The
ROTOTILLER Engine
This is a cut-away of the engine
used on the Frazer ROTOTILLER. It is hard to believe that this engine is only
rated at 5 horsepower. It has a 3" bore and 3.250" stroke making up
22.97 cubic inches. This same design was used in the earlier ROTOTILLERS that
Kelsey built (Models AA, A-1, B1-2, and the B1-4). Apparently Kelsey had some
type of arrangement with SIMAR to use their design for the engine for his
machines. This arrangement was most likely passed along when he transferred the
rights to build ROTOTILLERS to Graham-Paige around 1944. The connecting rod
uses needle bearings at both ends while the crankshaft turns on heavy-duty ball
bearings. The original crankshaft seals were made of leather, but have since
been changed to a rubber material.
It is unclear who built the
ROTOTILLER engine for ROTOTILLER, Inc. when Kelsey made the Model AA, A-1,
B1-2, and B1-3 machines. SIMAR may have produced the engines or engine parts.
In a 1941 booklet entitled The Dawn of a New Era, a
stockpile of parts is shown in their stock room. An October 1937 ROTOTILLER
NEWS has several photos of different parts of the Rototiller being
machined, including engine parts.
At one point, Bell Aircraft built
these engines for Graham-Paige. Go here and click on Bell Aircraft to read an interesting story about
where these engines were used. For photos of this application go to Donald Jones' Newsletter.
This engine was also used in a
4-wheeled tractor called the Model T Jaques-Frazer Tractor featured on this
website. Go to Jaques-Frazer Model T to see two examples of this tractor.
There are several pictures of other views posted in My Photo Album