These two engines were manufactured by me, Jody L. Ferrier, of Ferrier Repair of Commodore, Pa.
The Ferrier Type F Model 1
The black engine is a Ferrier type F Model 1. Its horsepower rating is from 1 1/2 to 3 HP. The governor can be changed from 200 to 900 r.p.m. while the engine is running. The flywheels were made out of Ford flywheels that have been cut down and drilled to reduce weight.
The water hopper was made from sheet steel. The ends were made from 1/2-inch material, while the top, bottom, and sides were made from 1/4-inch material. The sleeve and piston that were used were originally from a Farmall H tractor engine. The connecting rod was turned in a lathe out of a solid piece of aluminum. The crankshaft is supported by a pair of ball-bearing pillow blocks. The head was constructed from the valve port of an 8 HP B & S block and attached to a piece of 1/2′ steel plate.
The carburetor for this engine was made from a 1-inch by 1-1/2-inch steel stock and the venturi, needle hole and needle were machined in a lathe also. The gas tank was constructed of two one-gallon cans that were soldered together in the center. The oiler’s made out of solid brass stock that was spun out on a lathe. The glass was formerly a mini-jelly jar that had a hole cut in the bottom. This engine also has a modern convenience, an electronic ignition module hooked on the coil so you don’t have to mess with the points every year.
The Ferrier “Junior”
The blue engine is known as the Ferrier Junior engine. It is an air-cooled model of the hit-n-miss. The jug is made of the cylinder part of an 8 HP Briggs & Stratton engine and had a cast iron liner inserted for wear. The head was made by using the valve half of a 3 HP Briggs & Stratton block and welded to a W thick aluminum plate. The flywheel for this engine was also a cut-down Ford flywheel, but had fins attached to the outside to blow air into a shroud and over the jug.
The carburetor and tank were off of a lawnmower but had to be modified to work with this engine. The crankshaft is, just as the other engine, supported by ball-bearing pillow blocks. The governor, ignition system, and connecting rod were made the same way as the water cooled engine was. Brass plates were used instead of spun brass to make this oiler, but we still used a mini-jelly jar as the glass.
