129 Clark, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1J 2N4
Well, I bought it on the 13th day of June 1987. I drove 1300
miles to get it. I saw 13 ZILLION of ZILLION of potatoes, at place
called Prince Edward Island. The island is number one place for
potatoes in Canada. She’s my 13th engine but cost a lot more
than 13 dollars.
I’d shown my twelve engines to my cousin visiting me. He
told me, ‘Heck! In Prince Edward Island’ (where he has been
13 years) ‘there are more engines per square mile than there
are beans in a big can of beans.’
So I persuaded the wife to go to Prince Edward Island. Not too
much trouble there, but I want to go two months before the regular
holiday not to miss anything, not to be late. Trouble, but we
manage. So there we go engine hunting again for the fifth year in a
row.
Prince Edward Island, yippie! Engine yes, but not a big can of
beans, maybe a spoonful. Broken or rusted beyond repairing, or good
but too expensive, or good but I don’t want to sell, or want to
sell but too big and I’m staying in the city, small place,
small engine. Decide to drive home after one week with no engine.
Got home 9:30 p.m. exhausted. I was going straight to bed. Nothing
would make me move. I still have the key in the door, phone starts
ringing. School friend 30 miles from my place. No Hello!
‘Been trying to get you on the phone for five days. I bought
you a small $%&*$@*(?) engine like you want. I’ve been
carrying that #$&*%$@* thing in my car trunk for five days and
everyday that $%*%^$#@* thing makes a new dent in my car trunk. You
know about my sore back? It’s worse! Yes I hurt my back putting
that engine in my car trunk and tomorrow morning I’ve got to go
on a long trip and that #$%$%&* thing is not coming for the
ride. Out it goes tonight!’
I started explaining how exhausted I was.
‘It’s coming out in an hour or I’ll brake that
%&*#$ thing with a hammer. My back is still able to pick up
fifty pounds at this time and you’ll have to pay me the agreed
price for that %&**$#@ thing.’
We had previously discussed what amount I was willing to pay for
a small engine. Got to his place. We transfer to my pickup. He was
not too friendly. I paid him. While he was still counting the
scratches and dents in his car trunk he was holding his back. No
coffee, no beer, I just drove back home. Engine looked o.k.
Early next morning: It’s a B. T. engine in perfect
condition. Valve springs, gears everything tight, no leaking,
unbelievable compression. That will be a great piece of cake to
restore. Small Webster one band. Well it’s on the left side. No
sparks. I took it apart and it was like new inside, no oil or dust
even. Coils look like brand new shoe lace. I put it back together
and charged it. Cranked the engine a couple of times. It ran 3
hours and I crank, crank, crank, one blister. Ran twenty minutes.
Stop. No more running.
I send the Webster to a good friend in the U.S.A. He’s got a
super duper magneto charger. I received it back.
‘Just pay the shipping’, he said. I put it back on the
engine after a couple of cranks, ran it again, 3 hours. Stop.
Crank, crank, crank, another blister! Ran it an hour more. Stop.
Crank, crank, crank…blister getting bigger. Ran it 20 minutes.
Stop. I sent it back to him. He puts in a new bearing and charged
it again.
Again I put it on the engine. Crank a couple of times. Boy! It
ran nicely. Oh yes for three hours! Stop. Crank, crank, crank, no
more blisters, got gloves. Start to run it, one hour, stopped
again. Crank, crank, crank, it ran for twenty minutes and it
stopped. Nothing.
Hey! I put stronger spring on the magneto, new check valve, new
gas tank, even the copper pipe was changed and still wouldn’t
run.
I called my good friend in the U.S. and explained to him what
happened. Within one week I received five pages of document with
pictures explaining right and left sides of the magneto. But
everything is perfect according to his documentation.
Now 2 1/2 years have gone by and I’ve seen one other expert
charge it and reverse the inside out of the magneto. Charge it. But
you can almost set your watch on what my engine is going to do.
Runs three hours. Stop. Two hours. Stop. 20 minutes. Stop. Nothing.
Oh yes it will run all day with battery and coil. I’ve got
plenty of big Webster. That’s the only small one I’ve got.
I’m still looking for a small Webster. Anybody see an engine
running like that before ? I’m willing to buy anything. Is it
because there is too many 13ths? Will I have to get that magneto
exorcised?
