2501 W. Market Street York, Pa. 17404
(REF: Valve timing and magneto setting for collectors who have
very little experience with these old Rumelys.)
If an Oil Pull has the old Du4 American bosch mag on, be sure it
is safe and has a good winding and good impulse. You could be
killed ‘outright’ with a bad impulse on an old Du4 or a
Du2. You can replace these with the new MFR or a MJA-c American
Bosch magneto.
I was at a show in the summer and I had to get around the Oil
Pulls because I like to hear them run. But here they were, cranking
away; and one man said he was ready to give up. I walked over to
him and told him who I was. ‘Boy,’ he said, ‘I sure am
glad you are here. We never had one of these before and I really
like the engine. I’d give anything to get it started.
I said, ‘Do you have spark?’
He said, ‘What is that?’
I said, ‘With that kind of compression, you have to have
real good spark if you are going to start this engine.’ I
looked and that magneto must have been in water for ten years.
Everything was in a bad state. So when you see these fellows
cranking at a good old Oil Pull, don’t down it too quick. It
could be something very simple keeping it from starting.
20-35 M, 25-45 R, and 30-60 S are some of the collection of Bud
Stambaugh’s Rumely Oil Pulls. Below are two shots of the 30-60
E Oil Pull. Bud says the old model E is the only one in
Pennsylvania. That’s Mrs. Stambaugh pictured with the Model
E.
Pictured is a Thieman 1930 Model A Tractor owned by Ed Jansen,
Teutopolis, Illinois. The tractor was shown at the American
Thresher man Reunion at Pinck-neyville in August. The driver is Dan
Hoene with Randy and Roy Jansen as passengers.
Now, for valve timing; here is how to check the timing. Turn
compression relief hand lever down to the running position. Then
turn the flywheel until the exhaust valve of No. 1 cylinder (left
hand) has closed and the pointer coincides with the flywheel mark
IXC. Loosen the locknut on the adjusting screw on the top of the
rocker arm and make the necessary adjustments with a screwdriver.
Adjust until there is very little lost motion between the lower end
of the rocker arm and the valve stem. A good way to determine this
is to insert a piece of paper between the lower end of the rocker
arm and the valve stem. While sliding the paper back and forth,
adjust the adjusting screw until the paper just commences to pinch.
Then move the flywheel to the next marking, 110, and adjust the
intake valve in the same manner.
Now here is one for you new guys: This adjustment should be made
when the engine is cold. To take care of the expansion in the
cylinders when the engine is warm, more clearance must be allowed.
Next, revolve the flywheel one-half revolution and repeat the
adjustment as given above for number 2 cylinder with 2XC and the
210 markings. Now there is no other way to set Oil Pull valves.
With a little compression and a good magneto and the valve setting
as prescribed above, these old Rumely swill start at 45 below zero
or 105 in the shade.
There is one other thing to remember: Never put an impulse on
with less than 35 degrees lag angle. Set your mag on the tractor to
click off on DC, and DC only! With a 35 degree impulse you are
ready to go. The old Rumely men know all this and more besides. But
for you young collectors and boys just beginning to attend shows,
111 be glad to give you all the information you need. Just write to
me.
I think all us old Rumely collectors and owners of Rumely Oil
Pulls should really congratulate Earl Marhanka of Dowagiac, Mich.,
for getting together all those Oil Pulls and showing them at
LaPorte to all the old Rumely employees last July 4. (E. and E.
Magazine, Jan.-Feb. 1970, p. 1.) That is one of the greatest
endeavors a man could take on himself. Also, the same goes for
‘Rumely Bill’ Krumwiede, of Voltaire, North Dakota. Well, I
could go on and on, but I will sign off.
