400 4th St. S.W. Watertown, South Dakota 57201
Several years ago I purchased an engine at an auction near
Ipswitch, South Dakota that was listed on the sale bill as a two
cylinder LeRoi.
In its earlier day it powered a generator, and no doubt it was a
very reliable light plant unit for many years. This summer I
decided it was about time to try to restore this old engine as I
had been walking around it in my garage long enough.
When I removed the head from this engine I was surprised to see
both pistons were on top. I turned the flywheel to watch both
pistons go down at the same time. Now I knew I had to get this old
engine running again!
I had the valves ground, new valve guides installed, new rings,
the radiator cleaned and repaired. The head had to be planed as it
was warped. Nowhere was there any nameplate to identify the make of
the engine. The magneto is a Fairbanks Morse with an impulse. The
carburetor is a Zenith. Both were dismantled, cleaned and adjusted,
and with the help of an Early Day mechanic we got it running
again.
To hear a two cylinder engine sound like a four cylinder is
something different.
I’ve included a picture of the engine that is supposed to be
a LeRoi. The bore and stroke are three inches. If anyone knows what
make engine it is and what the horsepower rating might be, I would
like to hear from them.