Hi Dear Friends – Well, deadline is coming up very fast and this
place has been like Grand Central Station with people buzzing in
and out as we have encountered a few problems. We had to put in a
new furnace- then a valve on one of the pipes broke which made a
rusty mess and now we have Termites-they’re here today drilling
holes everywhere and getting into the extermination of them. Well,
I had asked the Lord to help me get the basement really cleaned out
(that’s where my office is) but I didn’t count on such
drastic measures. God cares about all our problems, you know, even
little ones. So I just continue to praise Him for the way He works
in our lives. So keep on praying, but be careful-you might be
asking for more than you thought. Don’t think I’m blaming
God for these problems, I’m not- Oh, he knew they were going to
happen-it just fit in time-wise with my prayers. Now on to the
letters
ANDREW GOODMAN, 1200 East ‘O’ Street, P. O. Box 80957,
Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 writes: ‘Among our collection of older
tractors, we have a Model C Co-op tractor. This is a very unusual
tractor and we have not been able to obtain any information
concerning it. We would appreciate hearing from anyone in this
regard. The tractor is pretty much complete with the exception of
the wheels.’ (Help him Fellas, you should know if it is very
unusual and be happy to write him.)
Here’s a good top from JIM HICKEY, 1336 Peach Avenue, El
Cajon, California 92021: ‘A while back someone wrote in and
advised that Wico magneto condensers could be replaced with a
modern type (NAPA #7-01314 or ECHLIN #OM-201). I tried it and it
didn’t work-until I wrapped the condenser with insulating tape.
So remember the metal shell of the condenser must not touch any
part of the magneto.’
LAWRENCE FRIESTAD, Box 583, Winner, South Dakota 57580 writes:
‘I’m fairly new to old gas hit and miss engines and enjoy
your magazine for all the help it is for me. I wish it came
monthly.
I’d like to know if someone knows for sure the color mix to
paint International or McCormick engines. I’ve seen them
painted nearly every color of the green, blue and red spectrum of
the rainbow. My engines have a little blue green paint left on
them, but its faded enough I don’t trust it for matching
colors. If someone in your ‘reader land’ sells paint or
knows how to mix the paint, I’d really appreciate it.
It seems someone, somewhere knows how to do every task necessary
to restore engines if a person could just find them.’ (We have
quite a few requests for this same type of information-so if you
perform a service that is not well known and relative to the Gas
Engine Magazine, please let us hear from you.)
From JOEL NEWHOUSE, 11605 Bluffton Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana
46809-‘THANKS to all the wonderful people who responded to my
request for a wiring diagram on a Model T coil. The response was
more than I could answer. So here is a thanks to all the ones who
took the time and effort to answer.’ (We thank you too
Fellows-the people really appreciate this.)
DOUG LUNNA, R.F.D. 1, Bethel, Vermont 05032 sends this note for
Smoke Ring readers: ‘I recently acquired a Witte dieselectric
plant 6 HP, 850 RPM, Serial #D4457. I need some information on the
starting procedure. Do not see any heating devices to help aid in
cold starting. I would like to correspond with some other
collectors of Hercules engines. Also, does anybody have the years
of manufacture by serial numbers for Hercules engines?’
A lengthy bit, but interesting and informative, from EDWIN B.
CAIN, Signal Support Company, Box 1453, APO, New York 09742:
‘Well here I am back in Germany with the Army again, this time
it is Berlin with that darn wall, but I like the country. I was
looking through a few of my G.E.M. questioning ways of restoring
engines. I thought I would put down a few ideas I have used. I am
from Ohio, but my last duty was at Ft. Hauchuca, Arizona, where I
found more than my share of old iron. Most of them are still there
due to their size, mostly 20 HP and up. I found when the hoppers
were full of scale and rust and sand that I could put water in till
I had a muddy mass which 1 could work a wire in under the cylinder
and then hook it to a 1/8’ cable which when worked back and
forth will clean in under the cylinder. Also, if you have a lot of
scale built up, a bottle of (LIMEAWAY) which I found in the grocery
store, in a hopper full of water for a few days will remove most,
if not all, the build up. I also keep about a ? of a cup in the
water when I run them to keep it from coming back.
While I was home this summer, I was able to get to two shows
with the family, the first at Barlow, Ohio, which was an
outstanding show. At 6:00 on the day I was there they hooked up one
steam engine to a pipe manifold and cut loose with whistles of
every size and shape. My daughter really liked the clowns which
made the show something for everyone. The other show at Greenville,
Ohio, I was able to take 2 engines and a F.M. burr mill which my
wife, Lindsey, had just finished, painting and re-stenciling the
day before. Between that and my father’s German diesel, we had
a lot of lookers. Hope while I am over here I can get to England to
see a few of the engine people there. Dad is keeping my engines at
home with his and I hope running them once in a while……One
question, then I will stop, would like to know the color for a 5 HP
Sattly. Thank you all for the best reading in the world.
WALT N1ELAND, Route 2, Carroll, Iowa 51401 sends along this
limerick for this issue: ‘At a sale in December, so cold-I
shivered and tried to look bold-The engine was rough-The bidding
was tough- Was I glad when the Colonel said SOLD.!’
LEONDAD A. SPOELMAN, 3221 Brookshire Drive, S.E., Grand Rapids,
Michigan 49508 writes: ‘I’m sending you a picture of a
small engine I recently acquired. The only identification on it is
the lettering cast on the water jacket which says (JD WALLACE, ME,
CHICAGO). It appears to be a marine type, 2 cycle engine but has
double flywheels as though intended for some other use.
The flywheels are 11′ diameter by 2′ wide and it stands
20′ high. It has a heat exchanger for warming the intake and a
Lunkenheimer carburetor. I would like to know how the speed was
regulated on this engine. I would like to hear from anyone who may
have an engine of this type or know something about it or the
manufacturer.
I love your magazines and appreciate your work.’
TOM ENDERSON, Route 1, Jim Falls, Wisconsin 59748 says: ‘I
would like to get some needed information. I am sending a picture
of a little engine I have and maybe someone out there can identify
it. It has 14′ flywheels and a 3′ piston with a 3?’
stroke. It has blue-gray paint on it. It is a 4 cycle motor with
spark plug ignition. There is a pulley cast right on one flywheel
and the other flywheel a crank on it like a John Deere.
Also I just got a 3 HP vertical Fairbanks Morse Type T with a
cast iron water hopper connected to the head. I would like to hear
from someone who has an engine like it.’