I always wondered about them. I have seen them around here on farms used on hay balers mostly. The 2 cylinder version. How tough and reliable are they?
Wisconsin air-cooled engines
- Thread starter Blaze
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Is Wisconsin the brand name you're talking about? I'm not aware of a brand name "Wisconsin". We've built many a Tecumseh and Briggs, though.
You must be joking, Wisconsin engines are famous! The very best in reliability and durability. I had a 1-cyl 600 cc to play with as a teenager, off a cement mixer. It had massive tapered roller bearings for mains and an oil pump that filled a trough in the center for the con rod splash tab to hit. A Fairbanks Morse magneto, updraft carb with oil bath air filter.
They're tanks from what I hear.
[censored] good engine,but just like with some other things today...another thing of the past.
JTK
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Yep, I've only seen a few Wisconsin OPE engines myself. 8-10hp maybe, but they produced a bunch of different configurations. The cast iron beasts have been gone since the early 70's I believe.
They also produced marine and military multi-cylinder engines.
I think it went Wisconsin-Subaru, now all Subaru.
Joel
They also produced marine and military multi-cylinder engines.
I think it went Wisconsin-Subaru, now all Subaru.
Joel
LOL, first I've heard of 'em! Worst part is I'm a lifetime Wisconsinite.
They must be very low production/specialized engines. Either that or they need to fire their marketing staff, LOL!
They must be very low production/specialized engines. Either that or they need to fire their marketing staff, LOL!
we had a lot of them around here in the late 70`s to mid 80`s. their was one on my father in law`s home generator.
wisconsin built a lot of dual shaft engines (both sides allowed PTO)and were iron or iron sleeved....look at old Bolens equipment.
I see them alot on mainly New Holland hay balers... just saw one a few days ago that what got me thinking about them. I think Freeman balers used them too.
Wonder where their current product is made?
Other than the typicl B&S, Tecumseh engines, Wisconsin and Onin were the better engines that I knew when I was growing up.
I remember an elderly gentleman near by where I grew up and he always had a Gravely with an Onin engine in it IIRC!
I remember an elderly gentleman near by where I grew up and he always had a Gravely with an Onin engine in it IIRC!
Can't beat the sound of the Onan twins when they get loaded down.
We had a Wisconsin V4 on a 1950 Case pull type combine and one on a 1952 New Holland baler. The baler had a couple thousand hours and not a problem at all with the motor. I run 20W20 oil in it the full time we owned it.
In the 50's and 60's we sold a lot of Case elevators that had single cylinder Wisconsin's on them and seem to run with out problems even though some of them were neglected................
In the 50's and 60's we sold a lot of Case elevators that had single cylinder Wisconsin's on them and seem to run with out problems even though some of them were neglected................
I remember the Wisconsin "Robin" engines...you could push one into the Grand Canyon and it would still be running when you found it at the bottom.
I hope its Subaru namesake in my new generator will be as good.
I hope its Subaru namesake in my new generator will be as good.
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
I remember the Wisconsin "Robin" engines...you could push one into the Grand Canyon and it would still be running when you found it at the bottom.
I hope its Subaru namesake in my new generator will be as good.
Dang,that`s some motor then!
I remember the Wisconsin "Robin" engines...you could push one into the Grand Canyon and it would still be running when you found it at the bottom.
I hope its Subaru namesake in my new generator will be as good.
Dang,that`s some motor then!
Granted, I am pretty young (32), but Wisconsin air cooled engines were very popular growing up. Most were on farm equipment and industrial equipment.
Tough as nails is not a proper description, if you killed one, you did something seriously wrong. They would run forever with minimal care, as long as you kept the oil full. Not high in HP, but lots of torque. I have worked on a few singles (AEN, AENL) and mostly the Twins (TF, THD) and v-4 engines (VP4, VH4D).
Prior to WWII, Wisconsin made liquid cooled engines for trucks and automobiles. Lombardi trucks used Wisconsin inline six cylinder engines. The most famous the racing engines in the early Stutz Bearcat, it had a Wisconsin T head four cylinder in it. During WWII, Wisconsin motors decided to start making engines for the booming agricultural market and created their first air cooled engines. They were popular through the 1980's, when diesel power started becoming more economical.
Below are some vids of my TF on a home built tractor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WbQIt5PRMQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3TWIKaydS4
Tough as nails is not a proper description, if you killed one, you did something seriously wrong. They would run forever with minimal care, as long as you kept the oil full. Not high in HP, but lots of torque. I have worked on a few singles (AEN, AENL) and mostly the Twins (TF, THD) and v-4 engines (VP4, VH4D).
Prior to WWII, Wisconsin made liquid cooled engines for trucks and automobiles. Lombardi trucks used Wisconsin inline six cylinder engines. The most famous the racing engines in the early Stutz Bearcat, it had a Wisconsin T head four cylinder in it. During WWII, Wisconsin motors decided to start making engines for the booming agricultural market and created their first air cooled engines. They were popular through the 1980's, when diesel power started becoming more economical.
Below are some vids of my TF on a home built tractor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WbQIt5PRMQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3TWIKaydS4
Great info here thanks!
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