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Mystery early engine and chassis


nzcarnerd

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I took these photo about 30 years ago and even though I have not had contact with the owner for several years I presume he still has it.

 

It looks to be an early American car chassis/engine unit, with space to the side for a planetary transmission. 

 

Due to it having an inspection plate I was able to measure the bore and stroke which are 5" by 6" - it works out to 118 cid - just less than 2 litres.

 

I did some research at the time and found it is not one of the more well known makes. They all have 'odd' valve gear whereas this one has very conventional side valves.

 

The only possible clue was that the oilers are Lankenspergers (spelling??)  but they may have been used on several makes.

 

At the time I took these the owner's son was living in the US and had made some enquiries but drew a blank.

 

From looking through The Standard Catalog back then - my 1982 copy which I still have and refer  to often - it appears there were not that many makes that used horizontal engines. Many used the de Dion system of a vertical engine.

 

 

photo scans 051017 d (1024x669) (2).jpg

photo scans 051017 d (1024x684) (2).jpg

photo scans 051017 e (1024x976) (2).jpg

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It does look like a stationary hit & miss engine.  The flywheel looks massive; too much so for an intended automotive application.  The 'chassis' appears to be pretty rude & crude angle iron construction.  I would expect something a little more elegant if it were intended to be a commercial automotive  product.

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Looks like around a circa 1906 automobile engine with later mechanical inlet valve rather than a atmospheric intake valve as on pre- 1905 engines. Actually pre-06 cars generally had horizontal engines rather than vertical engines like de Dion bouton powered cars. Neat piece in an early but non original frame. Thanks George Albright. Gnalbright@gmail.com 

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Massive flywheel and crude angle iron frame do not exclude it from being an automobile.  In this case it's not the Ford that I've posted here to make the point.  The engine being offset like that lends credence to it once having had a transmission mounted off to the other side with a chain drive sprocket in the middle. 

WP_20150625_006.jpg

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9 hours ago, W_Higgins said:

Massive flywheel and crude angle iron frame do not exclude it from being an automobile.  In this case it's not the Ford that I've posted here to make the point.  The engine being offset like that lends credence to it once having had a transmission mounted off to the other side with a chain drive sprocket in the middle. 

WP_20150625_006.jpg

 

Yes re the offset, that was my thought.

 

I guess the Ford cranks from the other side like my mystery engine?

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Looks very similar to a one cylinder Reo engine (1906-1910) except that the main casting is lighter and the flywheel is on the wrong side. I know that Olds made engines that were used in industry other than those used in the cars.

 

Frank

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Here is an image of a similar engine from a 1905 Gale Automobile made by Western Tool Works of Galesburg, Ill., USA from 1904 until approx. 1910. Quite a few manufacturers supplied engines to early Automobile manufacturers, which in many early examples didnt make the individual components necessary to build a complete machine and simply assembled their finished product from various parts (engines, transmissions, front and rear axles- even bodies) supplied by other shops.

  Whatever machine-shop jobber supplied your engine to its ultimate (automobile) destination probably had a hand in building the ones that Western Tool Works bought as well.

 

The oilers appear to be Lunkenheimers. They did beaucoup business as a top-quality supplier of oilers and carburettors to the late 19th and early 20th century industrial boom.

 

871037.jpg

 

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871012.jpg

Edited by dustycrusty (see edit history)
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3 hours ago, nzcarnerd said:

 

Yes re the offset, that was my thought.

 

I guess the Ford cranks from the other side like my mystery engine?

 

It looks like you got positive identification above, but yes, it cranks from the proper right side.  In the case of the Ford here is what the transmission assembly looks like without the tanks in the way.  It's a pretty conventional configuration for 1-and-2 cyl. engines such as this.

P1070126.JPG

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Many of the Buick vehicles from 1903-1910 were two cylinder opposed engines.  Think Buick Model F & G and 2-A truck.  The flywheel on those engines probably weigh +- 100 pounds.  As for "wrong side crank" remember that pre +- 1913 cars in the US were many times right hand drive.  Here is a Buick Model F engine in the chassis.

20171106_142059.jpg

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