1336 Peach Avenue, El Cajon, California 92021
About a year ago I acquired a rather unusual New-Way gas engine
(see pictures). It looks like other New-Ways except that it is a
horizontal single cylinder engine. Bore and stroke are 3? x 4. The
flywheels measure 15 x 1-15/16. The only identification is the
number Z51458 stamped on the cylinder.
All the New-Ways I have seen or know about, have the gas tank
cast as part of the base. However, this engine has a
‘solid’ base-sort of an ‘I’ beam shape. Also, I
noticed on a picture of a 1912 New-Way ‘Jewel,’ which is a
horizontal single like mine, that the cylinder is bolted to the
base. However, on my engine the cylinder and base are a one-piece
casting.
A few other features are as follows: the engine is headless, it
has a rotary magneto called a National, type ‘R.’ It has a
hit and miss governor, and it runs ‘backwards.’ The tops of
the flywheels rotate toward the cylinder rather than away from it.
I’m sure this is the original set-up as the hand crank was
withthe engine and will only crank in one direction. Also, if the
flywheels were to turn in the ‘normal’ direction the fan
(see pictures) would be blowing air away from the cylinder instead
of toward it.
Another interesting feature is the drip oiler; it seems to be
set too far forward. When removed from the engine you can see 2 of
the 3 piston rings as the piston moves in the cylinder. This causes
‘blow-by’ into the drip oiler tube when the engine is
running, making it almost impossible for oil to get to the
cylinder-even with a check ball in the oiler. Perhaps this was an
early design that was later rectified.
The crankcase has a cast iron cover but this is not meant to
seal the case as the engine can be run without it.
In going thru back issues of GEM, I have found very little
concerning New-Way gas engines. A few pictures from various owners
but no detailed articles.
If anyone has any information, pictures, catalogs, or copies of
New-Way literature, I would appreciate it if they would contact
me.
I would like to do an article on the history of the New-Way
Engine Company. It seems there were several different air-cooled
engines made in Lansing, Michigan such as the ‘Air-Cooled’
(see page 3, Vol. 3 number 4 of GEM), and the ‘Brownwall’
(see front cover Vol. 8, number 6). Both of these engines are
similar in design to the New-Way. I’d like to try to determine
if there was any connection between these companies.
