Otto’s New Lease On Life

By Staff
Published on February 1, 1986
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Mounted on splash guard.
Mounted on splash guard.
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On hopper.
On hopper.

Box 9, Ayr, Nebraska 68925

I acquired an engine through a friend and co-worker, Norm
Brocelsby. The engine is an Otto, 8 HP 6′ bore, 14′ stroke.
The Encyclopedia Britannia, 1961 printing, describes that his work
was entirely theoretical. Beau De Rochas has not been given credit
for originating the basic principle of the four stroke engine. The
name, Nickolus Otto, is commonly associated with that achievement
in 1876. Otto and Langen applied the Beau De Rochas principle in
the design of a new engine that became known as the Otto silent
engine. This was the first four stroke engine employing compression
and operating on the basic principle of the modern automobile
engine. Manufacturing of the Otto engine in the U.S. began in 1878
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

My friend, Norm, was hunting in the area of a village called
Halsey here in Nebraska, which has a manmade forest the Bessey
project, which consists of 33,000 acres of trees. This Otto engine
was used to pump and supply water to the nursery stock from the
middle Loup River which was nearby. Norm met Tom Keeny, a park
ranger, in Halsey, and the subject of old iron was mentioned. He
said ‘I think I’ve got just what you’re looking
for.’

About the year 1965, it was decided to clean up around the park
and this Otto engine was to be junked. Mr. Keeny saved this gem
from being executed. He moved it to his home in the village of
Halsey, Nebraska that year. It had always been shedded at the park,
but Mr. Keeny parked it behind an old shed during the six years he
had it.

I purchased the engine from Keeny in 1971. Norm made the
arrangements with an owner of a crane to load the engine. As it was
lifted by the flywheels and the head, the crankshaft at such an
angle was enough to move the piston about 1 inches to my relief it
was free. The only damage caused by freezing was that one of the
glass oiler bowls had a small 1 inch crack right through
Langen’s name which was cast on the glass bowl. The cracked
bowl has turned a medium shade of purple but does not leak. The
engine had gotten very rusty. I proceeded to tear it down except
the crank and fly wheels. All the cast parts were primed with lead
and oil and painted green and red, the original colors, and striped
in chrome yellow. I found the true color under the name plate and
the main frame and base. I converted the gas lines of
3/8 inch steel pipe to brass tubing. I made a
brass gasoline tank and mounted it to the base frame because I
didn’t get the original fuel tank. In the infancy of the gas
engine, for the sake of safety, they were buried at a safe
distance. Due to the design of the fuel metering system, I thought
of perhaps giving it a whirl using propane. I added a diaphragm
fuel pump that operates off the original fuel pump cam, which makes
for easy priming by hand. All the steel parts are zinc-plated and
all the brass, due to being sand castings, were given a fine
sanding and polishing. To keep the luster, I gave the brass a thin
coat of tung oil.

The thing that fascinates me and others who see it in operation
is a brass 4 inch standpipe mounted on con rod bearing that carries
a short kerosene lamp wick. On the main frame is mounted an upright
15 inch post that carries the oiler with a inch tube that extends
out over the con rod. As the wick comes up and over, it meets the
overhang and licks the oil from the tip as the drops form.

One of the three piston rings was broken and I proceeded to make
one out of an old Singer sewing machine fly wheel .002 of an inch
oversized. Then I sawed it through. The ring gap opened no more
than 1/16 of an inch. Then I penned the I.D. It opened no more than
a inch with not too much tension. I solved the problem by using
expanders under the three of them.

Charles A. Scott was appointed supervisor over the project. I
feel he was responsible for the selection of this Otto engine to
water the nursery stock. I was also fortunate enough to get a parts
and description list. The original factory address reads,
Thirty-third and Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. The successors to
the above-(1950)-Bearing Machine Co., 231 West Wyoming Ave.,
Philadelphia 40, Pa. The parts list shows the con rod having a
round shaft. This engine that I have is of the ‘I’ beam
shaft construction. The journals are constructed of bronze, the
main bearings are oiled from a sump and oil carrier rings.

The workmanship on this engine is something to admire
throughout. I would like very much to hear from a gas engine
enthusiast who would know the approximate age of this engine, No.
15251.

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