Fairbanks Morse ZC

[cschuerm]

Fairbanks did indeed make a large number of diesels from "not exactly small" to "power a small country".  I believe the early single cylinder flywheel engines were the "Y" series.  I don't currently own one, but am looking.  There was a baby 20hp Y on ebay a while back for $2500.

As far as prices on the ZC's go, they seem to cover a pretty wide range depending on size and condition.  I'd say you can pick up some good "fixer-upper" 118s easily under $1000.  A completely re-manufactured 346 ready to plop down on a pump jack and run for the next few decades might well push $5000.

They are very smooth running engines.  Here's short vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8J0rwGZLN0&feature=related

And here's one of the little 118s running on a roll-around cart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=4jATtqp-YTo

[cschuerm]

Here's a vid of a Fairbanks Y diesel driving a generator head.  I *LOVE* the sound of this engine!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t44dwcUcYlk&feature=relmfu

I have located one of these but have not persuaded the owner to part with it ....yet :-)

Chris

[billswan]

Well according to google maps I am 603 miles from Tulsa Oklahoma, Is that at all close to some of those oil field fairbanks engines?

Billswan

[cschuerm]

I live just outside of Tulsa and there are many in this area.   I've heard that there is a shop in Hominy, OK (just NW of Tulsa) that has a large quantity of these engines.  Need to go investigate some day!
Chris

[cschuerm]

Yep, I think I'm going to really like this engine!  It's great to be able to drive a few blocks and pick up almost any part you need.  Got a freshly overhauled magneto with impulse coupler for $125 at the local oilwell supply store.  Also picked up a complete pre-packaged gasket set right off the shelf.  Shopkeeper said he had pretty much everything for the 118 and 208 engines in stock in the store and pointed to a shelf of overhauled cylinder heads.  Had many things for the larger engines, but not nearly as much stock.  This thing is turning out to be the most maintainable engine I've run across so far! 

Chris

[billswan]

Yep, I think I'm going to really like this engine!  It's great to be able to drive a few blocks and pick up almost any part you need.  Got a freshly overhauled magneto with impulse coupler for $125 at the local oilwell supply store.  Also picked up a complete pre-packaged gasket set right off the shelf.  Shopkeeper said he had pretty much everything for the 118 and 208 engines in stock in the store and pointed to a shelf of overhauled cylinder heads.  Had many things for the larger engines, but not nearly as much stock.  This thing is turning out to be the most maintainable engine I've run across so far! 

Chris

Wow,  Maybe I will have to come on down some day and see for my self.
May be DanG might have a deal ............someday........?

Billswan

[LowGear]

350 CI.  Is that four or five Harleys?

Casey

[rcavictim]

Chris, All,

Does anyone know if someone has converted one of these big singles to diesel operation?  You'd have to rig a single roller cam drive to push a simple injector pump and install the injector where the spark plug is presently located.  How to raise the compression up to around 16 to one is the other major challenge.

[cschuerm]

RCA, I've never heard of one being converted to a diesel but the internals certainly appear to be robust enough to handle it.  The ZC's are pretty low compression engines by default.  I can't see any reason you couldn't just machine off the top of the cylinder to increase it to whatever you wanted though.  My only concern would be whether you'd have enough meat left to re-bore and tap the head studs.  Not sure what the inside of the waterjacket looks like in that area. Be an interesting experiment!
Chris

[vdubnut62]

Couldn't you fab up a longer rod?
Ron

[rcavictim]

Couldn't you fab up a longer rod?
Ron

That would be one way alright but might be risky. I don't know that I'm competent enough to attempt lengthening a con rod.  Heat treatment and annealing would be in order to make sure that stress risers were minimized.  That component takes quite a pounding.  In Canada since we went metric I guess engine components take a kilogramming. 

[cschuerm]

I don't think I'd try lengthening the rod, but it wouldn't be too hard to whittle up a wooden rod of the correct length then take it to a foundry to have a new one cast.  A little machine work to prep it for bearings and you might have something.
chris

[rcavictim]

I don't think I'd try lengthening the rod, but it wouldn't be too hard to whittle up a wooden rod of the correct length then take it to a foundry to have a new one cast.  A little machine work to prep it for bearings and you might have something.
chris

I don't think the con rods in these engines are cast.  They aren't a cast I-beam like we are all used to, they are a solid steel round rod.

[EBI-WPO]

Con-Rods are typically forged, save some of the newer "pressed" powdered metal stuff. Billet maybe, cast probably not.

Terry

[cschuerm]

RCA, you are correct that the con rod is round, however, it appears to have a parting line as though it was a cast part.  Maybe forged?  Dunno...
Chris