Box 292, Hooper, Nebraska 68031
This is my 3 HP Champion, serial no. 99345, manufactured by
Hercules Company and sold under the Champion nameplate by Lininger
Implement Company of Omaha, Nebraska around 1917-1919.I purchased
it the Camp Creek Swap Meet at Waverly, Nebraska, April of 1990. It
was stuck tight, but mostly complete. It appeared to have been
around a feed grinder at one time, as it was covered with fine
grain dust and grease. I tore it down, stood the block on end and
put a block of wood and a hydraulic jack with a chain around
it.
I then filled the cylinder with penetrating oil and put a little
more pressure on it every day. About 2? weeks later it finally
broke loose. The piston was in good shape, but it took a new sleeve
and rings. Then I ended up in the hospital, so this was put off for
about a year until I got around to having it sandblasted and put
back together.
The next thing I learned about an old engine was to check the
clearance between the flywheel and any other mechanism. I went to
start the engine and just about tore the ends of two of my fingers,
as they didn’t clear the valve and ignitor push rod. This put
off starting the engine again, quite a bit later.
This time, I made a crank for it and got it running. It now runs
good and has several coats of new paint. I painstakingly put on the
name freehand, and after pin striping, it was ready to go. I want
to thank Laurence Dittmer of Shelby, Iowa for giving me some
information on the engine, as he has a 6 HP Champion.
