Unidentified oil field engine!

[Simple_serf]

hello all,
I posted several pictures up of an unknown engine that afriend told me about in the woods. I was just wondering if I could get some help in figuring out what, exactly it is.

The address is
http://www.geocities.com/simpleserf/oilengine

Thanks!!

The simple serf

[Doug Waggonner]

The link says its unavailable. Can you upload the picture to your post?

[Zach Williams]

Maybe a ball halfbreed? Or maybe a Lilly or Bovarid. Its hard to tell since there aren't any good picture of the valve.

Looks like all the major stuff is there to me. Oilers and hot tubes are easy to get.

just a guess

[Zach Williams]

I also noticed what looked like a stand underneath the cylinder for support. I know the bovarid's had them, as well as a round valve.

[Simple_serf]

It has a round valve as well as a stand under the cylinder. The thing that gets me is that there is only one flywheel, and it really looks as though the other has been salvaged for use on another engine. I have other pics, but It takes forever to upload them

The Simple serf

[Doug Waggonner]

I was finally able to see the pictures. That is a half breed engine for sure! The base or "steam bed" is a Oil City Boiler Works. As for the gas cylinder I have no idea. Since its a 2 cycle engine there aren't a lot of parts like you see on 4 cycle engines. As long at the head, cylinder, and piston are there, about all you would need would be a hot tube and chimney. And plumb in some propane and you're ready for business! But its NEVER that easy, or is it? Doug

[Zach Williams]

A lot of halfbreeds only had 1 flywheel.

[John Hammink]

Here a picture of an OCBW bed, I took it once years ago when visited the Smoky Mountains.

[Simple_serf]

hmmm...I am trying to see if I have any better pics of the flywheel. It is between the clutch and the engine, But it really does look like it is a gas engine flyweel.... darn...makes things more confusing. Also, It seems as though someone took the flyweel off the other side....I guess you can see it better in some of the pics I don't have up....

Thanks,

The simple serf

[bimjy]

I think I agree that the bed may be Oil City and I can't help but think that the cylinder reminds me a lot of my A C Thomas. Maybe a later model?

[Simple_serf]

I looked in the April GEM and there is a pic of a 40 HP Bovarid and seyfang. the cylinder looks very similar in that picture as the engine that I found... Still son't know baut the single flywheel though.

The Simple Serf

[bimjy]

My Oil City halfbreed has a single flywheel on one side and a belt pulley with Clutch on the other side!

[Chris Austin]

It looks to me from the head and exhaust flrnge design like a Bovaird & Seyfang, from Bradford,Pa.

[phiftybuick]

It looks like a Filer-Stowell....lemme see if I can find a link to some pictures.

[Chris Austin]

Does it have a small support casting under the cylinder? If so I am pretty dure it Is a B&S. They sold halfbreed engines from the factory,and the did have the support bracket under the cylinder. Look in the big yellow book,or the Bores and Strokes from Coolspring Power Museum. And being close to Bradford,Pa I would bet money it is a B&S.

["TheToolman"]

we ran an old power in bradford Pa.. ( gifford) It had an engine in the power that looked just like that one. every one called it the half breed. the power House was on a south penn lease. then was just pennzoil. That engine was a pain in the butt. It always cut off & was really hard to start. But it had a verry distinctive sound.

[sbeates]

From my research, the steam engine manufacturers which had decorative crosshead guides, straight spokes on the flywheel AND the shape of the body toward cylinder end as shown in your photos are: Bovaird (later Bovaird & Seyfang) of Bradford; Titusville Iron Works (Acme engine); and Struthers Wells (Warren). The Oil City Boiler Works engines I've seen have their name embossed on the body. As to the gas cylinder - beats me. It doesn't look like the Bessemers in Drake Well Museum's collection and there were soooo many companies that made gas cylinders for coverting steam engines! Maybe you could narrow the possibilities by the researching the history of lease?
Good luck!
Sue