Beautifully Restored 2hp Jacobson Sturdy Jack Pumper

Beautifully restored hit-and-miss retired as indoor display.

By Terry Weidner
Published on October 25, 2023
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by Terry Weidner

I was recently talking to a group of guys about steam and gas engines. When I mentioned I have a hit-and-miss engine in our family room, one of the guys said I must have a very understanding wife and that his wife would never allow that. The engine is a 2hp Jacobson Sturdy Jack Pumper serial No. 5521 from around 1911. This engine was built by the Jacobson Machine Manufacturing Co. in Warren, Pennsylvania, and I believe it is somewhat rare as they were only built for a short time.

The engine was found on its original site in the pictured building near Oak Harbor, Ohio. It was used to pump surface water off a natural gas well. The gas was piped to a nearby house for fuel. I restored the engine in the late 1980s, ran it once, and then cleaned it and drained the oiler, and it has been in our house since. There is a new crankshaft PTO gear to replace the badly worn one, it’s in the water hopper. I never got around to replacing the gear so I guess a future owner can tackle that project.

When my son was 2 or 3 years old, we used to take the crankcase cover off, slowly turn the flywheel and watch all the parts move and soon he understood exactly how an engine worked. He went on to become an excellent mechanic, and now, at age 36, he takes care of everything that runs or moves for a large glass company. Funny how that worked out! Oh, and by the way, I do have an understanding wife and we have now been married 44 years.

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