No Super Sucker needed

I've started disassembling the Universal Flexifour I won on ebay today. Due to a Flexifour brochure I also won on ebay, I was able to confirm a interesting "T" handle on the engine. It's a built in oil sump pump!! Nice feature back in 1927 but, you didn't get much life out of the oil back then so frequent oil changes were needed.



Notice the small vertical wire on the pumps left. The flag is broken off but that's the oil level indicator. The sheet metal piece behind the wire is a graduated scale. There's a float on the bottom of the wire.

Well, I've got to get the block and head checked for cracks. The # 3 cylinder and the same head chamber are pretty rusty. The rest of the engine looks to be very low hour. Looking at the cylinder walls, there's hardly any ring ridge plus the cam shows absolutely no wear!! (ZDDP back then? you bet zinc goes way back!!!) I suspect water in the # 3 was the reason this engine was pulled. I can't see any obvious signs of a blown head gasket but hope I'm wrong. Sure would be nice for it to turn out to be just the gasket and not a crack!!

Keegan,
It's about a 1918 18' launch. The exact year isn't known but I have some pictures of the boat in 1919-20 plus know the history. The manufacturer is also unknown but I hope I'll find a indication when I start it's restoration. Cool Nav. lights on it - kerosene as the boat didn't have electric. Magneto and hand crank. Also a search light that originally was carbide - like the old miners hat/lamp. It's in pretty bad shape due to age. The brass is very brittle and cracked. I'm going to have to turn new wood plugs for new brass housing pieces to be spun.
There's a full size picture of the engine in this thread

Pete, good chance that motor don't know what zinc is,depending when it was used last,I found this doing a google search

ZDP was first added to engine oil to control copper/lead bearing corrosion. Oils with a phosphorus level in the 0.03% range passed a corrosion test introduced in 1942.

In the mid-1950s, when the use of high-lift camshafts increased the potential for scuffing and wear, the phosphorus level contributed by ZDP was increased to the 0.08% range.

In addition, the industry developed a battery of oil tests (called sequences), two of which were valve-train scuffing and wear tests.

A higher level of ZDP was good for flat-tappet valve-train scuffing and wear, but it turned out that more was not better. Although break-in scuffing was reduced by using more phosphorus, longer-term wear increased when phosphorus rose above 0.14%. And, at about 0.20% phosphorus, the ZDP started attacking the grain boundaries in the iron, resulting in camshaft spalling.

By the 1970s, increased antioxidancy was needed to protect the oil in high-load engines, which otherwise could thicken to a point where the engine could no longer pump it. Because ZDP was an inexpensive and effective antioxidant, it was used to place the phosphorus level in the 0.10% range.

However, phosphorus is a poison for exhaust catalysts. So, ZDP levels have been reduced over the last 10-15 years. It's now down to a maximum of 0.08% for Starburst oils. This was supported by the introduction of modern ashless antioxidants that contain no phosphorus.

Much like our IH Cub engines,low spring pressure,low compression and low rpm's make them run on just about anything forever. I gas up the one on the right once a year to plow snow,never draining it or running the carb dry.These are 60 cubic inch and 13 horses at the draw bar @ 1600 to 1800 rpm depending on what year.What spec's does yours have?

Gary,
It takes 7/8" threaded spark plugs. I understand that lots of old tractors used them.

Reid,
Did you happen to notice the color of the engine paint???!!!

Amazing, 20hp in 4 cylinders and 86 Cubes...I've got more than that in my single cylinder lawn tractor!

Make sure you keep us updated on this Pete, I certain it will be interesting along the rebuild. Are you starting the hull any time soon or it that for the golden years.

8122pbrainard wrote: Gary, It takes 7/8" threaded spark plugs. I understand that lots of old tractors used them.

Our cubs use the same plugs Pete. We used to get them at Farm & Fleet,but not sure now,there is very little of "farm or fleet" left there. We use Champion D16's for normal use,D21's are used by some but it is a hotter plug. Napa will be your best bet,as you know. Are the pistons cast iron too? It always seems funny to find them now days.

81nautique wrote: Amazing, 20hp in 4 cylinders and 86 Cubes...I've got more than that in my single cylinder lawn tractor!

Yes but with the 4" stroke, the torque has got to be pretty high! If I remember correctly, the prop that came on the launch is a 16" dia.!

just last week, i was replacing a pair of cams on a VTEC, what a set-up that is...anyways he had a MSD box on this thing and i had my left hand on the dizzy trying to get it close to time. i set my right hand on the valve cover and it threw me back about 5 feet. the only reason im bringing this up is because im sitting here with a small hole in my left hand and a burn mark...it went right thru my heart. fck that hurt. that thing throws lightning bolts for spark

I'm at work today waiting for Com Ed to do a power shut down for maintenance so I've been scouting out the maintenance supply room. I found a case of both Magnaflux "spotcheck" red and "developer" white. I don't ever recall seeing it being used here and wonder if anyone has. No real instructions on the can but am assuming both are used. Which one do you spray on first? Red or white? I figure I can do some preliminary crack checking on the Flexifour block and head. How clean does it have to be?

BTW, this Com Ed thing has become a real joke! The outage was scheduled for last Tuesday because they woudn't do it on a weekend. We had everyone stay home loosing a days production but they never did the maintenance. (broken cross arm on a pole) Well, it turned out that one of their fresh out of school EE's who surveyed the scope of work didn't notice one of the main disconnects on the pole was on the wrong side meaning they would need to shut down the power to a residential high rise behide us. I guess they don't care about shutting down our power but do care about the high rise!! Now because I wouldn't go for another work day shut down, it's back to a weekend!! Plus, due to the switch on the wrong side they have to do it hot because of the high rise and a special crew to do it hot. At least it's only a 7.2KV line!!

Pete I just googled magnaflux spotcheck and found all the info you should need.

8122pbrainard wrote: I guess they don't care about shutting down our power but do care about the high rise!!

They will get more complaints at the call center Pete

The thing that gets me is the higher ups will sit there with a straight face and tell you in the crew meetings that customer service is imporant. To them it is if your not waisting any time doing it! We are supposed to go to 1 hour lunches in March.Their reasoning is then we'll be there till 5 when they stop taking uverse repairs for the same day ??? Well anyway good luck Pete,I don't know anyone there and their even more independent than our place.

Eric,

Pete has a standby at the cabin,where power delivery is unreliable. He is talking about the plant where he works

better get the Amish crew to run faster on the belt

Great pics. This thread is an engine history lesson for us young bucks. Great stuff Pete- Thanks!