The 5 HP Falk engine has been part of my life for more than forty-five years, but it has been hidden away in barns for most of that time. I showed it only once, before I went off to college and moved away from Iowa. We collected the Sears 9 HP Economy more than thirty-five years ago, and it was an interrupted restoration that we never finished. We were feeling very guilty about hiding these engines away, and our friend Gary was glad to take them on as personal projects so engine lovers could see them again.
Gary Bahre showed both engines in the rain at the American Thresherman Show this past weekend, and we waded half a mile of mud to see our old engines run again. The big surprise of the day was seeing the Falk die when the Century-Plus ignitor return spring broke. Gary had already wound a new one, and he had it in the coil box. He's a forward looking mechanic. Here are some pics.
Prune that fork in the tree!
Happy, Happy!
Put an umbrella over the video cam!
Can it still make moonshine? Oh yes, it can! (And cornbread, too.)
102 years and it broke??!! See if we can get a settlement!
Muddin' our way home.
Photo credit: Susan and David
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