My first Twin City

[Rick Schmitz]

I bought this twin city 12/20 a couple of weeks ago. I didnt know much about twin city tractors,but Tony thompsons resource page was very informitive.I was suprised to learn it has 4 valves per cylinder and twin cams,was this a common engine design at the time?

[Mike McKnight]

Not hardly! I'm pretty sure TC came up with the concept. Folks, am I wrong?
Mike M

[EngineBob]

Not sure. But nice tractor. I need to get off of my (your line here) and get a Twin City one of these days.
EB

[SproutW]

Rick congrats on the TC!! You guys keep this up and I'll want one. Keep us posted on your progress with her Rick, thanks.

[Tony Thompson]

Rick,
Welcome to Smokstak!
Congrats on your recent purchase!
The Stakkers know that TC is my favorite, so I will try to hold back a bit so I do not grind all of you to pieces with my enthusiasm.
What is really impressive about the 12-20 is the time of manufacture. The 340 c.i. 5,000 lb 12-20's are photographed and dated hard at work in October 1918. This means that the twin cam, 16 valve, unit frame, inline engine, with fully enclosed transmission and final drives running in oil was probably on the drawing board as early as 1916!
This machine posted unusually high fuel economy and exceeded its power rating while pulling three sixteens, even in heavy soil.
Compare that with any tractor you like in the late teens, as many of them were channel frame with exposed gearing.

Reveling in their immediate success, the engineers at Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Co. introduced a carbon copy of the 12-20 at the end of 1919 that weighed 9,000 lbs and was powered by a 641 c.i. twin cam 16 valve engine

[Sloroll]

Nice snag! It is going to be a "Someday" for me. Neat old machines!

[Rick Schmitz]

The s/n tag is missing, but I found the #13516 stamped into the left rear engine leg bellow the mag.I would assume this is the s/n as well?

[Jim Anderson]

Hi Rick
The number in the left rear engine leg is the engine serial number. It would not be the same as the tractor serial number. The engine numbers fall in a range of about 100 to 200 from the tractor number with no certain pattern.
Have fun with your new (old) TC
Jim

[Tony Thompson]

Rick,
We have no year-to-year serial number list for 12-20's, however, with more information I may be able to place your tractor into one of three groups.
1918-1920
1921-1923
1924-1925.
Can you get an engine photo and overall photo of the other/right hand side of your machine?
Does this machine use a sheet metal oil pan or cast iron?
Is the belt pulley shaft & bearing capped by a round 4 bolt end plate made out of mild steel, or a cast end cap? (right hand side of trans case).
Tony

[PB in IN]

nice find looks like a fun project