The Sparta Economy Engine News

By Staff
Published on February 1, 1997
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This Shows the Equipment That Goes With Every Economy Gasoline Engine.
This Shows the Equipment That Goes With Every Economy Gasoline Engine.
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20601 Old State Road Haubstadt, Indiana 47639

At times historical details are hard to find. Such is the case
with the Model C Sparta Economy gas engine that appeared briefly in
1910 after the serial number gap between 6,000 and 10,000. Economy
engines falling into the Sparta Economy serial number gap were the
ones sold earlier by Sears that were built by the Waterloo Gas
Engine Company. Only 2,000 of the model C were built and they fall
into the 10,000 to 12,000 serial number range.

The catalog and literature illustrations show several changes
from the previous B model engines. The cylinder head was changed to
a five bolt dry type. The igniter trip bracket is now held with two
adjusting nuts on a threaded portion of the side rod.

The fuel fill is now a ? inch pipe sticking up about one inch in
the area below and to the side of the connecting rod. It has a pipe
cap. To put in fuel, a special long tapered funnel is required as
shown in the accompanying equipment illustration. The fuel line now
comes out of the front of the engine base to reach the Essex fuel
mixer.

The new size of engine is introduced. It is a 1 HP and departs
somewhat in design from the larger engines. It is half base and
sits on wooden skids with the fuel tank located to the front. It
apparently wasn’t well received as only one is currently known
about. Sears almost discouraged its sales of the 1 by strongly
commenting about the need to be sure to buy a large enough
engine.

There is another mystery. The 2 HP model C engines have three
raised tapped bosses on the base below the igniter area. No
explanation for them is currently known. A Remy low tension magneto
is offered in the catalogs and shown in instruction literature but
there never is any indication of how it is mounted or installed.
Perhaps these bosses were for a magneto mounting. Who knows?

Engines matching the model C description appear in the fall 1910
and both issues in 1911 of the Sears catalogs. In reality, they
were only offered for a short time in 1910. After that, the model
CA was what the customer actually got. Engine specifications were
changed slightly and a new chart is shown here.

HP

Bore

Stroke

RPM

Flywheel Dia

Ship Wt

Price

1 1/2

3.75

5.5

450

20

480

$29.95

2

4

6

450

22

550

$42.95

4

4.5

9

400

26

775

$74.75

6

5.5

10

375

30

1050

$104.45

8

6.5

12

350

36

1700

$168.95

10

7. 5

14

300

42

2650

$243.45

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