DeLaVergne 160 HP hit and miss engine

I visited the Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Association's Museum in Easton, MD on Sept. 8, 2007. In the gas engines area, there are several large hit-and-miss type engines on display, and when I was there, many of them were being run.

The Tuckahoe Museum is run by volunteers, and a few were on hand Saturday. Unfortunately, I'm not very diligent about getting people's names, introductions, or remembering names, but I do know the faces. These guys are great - they are quick to answer questions or show off the wares at Tuckahoe.

From the nameplate, I can tell you that this is a DeLaVergne type DH oil engine. As you see it here, it's running on diesel fuel. It's designed to run at 225 rpm and produce 160 horsepower. That's real full-time horsepower, not the screaming peak of some sport motorcycle. That's all day long, 365-day-a-year power, and at only 225 RPM, I'll leave it to you to figure out the incredible torque this engine produces. The bore of this engine is at least 15", and the stroke is on the order of 24". It is a single cylinder engine.

In all the excitement, I neglected to determine the date of this engine, but I can say that, to the guys at the Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Association, something from 1940 is considered pretty new. Based on what I saw, I'd guess that this engine is no more recent than 1920, and possibly 1910.

I was allowed to see and film this engine up close. It's hard to describe the experience of being right there, where you can smell the diesel and the smoke, you can feel the little turbulent breeze coming off of that huge flywheel, and feel the thump of the ground as this monster runs. I really appreciate the opportunity to get right up close to this beautifully maintained piece of history.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Tuckahoe
• DeLaVergne
• DeLaVerne

[UP4012]

How much do you think those crankshaft webs weigh?

[tirumisu]

I think everything on that engine weighs a lot. It was a thrill to get so close to this beast - smell it, feel the heat, hear the noise. It's the kind of thing that can make a kid out of anyone.

[41Zman]

If its a diesal it would be throttled instead of hitnmiss. i dont know of any hitnmiss diesals

[tirumisu]

It's NOT a diesel, it's a hit-and-miss.  It can RUN on diesel, crude, and several other fuels.

[coxvidioandmore]

wow thats big and weak consitering todays car engines have that much power and more rpm

[tirumisu]

No, it's not weak.  That's 160 HP, 24-7-365. Your car can't do that - you try to get 160 HP continuously out of your car engine, it would last less than an hour. Industrial engines are rated for continuous HP, cars are rated for peak HP.

[BunEButler]

Torque, son, torque.

[sb6lb3]

yeah these engine were built to stay at those low speeds so that they could keep steady power. i think they had mroe torque than hp

[prisim]

@tirumisu Methinks you are confusing the method of governing the engines RPM with the fuel. In this instance Hit and Miss is the method of governing the engine speed, Hit and miss has been used on Petrol and Diesel historically. A Diesel engine is a compression ignition engine, the fuel can be a light oil and is usually what we refer to as diesel, or heavier oils including oils similar to crude. A hot bulb engine is also a diesel engine even if it uses heavy grade oils - Rich.

[iSTARKiNG]

yes! ... I live in easton maryland and i think we have the best steam and gas show and truck /tractor pull 

[sideshow45]

you lucky dog you. haha

[Boeserwolf93]

cause they are more effective and i dont wont to be a tree hugger, but they are still cleaner than this monster...

[ilkjdsflkfj]

Yes it IS a diesel its using the compression to ignite the fuel, and no its not a hit-and-miss, this engine is throttle governed. To answer another gentlemans post the very first diesels were hit and miss, not in how most people think, on the early diesels the govenor controled the cam that worked the injection pump. instead of holding a valve open like most did.

[FORDGTFANATIC]

lol you guys thought i was serious?? and i dont drive any civics? or any ricer for that matter??

[jinxandscamp]

A real treat to see this engine operating.  Well done photographically. Thank you!

[vavoomskill]

So cool!! Thanks for the show.

[wires99]

I don't know that it's *meant* to do that, but yes, it's a little bit of blow-by. Not so bad, considering that the bore is on the order of one foot.