Author Topic: 1/2 size Lauson model type VR  (Read 2099 times)

Offline Craig DeShong

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1/2 size Lauson model type VR
« on: October 02, 2017, 09:28:53 PM »
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnFU4kZucDw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnFU4kZucDw</a>

Being a Lauson engine collector, I’ve been looking for one of these (full size) for many years.  Realizing that I’d probably never find one, I decided to build my own.  I’m not getting any younger :o, and building one at ˝ size from aluminum certainly beats hauling around a 170 lb. engine, so that is an added benefit :NotWorthy:.

Though I don’t have a VR I do have a VA (the air cooled version).  There are many similarities between the two so this helped greatly in getting measurements.  An email friend, who has a full size VR, was kind enough to send me many pictures of his VR full size, thus between the pictures and my air cooled VA I think I have a fairly accurate representation of the full size.

I’ve been working on this model since the beginning of January and probably have over 1,000 hours in its design and construction.  The engine stands nearly 12 inches tall, its bore and stroke is 1 3/8th x 1 5/8th. There are no castings in this engine.  I wrestled with how I would fabricate the block, and finally decided to fabricate it in two pieces, then “glue” them together.  This seemed to work well and also in several other places where fabrication of a part just seemed impossible, were I to attempt to machine it as one part.

The engine has an operational enclosed fly ball governor in a governor “tower”.  This governor is driven from the camshaft by helical gears as the original.  I purchased these gears, but cut the remaining spur gears myself.  The simulated Wico “A” magneto merely contains a set of points; the engine uses battery/coil ignition.

The carburetor is a somewhat simulation of a Tillotson MS220; it is a true float carburetor.  The overhead valves are driven by a one piece camshaft that has an additional lobe to drive an oil pump in the base of the engine.  The crankshaft was constructed in one piece.   

The model has a “wet head” and an operational coolant system.  Water circulates through the coolant system by convection as in the full size.  It remains to be seen how well this functions in the model.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2017, 10:10:04 PM by Craig deshong »
Craig
The destination motivates us toward excellence, the journey entertains us, and along the way we meet so many interesting people.

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: 1/2 size Lauson model type VR
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2017, 01:07:41 AM »
Very nice Craig, she runs great too!

Dave

Offline littlelocos

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Re: 1/2 size Lauson model type VR
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2017, 02:48:22 AM »
Outstanding job!

 

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