Restoration of a 1918 10 HP IHC Mogul

By Staff
Published on January 24, 2011
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Jim Phillips' restored 1918 10 HP IHC Mogul.
Jim Phillips' restored 1918 10 HP IHC Mogul.
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The rusted parts of the 1918 10 HP IHC Mogul when Jim Phillips acquired it.
The rusted parts of the 1918 10 HP IHC Mogul when Jim Phillips acquired it.
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While exhibiting gas engines at the American Thresherman Association show in August 2009, Jim Phillips was approached by a gentleman who had been admiring his 4 HP IHC Mogul sideshaft saw rig. He asked if Jim would be interested in purchasing a 1918 10 HP IHC Mogul for his collection. Jim said he was definitely interested, was given the phone number for the owner and the sale was made.  

Background on the Mogul
The IHC Mogul was originally used to charge batteries for the local telephone service in a small eastern Kentucky town. Two men employed by Kentucky’s Division of Forestry found the engine, which had been abandoned in the small town. The engine was in an old dilapidated shed that had partially collapsed onto the engine. It was covered in overgrown vegetation and was barely visible. The men borrowed a truck for hauling the engine, but first they had to completely dismantle it to load it into the truck. The engine was then stored in its deconstructed state in a shed where it had been for 50-plus years before Jim purchased it.  

Bringing it back to life
Jim Phillips and his friend Rick McKee, a fellow antique engine enthusiast, traveled to eastern Kentucky to retrieve the IHC Mogul from the shed.

Since the engine had been completely disassembled some 50 years prior, the engine was transported piece by piece on a trailer to St. Peters, Mo. Once there, Jim meticulously sandblasted, primed and painted each part, and then began the arduous task of reassembling the Mogul sideshaft. Jim sent the magneto and igniter to Mark’s Magneto to be overhauled. The mechanical oiler was sent to a craftsman in Madison, Wis., for repair since the oiler’s pumps were broken and seized within the oiler, rendering them useless. The cart on which the engine resides was purchased from Rick Rohrs.

Jim believes his attention to detail over the course of the engine restoration was key to getting the IHC Mogul up and running. Jim quipped, “I must have done something right because after pumping up the fuel point the engine started on the second rotation.”

Jim would like to extend special thanks to Jerry Hill, John Bethmann, Rick McKee and Starbolt Engine Supplies for their help in the restoration process.

Contact Jim Phillips at #20 Oak Park Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376 • (636) 734-2981

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