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THE WORLD OF


OLDENGIN's

Leroy Clarkhome made side shaft

P.O. Box 404

WHARTON, OH 43359

PHONE: 419/458-5412

    "It is only within the past few years that the economy, efficiency, and numerous other advantages of the internal combustion motor, or gasolene engine, have come to be understood and appreciated." A quote from Catalogue No. 11 of the Root & Van Dervoort Engineering Co.

    We have been collecting old engins for over 18 years now and really enjoy going to the 7 or so shows that we do each and every year, including Portland, Northwest Ohio, SCRAP, and NAMES. Just a few of the better ones "WE" like and enjoy.

    We started collecting the Briggs and Stratton line in which we had many different models, like A, B, H, M, N, P, Q, Y, Z, FH, FI, L1, ZZ, WM, WI, WMB and more. At one time over 150 of these types were in the garage in different states of being. We also have had many other types of air cooled engins, such as Lawson, General Engine, Jacobsen, Pioneer, Reo, Pincor, Cunningham, Ohlsson & Rice, Maytag, Power Products, and others.

    At this time we are also making small hit-n-miss engins out of old missing parts engins and air compressors. We now have built 34 of them complete, and are working on about 3 more, different types like another steam engin (the LUCY), which this one was donated and sold at the Portland ATIS charity auction, this LUCY will be the one we will keep and put up on the shelf it now sits next to an engin we call Dizzy Desi. The little Flame Licker model,  (we have built 2 different models now both from the Hoggers Roost), is done and setting on the shelf also. We are now working on a compressor type, (inverted and small) a gearless engin (this one is a toughy), another small hit-n-miss type, and we have enough blocks to build about 18 more of the cut away Striggs & Bratton engins We have a few model engin, casting kits here also but am in no hurry to get any of them done. You  too can build an engin out of anything if you have the right tools, the most important being a hacksaw!!!  If it looks important than cut it off and start over.

    Last year at the shows with the engins, it was noticed that our trailer was starting to look real bad, so we decided to redeck the trailer, the lumber has been cut and planed along with sealed. We now need to remove the engins and pull all the old deck off of it and install the new decking. We are also deciding which engins to load to show and where to mount them onto the trailer. This project will now be on hold until a later time.

    As of now we collect the flywheel type engins and found that this is our true liking of the old steel. Some engins have come and gone, but others have come and have no plans to go. We usually take about 6 engins with us to most shows we do, around 7 per year, along with maybe a model or two.

    A new engin has just come this way. It is a 5 hp. Jacobson, our first side shaft engin, found in Ohio.  This engin, according to  "Don Worley" collector of the Jacobson engins, was probably built in Titusville Pa.  She has no tag, or rivet holes of a tag, and there is no find of the serial number stamped into the flywheel hub or the end of the crankshaft.  We have run this engin already and it runs ok, we have gotten some parts and some paper on it from Don as he has this stuff and is real reasonable on his prices.  The Jacobson is very heavy and looks to very well built.  It came out of a barn where it has sat for the last 10-15 years and had never been shown.

    The Root & Van Dervoort, is a little 1 hp size, found just down the road from us, and is a good runner as it is mounted onto the trailer and goes to most of the shows we attend.  In Portland, a few years ago, we found another serial number place on these engins.  If you have an "R&V"  but do not have its serial number, then contact us and we will help you locate it.  We now also have a 4 hp model, found in Minnesota, of the Root & Van Dervoort, it is not restored but does run fine as it has all new bushings.  Our newest Root & VanDervoort  is a 2 hp model, found in Michigan, and it is plug fired, looks to have come from the factory this way.  It is a later model with an "RS" type serial number, and  has run already.  Some information is here along with an engin registry as a "Peter Lowe" is keeping a record of them.

    The Challenge (3 hp) engin is a throttle governor type, found in Iowa, and looks just like the hit-n-miss Challenge model (3 hp), from southern Ohio, we have.  We do hope to have them looking the same some day.  Also a 11/2 hp model is now here, from out of Maine, it has solid flywheels is fired by a Wico Ek mag and runs very well.  We also have a 2 hp. model, also brought in from Maine, it is hit-n-miss type and in need of much TLC and of some parts but has been retagged and sold by another company. If you might have any extra parts that will fit a 2 hp then please let me know.  A fair amount of information is here on this engin line.

    A 3 Mule team, built by Associated, is an engin that we have been restoring and want to paint and mount onto a transport.  We have some nice white oak for the skid and have the transporter for it. We have been experimenting with using Icing and plan to try a HVLP paint gun for the finish.  This engin came out of Missouri.

    Another engin to come here is called a Leader, made in Elmira, New York. This engin is a 5 hp and is in very rough shape, it came here out of Montana.  This is the back view, the front, the off side, and the mag side. As of this time it is in need of much work. You can see some of the work done on it if you like, just follow this link.

    The new skid, made out of Ash, for the Titan 1 hp is under her along with a new fuel tank and she goes to most all the shows we do. She came out of Kansas from a close friend, and we never plan to get rid of her!

    We have been thinking of mounting an engin to a White Mountain 1 or 11/2 gallon ice cream freezer.  Getting the freezer geared down slow enough has been a great challange.  This would be for our own use and just for fun.  We have owned many a Maytags and am now down to just a few of them.  One of them was Jenny's grandfathers engin and will always have a home here.

    Some of our latest finds have led us into the Delco light plants, found in Michigan. These units where built in Dayton, Ohio and we now have two of them.  One runs very sweet and the other is just parts and is stuck ;-).  We are unsure just what to do with these units as they have not taken a liking in our hearts just yet.

    We have counted and come to a close guess that we have unstuck around 22  pistons from out of engins.  Of these 22 we have only broken one piston, but we managed to save it, fix it and reuse it.  If you have an engin that is stuck and would like some advise on getting it out please feel free to ask and we will tell you what all we have tried and what has worked for us.

    Ok if you are like me and do not have an enclosed trailer to haul your engins to show then this might be what you want to consider, or to cover them up in the off show season to keep the dirt and dust off them this is the answer. A company in Bradnor Ohio, Tri-County Tarp, is now building engin covers. These can be made in several different colors (14) and can be custom fit to go over any size engin, they have brass goumlets along the bottom and can even have them installed part way up the sides if needed. These covers are all double hemmed and have reinforced corners and are made to fit your engin order. I now have a few and will be getting more to cover all my engins as soon as possible, these covers are not expensive, are very durable and look great!

    For some time now we have been supplying our fellow engin collectors with spark plugs when needed. We have only a few of the different makes and use them in the engins we own and run. We have and only  use the Autolite line, like 3095's, 3076's, & 456's. We also have a 10 mm and 18 mm spark plug for small engins. If you need or want more information about plugs please leave me an E-mail.

Here are some of the engins that have a home at our place at this moment, more pictures are to come.

 Visits after 11/01/03.