Sr., 387 Bell Avenue, Columbiana, Ohio 44408
My father and I have been readers of GEM for the last several
years. We have been collecting gas engines only two years. Our very
first start was signing up for GEM!
We got our first engine in 1977-a real junker. It was a 2? HP
Associated, frozen piston, cracked water jacket, broken rocker arm,
both valves rusted off-even with the guides and breaker plate
missing. We were not sure what parts were missing or what the parts
looked like. With the help of several gas engine nuts, we borrowed
parts for samples and had new ones cast. We machined new valves,
guides, seats in the head, 35 tons on the piston, only broke the
cylinder. We ended up having to sleeve the cylinder. However, one
year later, it was running and we made shows in four states our
first year out.
The winter of 1978 we purchased six more engines. We just
finished a 3 HP Witte.
In January 1979 we had our own little New Year’s Gas Up. We
held this at my dad’s shop where we do all the engine work.
This day we had 8′ of snow on the ground. We got the engines
out, put water in them and fired them up. We invited friends and
other gas engine nuts over for the day. Before it was over, 22
people had stopped to see what a New Year’s Gas Up was all
about. We really enjoyed it and are planning an annual Gas Up.
The engines ran all day and everyone spent the day inside the
shop talking engines and listening to the music of the babies
outside.
