| Author |
Message |
    
barry
Senior Member
Username: barry
Post Number: 86
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2008 - 08:44 am: | 
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Paul Carns located in Minnesota supplied the following information and images.
“I am restoring a 1913 Mullins launch and I plan to install a single cylinder St. Lawrence engine.
I am really excited about this project. My grandfather worked for WH Mullins in Salem, Ohio and although he only worked on the statues made by that company, I thought it would be fun to preserve some of his history. He died in 1918 along with millions of other healthy men and women during the flu epidemic that year.
I traded for the engine about 3 yrs ago to someone in Canada (I can't find his name right now) in exchange for a Dispro engine that was mounted in my boat. I felt that the Dispro was going to be underpowered for my boat and I thought the St. Lawrence would be a good choice. The fly wheel is the 12 inch, thus I must have the XA.
I placed a want-ad on the oldmarineengine site, looking for a clutch that would fit my engine.
The clutch was never used and came with installation instructions! The model is "The Michigan Model 2 Clutch" made by the Michigan Wheel Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The boat came from Michigan and I located this owner through the now defunct "mullinsboats.com" club site. That site was run by Dave Dufresne of Salem, Ohio (where WH Mullins factory was located) and is where my parents grew up. In addition to my grandfather, my grandmother also worked for Mullins. She hand painted the lettering on the metal signs used by companies in advertising their products to be placed along roadways.”
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mullins13
New member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2008 - 04:37 pm: |
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Barry,
Thanks for posting my boat/motor.
Paul |
richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1908
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2008 - 06:23 pm: |
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*
Paul
Is there a serial number on your engine ? if so I'll add it to our St Lawrence Engines list here on another post !Great looking boat !
* |
mullins13
New member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2008 - 07:03 pm: |
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Richard,
Thanks. St. Lawrence Model XA Serial Number 5470.
Paul
Is there video showing the steps needed to start a one lung engine (like a youtube video)? I have read most of the helpful information, but I thought a video would be even better. I suppose there are many models and the process would differ somewhat depending on the particular engine. |
jb_castagnos
Senior Member
Username: jb_castagnos
Post Number: 413
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2008 - 09:40 pm: |
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Paul, I have a twin in my boat, it's very easy to start and performs great, easy to reverse, idles very slow, and smooth at high speeds. My engine has the cast iron pistons, I'm sure the aluminum pistons would be even smoother. Before the initial start, turn your grease cups, if it's real cold you may want to put a squirt of fuel in the primer cup, open the mixture screw about a half turn. I hold my hand over the carb to choke it, pull it through two or three revolutions. If you place the timer straight up and pull it through compression it should start in the direction you're puling it, keep a finger or two over teh carb throat, partially choking it until it picks up. If you want to start in the opposite direction put the timer at about a 45 degree angle away from you, give the flywheel a bounce and it should kick in the other direction. To reverse the engine, while at an idle, hold the stop button and quickly swing the timer to full advance and let the stop button go. As soon as it pops it will be running at full retard in the other direction, you have to move the timer up to keep it running. This will come natural with practice. When approaching a dock, reverse the engine while a ways out, if it kills this will give you a chance to restart, if you miss reverse, it will take off full throttle in forward, you want time to make a correction. While moving fast, the water past the prop will tends to keep it turning forward, making it harder to reverse. Once you get it about stopped, you can bump it in forward a little and back to reverse, inching the boat up, showing off, and having fun. When I got my Model T Ford, an old timer was telling me how to drive it, you have to step on the clutch pedal to move forward, doesn't come natural. He said you don't learn to drive a T in the garage. You don't learn to reverse these motors while docking. |
billschaller
Senior Member
Username: billschaller
Post Number: 179
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2008 - 01:09 am: |
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Paul, welcome aboard. I just helped out another nice guy from Stillwater that wanted to put an old motor in a very early boat. I forgot to take a picture of the wooden boat he was fixing, it was built in Minnesota, and he rescued it from a guys yard. I did take pictures of his three motors, and that is what is really important. Here is the motor that is going in his boat, anyway. It is a 1920s Universal, and it started up after a an oil flush, new head gasket, carb cleaning, spark plugs and wires, and a mag tuneup. It kinda roared without any muffler, but the owner was very happy when we started it up. hopefully, it will be taken a ride on the St. Croix in a year or two. If you need any help, send me an email.
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mullins13
New member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 3
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2008 - 09:34 am: |
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Bill,
Thanks for the offer. I may need your help this summer (if all goes well).
Paul |
miro
Senior Member
Username: miro
Post Number: 350
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 - 09:45 pm: |
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Have a look at JB's engine here
http://www.stlawrenceengines.ca/pp/Miro/doesbest.mov
A visit to JB's camp is always a real treat.
miro |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 02:46 pm: |
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More progress on my Mullins... |
barry
Senior Member
Username: barry
Post Number: 100
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 06:30 pm: |
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Paul,
You may wish to install a drip container under the Schebler carburetor to avoid gasoline staining the wood floor. These carburetors often drip a bit when engine is operating.
Barry
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mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 5
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 10:54 pm: |
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Barry,
Thanks for the information. I will place a container under the carb to collect the drips. Is there enough dripping to be a fire hazard?
Paul |
rendo
Member
Username: rendo
Post Number: 22
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2008 - 11:22 pm: |
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Love the propeller throw out mechanism. How did you come up with that? thanks. |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 6
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, December 13, 2008 - 03:41 pm: |
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The motor that in the boat when I purchased it was a small Dispro that had a clutch. When I decided to replace the motor with something a bit more substantial I advertised for a clutch on the ome site and found someone that wanted to trade clutches. The model is "The Michigan Model 2 Clutch" made by the Michigan Wheel Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was old-new, and looks like it will work. |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 7
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, January 08, 2009 - 10:00 pm: |
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Update for 2009
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mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 8
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 06:28 pm: |
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mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 9
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 06:28 pm: |
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Special thanks to Ron at brightworkboatworks in Madison,Wisconsin |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 10
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2009 - 06:52 pm: |
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Final photos
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mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 11
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2009 - 06:57 pm: |
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more |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 12
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2009 - 07:03 pm: |
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johnny
Senior Member
Username: johnny
Post Number: 203
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Friday, January 08, 2010 - 09:05 am: |
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Nice Job,
Any photos of this boat out on the lake? How did it do? How long a boat is this and what was the hp on the engine? |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 16
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 01:57 pm: |
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Johnny...here is a link to a youtube video of myself on my maiden voyage. I have other photos and I will try to post them soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iufVTTMIAEE |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 17
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 02:05 pm: |
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A couple of photos in the water...  |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 18
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 02:06 pm: |
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18 1/2 ft, 4 HP |
drdetroit
Member
Username: drdetroit
Post Number: 9
Registered: 12-2009
| | Posted on Friday, January 22, 2010 - 12:30 pm: |
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WOW - Your launch and engine are aboslutly Beautiful!!! (i just drooled on my keybord  |
johnny
Senior Member
Username: johnny
Post Number: 209
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Friday, January 22, 2010 - 07:05 pm: |
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I agree, very Nice! |
mullins13
Member
Username: mullins13
Post Number: 19
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Friday, January 22, 2010 - 09:01 pm: |
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I was thinking I should take it to a show. Any suggestions for Minnesota area this summer? |
johnny
Senior Member
Username: johnny
Post Number: 268
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 05, 2010 - 07:03 am: |
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Paul,
I'm not sure about any of the shows in Minnesota, sorry I'm in Florida not to many antique boat shows down here.
I do not know how busy of a person you are but it really would be great to see a video documenting your boat maybe start out with the boat setting in your drive way. Show video of the outside of the boat then the inside along with the engine. As you go maybe you could give a little history about the boat. Tell all the specifics about the boat and engine, hp, muffler system, steering system what kind of wood and paint you used, . Then take the boat to the lake and video starting the engine leaving the dock do a circle and come back. Take video and sound in the boat of the engine, boat and water as the engine is running and the boat is moving along the water. This would be a nice video to show family and friends also to post on YouTube for others to see. Just a suggestion. You did a really nice job on the boat and it deserves to be documented. Good luck and have fun! with that boat. |
johnny
Senior Member
Username: johnny
Post Number: 269
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 05, 2010 - 08:24 am: |
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Paul, I was wondering how the hull was formed on your boat? Does anyone know?
I have a Michigan steel boat Company catalog that states their galvanized hulls were not stamped or pressed, but cut in pattern strips lock seemed and welded together by pneumatic hammers. The seams were rolled the same as steel is rolled from billet, thus retaining its original rigidity and strength. The hulls were formed, locked and welded with a pneumatic hammer inside a cast iron mould then removed and the inside wood work added. It does not state when the metal was galvanized but I'm guessing after they remove the hull from the mould and before the wood was added. This company had over 64 different style boats and hulls ranging from 14ft to 35ft. Seems like a lot of large cast iron moulds. |
grandpa_chip
Member
Username: grandpa_chip
Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2015
| | Posted on Friday, November 03, 2017 - 04:07 pm: |
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I am building a 1912 look-alike boat for my 1912 Gray Marine 2 stroke. Engine runs fine but would like to locate a clutch so that the prop only turns when engaged. Any ideas?? |
miro
Senior Member
Username: miro
Post Number: 940
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 07, 2017 - 09:27 pm: |
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I've recently seen (on the Net) a clutch made from a constant velocity joint from a front wheel drive car. It was part of a steam boat web site. Steam engines turn about 200 - 250 RPM, your engine will be turning about 750 RPM with less torque, so you might find it useful.
I'll see if I can find it again.
I haven't seen many outboard , stand alone clutches for small old boats. But I've seen more transmissions that provide Forward, Neutral and Reverse. The wrinkle is that most of them take up quite a it of room in the drive line - at least 10 or 12 inches, so your engine is further forward.
miro |
miro
Senior Member
Username: miro
Post Number: 948
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 31, 2017 - 05:42 pm: |
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I finally found the article about the clutch.
http://earlmorse.org/steamboatingpages/steamhappens5/steamhappens5.htm
It seems to work for the steam engine - lower speed but higher torque than you'd see on a St Lawrence, so it would probably work OK.
You might need to innovate a bit on the engage / dis-engage mechanism.
miro |
jb_castagnos
Senior Member
Username: jb_castagnos
Post Number: 1352
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, December 31, 2017 - 07:57 pm: |
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I would say this would be a disconnect rather than a clutch, I don't think you would be able to engage it with the engine running, splines are too close. |
