1903 6hp Ohio Engine Restoration

I picked up this engine on January 2nd as a birthday gift to myself. The previous owner started the restoration, but a lot of work is still needed. This engine originally ran a generator, that I have, in a cider mill. I have pictures of it in its original location too.



I pulled the piston out because there was no compression. The ring grooves are V shaped from years of wear. I'll take it to the machine shop and have the grooves trued up and new rings installed with spacers.



So in the meantime, I am going to build the skid for it. I started sanding the runners. The right one is done, still have to work on the left one.

 

After sanding the runners nicely, I beat the crap out of them with a hammer, stabbed them with a screwdriver, scratched them, gouged them and burned them. Then I stained them with a dark stain to make them look old. I’m pretty happy with the way they look. Can’t wait to see how they are after the stain flattens out.

 

I always enjoy seeing others with this era of engines. I have none but my dad has about 15 or so hit & miss/throttle in the 4hp and less range. Also about 20 (F,H and I)Briggs & Stratton. A load at one show he attends.

 

Nice looking load of engines. Those ingersoll rand rotary compressor engines are pretty neat!

 

Yes they are, he has the carry cart so one person can move it. The cross bar for when there are 2 of you along with the tank and a few hammers. I don't mean to be picky on words but it's a Radial design not a Rotary for those intrigued by it.

 

Got the deck boards all done. Now I just have to assemble everything.

 

Finally finished the skid. Now the real fun can start! For being a terrible wood worker, I'm really happy with the way this came out.

 

I got the engine and generator bolted up to the skid this afternoon. Really happy with how it is coming together.

 

When I was in S.Korea in 1968 the villages up north by DMZ used hit and miss generators for lights from dusk till curfu at 11 pm,you needed to be back to the compound because things got dark real fast.I remember the lights pulsing and getting dim and then the govener would kick in.....lol

 

Some more progress done to the Ohio. The machine shop called and said the piston was all set. I'll be picking that up this week. I also got it painted, but a little side note when I put it back together. I find it interesting how old hardware has a top and a bottom to it, as seen on the main bearing cap nuts.

Flat side vs the crowned side.




I love the color of it. I do want to get it pinstriped like it would have been originally.

 

Wow, it's looking fantastic.

I love the old hit 'n miss one lungers. My dad has a small 1917 Moline (made by Alamo) 1 1/2 horse motor. It still weighs 80 lbs or so. It's fun to hear it chuffing away.

 

Diggin that generator!!

 

Got the piston back from the machine shop! They squared up the ring grooves and got new rings. There will be two rings per groove now. Before installing, I'll have to check the end gap of each ring in the bore.

 

I've been tinkering with the Ohio on and off. I made up the spark saver insulator out of some teflon on the lathe.



I also checked the ring gaps, adjusted those and installed them on the piston.



I'd love to know what the 26 stamped on the piston is for.



I put the piston in the bore and now it has compression! Just have to hook up my coil and a squirt of gas and see if it pops now!



I also took a 1" x 2.5" reducer coupling and machined out the 2.5" threads and cleaned up the outer edges. It is where I'll fill the cylinder with water. Once the pipe dope cures, I'll put stove polish on the cast fittings. Originally, the engine would have had a large cooling tank and was cooled by thermo siphon or the engine would have been piped directly into building's water system. For how little I'll be running it and how slow I'll have it going, the cylinder will be fine.

 

Major progress today. It runs by squirting gas into the intake!

 

Whoohoo! Awesome work.

 

Neat stuff

 

I finally finished up the fuel pump and some fuel piping, enough to make it run out of a gas can. Now I'll have to fab up a fuel tank! It ran trouble free today for 3.5 hours, so I'm pretty happy!

 

Nice work, looks and sounds good

So... just the water in the jacket tank was enough to keep it at a satisfactory operating temperature for 3 1/2 hours ?