Wisconsin AC4

I picked up another engine today (boy, am I in trouble!)

A Wisconsin AC4. An interesting engine being a 16HP, 4 cylinder air-cooled with, gasp, shock horror a rope start!

Pictures at:

It started to p**s down just as I got the first engine out so I thought, 'now's the time to try out that cheapo gazebo thing I bought a few months ago for just this occurrence'. Spent about an hour in the p****ing rain trying to assemble the thing just outside the engine garage and got totally soaked. Soggy, but generally pleased with the result, I went indoors to change into something drier, only to re-emerge into bright sunshine! Bo***cks!!!

Anyway, shuffled engines for an hour or so, went to unload the Wisconsin from the trailer when it started to chuck it down again! This time the accompanying wind blew the bloody gazebo about 10 feet into the air and rendered it totally useless for the purpose for which it was intended. Unloaded the Wisconsin in the rain and stuffed it into the overfull garage, chucked the remains of the bloody gazebo in with it and retired for another change of clothes and a large whiskey! I knew that Madam was a force to be reckoned with but had I known the full extent of her abilities, I would have left the engine in Norfolk!

Anyway, the point is: does anyone know anything about these?

I know that they were also made by Lister under licence in the 1930's and rebadged the ACL4 (imaginative, I thought) along with several other air-cooled Wisconsin engines (the ABL for instance). But other than this, I can find little about them. I also know that they were often used as US military gen-sets but this one has a huge pulley on it which looks original so I assume it was used for something other than generating.

It has a Stromberg carb, a Wico mag (which works!) and looks like it will run with a little TLC - the rope start on an 1150cc, 16 HP, 4 cylinder engine is a little scary so I will make good use of that big pulley to hitch it up to another engine when I come to run it!

Any other info. gratefully received.

Angry wives form a subclass of women. their behaviour can only be described as unpredictable ....

Oh, sorry, you meant the engine ............

I bet it's a pussycat to start - after all, you've got four bangs per pull - don't be scared, give it a tug ;o))

regards,

Kim Siddorn,

i remember one that came from a barn fire. it was on a baling machine. it sat in dad's garage (business) and later disappeared. i recall a hand crank start. this was in the 1946-48 era. the aluminum crankcase was nice. sammm (pennsylvania, usa)

Pedantry mode 'ON' You've only got two bangs per pull, what with it being a four cylinder four stroke...... But I bet its easy enough to start like Kim says :-)

Regards

Philip T-E

We have a manual for the V4, but there were two of they, VE4 was the other one?

I'll check tonight and see what we have.

Usually lots come up on fleabay and abebooks.

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Luton, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Depends how many revs per rope pull.... :-))

Pedantry mode 'OFF' Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Luton, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Yes, I think you're right. I read that the main use for them outside of the military genset thing was on Balers.

I don't fancy dragging a baler with me to the next rally, so I guess it may get converted!

I'm sure that 2 bangs per pull is better than the more normal 1 bang per two pulls. Although this is way above my normal batting average - now back to discussing engines :))

Actually, I'm sure you're right. It also has an impulse mag so starting should be relatively easy, not being totally reliant on the WLF method of starting.

I've got a JAP 55 twin & it's a big lump of a thing but it starts really easily first turn and CLANK! of the magneto.

I used to do better than two bangs per pull, but I'm older now & they are necessarily wider spaced - perhaps it's why I like flat twins .........

Regards,

J. Kim Siddorn,