We have a lot of ground to cover this issue, so we will indeed
be brief: Here goes the first question:
25/7/1 Worn Igniter Shafts Archie Haynes, 722
Dunn Road, Coventry, CT 06238 writes that he has successfully
installed a grease fitting in place of the oil cup on an igniter
shaft that is leaking. The grease being heavier, seems to help the
situation.
In our opinion, using grease might also create problems by
retarding the free movement of the igniter shaft, particularly if
the return spring is weak. If the shaft and hole are worn, we still
think it best to remachine both.
25/7/2 Case Crossmotor Q. What is the proper
color for my 1927 Case 18-32 tractor? Leonard Cussins, 907
Sybills Creek Rd., Wheatland, WY 82201.
A. This tractor is a very dark gray, and
supposedly the color is available from Case-IH. However, there
seems to be some controversy as to its matching the early gray, so
we would like to hear from anyone who can offer the correct paint
numbers from DuPont, Rustoleum, or whoever.
25/7/3 Genco Light Engine Q. I have just
acquired a 2? HP Genco by General Gas & Electric Company,
Hanover, Pa. It is Model 19, Type A, s/n 4098. It is illustrated on
page 204 of American Gas Engines. Since my engine is missing many
parts, I would appreciate hearing from anyone with information on
this unit.
How common is the Gray Motor Co. engine? I have two and know of
several others. There was an agent in Perth, West Australia. The
stock of parts was purchased by a Goomalling resident when the
agent closed down. Dennis Spark, P.O. Box 19, Goomalling, 6460
West Australia.
A. It appears that a substantial number of Gray
engines may have been shipped to Australia, and from the tone of
your letter, this may have been due to an aggressive sales agent.
The Gray is not very plentiful in the United States, although they
are seen occasionally at shows.
25/7/4 DuPont Dulux Etc. Q. I understand from a
local Dupont dealer that the company will soon be closing out the
Dulux line and that the replacement will not have cross matching
numbers. This will make the current listing obsolete.
Also, I have a Waterloo Boy 3 HP kerosene engine missing the
head and carb. Might anyone out there have one of these engines so
I can dimension the parts needed to complete the restoration?
Norman Mc Walters, RR 6, Belleville, Ontario K3N 4Z6
Canada.
A. We also have heard the rumor concerning
imminent changes in the DuPont color system, but cannot presently
confirm or deny same.
25/7/5 Brush Engine See the two photos of a
Brush two-cylinder engine and light plant. The generator is 110
VDC. This engine runs counterclockwise, as do all the Brush
engines. If anyone has any information on this light plant, please
contact me.Ralph A. Crawford, Box 553, 709 South River St., St.
Francis, Kansas 67756.
25/7/6 Corn King Spreaders Q. I am currently
restoring a very old Com King manure spreader for the local Newark
Valley Historical Society. Can anyone tell me who made this
spreader and where? C.O. Smith, RFD 3, Box 55A, Newark Valley,
New York 13811.
25/7/7 McCormick 15-30 Q. What is the proper
color scheme for a 15-30 McCormick-Deering tractor built in 1930?
Gary Cunningham, RR 3, Owensville, Missouri 65066.
A. We have DuPont 6923 gray for the tractor,
and DuPont 674 red for the wheels.
25/7/8 Ward’s Powerlite Q. See the photo of
a two-cylinder light plant from Montgomery Ward. It is Model 64
MX4930E-1, 3000 watts, 115 VAC. There is a separate coil for each
cylinder and spark plug. Carl H. Harriman, 4320 Kings Canyon Road,
Carson City, Nevada 89703.
25/7/9 S/N Info Q. What is the year built for a
Fairbanks-Morse engine, s/n 447177? Also for a John Deere, s/n
312637? Ray McDonald, 401 Radcliff St., Garden City, Michigan
48135.
A. The FBM is 1929; the Deere is 1939.
25/7/10 Kelly Duplex Mill Q. I am restoring a
Kelly Duplex Grinding Mill of the 1890’s. It is the No. 3 size,
and made at Iowa City, Iowa. There is a No. 2 on page 24 of the
April, 1989 GEM. My mill is missing one of the grind setting
adjustment levers or stops, and I need a clear photo of the
discharge end of a Kelly mill. Any help from anyone will be greatly
appreciated, including other Kelly mill owners. Gary C. Pardue, 306
Montrose St., Bluefield, Virginia 24605.
25/7/11 Information Needed Q. What can anyone
tell me about a John Deere LUC power unit, s/n 43221 ? This unit is
on a 5-foot John Deere combine and must have been in the woods for
25 years! Also what can anyone tellbe about an F.E. Meyers
Bulldozer water pump? Were they originally on a cart, and are they
worth restoring? Aaron S. King, 155 Herr Road, Ronks,
Pennsylvania 17572.
A. The Bulldozer pumps were used for many
different pumping applications, and if they were mounted as a
portable unit, then the pump was probably used for orchard spraying
or similar applications. One can occasionally find a restored unit
in a private collection.
25/7/12 Power Washers Q. John B. Milford Jr.,
Penrith Farm, 8894 Upper Lake Road, Lodi, New York, 14860 sends
along an article from the May 1912 issue of Gas Power Magazine. It
concerns the use of gasoline engines on the washing machine.
Portions of this article follow:
‘Why implement dealers should hesitate to take on a line of
power washers is hard to understand. There has seldom been a new
type of machine introduced which is at once so practical and so
easy to sell and which so naturally fits into the implement and
farm machinery business as the power washer.
‘While there still exist some farmers of the old-fashioned
type, who think it easier and cheaper to get a new wife when the
old one wears out and is laid away to rest, perhaps for the first
time since her marriage, in the bleak little graveyard on the hill,
the majority of them have come to realize that their wives are
entitled to some consideration and for economical reasons, if not
for the sentimental one, are willing to consider the purchase of
something that will lighten the drudgery and burdens of the
house.
‘Without offering any further arguments of our own why
dealers should handle power washers, we call attention to the
suggestions from manufacturers and retail dealers as to ways and
means of getting into this particular line of business. Our only
suggestions would be, with this line as with any other: Don’t
go into it at all unless you go in to make it win.’
25/7/13 Information Needed Q. What is the date
and correct color for the following engines: Clinton 700A, s/n
DO202851; Continental AU7, 53, 95782; Lauson RSC 530 s/n 649273;
Reo Model 660, Type HR, s/n 7H102897X. Information is also needed
on an Eagle six-cylinder tractor with a Hercules engine. I
understand that it has a differential from a Diamond T truck and a
transmission from a Dodge. Andy Kietzman, RR 1, Box 107, Loda,
Illinois 60948.
25/7/14 Kitten Sawmill Q. Jerry Kitten, RR 2,
Box 6, Slaton, Texas 79364-9501 writes that they have another name
to add to those listed in the book, The Circular Sawmill.
Apparently Kitten Machine Works also built some sawmills in
addition to steam traction engines and threshers.
25/7/15 Unidentified Q. See the photo of an
unidentified engine. It has 2 x 26 inch fly wheels, open oil pits
on main bearing caps, and a 4? x 8 inch bore and stroke. The mount
for the ignition timing lever is cast into the base. The gasoline
metering valve is held in the head by a set screw. Everything looks
original. The partial plate reads: Manufactured In New York State
by Carbey & ???, VanDevent???, Tuscarora?? Inquiry from Wm.
E. Roberts, RR 2, Box 117A Highland Ave., Hinsdale, NH
03451.
25/7/16 Heavy Equipment Catalog Q. Heavy
Equipment Parts Company, manufacturer of the Bulldog line of
Hydraulics and Gaskets Products, has announced the availability of
the company’s new hydraulic catalog. One of the most extensive
and thorough listings of off-road hydraulic cylinder seal kit
applications by machine make, model, serial number, and cylinder
applications, the new Bulldog Hydraulics catalog includes seal kits
for the latest field upgrades and modifications by various
OEM’s, including Caterpillar, John Deere, Case, IH,
Clark/Euclid, Wabco, Terex, and many others.
To obtain a copy of the new Bulldog catalog or the name of your
local distributor, contact Heavy Equipment Parts Company, 6750
Caballero Blvd., Buena Park, California 90620-1196.
25/7/17 Stover Information Q. I have a Stover
Model K, 1? HP engine, s/n K118318. When was it built, and what
kind of ignition was originally used? Any information will be
appreciated. Harvey O. Watkins, 15256 Fernview Street, Whittier,
California 90604.
A. Your engine was built in 1919. These engines
could be supplied either with battery ignition or with a magneto.
They could also be converted from battery to magneto in the field
with an adapter kit.
25/7/18 Unidentified Q. See the photo of a
recently acquired engine. It has no name or date on it. Any
information or help will be appreciated. Harvey Daniellson, Rt.
2, Box 67, Miltona, Minnesota 56354.
25/7/19 Washing Machine Q. Can anyone identify
the washing machine shown in the photos? It is powered by a Johnson
Utilimotor. I also have a Massey-Harris R30, 4 HP engine, similar
to the Cushman on page 118 of American Gas Engines. I’d like to
know the year and proper color. Jerry Barnes, RR 5, Box 138,
Rochester, Indiana 46975.
25/7/20 Pioneer Generator Q. See the photo of a
small cast iron engine. The name plate is missing but the decal
states: ‘4 Cycle, Pioneer Generator, Air Cooled Engine, Pioneer
Gen. Motor Company, Chicago, Made in USA.” Any
information will be greatly appreciated. Curtis Stoner, 225 Orebank
Road, Dillsburg, Pennsylvania 17019.
25/7/21 Farmers Mfg. Company Q. The two photos
show an engine built by Farmers Mfg. Company, Detroit, Michigan. It
has a Ray field carburetor and a Simms magneto. The intake and
exhaust manifolds are cast as part of the engine block. This engine
has been converted to a power unit, so the mounting frame and belt
pulley are not original. The radiator is a Chevrolet honeycomb, so
it is not original either. This engine has been around here for 50
years, and no one seems to know anything about it. Any
information will be appreciated. George Sutton, Litchfield,
Illinois 62056.
25/7/22 Best-of-the-Show Here’s a photo of
a 1? HP E Hercules engine belted to a Blue Star pump jack, pumping
water with an old Hayes rack-and-pinion pump. The center of the
attraction is my mannequin doing the pumping but it is the Hercules
doing the work. At the EDGETA Show in Glendale, Arizona in
February, I was honored to have been voted as the best engine
display and the best restoration. Melvin W. Smith, 23941
Strange Creek Drive, Diamond Bar, California 91765.
(Thanks to Melvin for sending along a photocopy of an early
Associated engine catalog. Ed.)
25/7/23 Woodpecker Engine Q. I recently
acquired a Woodpecker engine with a 6 x 8 inch bore and stroke. So
far I have been able to find absolutely no information on this
engine, and am particularly interested in learning more about the
‘electric start switch.’ ‘Buzz’ Braude, RD 4,
Box 252, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15905.
25/7/24 Viking and Kinkade Q. Fabian Kordus,
1309 N. Greenbay Road, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53142 needs information
and the color scheme on a Viking Garden Tractor, s/n 1107 and a
Kinkade Garden Tractor, s/n 401L2903. If you can be of help, kindly
contact Mr. Kordus.
25/7/25 Gasoline Preservative John B. Mulford
Jr., Lodi, New York 14860 sends along an advert for a gasoline
preservative and stabilizer that’s supposed to prevent gum and
varnish formation in the fuel tank and fuel system. It’s
available from Bill Hirsch, 396 Littleton Ave., Newark, New Jersey
07103.
We haven’t tried it, but if it really does work, then we
would be inclined in this direction. There are few things more
disagreeable than an engine running on sour gasoline. The exhaust
fumes are absolutely awful!
25/7/26 Belle City Q. Last summer I was pulling
a threshing machine in a parade, and a young couple wanted to know
what it was, and what it was used for. So I am wondering if you
have thought of compiling an encyclopedia of threshing machines?
Nathan Larson, RR 1, Box 176, Shlocton, Wisconsin
54170.
A. Eventually we hope to do a book on farm
implements generally, and if so, threshers will play a prominent
role.
25/7/27 Stover Engine Q. See the photo of a
Stover air-cooled, probably about 1 HP engine. There is no stamping
of HP on the tag. The serial number is AC 153228. Any
information on this engine will be appreciated. W.G. Brouse, RR 2,
Box 62J, Richmond, Texas 77469.
A. Also known as the Duro engine, this model
was first built in 1916. Because of the typical Stover flywheel
design, we would suspect that yours is somewhat later, perhaps in
the 1918-1920 period. The Stover records are not clear on this
point. However, production of the Type AC engine was rather
limited, and very few copies now exist.
25/7/28 Unidentified Engine Q. See the two
photos of a recent acquisition. There are no casting numbers, no
name, or any other identification on this engine. It is of
hit-and-miss design, battery ignition, and uses an 18 inch flywheel
with a 2 5/8 inch face. It has a 3? x 6 inch
bore and stroke. Donald H. South, 10833 Sharp Street, East
Concord, New York 14055.
A. We cannot identify the engine, but suspect
it might have originally been designed for use in a horseless
carriage.
25/7/29 Mixer Orifice Size Q. What is the
proper orifice size for the mixer on a Hercules 1? HP gas engine?
James P. McHaffie, Box 38, Georgetown, Pennsylvania
15043.
A. Check the orifice on some other 1? HP
engines, or take some washers or discs and bore different sizes of
holes.
The orifice on this size engine- may be somewhere between ? and
? inch, ‘but it will take some experimenting to get it just
right. Even 1/16 of an inch will make a big
difference.
25/7/30 Horsedrawn Planter Q. The photo
illustrates a small horse-drawn planter, but we do not know the
make, its vintage, or any thing else about it. Can anyone identify
it or provide any information? Edwin Ortmann, RR 1, Box 36A,
Harvel, Illinois 62538.
25/7/31 Information Needed Joe Morris, 112
Irwin Road, Powell, Tennessee 37849 needs information on the
following:
LeRoi 4-cylinder engine with two-piece Zenith cast iron
carburetor, Bosch magneto, 4 inch bore and stroke, Model
D201P3;
All-metal gristmill with a cast hopper. Part No. H-37 on the
stone case. 16 inch stones, and oil wicks instead of grease
cups;
Information on two heavy cast wheels, 12 inch diameter and 3?
inch face, 6 spokes, and with the J.I. Case Eagle emblem cast
in.
Would like to hear from anyone having a 3 or 4 HP Reeves gas
engine.
