4 cyl. flathead Arc welder worth $50?

[bigtime400]

I found an OLD Arc welder. the thing is huge. Has a 4 cylinder engine and a huge cast iron generator on it. It is partially in pieces and has the old copper GE tag and the Model and sieral numbers on a copper plate. It has the old open throw switch with the copper contacts in the open. probably very dangerous but cool looking. The lady is selling it for $50..... The problem is... how am I going to move this thing? it doesnt have wheels or antyhing.

Can anyone tell me the value if it would be worth my trouble and also anything about the old GE arc welders?

[Isaac-1]

Assuming it is skid mounted and you have a trailer moving it should not be too hard. You will need a couple of timbers (cheap landscaping timbers will do if you pick ones that are not split) a few sections of iron pipe (2 inch or so in diameter a bit wider than the skid) some form of winch or cable puller or two and probably a bottle jack, a length of heavy tie down strap or chain. Back the trailer up to welder, jack the front of welder up with the bottle jack, lay the timbers under the skid at one end, and onto the trailer at the other end (does not matter if they are a bit too long), Place a section of pipe under the welder on the timbers, connect winch or cable puller to front of trailer and front of welder, use strap or chain if cable length is too short. lower welder onto pipe section winch away add another section of pipe as first one rolls to the back of the welder, repeat. Total cost probably $80-100 if you buy from Harbor Freight, etc ($10 bottle jack, 2 $18-$30 cable pullers, scrap pipe free, 2 landscaping timbers $10 each or so, heavy tie down strap (10,000 pound or so) $20)

Ike

[John Newman, Jr.]

After reading the title of this thread, all I can say is "You have to ask?...."
For a $50 'gamble', if it is all there you can't go too far wrong.
If it were me, I would be posting pictures of my latest purchase instead of wondering whether I should or shouldn't.....
Just my opinion.
For moving it, Ike offers good suggestions. Another thought would be some heavy duty straps or chains & a cherry picker to lift & set on a trailer.

[Isaac-1]

Based on your description I suspect what you may have is a welder build from a converted world war II carbon arc searchlight DC generator. I have read a little about these online, and GE was certainly one of the makers of these searchlight sets. These appear to have been mostly 28 volt 10-15KW DC generators which put them in the acceptable voltage range and output for many types of welding.

Ike

[OldironPhil]

If the location is near Beloit, I would be interested in the welder. I have the equipment to move it. Do you know the engine type. It may be an old search light unit, I hade one but lost it in a fire. Well however it works out Good Luck. Phil

[Mikey4026]

Old Iron Phil
Beloit!
Is Beloit that still the home of Colt Industries, Fairbanks Morse and Pielstick engines?
I went to FM OP school there while in the service.
What an amazing place!
My, that was a long time ago!
Mikey

[bigtime400]

Hey.... I got it. I just got to get it moved. The engine is a 4 cyl Continental The plate was off the generator so I brought it home I will have to go get it. The controll board was GE built by Sprague? I think thats what it was.

[bigtime400]

No thoghts on the Contiental engine? anyone seen these?

[Bud Tierney]

Any ID tag on the engine?? Cont'l made more engines than Carter made Little Liver Pills...

[bigtime400]

Well here she is! Can you belive it I got it on the truck by myself? Just put my weightbelt on and lifted them right in the truck!! I was almost there too late..... 2 guys were going to take it for scrap. The lady didn't think I was coming back for it and said they could buy it. I ended up getting it for free because I helped her out cleaning a bunch. Here are the pictures....

http://s998.photobucket.com/albums/a...view=slideshow


BTW... Im just joshin' about picking it up. I used a prybar, block of iron, a bunch of pipes and a chain hoist to move it. I got it over to the hoist that was in the shed by using the pipes as rollers.

[Dempster]

Could be something like a F134, F140, F162 or others. Get the numbers off the engine tag or block casting numbers and post back here or try Warren Moon at Montes.

http://www.montesequpiment.com/

Continental L Head (flathead), TM (overhead valve) & Wisconsin parts and service manuals can be downloaded from the Wisconsin Motors site.

http://www.wisconsinmotors.com/partcatalog-ex.html

[bigtime400]

I saw a number plate on the back side. Ill have to look. Any idea about the generator? Or the era this stuff was made? The radiator is brass I noticed.

[bigtime400]

The model number on the GE generator is 72382

[bigtime400]

The motor is a y 69


Do you have any idea who would be intrested in this stuff? I have a garage full of lawnboys and lawn tractors.... I really dont have the room.

Nate

[Bud Tierney]

BIGTIME:Cont'ls Y69 was a fairly popular little engine used in Ag and Industrial applications: small lift trucks/forklifts, combines, welders, generators, stand-alone power units etc.; it was the smallest of the later Y series (Y69, Y91, Y112). Truck version is Y4069; Ag/Ind and PU versions are Y69 and PY69, respectively. I'm advised the truck engine has a timing chain and the Ag/Ind and PU versions have timing gears, that the two versions rotate in opposite directions, with different cams, but share parts otherwise.
Don't know if parts still available thru most decent parts outlets like NAPA or not, but that's the place to start if you need engine stuff. If NLA thru such outlets then montes, as Dempster linked (very highly spoken of as best source for old Cont parts/advice/sympathy).
Another recently mentioned as helpful with old Cont'ls is parossmachinery.com.
If you part the thing you should more than get your money back just from the engine.
DEMPSTER: I've always had the contact at Monte's as Garrad Moon ( garradmoon@montes@flash.net); was that wrong, or has another generation taken over??

[Dempster]

BUD: Yes, Garrad Moon. Don't know where I got Warren from ?

[bigtime400]

Anyone be intrested in buying this do you think? Otherwise I am going to scrap it out.

[Dempster]

Don't know what has become of Colt Industries now but Fairbanks Morse magneto division is now owned by AEI in OKC but parts are probably still made back up there someplace yet. Lots of the crummy FM coils aftermarket are made in china now

[Dempster]

Someone might want just the engine if it's good. Scrap metal price will stay low for a while now too.

[Bud Tierney]

As to the engine, post it in the ads here, of course, and in the farm/ag sites; those that come to mind are:
ytmag.com (yesterdays tractors);
mytractorforum.com
tractorbynet.com.
Any farm/ag site could find a buyer; the little Y's were used in all kinds of stuff.
I'd put it on hcea.net, too, as it was in some little forklifts, and, of course, local area craigslist (ie, anything free). Good luck.