This is my first engine. It was given to me by my Great Uncle Allan in 2006 when I was first getting interested in stationary engines, and will always be special to me.
It is a 2hp “B” model, number 6432 which places it's date of manufacture to late 1939.
This engine was originally on a farm in Gunnedah running a pump jack with a flat belt, pumping water from a well into an overhead tank. It was recovered in 1983 and restored to running condition.
Movies of the engine running are available on YouTube, or embedded on this site.
First run: YouTube or Embedded
Second run: YouTube or Embedded
The engine had been sitting in a shed for the last 20 or so years, and was very well preserved. The ignition lead had corroded internally, which took a while to track down. For some reason the oiler had been hacksawed off at some point leaving just the base screwed into the hopper. The magneto was missing it's back cover - a flat aluminium plate by the looks of it. The big end wick oiler looks like it had come loose and knocked against the crank, as the threaded stem was bent sideways and cracked about half way down. Some notes on fixing these issues are available.
The SUNDIAL family of engines was manufactured in Australia by H.V.McKAY MASSEY HARRIS Pty Ltd at the Sunshine Harvester Works, Sunshine Vic. They were essentially simple horizontal cylinder 4 stroke petrol powered engines with an atmospheric inlet valve. The engine could be converted to run on kerosene and late in their production run this became a standard feature.
The 2hp engine had 2 major design changes. Initially the type A engine was of OHV design, painted red. Then came the SV type B design. Initially this also was painted red, followed by the most common engine, the green painted type B design as described here.
The colour change was introduced in 1943. Other minor changes were made to improve the engine during its long production run from 1926 to 1949. The type B design was of simple, horizontal cylinder design. Cooling was by hopper. Lubrication was by total loss, with cylinder lubricated by drip oiler, major bearings by wick oiler, and other moving parts by oilcan.
Internal dimensions of the engine are bore: 4”, and stroke: 4 1/2”. Ignition is by high tension magneto to an 18mm sparkplug. Fuel is sucked from a 7/8 gal. tank located under the engine (between the skids) by induction vacuum through a needle valve. Drive is usually by flat belt from the standard 6 1/2”pulley, which can be mounted, on either flywheel.