Hercules Engine News

by Glenn Karch

These are reprints of the Gas Engine Magazine articles that were written by Glenn Karch.

 

1992  1993 1994 1995 1996

June

Introduction to Hercules and the Model D Engine

January

The Hercules Factory

January

The Largest Size Hercules Built

January

Installing the Cam gear and timing you Engine

January

Economy Trade-marks and Decals

August

Early Model E Engines

March

Thermoil Model U

February

The Model X series

February

Timing your engine

February

Thermoil Trade-marks

September

Hercules and Economy engines begin to differ in design

April

Thermoil Model UA

March

Dating your Hercules built engine

March

Tuning your engine to run at slow idle

March

Natural Gas/LP Mixers

October

Thermoil Engines

May

The Cummins Connection

April

Model D engines, not much different from Sparta CX

April

Rebuilding your governor

April

Hercules Literature

November

Variations from the norm

June

The end of the Model E and introduction of Model F

 May

Various Fuel Mixers

May

Rebuilding the Head on the 1.5-2 H. P. Hercules

May

How Hercules got in the engine business

December

Hercules Tractor and changes in the corporate structure

July

WICO Magneto introduced and Models FW and G

June

Fuel Mixers continued

June

Repairing wear to the push rod

June

How Sparta got into the engine business

 

August

2HP, 2.25HP and 2.5 HP engine introduced in 1923

July

Kerosene Carburetors

July

Repairing wear to the piston and cylinder

July

Holm Machine Manufacturing Company

 

September

Model N Engine

August

An interview of former Hercules employee, Ora Garrison

August

Crankshaft and bearing repair

August

Employee letter about Holm's Machine Company

 

October

Hercules Playing Cards

September

An interview of former Hercules employee, Fred Buente

September

Fuel Systems

September

Waterloo built Economy Engines

 

November

Newspaper Cartoon about the Hercules Factory 1918

October

An interview of former Hercules employee, Rudy Hufnagel

October

How Many or Left?

October

Sears and Holms relationship and patents

 

December

Worker Killed at the Hercules Factory!

November

The Swamp Sparta - A 10 HP Sparta Economy Engine

November

Comments on Herc's seen at shows

November

Hercules engines at the shows....

   

December

An interview of former Hercules employee, Walter Schnake

December

Hercules Trade-marks and Decals

December

Sparta, the early years...

 

1997  1998 1999 2000 2001

January

Model A and B Sparta Engines

January

Common questions about Hercules built engines

January

Misc. Hercules Engine News

January

Screen Cooled Engines

January

Model T Thermoils

February

Model C Sparta Engines

February

Karch family Hercules comes home.

February

Hercules engines on Log Saws - Drag Saws

February

Misc. Facts and the Multi-cylinder Hercules engines of Canton, Ohio

February

Atlas Engine Works, Indianapolis, Indiana

 March

More Sparta engines

March

Painting your Hercules engine (part 1)

March

Hercules Factory Whistle and XK Engine

March

How Glenn got started researching the Hercules Company

March

Replacing the Babbitt liners in the 1.5 HP Engines

 April

Engines that look alike

April

Painting your Hercules engine (part 2)

April

Timing your Hercules built engine.

April

In the field ignition modifications

April

Fuel System Checkup

May

More Engines that look alike

May

Other brands of Hercules built engines

 May

Bournival R Company, La Fonderie De Plessisville Co.

May

Hercules Drop Frame Carts - Peru Wheel and Plow Company

May

How Hercules Engine Company came to be.

June

The 5 look alike engines.

June

Pin striping on Sparta Economy Engines

June

How Many Different Models Were Produced?

June

Hercules Log Saw Engines

June

Flywheel Oddities

 July

Sparta Engine new models

July

Recent finding on Hercules Built Engines

July

Misc. info about Hercules engines

July

Early engine production in Evansville - Model D and early E

July

Flywheel Speed and design

 August

Statistics on Sparta Engines

August

Misc. info on Hercules built engines.

August

Adjusting the WICO Magneto

August

Hercules Memorabilia

August

Model SK Engines

 September

New Hercules and Economy finds....

September

Classic Iron Show Report

September

Big Hercules engines at SIAM Show

September

Hercules engines at work and the Plessisville built engines

September

Hercules Crank Handles

 October

Carts for Hercules Engines

October

Aftermarket Natural Gas Conversions

October

Sparta Model A Borrowed design from Waterloo

October

A storm blows down a barn. full of engines

October

Differences in 3 H.P. Engines

 November

Carts for Hercules Engines (part 2)

November

Non-restored engines.

November

"J" series of Hercules Engines

November

Restoration of Hercules engine #148306

November

7 H.P. Half Base Project

December

Arco brand Engines

December

Economy oil and Bow-tie Decal

December

Hercules Carts and Curiosities

December

Restoration of Hercules engine #148306 continued

December

7 H.P. Half Base Project

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

January

Hercules Engine Oilers

January

Economy Bowtie Decals

January

American Sawmill Machinery Engine

January

WICO Magneto Drives and Brackets

January

Building a Cylinder Head

February

7 H.P. Half Base Project

February

Model S Changes

February

Hercules ignition systems

February

Webster Magnetos

February

Elkhart Magneto

 March

7 H.P. Half Base Project

March

Economy Family Tree

March

Waterloo Engines

March

Look Alike Plessisville

March

Hercules Engine News Comes to an End

 April

Sparta Economy Engines

April

HVID Engines

April

ARCO Heirloom

April

More on the Plessisville

May

Hercules Registry Breakdown

May

Small Engine Hand Trucks

 May

The "Loane" engines

May

More on the Plessisville

June

Model X Engines

June

Governor Overhaul

June

Small block fuel spouts

June

Plessisville Completed

 July

Model N Engines

July

Prices I Paid for Hercules Built Engines

July

The Perkns story

July

Making an Oversize 1 1/2 H.P. Piston

 August

Unraveling Production Dates

August

The Hercules Legacy

August

Model A Sparta Economy

August

Hercules 12 H.P. EK and Sprinkle Marker

 September

Rohaco, Brantford Twin, Small Clutch

September

Francis Vernier 1 3/4 H.P. Story

September

Model B Sparta Economy

September

Oddball Hercules Engines

 October

Tale of Two Economy Engines

October

J Mixer For Natural Gas Attachment

October

Model C Sparta Economy

October

Throttle-Governed Engines

 November

1 1/2 H.P. Plessisville

November

2 H.P. Jaeger Article and Pictures

November

Model CA Sparta Economy

November

ARCO Engine In Disguise

December

Model SK

December

ARCO With Spark Plug In Head, etc.

December

Model CX Sparta Economy

December

Equipping for Natural Gas