As we assemble this issue, we here in eastern Iowa are in the
throes of our first winter storm. After a beautiful autumn with
warm temperatures, it was bound to happen that a day of reckoning
would occur…this time we got about a foot of snow and a strong
and powerful northerly wind. Reflecting on our past, it is well
within this writer’s memory that a big storm such as this meant
that transportation, and virtually everything else, was stalled for
several days. For those who can recall those days, if one side of
the bobsled broke through, it simply upset. After righting the sled
and getting the box back in place came the job of reloading the
wood. On this particular occasion the wood was reloaded three times
before getting home. Perhaps we don’t have things so bad
nowadays. After a storm subsides we use the tractor and snow blower
to clean things out, get into the car, and resume life as normal
the next day!
We’re hoping to hear from more of our readers regarding
serial numbers, magneto and carburetor information, and similar
data for our vest pocket book. How many times don’t we go to a
show or a swap meet and see something we think will fit, but we
don’t know for sure. How many times don’t we look at an old
tractor and wonder what year it was built? We already have serial
lists for several engine lines and numerous tractor models, but in
this case, more is better. Several years ago we published the
Webster magneto list in GEM. However, we have yet to see anything
of comparable nature regarding the Wizard and Sumter magnetos.
Neither have we found any service information on these two makes,
particularly those of the oscillating variety. If you can help,
drop us a line in care of Gas Engine Magazine.
Our inquiries this month begin with:
26/2/1 United Engines Q. Can anyone tell me the
year built of a United engine, Type A, 1? HP, s/n 80208?
William B. Simmons III, P.O. Box 1, Courtland, VA
23537.
A. If the fuel tank is within the base, it was
built after August 1915. Without, it was built earlier, but there
are no serial number records in existence.
26/2/2 Gilson Engine Q. I recently acquired a
Gilson 1? HP ‘Goes-Like-Sixty’ engine, s/n 2933.
Approximately when was this engine built? Paul Korell, P. O.
Box 252, Winter Harbor, ME 04693.
A. The ‘Johnny-on-the-Spot’ tradename
mentioned in your letter appears to have been adopted about 1917.
Gilson was out of the engine business by the early 1920’s.
26/2/3 John Deere Engine Q. What is the year
built of a John Deere engine, s/n 261142? When did Deere quit
building engines? Richard Mosher, 109 Highman Ave., Cambridge,
Ontario N1R 3M2 Canada.
A. The engine was built in 1925. Deere ended
production in 1946.
26/2/4 Galloway Engines Q. I am trying to find
out how Galloway ran their engine serial numbers. Were they
progressive with each horsepower size, or were they progressive
regardless of the size? William F. Hartz, Valley Creek Farm,
265 County Line Drive, Lehighton, PA 18235.
A. Several years ago we spent a day with Ross
Galloway, the eldest son of the late William Galloway. Bill
Galloway’s children started work in the plant, just like anyone
else…there were no special favors just because they were related
to the owner! We touched on the matter of production, serial
numbers, and the like. Ross Galloway told me that so far as he
knew, the engines were consecutively numbered. However, Galloway,
like most of the other companies, would assign a block of numbers
periodically. These might not all be used; in other words, of a
series beginning with 1001 and ending with 1999, there may have
been a few engines, or there may have been all 999. This method was
used to deceive the competition. Whether the numbers were assigned
in numerical order is one factor, but whether they were all used
within a certain block is quite another. We really do not believe
there is an accurate method of making the determination without the
records, and we are told that these were destroyed back in the
1930’s.
26/2/5 Dowden Potato Harvester Q. See the two
photos of a recent acquisition. The nameplate states this machine
was built by Dowden Mfg. Company, Prairie City, Iowa, and has a
patent date of May 31,1904. The shovel depth control lever has
broken off and I would like to hear from someone who might have the
proper dimensions to fabricate same. Also, the proper color scheme,
years made, and other information relating to this machine. Jerry
Bechtel, 25127 N. Virginia Ave., Lake Zurich, IL 60047.
A. Yours is indeed a potato digger built by
Dowden. During the early part of the century this firm was well
known for this product, but beyond that, perhaps some of our
readers can give you specifics regarding this machine.
26/2/6 FBM ‘Z’ Engine Q. What is the
year of a FBM ‘Z’, s/n 526452? Also, what magneto is used?
My engine has the slanted gear teeth. Maurice Anderson, 645 SE
7, Valley City, ND 58072.
A. Your engine was built in 1922. We would
guess this engine to use the Type R FBM high tension magneto.
26/2/7 Unidentified Engine Q. See the photo
below of an unidentified engine. It has a 4? x 9 inch bore and
stroke with 26 inch flywheels. Clayton D. Myers, 11720 Morse
Rd., Pataskala, OH 43062.
A. Your engine is of the Sandow variety built
at Waterloo, Iowa. Actual manufacturing was probably by Waterloo
Gasoline Engine Company. A virtually identical engine is
illustrated on page 299 of American Gas Engines. Numerous mailorder
houses sold these engines, including John M. Smythe and others. The
most notable difference is in the cover atop the water hopper.
26/2/8 Bean Special Cub Engine Q. I have one of
these engines, Model R-30B, s/n A7916. What is its proper color? It
appears to have been a shade of red, but the water hopper appears
to have been blue-green, or perhaps gray. Also, what is the proper
decal?
Regarding stuck pistons, I have found Trizol Penetrant to work
the best. If not locally available, it is made by Castoleum Corp.,
Box 41, Centuck Station, Yonkers, NY 10710.
After soaking both ends of the cylinder with Trizol, I cut a
slug of aluminum plate to loosely fit the cylinder bore. Using an
air-driven hammer with about a one-inch face, I rattled the piston.
This seemed to work the penetrant in all the way through. After
about three evenings of this the piston moved. (Rattle only a few
minutes at a time, as the neighbors get owly.)
As for finding valves, rings, and some other parts, go to the
auto parts stores and try to con them out of a progressive size
listing. All manufacturers provide them, and you can find valves by
head size and stem diameter. Items such as valve guides have to be
made. Tom Hartman, 1950 Prince Way, Reno, NV 89503.
A. Some of our readers have done a lot of
research on the Bean engines, and perhaps one of them will be able
to supply an exact color match for the Bean Cub.
26/2/9 Mead Mighty Mouse Q. I have a
‘Mighty Mouse’ crawler made by Mead Specialties Company,
Chicago, Illinois. Can anyone supply information on this unit, when
built, etc.? Morris Titus, 2025 Hillcrest Ave., Anderson, IN
46012.
A. Mr. Titus sent a Polaroid of this little
crawler, but it was a bit dark and would not reproduce. Mead
appears in the Product Directories as late as 1960, but we have no
information on its origins or its products.
26/2/10 Lindsay Compressor Q. I have a portable
air compressor powered by a Briggs & Stratton engine. The
nameplate gives it as: Type W12, Pat. No’s. 1,744,775 and
1,476,406. P.K. Lindsay Co., Everett, Mass. Any information on
this company or the above unit would be greatly appreciated.
Melville Hands, RR 3, Caledon East, Ontario L0N 1E0
Canada.
26/2/11 Reo Engines Q. Our grandson is
interested in old engines and has found two small Reo engines.
Would anyone have any information that would be helpful in
rebuilding them? Emerson Kennedy , 4652 Van Dyke, Cass City, MI
48726.
A. Although we have nothing that would help on
these engines specifically, we’re sure that some of our readers
might have some literature and can be of help. We hope you will be
hearing from one or more of them.
26/2/12 Some Questions Q. Illustrations in the
Sales & Service literature for the Standard Twin garden tractor
indicate that over its production life, the tractor was equipped
with three different magnetos. What makes and models were used?
What is the convention used to specify the direction of rotation
of a magneto?
Regarding the Cletrac Model F in the November 1990 GEM (page
12), the text refers to the use of slides rather than idlers in the
tracklaying mechanism. I suggest that guide would be a better word
than slide. Note the catenary curve described by a chain of small
rollers between the overhead drive sprocket and the point where the
track meets the top of the front slide/guide. These rollers must
run in a wide groove formed in the front slide/guide, across the
bottom bar where the rollers support the tractor and up and over
the rear slide/guide to the overhead drive sprocket. So, while
there is some sliding/guiding, much of the load is carried by the
rollers in rolling mode. Gerald B. Lombard, 5120 Belcrest Ave.,
Bakersfield, CA 93309-4705.
A. We do not have a listing which shows the
various magnetos used on the Standard.
The rotation of a magneto is indicated by the direction in which
the rotor turns when viewing the unit from the drive end, that is,
from the end which is mechanically coupled to the engine. Magnetos
are built for either clockwise (righthand) or counter-clockwise
(lefthand) rotation. Magnetos with an impulse coupling can usually
be checked with ease if equipped with an impulse coupling. That
direction in which the impulse pawls engage is the direction of the
magneto. Some magnetos can be changed over, but some cannot be
changed.
26/2/13 Ottawa Drag Saw Q. I was given the late
generation drag saw in the two photos. It is equipped with a
Wisconsin AEH engine, 3 x 3?. Can anyone supply any information on
this model? Also, when did Ottawa quit business? D.A. Rader,
10703 Allen-dale Rd., Woodstock, IL 60098.
A. We believe that the conventional Ottawa drag
saw with its hopper cooled engine left the scene in the early
1940’s. Ottawa continued to build some of the air-cooled models
into the early 1950’s. However, we have no precise information
regarding this company.
26/2/14 FBM 3 HP ‘Z’ R.C. Warnstaff, RR
2, Box 718, Oroville, WA 98844 is looking for operating information
on a 3 HP FBM ‘Z’ engine, s/n 291521. It uses the Sumter
combination magneto-igniter.
26/2/15 Unknown Tractor Q. See the photo of an
unidentified tractor. The previous owner of 19 years didn’t
know the name, and the next previous owner didn’t either.
Stamped in the welded angle steel frame is [Mod. 12 No. 1054].
There are traces of a yellow factory color. The engine is a
two-cylinder Onan air-cooled with 6 volt electric starting. It is
ahead of a Model A Ford 3-speed transmission. The steering is tied
in with cam-activated tightening or slacking of v-belts on the
sheaves of the differential shafts. It is equipped with
single-acting hydraulic cylinders and pump made by Monarch Road
Machinery. Any help will be greatly appreciated. C.P. Williams,
Route5, Box 244, Rye, CO 81669.
26/2/16 Some Old Iron In my travels I have
spotted some interesting old iron. Photo 16-A illustrates a
Hercules-powered, Carter-built 1000 gpm with a 6-inch inlet and
rated at a 60-foot head.
Photos 16-B and 16-C illustrate a huge trenching machine. It was
built by Buckeye Traction Ditcher Company and is powered by a
Climax four-cylinder engine. OSHA would have a field day with
this outfit! Bruce Hall, Rt 90, Box 95, King Ferry, NY
13091.
26/2/17 Phelps EngineNewton DeYoung, Box 56,
109 Railroad St., Friesland, WI 53935-0056 would like to correspond
with anyone having a Phelps engine.
26/2/18 Gould, Shapley & Muir Ray Wickham,
628 Broadway, Dumont, IA 50625 needs some help in the restoration
of a Gould, Shapley & Muir engine, 1? HP, s/n B1149. He also
needs to know the proper color scheme.
26/2/19 Cletrac ’55’ Q. Can anyone
suggest where to find information on a Model 55 Cletrac? I operated
one of these machines with a Gar Wood Dozer blade while a member of
the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1936-39. Thus far, my only
information has come from the book Endless Tracks in the Woods by
Young and Budy. Any information will be appreciated. B.M.
Wilder, 11 E. Prescott St., Westford, MA 01886.
26/2/20 McCormick-Deering 10-20 Q. I am
restoring a McCormick-Deering 10-20 tractor. On the bottom of the
casting is stamped [8 – 28]. Does this mean my tractor is a 1928
model? Also what are the proper colors? Joe Berendes, 4600
Happe Rd., Evansville, IN 47720.
A. The stamping probably indicates the month of
manufacture, although if these numbers are cast in then this would
approximate the casting date. A revised paint color listing appears
in a recent edition of this column.
26/2/21 Mc-D Power Binder Q. About 1948 my
father bought a conversion kit to change the Type D
McCormick-Deering binder over to pto operation. Would anyone
have any information on this changeover kit? James Remschiissel,
7814 South 4000 West, Benjamin, UT 84660.
26/2/22 Alamo Blue Line Q. I am restoring a
1913 Alamo Blue Line Type A, 4 HP engine. What is the correct paint
number? It has not appeared in the GEM color charts. Ken Haas,
801 W. Park, Lamar, CO 81052.
A. Several inquiries have been received in this
regard. Can someone supply us with the correct color
information?
26/2/23 Case Tractors Q. What is the year of a
Case Model LA, s/n 5313745? Also what is the proper color scheme
for this model? Sometime during the production of the S or SC
tractors the cylinder bore was changed from 3? to
35/8 inches. When did this occur, and with
what serial number? Charles H. Umback, POB 657, Lemmon, SD
57638.
A. For the 7-digit numbers, take the first two
numbers and subtract four for the year built. Thus, 53 – 4 = 1949.
So far as we know, this model was finished in the Case Flambeau
Red. The Case S tractor used a 3? inch bore, and the SC used a
35/8 inch bore. The ‘S’ is a
standard-tread, the ‘SC’ is a tricycle- type.
26/2/24 Associated Engine Q.What is the correct
color combination for the 1? HP Associated Chore Boy engine?
Carl G. Guretse, 304 Perkiomen Ave., Lansdale, PA
19446.
A. Use red per the recent GEM color chart. The
cylinder is aluminum, as is the head. The upper section of the
hopper is red. There are no serial number lists for Associated.
26/2/25 Information Needed Q.Perchance is there
a way to date R & V or Hercules engines from their serial
numbers? H.L. Phillips, 1643 Freda, Cardiff, CA 92007.
A. In a word, no. 26/2/26 New Way Engine
Q. Hopefully someone can help me. I have a
New-Way Style C engine, 4? HP. It runs very well. There is a
problem, however. When the governor takes hold and the engine hooks
up (with no load), petrol literally pours out of the carburetor in
large droplets. I have tried every way I know to solve the problem,
but with no success. Also, a friend of mine has a similar New Way,
and has the same difficulty. Any advice will be appreciated.
Keith Denner, 17 Everitt St., Hadfield, Victoria 3046,
Australia.
A.The problem is obvious…the gasoline is
condensing while the engine is hooked up. Try cutting down on the
speed differential, thus a shorter time between explosions. To do
this, set the governor pick blade with the least possible clearance
between it and the catch block. This may take a bit of
experimenting, but it may help. Another problem appears to be in
present day fuels as compared to those made years ago. If any of
our readers have solutions to the problem, be sure to let us
know.
