I picked up this little low mileage creampuff yesterday! It's a 1925 Faibanks Morse that does not currently run but is mostly complete. That brass/glass oiler on top lubricates the piston and I guess would take a 90wt gear oil. What do y'all thain?
3HP Flywheeler
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what a great find! when you get it running post a video of it!
wont those engines run on most anything?
wont those engines run on most anything?
I wouldn't think you'd use a gear oil in that piston oiler. Gear oil doesn't do so well in 'combustion' application. I'd use a non detergent 30, 40, or 50wt if you could find it. If it was a fresh rebuilt job, a regular 15w-40. I love watching/listening to those old buggers run. I could spend days walking around old engine/equipment shows.
Joel
Joel
Originally Posted By: JTK
I wouldn't think you'd use a gear oil in that piston oiler. Gear oil doesn't do so well in 'combustion' application. I'd use a non detergent 30, 40, or 50wt if you could find it. If it was a fresh rebuilt job, a regular 15w-40. I love watching/listening to those old buggers run. I could spend days walking around old engine/equipment shows.
Joel
+1 on all that. I'd say non-detergent engine oil in a heavy single grade. There are a lot of antique engine forums where you could probably get a lot of advice.
Last weekend was the Burton Cotton Gin Museum festival in Burton, TX. There was a small array of similar "hit and miss" engines running on display- very cool. Of course the big draw was the fact that they fired up the gin itself process a bale of cotton, using the 16 ton, 125 HP @250RPM 1925 Bessemer shown in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSEuJ4EVwHs
The video appears to be at no-load, its a lot more impressive when its actually turning the gin equipment. That engine has an oiler with an escapement drive that periodically pumps drips oil to all the external bearings. I'm not sure how its internally oiled (crank and rod bearings, cylinder walls), to be honest. The crankcase isn't tightly sealed, but it has cover panels over everything. It may actually be pressure-oiled for all I know. The fuel injection system would make Rube Goldberg smile, and there's a water pump and cooling tower outside to for cooling the engine. There's even combustion chamber water injection to regulate combustion temperature! When I was there, one cylinder was "hitting harder" than the other, so they had its water injector dialed up higher to balance the power and cylinder temperatures better.
And speaking of antique Fairbanks-Morse engines...here's one just a little bigger than your 3-horse...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY7hTT-Zk5M
I wouldn't think you'd use a gear oil in that piston oiler. Gear oil doesn't do so well in 'combustion' application. I'd use a non detergent 30, 40, or 50wt if you could find it. If it was a fresh rebuilt job, a regular 15w-40. I love watching/listening to those old buggers run. I could spend days walking around old engine/equipment shows.
Joel
+1 on all that. I'd say non-detergent engine oil in a heavy single grade. There are a lot of antique engine forums where you could probably get a lot of advice.
Last weekend was the Burton Cotton Gin Museum festival in Burton, TX. There was a small array of similar "hit and miss" engines running on display- very cool. Of course the big draw was the fact that they fired up the gin itself process a bale of cotton, using the 16 ton, 125 HP @250RPM 1925 Bessemer shown in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSEuJ4EVwHs
The video appears to be at no-load, its a lot more impressive when its actually turning the gin equipment. That engine has an oiler with an escapement drive that periodically pumps drips oil to all the external bearings. I'm not sure how its internally oiled (crank and rod bearings, cylinder walls), to be honest. The crankcase isn't tightly sealed, but it has cover panels over everything. It may actually be pressure-oiled for all I know. The fuel injection system would make Rube Goldberg smile, and there's a water pump and cooling tower outside to for cooling the engine. There's even combustion chamber water injection to regulate combustion temperature! When I was there, one cylinder was "hitting harder" than the other, so they had its water injector dialed up higher to balance the power and cylinder temperatures better.
And speaking of antique Fairbanks-Morse engines...here's one just a little bigger than your 3-horse...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY7hTT-Zk5M
Cool videos. I just discovered smokstak.com and the guys over there are great at answering questions and helping a new guy out.
I've got a lot to learn about this thing before I try to start it. I love this old iron and it kind of mesmerizes me when I see one running.
You guys are correct, 90wt is too thick and the old timers say a 30 or 40 wt would be fine.
I've got a lot to learn about this thing before I try to start it. I love this old iron and it kind of mesmerizes me when I see one running.
You guys are correct, 90wt is too thick and the old timers say a 30 or 40 wt would be fine.
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Thats a hit,and miss motor right??
We just poured some clean motor oil in it. Don't know why, when we had gallons of used oil from the trucks.
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Thats a hit,and miss motor right??
I am learning as I go. Apparently there were two versions of these engines:
1- A governed model that fired like a normal 4-stroke.
2- An economy model that only fired when the flywheels slowed...a hit-n-miss.
I believe mine is the governed type but feel free to correct me because this is all brand new to me.
PS- This engine produced it's rated HP at 475 RPM!
Thats a hit,and miss motor right??
I am learning as I go. Apparently there were two versions of these engines:
1- A governed model that fired like a normal 4-stroke.
2- An economy model that only fired when the flywheels slowed...a hit-n-miss.
I believe mine is the governed type but feel free to correct me because this is all brand new to me.
PS- This engine produced it's rated HP at 475 RPM!
Originally Posted By: bigdreama
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Thats a hit,and miss motor right??
I am learning as I go. Apparently there were two versions of these engines:
1- A governed model that fired like a normal 4-stroke.
2- An economy model that only fired when the flywheels slowed...a hit-n-miss.
I believe mine is the governed type but feel free to correct me because this is all brand new to me.
PS- This engine produced it's rated HP at 475 RPM!
I wish I was more experienced with that type of engine,to be able to tell you.I only know what I do from going to those old farm shows with my grandfather as a young boy.
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Thats a hit,and miss motor right??
I am learning as I go. Apparently there were two versions of these engines:
1- A governed model that fired like a normal 4-stroke.
2- An economy model that only fired when the flywheels slowed...a hit-n-miss.
I believe mine is the governed type but feel free to correct me because this is all brand new to me.
PS- This engine produced it's rated HP at 475 RPM!
I wish I was more experienced with that type of engine,to be able to tell you.I only know what I do from going to those old farm shows with my grandfather as a young boy.
Great find, I'd like to tinker with one of those.
90 gear oil is the same thickness as 40 motor just so you know. I'd use motor oil.
90 gear oil is the same thickness as 40 motor just so you know. I'd use motor oil.
I've got a 1917 1 1/2 horse Fairbanks Morse, which is hit and miss. Yours is throttle governed.
I settled on SB rated non detergent SAE 30. Napa carries this in both the Valvoline brand and their own house brand.
You'll also want to pick up a good tacky grease for the grease cups. I went with this, as it's recommended for low speed plain bearings. Any non moly chassis grease is probably fine.
https://www.cbest.chevron.com/generated/MSDS/PDS7668290.PDF
You can get an owner's manual, parts, and help here:
http://www.hitnmiss.com/
Ed
I settled on SB rated non detergent SAE 30. Napa carries this in both the Valvoline brand and their own house brand.
You'll also want to pick up a good tacky grease for the grease cups. I went with this, as it's recommended for low speed plain bearings. Any non moly chassis grease is probably fine.
https://www.cbest.chevron.com/generated/MSDS/PDS7668290.PDF
You can get an owner's manual, parts, and help here:
http://www.hitnmiss.com/
Ed
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