6121 7th Avenue So. St. Petersburg, Florida 33707
During my vacation to West Texas this spring, I was directed to
a junk shop that had an old engine in the front window. It was a
Lockwood Ash, 2 HP. A very unlikely engine to be found on the High
Plains of Texas, but there it was, and I wanted it. After very
favor able negotiations, it was loaded into the back of my pick-up
for its ride to Florida. Upon inspection, the engine was found to
have very little rust for a marine engine; none on the outside,
none in the crankcase, and very little on the cylinder walls, yet
the rings were stuck to the cylinder. I filled the cylinder with
Marvel Mystery oil and adapted the spark plug hole to a grease
fitting. As I pumped in grease, the piston moved as far as the
exhaust port. After cleaning up all of the oil, I proceeded to
remove the crankcase lower half, disconnected the rod, removed the
crank shaft and flywheel as an assembly. I manufactured a puller
that pulled on the rod and pushed on the upper crankcase half. I
would put tension on the puller and apply heat to the cylinder
below the water jacket and the piston would move a half inch. After
several cycles, the piston was out and on the work bench. After
honing the cylinder, there was so little damage that I decided to
use the cylinder and piston as is,. and not bore it. I could have
even used the old rings, but I bought new ones anyway.
Further inspection showed that the engine had either been used
long and hard, or run without enough oil. The main bearings and
shaft were fine, but the rod journal and babbitt bearing were
beyond further use, and the wrist pin was also too loose.
I took the crank, rod and piston to a local machine shop that
still works with babbitt. The crank was turned and straightened,
the rod was straightened, and a new bearing was poured. A new wrist
pin and bronze bushing were manufactured. After paying the bill, I
staggered home, wondering if the engine was such a bargain after
all.
While the parts were in the machine shop, I started polishing
brass and planning the paint job. All of the brass items were in
very good condition. I repacked the water pump, put new gaskets in
the oiler, cleaned hardened grease from the main bearing grease
cups, and drilled passages. While sanding the castings, I found two
coats of paint. The first was black, the second was dark green. I
believe the green coat was applied at a later date, because it was
separated from the black by a coat of grease.
After painting and re-assembly, the after-photos were taken. The
engine has not been started yet, because I haven’t bought a
buzz coil. (Besides, I am not fond of two cycle engines.) How ever,
it is the prettiest engine I own. All that brass really makes it
look good.
Here is what I don’t know about the engine:
If you mix oil with the gasoline, why do you need an oiler in
the intake air stream?
How do you spin the darn thing; with your foot, or a strap
around the fly wheel?
How do you synchronize the spark lever and carb throttle
lever?
Will the carb (Schibler) lift fuel from below, or should the
fuel tank be above the carb?
Ignition comes from making and breaking ground through a carbon
brush on the spark lever to a rotating Phenolic sleeve with a brass
section molded to it. Should this system use a buzz coil?
Some of the specifications of the engine are: Bore 3′;
Stroke 3; Crankshaft size 11/8‘ main and
rod; Flywheel width 27/16‘; Flywheel
diameter 11 Total weight dry, 115 pounds; HP 2, Type A; Serial
number 545; Engine has new rings, rod bearings, wrist pin and
bushing.