20601 Old State Road, Haubstadt, Indiana 47639
Every now and then there is an inquiry about a Hercules type
engine with a funny flywheel or an odd fuel mixer. Such an inquiry
came a while back from Dan Bogart of Bosque Farms, New Mexico.
After a little question and answer exchange over the telephone, it
was determined that it must be a log saw engine that is no longer
attached to any part of the log saw. While on vacation in March, I
stopped by the Arizona Flywheelers Show at Cottonwood, Arizona.
There I ran into Dan and his engine.
The log saw engine has three unique features, whether it be a
Hercules or Economy brand. In this case it involves engine number
336822, a 1? HP model S. The offside flywheel has a disk-like
center about seven inches in diameter with three protruding lugs
with holes coming out from the outer edge of the disk rim. Next,
the offside crankshaft end will extend way out past the flywheel
and have a tapped hole in the end. Lastly, the fuel mixer will not
be the common ‘J’ type.
An accompanying picture is of that engine. Please note the fuel
mixer. It has a moveable plunger valve that seats in the fuel inlet
hole sealing it off until the vacuum created on the engine in take
stroke lifts it up to admit fuel. The reason for such a fuel mixer
is simple. When cutting a large diameter log, the saw and engine
will be at quite an incline with the head of the engine down. The
fuel in the tank will then be above the fuel inlet on a regular
type mixer and fuel will run through the mixer even during the idle
strokes. The plunger device shuts off the fuel until it is needed.
A Lunkenheimer mixer serves the same purpose as an ARCO engine on
an orchard sprayer that may be operated on uneven and steep
topography. The other picture shows the clutch side flywheel.
Dan asked what brand engine that he had. Since it has no crank
guard nor any holes to bolt one to, it is likely an Economy even
though it has the Hercules shaped block.
The diagram with a cross section of the flywheel hub shows the
clutch parts and explains it in the text.
Instructions for Assembling Clutch on Drag Saw
Drive stud (A239) in end of extended crank shaft by screwing on
and locking both nuts and then using a wrench to securely tighten
this stud in the shaft. Remove nuts by gripping one and loosening
the other.
First place the largest metal disc (A233) on the sprocket plate
(A189) and then place the red fiber disc (A235) on next. The small
metal disc (A234) is placed on top so the lugs in the arbor hole
fit in the slot of the hub on the sprocket plate.
Now slip this entire assembly (sprocket on the outside) on the
shaft being careful so the discs remain in place, especially the
last one, and the notch in the largest metal disc engages with the
pin (A213) on the face of the flywheel.
Next slip the yoke (A222) with fingers (A223) on the shaft as
shown in the diagram, then slip on washer (A228) and then sleeve
(A224).
Now slip the expander cone (A22S) with clutch lever attached,
over the sleeve as in the above illustration. Then put on washer
(A229), spring (A238) and washer and nuts as illustrated in the
above cut.
In tightening nuts to adjust clutch, be careful so that just the
loose play in the spring is taken out and the clutch fingers (A223)
are just drawn down on the sleeve as illustrated by the dotted
lines in the diagram.
If spring is too tight, clutch fingers will bind on the sleeve
and prevent the clutch from completely releasing itself.
The clutch lever is to be connected to a support bolted to the
underside of the frame.
