Tuesday Torque: Collis; A Rare Breed Ahead Of Its Time

The Collis engine came along in the early 1920's when other manufacturers were stuck on heavy, simple engines, mostly with hit-and-miss governors.  This type of power plant was meant to be used for powering a grain binder, orchard sprayer, or similar tasks.  The radiator is in the flywheel, and that may be what killed it off.  It was just a little too far out for most farmers at the time.  The valves are operated by a single rocker arm, which our friend Gary Bahre reports is difficult to set up correctly without an instruction manual.  He did alright, though.  I picked up the Collis at an auction because of a tip from an engine friend back in the 1980s.  Turns out he was a friend of Gary's, too, before we knew each other.  I wish he was still around to see this baby run.  I had the valves ground and put it away after I got it, and Gary rescued it from our garage.  He will be showing it at Boonville, Missouri this summer. Video by Gary Bahre.