Clinton

Oldsalt

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
The attached picture is a 1.5 Hp Clinton model 727 engine that was given to me several years ago. As my son and I collect hit and miss engines we are somtimes given old lawnmower type engines. If it was a hit and miss engine I could easily look up the year of manufacture. I'm guessing late 30s or 40s. Today the plug was removed and a rope applied to the starting pulley. It has spark! Oiled the cylinder and checked the level of the 20 year old oil in the crankcase and fired it on starting fluid. Bottom line: This old engine is in sound condition. Believe it or not that is the stock location for the tank. So, an early mini bike might have had a scrub brake, belt drive with tightener and a chain to rear tire, and possibly a lever type throttle, but no suspension. Can anyone help me with a picture of an early mini bike so I can start off in the right direction? My idea, at this time, is to fake a really early mini bike. I don't intend to repaint the engine.
 
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Oldsalt

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
Ya, there is almost nothing that is 30 years old that some body is not collecting. My taste in old engines is rather jaded because I have a number of hit and miss engine built before 1910. Twenty or so that were built before WW2. But I love the little Clinton [even though that is an unfortunate name] and will not do more to it than fix the tank and the govener spring. No repainting or any other attempt to pimp it up like a French tart. Do you have any pictures or drawning of a early mini bike?
 
delray

delray

Well-Known Member
#4
#4
oldsalt,you will have to look for some old steel thick spoke rims. in a 6 or 7in ?or make some?
something like a old steel tractor had or model A. that would give it the old look to it. build it something like cushman or mustang frame from the 50's,but on a little smaller scale
most of the scooters or minidoodle bugs from the the 30's-40's the engines where cover up by the sheet metal? you need to build a bike so you can see the engine? that would be a cool engine to see running with the old round tank on it too.
:scooter: ..........................:thumbsup:
 
minibikekid

minibikekid

New Member
#6
#6
Hey Oldsalt on the home page here on oldminibikes there is a link for classic engine collectors. Its under useful links then that takes you to another page and you should see Antique Small Engine Collectors Club, a website with a mess load of those old clinton and briggs engines from early as the 1920's. They have a picture gallery where the guys restore them and tell about them. Its pretty awesome you should check it out.

Hey Josh
do you got that old minibike running?? That would be pretty awesome if you did.
 
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delray

delray

Well-Known Member
#7
#7
josh has a point there, you will have to run a jackshaft. motor you have probable won't produce enough power to move you,so you will have to gear it down by using a jackshaft?
:scooter: ....................:thumbsup:
 
Yellowhand

Yellowhand

#8
#8
Doodlebug Hiawatha...widely considered to be an icon of early minibikes.

The frame is easy to clone...the fenders can be made in halves, hammered around a wooden form, then welded together and seam-sanded.

I'm glad Josh posted photos of that old frame of his...I love that thing.
 
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Oldsalt

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
joshhoward. You are a gentleman and a scholar...Thank you for the detailed pictures. There are a lot of ideas there such as the belt tensioner drive and the pressed metal front rim. I has a jack shaft rather like that one. Off an old "Superior" reel mower. My Clinton engine is only 1.5 HP so a really small engine pulley will be necessary. I still have my heart set on a scrub brake because it looks [and is] crude.
 
delray

delray

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
perfect frame for it yellowhand. i was thinking the doodle bug engine was completly cover up? but it's not:thumbsup:
oldsalt you can still find bicycle handle bars that look the same on ebay cheap and garage sales,swapmeets etc....
:scooter: .......................
 
Oldsalt

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#11
#11
minibikekid said:
Hey Oldsalt on the home page here on oldminibikes there is a link for classic engine collectors. Its under useful links then that takes you to another page and you should see Antique Small Engine Collectors Club, a website with a mess load of those old clinton and briggs engines from early as the 1920's. They have a picture gallery where the guys restore them and tell about them. Its pretty awesome you should check it out.

Hey Josh
do you got that old minibike running?? That would be pretty awesome if you did.
Click to expand...
I have not looked at any website that caters to this form of engine. Hit and miss engines are all that I have ever researched. I'll check it out. But I did look on eBay lastnight. Searched 'clinton engine'. Ran across several 700 series engines such as mine. All in superior appearence to mine,. Prices? I get the idea that a really fine, ventage, original Clinton engine could be had for $150 and that includes shipping. I have sold two 20's model Y Briggs engines on eBay [a few years ago] and got nothing less than $300 each less shipping. Clintons are cheap. Yesterday and today I worked on my little Clinton. Tried to remove the head and sheared off two bolts. Had to clamp the whole engine in the milling machine to drill out the broken fasteners. Fixed the tank and etc. Brushed off the worst of the dirt and started it up. It really is a sound engine so I can proceed with the plan to make a retro-mini. Anyone want to see a picture of an unidentified engine of the briggs/clinton type? It's another engine that has been kept around because it is very unusual and in fine shape.
 
Oldsalt

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
delray said:
josh has a point there, you will have to run a jackshaft. motor you have probable won't produce enough power to move you,so you will have to gear it down by using a jackshaft?
:scooter: ....................:thumbsup:
Click to expand...
The Clinton engine has a really tiny bore. Didn't measure the displacement when the head was off, but the 1.5 HP stamped on the metal tag is probably true. A well planned jackshaft will have to be employed or it would not move.
 
joshhoward

joshhoward

New Member
#13
#13
Hey Guys


I love that little frame too. I want to build it this summer. I just have a bunch of projects to work on. But it about time to build this little thing. Thanks for the comments.:thumbsup:





Josh
 
Yellowhand

Yellowhand

#14
#14
How cool would that tiny little old mini look parked right next to a turbocharged/EFI radical mini drag bike?

Both ends of the minibike spectrum sitting right next to each other...almost a century of evolution sitting side-by-side.

I wouldn't be able to get anywhere near that display booth...the crowds would spend hours talking about the differences between the two bikes.
 
minibikekid

minibikekid

New Member
#15
#15
Yea Oldsalt let us see that other old engine you have. Man did either one of those model Y briggs engines run?? They had the kick start on them didnt it? If you run across anymore of those engines ill be glad to take them off your hands.
 
Oldsalt

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#16
#16
minibikekid. I think I've figgered out how to attach the pictures of the strange engine. One of the pics is of a plate that is attached to the fan shroud that says Fairbanks-Morse. That is bogus. A Fairbanks-Morse collector looked at the engine and called later to tell me that no matter what that tag says, that engine is not in any of the literature he owns. He's positive F-M did not make it although the muffler is identical to the ones that F-M put on a large number of 'flywheel' engines. Us hit and miss engine guys don't know much about early engines if they don't have big external flywheels but maybe it will be easy for someone else to identify.

The model Y engines were both excellent runners and both had kick starters.
 
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jesse8931

jesse8931

New Member
#17
#17
Oldsalt said:
minibikekid. I think I've figgered out how to attach the pictures of the strange engine. One of the pics is of a plate that is attached to the fan shroud that says Fairbanks-Morse. That is bogus. A Fairbanks-Morse collector looked at the engine and called later to tell me that no matter what that tag says, that engine is not in any of the literature he owns. He's positive F-M did not make it although the muffler is identical to the ones that F-M put on a large number of 'flywheel' engines. Us hit and miss engine guys don't know much about early engines if they don't have big external flywheels but maybe it will be easy for someone else to identify.

The model Y engines were both excellent runners and both had kick starters.
Click to expand...
that looks like the motor on my ww2 era generator
 
Yellowhand

Yellowhand

#18
#18
I've heard a few guys confess to changing ID plates on components when years of fruitless searching didn't uncover the real piece they needed to fill some gap in their collection...

Usually they confess before selling for a price it shouldn't get...
 
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