New Life for a Twin-Cylinder New Way

By Staff
Published on November 12, 2010
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A close up of the flywheel on Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine.       
A close up of the flywheel on Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine.       
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The New Way twin before Paul’s restoration.     
The New Way twin before Paul’s restoration.     
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The New Way twin before Paul’s restoration.  
The New Way twin before Paul’s restoration.  
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 Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine.      
 Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine.      
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The nameplate on Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine. 
The nameplate on Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine. 
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Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine.  
Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine.  
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Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine. 
Paul Frazier’s restored 6 to 7 HP New Way twin-cylinder engine. 

Once in a while, a deal comes along that is just too good to pass up. My neighbor, Ed, was working on an engine project and needed some parts machined. In exchange for the machining, I was offered a 6 to 7 HP twin-cylinder New Way.

I have been going to engine shows for 20-plus years and have only seen about five or six New Way twins, and the box of parts Ed wanted machined looked to be five or six weeks of work. Well, more parts kept coming in and one year and eight months later, his engine was done.

One job for another
The New Way I earned for my labor came from the estate of a collector on the west side of Michigan and I don’t have much history on it. He had fitted two mixers to it and had the valves and seat ground. Some of the piston rings were replaced but that is as far as he went with restoration. All of the parts were loosely put back on the engine and nothing was timed or set. The engine’s condition was not bad, but it was missing a large number of parts including the complete fuel system.

When I started to look for help and information, two collectors came through in a big way – Tom Crone, Frederick, Md., and Tim Christoff, Basehor, Kan.

Tom sent some good close-up pictures and also supplied the large decals for the air shrouds. And I met Tim at the 2009 Tri-State Gas Engine & Tractor Assn. show in Portland, Ind., where he was kind enough to let me take all the pictures and measurements I needed of his engine. Tim also removed the engine cover, which helped me discover I was missing oil splash shields and cam gear oil cups. Their help made what could have been a long, tough restoration an enjoyable one. To those two fellows goes a big thank you!

Getting down to business
With the new information, a mixer body was cast and all of the small parts were made. The original mixer has a fix fuel jet. Not knowing what size the hole was and without any easy way to find out, a mixture screw was built into the one I made.

The air shroud was patterned from my 3-1/2 HP upright. Bending up the shrouds was not a hard job but getting all of the holes in the right spot was.

Some of the New Ways have a system where, through a series of drilled holes and tubes, oil from the crankcase lubes most of the parts on the outside of the engine. And, if you put in too much oil like I did, everything on the outside gets lubed very well along with the floor and anything that is close to it.

Another key piece I was missing was the engine plaque but my friend, Nick Rowland, told me about Owosso Graphic Arts in Michigan. After giving them a call, I found that the picture and rubbing of the plaque that I had would not work well enough, so out came the T-square and the drafting board. Two months later, I finally had something to send them, and the plaque they sent back was far better than I could have hoped for. I set it on my dresser and looked at it every day until it was put on the engine.

If anybody has any information on the New Way twins with the rounded fuel tank, I would be very happy to hear from you. My next project is to find room in the garage to store the engine!                                

Paul Frasier at 12234 Harris St., Carelton, MI 48117-9501 • (734) 654-8163

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