This is my 1919 3 horsepower
International Harvester Company Model M engine, after restoration and
painting.
I've still got a few little things to do to it, but it's pretty
much finished. It's a really good runner! I'm going to mount it on a
cart soon, so I can bring it in out of the weather instead of having
to cover it up outside. I'll make some new pictures and put them up
when I do. This is one of my favorite engines, and the second one in
my collection. I bought it in 1974, running but in sad shape. I've
neglected it for quite a few years, having moved away leaving it
stored (outside) at my parents' house with my attention focused on
other priorities of life. I've just finally gotten around to it. This
engine starts on gasoline poured in the "mixer" or carburetor, then
switches to kerosene after it's warmed up a little. Since these
pictures were made, I have restored the water line from the cooling
water hopper to the left jet on the mixer. The purpose of feeding
water into the engine is to keep it from knocking (detonating) under
load when it's hot and running on kerosene. Kerosene has a very low
octane number, only in the range of 15-25! It was a cheap and
universally available fuel when this engine was built, unlike
gasoline. Engines like this were used to power all sorts of equipment
around the farm. Things like saws, pumps, feed grinders, silage
cutters, corn shellers, cream separators, concrete mixers,
generators, small grist mills...
