6 H.P. Clarke Gas Engine Co. Engine
Mfg. in Evansville, Indiana
1898-1941

We acquired this engine from a friend in Arkansas.  It had sat in the loft of his barn for about 20 years and prior the that it had sat on the bank of a river in the boat is powered.  We visited the river bank and there was not much left of the boat.  It was used by a timber company to move logs around the river and transport them down river to the Mississippi where they were shipped to the sawmill. 

Once we got the engine home we put it in the barn and started soaking the parts with penetrating oil whenever we passed by the engine.  After a year or so we took the head off and with a little heat and hammering were able to free up the piston.  It was easy then go get the rest of the engine apart.  Once apart we got busy on other things and it sat for a couple of years. 

In the spring of 2003 my son Isaac was looking for something to restore for the American 4-H project.  We looked the possibility over and he decided to tackle this engine.  The first thing we did was to send the major parts to Redi-strip and had them chemically cleaned of the rust, paint and grease.  After about a week we got the parts back and we started fixing the worn or broken pieces and reassembly.  The photo's tell the rest of the story except for the fact that he did receive a Grand Champion ribbon for his efforts.

 

Click on the image for a larger view.

The is how the engine looked when Isaac started restoration.

It had sat on a creek bank in the boat it powered for many years and then in a friends barn loft for several more years.

We had taken it apart several years prior to restoration.

The rodents had made quite a mess in the muffler.

It was stuck and missing a few external parts but generally in pretty good shape.

Priming the block.

Crankcase and misc. parts in primer.

The block and flywheel in primer.

The block and flywheel painted.

Putting on a coat of paint.

Grinding a V in the cracked connecting rod cap getting it ready for brazing.

Brazing the vee'd out crack in the connecting rod cap.

The muffle is cast iron and had several cracks and holes in it. Isaac filled them with braze.

Isaac joining a piece of wood for the cart.

We took another engine off an old cart and replaced the deck with new wood.

The oak had to be drilled before Isaac was able to drive the nails into the wood.

Nailing the boards onto the cart.

The whole family gets involved with our project. Isaac's sister Elizabeth on the far left and his Mom Debbie in the center.

Honing the cylinder

Using emory cloth to polish the crank shaft throw.

Isaac and his Grandpa installing the connecting rod in the piston.

Here is the front of the engine.

It is cooled by river water. The water pump is driven off a cam on the back side of the engine.

Another shot of the water pump. The Schebler fuel mixer was mounted low for a gravity feed fuel system.

Close-up of water pump and fuel mixer.

The engine came with it's original cast iron muffler. It originally had a 28" piece of pipe between the engine and the muffler.

Timing is controlled by the by the cam mounted between the flywheel and block.

You can see the timing adjustment lever in the lower right area of this shot.

That flywheel is massive and heavy. About 18" in diamater and 5" thick at the rim.

A forward/reverse tranmission would have been mounted on the output shaft.

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