4 hp international famous

chuck foster · Feb 1, 2009

dad and i went to a steam show last fall, it was held at a locale museum. after setting up our stuff we looked around in the various buildings. in the corner of one of the barns we spotted this 4 hp international famous gas engine. i asked the guy running the steam show about this engine and all he knew about it was it was donated years ago and they have never done anything with it.
so i looked the engine over to see what it would need to get it running, after about 5 minutes i determined it needed fuel and a battery and coil for the ignition.
i put some fuel in the overflow part of the carb. and hooked up a battery and coil that i use for my models and in about 5 minutes it was running. it ran very well and now one of the volunteers that works at the museum is going to restore it so it can be run at the 2 shows they have every year.

chuck

ksouers · Feb 1, 2009

Chuck,
That's a nice old hit-n-miss. Glad you got it running.
Funny how things seem to get ignored just because it isn't running, even though all it really needs is just a little attention.

Kevin

Maryak · Feb 1, 2009

Good One Chuck :bow: :bow:

Best Regards
Bob

te_gui · Feb 2, 2009

Nice old screen cooled Famous, I have the 6hp version, when you get them right they are a great running engine. I can slow mine down to about 50 rpm once it gets warm.

Brian

Stan · Feb 2, 2009

I restored a couple of Internationals from the 1940s but that one looks a lot older. Was it made by International, the amalgamation of McCormick and Deering or is it a completely different company? Have you dug up any history on it?

chuck foster · Feb 11, 2009

don't know much about the history of the engine but i would think it was built around 1906 to 1917 era.
this engine was built by the internation harvester company in chicago illinois.
thats about all i know about the engine.
i hope to run it again at the next show.

chuck

Stan · Feb 12, 2009

As a young fellow in the 1940s, I worked with both McCormick, Deering and McCormick-Deering farm machinery as well as International Harvester. Not thinking that the machinery could be approaching fifty years old, I am surprised to see that Wiki says the amalgamation occurred in 1902. Your time estimate is quite likely correct.