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| Palmer L-4 Info Needed/Wanted |
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Message |
    
george_iv
Senior Member
Username: george_iv
Post Number: 104
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 08:53 pm: | 
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Hello All, A friend of mine has run across a Palmer L-4 and I am trying to learn something about it. From an over the phone description, it is a 4 cylinder 4 cycle with an exposed camshaft with roller followers up to the exhaust valve rockers. The intake valve is atmospheric, but the engine apears to be throttle governed. It is complete with the reverse gear, but the carburator and one double site oiler is missing. I am led to believe it is early for the fact the cylnders are lubricated externally through the oiler. The builder's tag is in place and says Palmer L-4. I don't have serial number or pictures yet, but if this week works out well, I'll post them soon.
Thanks,
George Coates |
richardday
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 296
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 09:40 am: |
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George, A very rare bird. Looking forward to all I can learn about the L-4. There are a couple of L-1s in poor condition known and an L-2 being restored in Alaska. I have never heard of a surviving L-4. The L came on stream about 1905/6 I think. Problem is prior to 1906 no serial numbering scheme has turned up that makes any sense at all. The L series was superseded in Dec 1912 with the NL "New L" series that lived on until 1928/29. Biggest 1912 change was moving the camshafts and gearing inside he crankcase. The NL and its large cousin the NR "New R" were extremely sucessful and thousands were made. Parts of the NL and NR lived on in the ZR series up until the end of production in 1962. |
george_iv
Senior Member
Username: george_iv
Post Number: 105
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 06:23 pm: |
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Great!! Thanks for the info!!! I talked to the fellow again today and he now owns it and has it home and safe. I related your info to him and he filled in a few blanks. The cylinders are set in two pairs, but it doesn't sound like the crankcase is like two twins bolted together; more like a single crankcase with two sets of cylinders. The timer is in bad shape, but all of the brass/copper covers and jackets are in place. The engine is stuck, but it's unclear at this point where; ie pistons, crank or gear.
The Serial Number is 206609
I'm about to split a side waiting to see this thing...
George Coates |
andrew
Moderator
Username: andrew
Post Number: 889
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 08:09 pm: |
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There is an L-4 shown in the 1907 Palmer Catalog reprint:
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richardday
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 297
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 10:35 pm: |
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The number pattern fits. The earliest engine that clearly fits the dating pattern where the last two digits are the serial number is Model C 050806 1906 which is 1558 numbers prior to 206609 1909 The next engine up is a Model B 267310 1910 which is 607 numbers up from 206609. What has long puzzeled me is Palmer Bros. ads for these years claim they have shipped over 20,000+ engines yet here we seem to see from some time in 1906 and some time in 1910 the total number of engines appears to be 1558? There is only one serial number that has been located that gives the month day year along with the serial number and that is the ZR-1 in the Calvert Marine Museum serial 3325846 followed by 3-1-46 I take this to mean March 1st 1946. Why it is so marked I have no idea. The marking appear to be genuine and not something sombody scratch onto the name plate. |
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