Examples of casting numbers on Plessisville Foundry engines.
As reported in the March issue, I have acquired a “look-alike” Hercules manufactured at the Plessisville Foundry in Plessisville, Quebec, Canada, in 1931.
Although the engines built at Plessisville look very similar to those built by Hercules at Evansville, Ind., there are subtle differences.
For instance, many of the Plessisville castings had numbers cast into them (Photos 1, 2 and 3), while those from Hercules seldom did. Perhaps it was a difference in what the foundry people saw fit to include in the casting.
Photo 4 shows another difference, namely, a groove on the governor bracket behind the detent blade; engines built by Hercules are smooth in that area, with no groove.
Photo 5 shows the fuel mixer on the Plessisville engine, which not only has a casting number, but also a boss on either side (this shot only shows one side). It would appear the foundry core mold required a wire support going through the two bosses to keep the mixer in place during the casting process.
Photo 6 shows the main block casting, which also has a casting number. The casting number is centered on the side of the water hopper, which seems odd to me: It creates a bump right where the hopper decal would go. Addition-ally, there are two bosses on the off side of the block. Again, they appear to be there to facilitate the casting process.
With luck, and assuming there are no surprises, next issue we will go through part of the reassembly process of Plessisville no. 2750.
Glenn Karch is a noted authority on Hercules engines. Contact him at: 20601 Old State Road, Haubstadt, IN 47639; glenn.karch@gte.net
