Unknown four cylinder power plant

[John Magarey]

After running an ad for a 4 cylinder Continental engine a farmer brought an unknown 4 cylinder overhead valve engine with a Lucas ? magneto and an aluminium sump. We could see no marking on it except a possible name faintly visible in a cast diamond shaped outline on the front of the engine block. The name "Cromley " or "Romley" seemed a possibility. The engine was said to have been driving an Ingersol Rand compressor. Can any one suggest a way of resolving what the identity of this engine is please? I have attached a picture of the engine, Thanks John M

[B. K. Lahey]

Crosley????

[Elden DuRand]

Originally Posted by B. K. Lahey

Crosley????

MUCH too big for a Crosley. Also, Crosleys were overhead cam.

[Rene Elliott]

The 4 cyl. Continental I'm familiar with ("E" type c. WW1 discontinued by 1923, with 4-1/2" bore) has cylinders cast in pairs. You don't mean "Rumely" do you? We've had Crosleys (my father had 2 and 4 cyl and almost every model body at one time or another), so I agree with the previous post, definetly too old/big for that.

[Bud Tierney]

With a Lucas mag Brit comes to mind...are the nut/bolt sizes US, or maybe Whitworth or metric??
Looking in my only catalog that has much on IR compressors (1930 McCord) no driving engines are shown, but various gaskets are "Imperial" this and that, which I don't see on other engines in a quick riffle thru several other pages...was that a Brit origin reference??
Also listed, separate from compressors, is one Ingersol Rand engine, number of cylinders not given, 51/4 or 51/2 x 5 (oversquare; I looked at catalog, had to leave house, and can't recall exact bore, but noticed it oversquare); can't recall seeing mention of Ingersol Rand engine(s)? before, but have very little on compressors.
Perhaps Listerdiesel will advise if name a Brit builder.

[ListerDiesel]

Crossley (double 'S') made bus chassis and engines in the UK, and the Lucas magneto may be an indicator of a British-built engine.

Threads would be all Whitworth if it is that early an engine.

The only problem is: How did it get where it is now, and exactly what the h*ll is it??

I have a Zenith applications listing that gives:

Crossley Fire Tender Zenith 48VI-2 Carb
Crossley 12hp Zenith 2 X 30VEHG Carbs
Crossley 13hp Zenith 34VIM Carb
Crossley 15.7hp Zenith 36VE Carb

Note that these are 'nominal' hp for taxation and not the actual bhp of the engines.

I'll check the Specialloid and Hepolite catalogues and see what engine data I can find.

The 1952 Hepolite catalogue lists Ingersoll-Rand compressors with Waukesha and Waukesha-Hesselmann engines.

Waukesha made both petrol and the petrol/diesel under Hesselmann patents. The pictured engine looks not to have any diesel system on this side, and it doesn't look like anything I have seen in that line.

A Waukesha petrol engine is a possibility?

Peter







BUD: I'll look out for the 220 Ford engine as well,

Peter

[John Magarey]

Thanks for your help so far, I will check the thread types and see if there are any clues there. The fellow who sold us the motor thought it came off an air compressor but he may have got it wrong. I will try and put up a better picture from the other side, Thanks John Magarey

[Bud Tierney]

Well, whatever it is or what it's from, it does seem to be a tractor/eqpmt/power unit engine, with that straight-up exhaust.
Is that a gear-driven governor of some kind in front of the starter, linked to the carb, or to something on the intake above the carb, with some kind of two-digit number cast in the housing?
There's also a number cast into the flywheel/clutch housing.
The water connection out toward the back of the engine is interesting; if there're no front radiator connections then it might've been cooled by running the engine water thru a coil , in some kind of tank, like some of the old sprayer engines.
From the look of the thing--everything heavy as sin, carb as big as a balloon--I'd guess maybe 20's or early 30's for a US power unit engine, but some of these old beasts had a long production life.
I didn't see it posted on tomm.com/au, but I don't get into it very often; if you haven't already thought of it, you might consider posting the pix there, too, in case it's something more familiar there. Looking forward to more pix!

[John Magarey]

Hi, Thanks for your thoughts re this engine ,I have a few more photos that may help,one with the serial number stampings. Regards John M

[Bud Tierney]

Fascinating engine; couldn't begin to guess what it might be, but i'm not all that familiar with pix of older US engines, leave alone something that might well be Brit or even Au, if there were Au engine builders.
Is that the fan and water pump?? assembly that belongs to it, lying next to it??
Is that the dist or mag, behind the oil filter??
The oil filter is certainly Ag or Industrial, but the serial # stamping doesn't ring any bells at all. Hopefully someone will come up with the answer.

[Billy J Shafer]

I have seen that gearbox end before.Just can't get this old brain to remember where. Maybe Hal-Scott or Waukesha. I will try and find the manual.