2501 W. Market St., York, Pa. 17404.
Here are some tips on valve timing and magneto setting for
collectors who have very little experience with these old Rumelys.
If an Oil pull has the old Du4 American Bosch mag on, be sure it is
safe and has a good winding and a good impulse. You could be killed
‘out-right’ with a bad impulse on an old Du4 or a Du2. You
can replace these with the new MFR or a MJA-c American Bosch
magneto. I was at a show in the summer and I had to get around the
Oil Pulls because I like to hear them run. But here they were
cranking away and one man said he was ready to give up. I walked
over to him and told him who I was. ‘Boy,’ he said, ‘I
am sure glad you are here. We never had one but I like the engine
0. K., and would give anything to get it started.’ I said,
‘Do you have spark?’ He said, ‘What is that?’ I
said, ‘You have to have real good spark if you are going to
start this engine–with that kind of compression.’ I looked and
that magneto must have been in water for ten years. Everything was
in a bad state. So when you see these fellows cranking at a good
old Oil Pull, don’t down it too quick. It could be something
very simple.
Now, for valve timing, here is how to check the timing. Turn
compression relief hand lever down to the running position. Then
turn the flywheel until the exhaust valve of no. 1 cylinder (left
hand) has closed and the pointed coincides with the flywheel mark
1XC. Loosen the locknut on the adjusting screw on the top of the
rocker arm and make the necessary adjustments with a screwdriver.
Adjust until there is very little lost motion between the lower end
of the Rocker arm and the valve stem. A good way to determine this
is to insert a piece of paper between the lower end of the Rocker
arm and the valve stem. While sliding the paper back and forth,
adjust the adjusting screw until the paper just commences to pinch.
Then move the flywheel to the next marking 110 and adjust the
intake valve in the same manner.
Now here is one for you new guys. This adjustment should be made
when the engine is cold. To take care of the expansion in the
cylinders when the engine is warm, more clearance should be
allowed. Next, revolve the flywheel one revolution and repeat the
adjustment as given above for number 2 cylinder with 2Xc and the
210 markings. Now there is no other way to set Oil Pull valves.
With a little compression and a good magneto and the valve setting
as prescribed above, these old Rumelys will start 45° below 0 or
105° in the shade.
There is one other thing to remember: never put an impulse on
with less than 35 degree lag angle. Set your mag on the tractor to
click off on DC, and DC only! With a 35 degree impulse you are
ready to go. The old Rumely men know all this, and more besides.
But for you young collectors and boys just attending shows I’ll
be glad to give you all the information you need, Just Write
Me:
I think all us old Rumely collectors and owners of Rumely Oil
Pulls should really congratulate Earl Marhanka of Dowagiac, Mich,
for getting together all the OilPulls and showing them in La-Porte
to all the old Rumely employees last July 4. That is one of the
greatest endeavors a man could take on himself. Also the same goes
for Rumely Bill Krumwiede, Voltaire, North Dakota. Well, I could go
on and on, but I will sign off.