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Mike Csele
New member
Username: xtal_01
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2011
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2011 - 03:53 pm: | 
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I purchased this engine about 25 years ago and know very little about it. The front flywheel is marked Gray Motor Co. Detroit Michigan. The number on the flywheel is 02?43. I believe the question mark is a 1 or 4 but it's hard to tell. The engine turns free and seems to have great compression (it was a bit stiff when I took it out of storage so I oiled the cylinders and bearings). It appears to be complete except for a missing carburetor. From what I can tell, it's a 2 cylinder, 2 stroke with an integrated gearbox.
Can anyone tell me more about this engine (age)? What is it's approximate value? Is is possible to find a carburetor for this engine?
I am trying to decide whether to keep and restore it or sell it/trade it for a hit and miss or steam engine.
Thanks,
Mike
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RichardDurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 2583
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2011 - 04:14 pm: |
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It's a Gray "Baby Grand " Looking at it and the serial number its a 1922. By 1922 they had a Schebler "D" carburetor.
These photos are an earlier engine 1914 by 1916 Gray had moved the water pump to the rear.
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Robert
Senior Member
Username: robert
Post Number: 408
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 17, 2011 - 02:17 am: |
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Great info Richard. This engine does not have an aluminum pan/crankcase, nickel plated flywheel etc. Were these features dropped or made optional before 1922, or were those features such as the full length pan and enclosed gear made optional on the base engine? (the designation of which I forget) |
RichardDurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 2587
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 17, 2011 - 11:44 pm: |
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Robert, I have only seen three of these engines and they were all the later style with the water pump aft and the plain variety, no nickel,no aluminum ! The basic engine is the Model "U" which was the longest production two stroke that Gray mfgd and really good engines. Most eng mfgrs
had many options on their actual order forms and was a factor of how thick your wallet was or how thin it was after purchase ?
Just a few days ago I had an email discussion about this very topic with Dick Day, he has found several old palmers over the years that had several differences from the catalogs or ad photos ! advertising economics with all that implys would seem to be the variations source ?
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Robert
Senior Member
Username: robert
Post Number: 412
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 21, 2011 - 01:37 am: |
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Interesting. So somewhere along the way the Baby became somewhat less Grand!
But then maybe WWII scrap drives accounted for the aluminum pan models. |
Richard A. Day Jr.
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 953
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2011 - 09:38 am: |
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Do I remember pre WWII aluminum had problems with salt water. To much copper in the aluminum? Anyone know. |
