RD 6, Box 6369, Stroudsburg, PA 18360
This is the story of my very first engine restoration. I had
always wanted an antique engine and one day in March of 1985, I
heard an ad on the radio of a 7 HP Hercules engine for sale. I
called, and the lady said the engine had belonged to her brother,
who had passed away. She said she hated to part with it, as it had
been her brother’s pride and joy, but she had no use for it.
She was very glad to hear I was going to restore it and keep
it.
I worked every spare minute I had from March until October to
restore it. There was not one part that wasn’t taken apart and
redone. I had to have new rings made as they were completely worn
out. I also had new wrist pins made by a local machine shop. I had
to pour new babbit in the main bearings, which took three times, as
I had never done this before. I asked three different engine men
how to do it before I finally got it right.
When I finally started getting it back together, my son was a
big help, as he helped paint it. He is a small engine mechanic and
also helped get it running. A few of my engine friends also helped
with things I didn’t understand how to do.
The frame I made myself. The front wheels were from an old
sillage blower and the back wheels were from an old farm wagon. I
had to cut the axles down to get the right size.
I made the seat out of walnut wood, and have the name William
engraved in red. I have named the engine in memory of my father,
William Haney. He was born in 1912 and the engine is a 1912, and,
as this is my very first engine, I thought it would be nice to name
it after him.
I didn’t think I would ever get it finished. My wife said
she thought she was a widow for seven months, as she never saw me.
But I finally got it finished in time to take it to the Jack Town
Engine Show in Bangor, Pennsylvania, in October.
I had all kinds of compliments from people on what a nice job I
had done. Many people said the seat was too nice to be on an engine
it should be in my living room. Compliments sure made you feel good
after all the work you’ve done!