Mystery Engine

[Bill Sherlock]

Trying to ID this engine stored at a friend's place. It stands about 34" tall with 18" flywheels having 2 3/8" face. No identifying marks as to manufacturer. Found a few numbers as follows: C8373 stamped on end of crankshaft, assume it's the serial number. J40RE - cast on brass mixer; J40AV - fuel pump; J40MA - governor weight. it has a 10 5/8" crowned belt pulley with 4 1/8" face with number T160 cast on one of the spokes.

I'm suspecting it may be a 2 1/2 HP "Ideal" engine made by Goold, Shapley & Muir in Brantford, Ont. but info on that company seems to be as scarce as hen's teeth.

Can anyone confirm that this is a Goold, Shapley & Muir engine by the info provided? Anyone have any literature or manual/parts list for same? Any assistance provided will be greatly appreciated by myself as well as the owner of another identical engine whom I'm also corresponding with.

Bill

[Dick Welty]

Bill, If you can post a photo of the sideview on the sparkplug side it would help as there is a photo in the American Gasoline Engines since 1872 book on page 211 that looks similar and is listed as a Goold, Shapley & Muir Ltd engine.

Dick

[Bill Sherlock]

Dick,

Looks like I neglected to get a full view picture of the engine from the spark plug side. Here's one I took a little closer up.

Bill

[Keven Withers]

Look up the Ideal engines from Lansing Mich. they had the round hopper the Goulds had a square hopper otherwise they are the same engine also some of the engines had a ignitor.We have owned 3 Goulds and all had a square hopper with ignitor. keven

looking at the carb i would have to say it is a Goold, Shapley & Muir Ltd engine, i have seen several of then at shows in ontario.

chuck

[Steve Barr]

Below is a 3hp Ideal that sold at an auction in 2003.

[Rudy]

It looks like a Goulds engine but the sparkplug mistifys me.The goulds engines have ignitors on them.The ones that i have, one has a webster mag and round hopper the other has a rotary mag and ignitor and round hopper , and the other is a Cockshutt Plow engine with a low tension mag and ignitor with square hopper. The sparkplug tells me that it could also be a London engine page 286 in the BYB or an Olds gas power engine on page 453 or a Hildreth on page 321 . I have never seen a Goulds Engine with a sparkplug.

[Bryan Brooks]

Not sure if you have id on your engine yet. If not, you may try looking at the Hildreth Manufacturing co. engines. The company later became Novo. The Hildreth engines used a spark plug in the location as shown in your photo and all else is is very close if not exact.

Bryan

[Bill Sherlock]

Bryan,

I haven't ruled out Goold, Shapley & Muir totally yet, but thanks to info received to date it's looking more doubtful. One source mentioned the possibility of a GS&M model C but I haven't found anything to confirm that.

If anyone has info on Hildreth engines such as flywheel measurements, part numbers, serial numbers and a picture or two, sure would be appreciated.

In the meantime I'm waiting for some information on London engines that also look very similar.

Bill