# "Mystery Engine Breathes Flames"



## ghart3 (Feb 8, 2011)

Built from plans in 1950 Popular Science magazine.  Castings from estate sale.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uguHiWxF9M[/ame]


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## 4156df (Feb 9, 2011)

Gary,

Beautiful job, and a great runner!! 

I find myself wanting to know more of the story on how you got to this point. Particularly on finding the castings...Were they loose in a box and you recognized them as being from the PopSci plans? Were they partially started? Factory made or builder made?? 

Dennis


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## ghart3 (Feb 9, 2011)

Dennis, many years ago I had found a cast iron cylinder in a junk box at a friends. When asked the friend what it was for, he didn't know but said I could have it.  I took it but wasn't sure what it was.  Last year I bought at a estate sale another cylinder just like the earlier one, only this time there was an aluminum base and a flywheel. 

Last year,Chuck Fellows showed his.
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=11427.msg125129#msg125129
 I asked and Chuck told about the magazine article.  Luckily had the magazine with the article.
Built it last November but it would only run if used a propane torch.  Replaced cast iron piston had made with a graphite one, that helped a little. Changed slide valve to Duclos design, that helped a little.  Changed the flywheel/cam from a one piece to two pieces so could change the valve timing. That didn't seem to make any difference as the original cam setting seems to work best.  It had an aluminum flywheel and changed that to heavy brass flywheel. Wow, that is what the engine wanted.       Gary


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## cfellows (Feb 9, 2011)

Great story, Gary. Also a great runner! As an aside, I sold that engine on Ebay a few weeks ago for almost $350. Think I paid $40 for the castings several years ago. I'm not really in it for the money, but it does help fund other projects. Perhaps, most important, it makes room to display future finished projects.

Chuck


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## dparker (Feb 9, 2011)

Gary: I have built this engine also and it is a good runner. I bought the castings out of Popular Science magazine in the early 60's but did not have large enough tooling until the early 70's. Mine does not look as fancy as yours and the base is cast iron but my son had fun running it.
I use lamp grade kerosene as the fuel but it smokes up the shop up a bit so I do not run it very long, but it seems as though the warmer the cylinder gets the faster it runs. I fabricated a "hood" to go over the valve opening to guide the flame when there is a breeze and that also seemed to help.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSaT_lAJ46k[/ame]
You did a good job, congratulations!
don


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## ghart3 (Feb 9, 2011)

Don, thanks for showing your engine.  I like the "hood" for protecting the flame from draft.  Plan on copying your design.  I've been using alcohol, Heet Gasoline Antifreeze. Can buy it at auto parts store for under $2 and it burns clean and don't seem to deposit any soot inside cylinder. Don, yours looks just as good as mine, only thing is just finished mine and it is still all shiny.     Gary


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