anyone supply information on a
Wico Igniter, Type 01, No. 1969. Patented Dec 29, 1903 and Mar 6,
1908. Patents Pending. Witherbee Ignitor Co., Springfield, Mass.
I’ve been around engines for 68 years and restoring them for 35
years, and never saw anything like this before. Ernest T. Werner,
Route 2, Box 256, Millstadt, IL 62260.
A. The December 29, 1903 notation apparently
refers to Patent No. 748,534 issued to Malcolm P. Ryder,
Whiteplains, New York. The title reads, ‘Electric Generator for
Intermittent Currents.’ With but little imagination the
evolution of the Wico EK magneto can be seen developing from this
early patent. Our research has shown that magnetos gained little
acceptance for stationary engines at the time of this patent, and
in fact, were not widely used until after 1910. Coincidentally, the
WICO name is a conjugation of Witherbee Electric CO. Possibly some
of our other readers might have further information on the Wither
bee igniter. We should note that finding a patent when only the
date is given can be very time consuming. In the title shown above,
looking through the index at ‘Magnetos’ or similar entries
would do no good, therefore it is necessary to go through the
entire display for a given date in an attempt to find the desired
patent.
22/2/19 Q. Can anyone supply the proper paint
colors for the Foos engine, early hot tube style, and the later
Foos Jr. engines. Would like to have the DuPont numbers. Kenneth C.
Osborne, 308 O’Bryan, Bardstown, KY 40004.
A. So far no one has given us any paint
information on the Foos engines. If anyone can supply it, let us
know.
22/2/20Earl Sprague, 925 – 5th St. West,
Redfield, SD 57469 sends us a photo of this unknown engine. It has
no name tag, and the closest match to it so far is on pages 96-97
of American Gas Engines. Would appreciate learning the make, as
well as any other information on this engine.
22/2/21Ralph Walters, 37 Cepp Road,
Perkomenville, PA 18074 would like to hear from anyone who can
identify this small engine. The only identifying marks are a Bosch
magneto, cast parts numbers on all parts, and patent dates of 1913
stamped in the frost plugs. The Tillotson carburetor and the gas
tank have been added, since the originals were missing.
22/2/22 Q. Could anyone supply the approximate
year for this Economy garden tractor. It was built by Engineering
Products Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and carries s/n 317. It uses a
Wisconsin engine. James G. Holzhauer, RR2, Box 84, Sorento, IL
62086.
A. An Economy Special similar to yours was
tested at Nebraska under Test No. 483 of 1952. The test model was
equipped with a Briggs & Stratton engine. Further information
on the test may be found in the book Nebraska Tractor Tests Since
1920, or may be obtained from the Tractor Test Laboratory,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a nominal charge.
22/2/23 Q. I have an International Oil engine,
Style E, s/n 2092. It is a marine style, and patented 1901-03. The
engine looks like the one shown on page 250 of American Gas
Engines. Although the engine appears to be fairly complete, I need
help in getting it back in shape, including help on how it is to
operate, etc. Any information will be appreciated. Bill Wallner,
2039 Laurel Road, Cave Junction, OR 97523.
A. It is interesting to us that your
International Oil Engine made the trip all the way from New York
out to the West Coast. Chances are that this engine could tell
quite a story!
22/2/24 Q. Am searching for any information or
data on restoring a 15 HP Bessemer hot tube engine. A few parts
seem to be missing, and I don’t know what to advertise for.
Call collect to Bob at (904) 385-6676 after 8 p.m., or write Rober
Burke, 775 Lakeshore Dr., Talahassee, FL 32312.
22/2/25 Q. Howard Sins, RD 1, Box 67, West hey
den, NY 13489 would like information on a 4 HP Robertsonville
engine, including the colors, pin striping, etc. Also needed is
information on the hot tube system for a Bovaird 2 HP vertical
engine similar to that shown on page 62 of American Gas Engines.
Would like to set the engine up for hot tube ignition and using
bottled gas.
A. We noted at the head of this column that Mr.
Andy Kruse, Park Ridge, Illinois passed away recently. Just now is
one time we might have asked Andy about some particulars of hot
tube ignition, since he had done considerable experimenting with
it. We know, however, that out in your part of the world there are
quite a few hot tube engines still in existence, so hopefully you
will be hearing from other collectors who can provide the
information, and possibly some of these might even have a Bovaird
such as yours.
22/2/26Dallas G. Few, 560 Twilight Trail,
Seville, OH 44273 sends us some photocopy material on the Speedex
garden tractor. Since photocopies will not reproduce very well in
the magazine, will place this data on file for future use.
22/2/27 Q. What is the proper color for an IHC
Tom Thumb engine.? Hayward Bissell, Longbottom, OH 45743.
A. So far as we know, the base, fly wheels, and
operating parts are the usual IHC red, with the cylinder being
finished in aluminum. All air-cooled engines should have the
cylinder finished with aluminum to better radiate the heat of
combustion.
22/2/28 Q. Dave Schlitzer, RR1, Box 123,
Bennett, IA 52721 writes: I have a John Deere ‘B’ tractor
but the serial number is rusted off, and I would like to know where
to look for it on the tractor.
A. Deere Models A, B. G, R, 50, 60, and 70
should have the serial number stamped on the r.h. side of the
tractor on the main case. This is to be found near the
magneto/distributor area and the pulley area.
22/2/29Joe W. Morris, 112 Irwin Road, Powell,
TN 37849 would like to hear from anyone owning a 1 HP Reeves
engine.
22/2/30 Q. Would like any information on an
Economy engine built by Stover. Serial No. is TD 244489 S.R. Harvey
Daniel-son, RR 2, Miltona, MN 56354.
A. Your engine was built February 4, 1937.
Stover built a considerable number of engines for Sears-Roebuck.
These models differed slightly from the regular Stover line, in
that the water hopper was shaped differently, and instead of the
round weight holes in the flywheels, those engines built for Sears
used tear-drop shaped holes. With these exceptions, the two engines
were virtually identical.
22/2/31 Q. Russell Schafer, 13583 Ward,
South-gate, MI 48195 writes in regard to the crawler in an adjacent
photo. This particular one was manufactured by Clark Equipment
Company for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Air-Borne Equipment,
1943. It appears to be the same tractor with a Continental engine
listed in the book Nebraska Tractor Tests Since 1920 under Test No.
414 issued to USTRAC Corporation. Any information, service manuals,
etc. will be appreciated.
A. Quite possibly there was a connection
between Clark Equipment and USTRAC, but our research has so far not
revealed what if any existed.
22/2/32 Q. Is the 8-16 International, Titan
10-20, the McCormick-Deering 10-20, and the Farmall F-20 all the
same shade of gray? What is the proper paint color for the very
last Rumely OilPulls that were painted gray? Rodney Miller, RR 1,
Box 56, Bancroft, NE 68004.
A. We’ve talked to a number of the
old-timers over the years-people who were in a position to know
what went on in a tractor factory. There seems to be a general
consensus that color shades varied somewhat from year to year, and
from batch to batch of paint. Apparently there was less concern for
matching shades than there was in covering the machine with plenty
of paint. Thus, we believe it is farily safe to state that
‘gray’ in the generic sense of the term was the color for
all of these tractors, even though the shade did vary somewhat
during the years. We do not have a matching color for the Rumely
gray, although we are told in Rumely catalogs that this was a
‘steel gray.’ Some old Rumely employees have told us that
the company got a bargain on some leftover battleship paint left
from World War One, and that was a major factor in changing from
green to gray during the last few years of production.
22/2/33 Q. Geo. L. Jacobs, 708 Knapp St.,
Wolf-point, MT 59201 inquires as to a book that would show some
pictures etc. of the early Titan tractors. The IHC Yearbooks
don’t show much.
A. A number of books illustrate the Titan
tractors, and there are a number of catalog reprints that
illustrate it as well. Probably the most extensive pictorialization
of the IHC tractors is in the book, 150 Years of International
Harvester
22/2/34Here are two photos of a Reo Trim-A-Lawn
mower which was popular in New England, and used on some golf
courses. This mower runs very well, but the engine needs
rebuilding. This is in response to Mr. Mackey’s article in the
August, 1986 GEM. H. Ship-man, 590 Route #148, Killingworth, CT
06417.
22/2/35 Q. I’m just getting started in gas
engines with a Fairbanks-Morse 3 HP model. I have an old vertical
stone grist mill that I am restoring. How fast should it run, and
how do I connect the horizontal engine pulley to the vertical shaft
pulley on the mill? Any help will be appreciated. Bruce Brockett,
9572 Rt. 224, Deerfield, OH 44411.
A. Many early mill catalogs suggest a speed of
about 400 rpm for a 16-inch vertical stone mill, and we doubt it
would hurt a thing if the speed were down in the 300 rpm area.
Belting a horizontal pulley to a vertical shaft requires roughly
that they be centered both vertically and horizontally. In other
words, align the pulleys as you would for an ordinary setup, but
also align the center of the vertical pulley so that it is on the
same plane as the center of the horizontal shaft. The quarter twist
in the belt might shift this alignment slightly, but this will be a
good place to start.
