In my school's auto's class...
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kill it with BOOMSTICK!
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,227
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From: McHenry, IL
In my school's auto's class...
I found, conveniently under a big pile of crap and a caddy v6, a Curtiss-Wright rotary engine. It'll be *ahem* lost *ahem* with a $20 appearing on the teachers desk later this week and will conveniently end up in the back of my FC for further review. It is an air cooled single rotor with a diaphragm carb on it and magneto ignition. It is single spark plug, and the engine spins freely. It is a dog-engagement pull string start, and a 50:1 premix tag on it. It has the plaque from curtiss-wright, but I foolishly didn't write it down. It looks of fair size, almost that of a single rotor 12a, but I think of smaller diameter. I'm going to take it apart for an english project on little known icons of major fields (I'm doing felix in the automotive field) in the middle of the presentation. I just want to see it open before I do this.
I'm thinking that after the project it'll end up on a go-kart chassis...
I'm thinking that after the project it'll end up on a go-kart chassis...
Full Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 123
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From: Qld, Australia
Great find. I've got a single rotor generator sitting at home. I'm a bit hesitant to pull it apart because I don't have any extra seals and parts for it. I'll get a couple of pics and put them up
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Rotary Freak
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,711
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From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Most of the money spent by Curtiss Wright was on the engines they were developing for aircraft (too bad they went bankrupt before actually getting those ones into production), but they also produced snowmobile engines in the early '70s. I'm guessing the one you have is similar to the Sachs and OMC air-cooled snowmobile engines of the same era. That would explain the pull-start and 50:1 premix.
The Sachs was a 303cc 19.5 hp (27 lb-ft torque) single rotor with Tillotson single-barrel carb and a big-*** cooling fan attached to one end of the e-shaft. Ignition was via a magneto attached to the other end of the e-shaft and used a single spark plug. This engine was used in the '74 Arctic Cat Panther snowmobile. I have one of these engines in pieces in my garage.
The OMC engine was the same design only larger (500cc) and produced 35 or 45hp depending on model. It was used in both Johnson and Evinrude sleds in the early to mid '70s.
Both of these engines worked fine in snowmobiles due to the colder operating environment, but they had cooling problems on warm days. Apparently the charge-cooling system used for the e-shaft and bearings heated the intake charge too much prior to feeding it into the combustion chamber. (the 50:1 premix, after leaving the carb, was first routed through the center of the engine to cool and lubricate the solid e-shaft, rotor and bearings, and then routed into the intake port). This of course reduced available horsepower.
The Sachs was a 303cc 19.5 hp (27 lb-ft torque) single rotor with Tillotson single-barrel carb and a big-*** cooling fan attached to one end of the e-shaft. Ignition was via a magneto attached to the other end of the e-shaft and used a single spark plug. This engine was used in the '74 Arctic Cat Panther snowmobile. I have one of these engines in pieces in my garage.
The OMC engine was the same design only larger (500cc) and produced 35 or 45hp depending on model. It was used in both Johnson and Evinrude sleds in the early to mid '70s.
Both of these engines worked fine in snowmobiles due to the colder operating environment, but they had cooling problems on warm days. Apparently the charge-cooling system used for the e-shaft and bearings heated the intake charge too much prior to feeding it into the combustion chamber. (the 50:1 premix, after leaving the carb, was first routed through the center of the engine to cool and lubricate the solid e-shaft, rotor and bearings, and then routed into the intake port). This of course reduced available horsepower.
Last edited by Aviator 902S; Mar 11, 2005 at 10:44 PM.
DisaffectedCollegeStudent
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 309
Likes: 1
From: San Jose, CA
How about a go-kart lawn mower, you can drive around all day long, and mow your lawn, best of both worlds! 
...and you can use it to chase down the bratty kids who get too close to your RX-7
...and you can use it to chase down the bratty kids who get too close to your RX-7
I live in an igloo
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,546
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From: calgary alberta
When I was in mechanics in HS, LONG LONG before I even knew what a rotary was, or even liked the rotary, I found something similar 'in the back room' covered up and ****.
It was a one rotor engine, mounted on a stand with a pull start as well. It had a carb of course and it was leaking gas badly when we filled it. My shop teacher ordered a rebuild kit for it, or something, and we started it up.
He was all happy that I found it, and had said that he never knew it was back there, and that it was a rotory engine. We all had no idea, all we knew was that it was something possibly from the 60's back when like the studabaker was using it or whatever. Anyways he pulled the whole class together and got me to start her up for the first time, a thanks for finding it and checking it out. Ran like a buety, perfectly smooth and no roughness whatsoever.
Obviously it was a demonstration motor of some sort, but maybe it is similar to what you have there?
lol, I'd love to find that again, take it apart and fab it up into a lawnmower. Right now we have a brigs and stratton pushmower, and in the summer my dads always getting me to cut the grass. If I had that thing up and going as a lawnmower, I'd be more, MORE, than happy to cut the grass with a rotary and my no pistons shirt! (yes it came in themail). heh...
It was a one rotor engine, mounted on a stand with a pull start as well. It had a carb of course and it was leaking gas badly when we filled it. My shop teacher ordered a rebuild kit for it, or something, and we started it up.
He was all happy that I found it, and had said that he never knew it was back there, and that it was a rotory engine. We all had no idea, all we knew was that it was something possibly from the 60's back when like the studabaker was using it or whatever. Anyways he pulled the whole class together and got me to start her up for the first time, a thanks for finding it and checking it out. Ran like a buety, perfectly smooth and no roughness whatsoever.
Obviously it was a demonstration motor of some sort, but maybe it is similar to what you have there?
lol, I'd love to find that again, take it apart and fab it up into a lawnmower. Right now we have a brigs and stratton pushmower, and in the summer my dads always getting me to cut the grass. If I had that thing up and going as a lawnmower, I'd be more, MORE, than happy to cut the grass with a rotary and my no pistons shirt! (yes it came in themail). heh...
Rotary Freak
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,711
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From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted by felixwankel88
lets see some pics of this thing... or you can give it to me and ill take pics hehehhe
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...t=Calgary+meet
It's the photo on the 23rd post down. And no, it's not going into an ultralight.
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