Shawn Burns’ only connection to the old engine hobby was through his father, who recently passed away. While going through some of his father’s belongings, Shawn came across this skid-mounted, water-cooled engine. Owing to the John Deere radiator, Shawn originally thought it was a John Deere unit, but then noticed “Hercules” on the exhaust manifold, leading to us. The engine really has no connection to the old engine hobby, as we generally consider it. Made by Hercules Motor Corp. in Canton, Ohio, it’s a simple 6-cylinder flathead of a type made by the thousands for industrial applications. A tag on the engine identifies it as a Model OXD3, Engine No. 794120. We can only guess at the setup’s intended use (note the belt-driven hydraulic pump on the left side of the engine and the belt pulley on the end of the crankshaft), but perhaps a reader knows?
Please send your questions and comments for Flywheel Forum to Gas Engine Magazine, 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609-1265 or email editor@gasenginemagazine.com
