Can I Get This RARE 1950 REO Engine Running? Let's Find Out

[@ProlificInvention]

These are my absolute favorite engines, built my first go cart as a 10 year old with one off from a reel mower that had built in gear reduction. I connected the pulley to a riding lawnmower 3 speed transmission I had found in a local junkyard that acted as both a clutch and gear shifter. Wheelbarrow wheels and a cable driven rack and pinion of my own design on an all wooden go cart. Dad only helped with the steering mechanism as he saw me steering with my feet and got worried 😆 I drove that contraption endlessly, and it needed constant repair and adjustment-but 10 year old me didn't care

[@Blazer02LS]

Same here, I didn't have a clue about a "steering box" at the time and had built the steering with a shaft going straight up. So I added a long bolt out the side and attached a bar back to a lever, push the lever forward for left back for right. Frame was welded bed angle. My "clutch" was more primitive, there was a pulley on one drive wheel and I ran a loose belt to the engine and then had another lever with stacked ball bearings as an idler connected to a lever on the left side, pull back and tighten the belt to go.

[@silent1967]

Good old days, what happened to us ?😪

[@ralphwatten2426]

They were popular for making doodle bug mini bikes too. My friend had a REO reel mower and had to run behind it it was set so fast.

[@greghawkman]

@@ralphwatten2426 When I out grew my little pedal power fire truck, my dad took the pedals out, and the back wheels off, bolted a 1 by 12 plank for a floor board, put a gas pedal in (no brakes) and he bolted an REO engine over top a new back axle and new wheels right behind the seat. I remember the engine used a manual wind up rope cord, it was right behind me, same kill switch and the same green gas tank...seems like the exhaust was about the same too. I rode it on the sidewalk, it went about 15 mph, which was fast for that little car and I got pulled over by the cops - if I hit a big bump, the front wheels would jump off the ground and the engine would miss.... I was probably 5 years old the first time the cops pulled me over. The engine looked just like the one Taryl fixed. 30 years later, I built a mini bike from a frame I bought at a flea market for my kids...like most mini bikes, the chain popped off until I took chain tensioner from a AC Kitty Cat and put it on the frame.....learned clever tricks like that from my dad.

[@thepoopsoup]

Ronald E Oldsmobile R e 0

[@oxyfee6486]

I remember avoiding your videos when I first found them because I thought they were corny. Boy was I wrong, I have learned so much from you guys, you have so much knowledge to share. I’m also a huge fan of the skits, if you’re on the fence about this channel you really need to subscribe, you won’t regret it.👍🇨🇦🇺🇸

[@greghawkman]

These little videos are great entertainment....Slippers comment about changing his Mom's diaper knocked me out of my seat.....LOLOLOL

[@LongWalkerActual]

Long Live Blademan and Throttle!!

[@MichaelThomas-dr6xy]

The spark plug zapper!

[@willrobbinson]

Same here

[@michaelatoz580]

@oxyfee6486 my friends dad is 90 and a retired experimental engine builder from Oldsmobile. He thinks the hair and teeth are real. I told him it was part of the video character acting 😆

[@patjohnson3100]

Thank you for bringing this great example of American industrial history back to life. Ranson E. Olds was a great American. He is credited with inventing the automobile assembly line. I have seen photos of a worker using rope to pull a REO chassis along while other workers attached parts. It was Henry Ford who put assemby lines on a truly massive scale, and the rest is history. Great Anericans who did so much to build the country.

[@alext8828]

Is his first name Ranson or Ransom?

[@franklovell3149]

Seeing you fix an old crapper (POF) is what makes TFA videos sooo entertaining!!! Keep it up and thanx for the info.

[@garyhaizlip2163]

I have a REO reel mower with the same engine on it. Made in 1952. It was in a shed on a piece of property I bought. Hadn't ran in 40 years. I put some gas in it and it fired up on the third pull! Mine has the same muffler as yours. Needs new semi pneumatic tires. A little history on REO, those were his initials, stood for Ransome E Olds. His company made REO Speedwagon trucks and Oldsmobile cars. He sold the company to GM and then started making lawnmowers.

[@patjohnson3100]

Ransom Olds is also credited with inventing the automobile assembly line. The assembly line is sometimes attributed to Henry Ford, but it was actually Olds. Henry just put the idea on a truly massive scale and the rest is history.

[@michaelatoz580]

He sold Oldsmobile to GM on a hostile take over. Then he started REO motor car co in Lansing MI. The fire at the closed factory in 1979 was one of the biggest in Lansing history.

[@michaelatoz580]

​@@patjohnson3100Ford made it a moving assembly line with the car coming to work station automatically.

[@santaclause2875]

I think he also made REO heavy duty trucks. I've got an old Motors Manual with all the technical data for the REO truck line.

[@dannylinc6247]

Fire departments used REO trucks. Many of them survive because they were well kept. We had one in our rural neighborhood up on rubber road.

[@budsodalsky]

You put that REO "Back on the road again". "In your letter, you could have said it much better!". That repair was sure "Easy Money". "I heard it from a friend, who, heard it from a friend"

[@aero_pilot923]

Yup, I watch ecery Sunday episodes. You're a hell of a good mechanic, with a great sense of humor. I get a good chuckle watching you work with the sense of humor. Best of all, the tips & tricks you show.

[@pyromedichd1]

I love to see those old antique engines live again.

[@garyalford9394]

Go to some antique tractor & engine shows they are alot of fun !! just leave the wife at home.

[@davef.2329]

If you piqued the curiosity of 5 youngsters to learn about basic mechanics with this, you've earned your weight in gold 'cause there ain't no cell phone, or app gonna substitute for a teaching aid like that old cast-iron Reo (or B&S, or Clinton, or Wisscaahnsin Robbin, or Larson, or Koehler, etc...) forever-engine. The utter simplicity of that engine is beautiful, but likely why we'll never see anything so practical and well-built again.

[@santaclause2875]

Sad but true. Today, kids won't pay any attention to anything unless it's somehow connected to their smartphones, or the internet. Makes me ill.

[@tlcbullit383]

Back in the late sixties. I had a REO on a home made mini bike. I only had 1 lobe on the cam that drove 2 slave rockers that pushed the valves. A friend of mine welded the lobe on the cam. And I belt sanded it smooth. Only kid in the neighborhood with a full race cam. It ran for years. Or until I got a car. Thanks for the memories.

[@santaclause2875]

I was wondering how the cam was set up on that engine. Because the inlet is on one side, the exhaust on the other. I've been scratching my head trying to figure out how the camshaft is set up in there.

[@mcburcke]

That thing was made the same year I was born! If I ever start running bad, I'll just go see Taryl for some servicing...

[@nailed2thecross01]

You have alot of Love in the community man! Still need a Mcculloch chainsaw video!

[@marshallsayre58]

Hi Taryl, we appreciate you and what you go thru during these challenging times. Your experience, whether life or on the many small engines that you never turn away, is a treasure to us grass rather. Thnk you, junior, your staff and be safe

[@marshallsayre58]

And slippers

[@WNCworks]

You should clean that up, paint it, and rig up a fan to it to run in the booth at some of the shows you go to. Fun video!

[@restaurantattheendofthegalaxy]

A great piece of history! It still amazes me about the number of vendors in the lawnmower space in the '50s.

[@Flammable281]

What a cool little engine!

[@joejohnson7097]

Love watching you get the old engine and equipment up running again. Thanks for the video

[@JeepinBoon]

I love the idle sound of that motor.

[@petertothpete6518]

Almost sounded like valve float to me, saw a few puffs come out the carb at 43:23. Great vid, I enjoy these oldies.

[@Briangbn]

I love your videos keep them coming you're not only cool but you're funny dude too

[@jimmyguy428]

The crank shaft runs backwards in these engines, and the PTO shaft is actually the cam shaft that runs forward like a standard engine's PTO. Being that the crank drives the cam, two to one, it acts as a gear reduction as well so output is a bit slow. I had one of these back in the day. It didn't make a lot of power, but it sure did run well.

[@santaclause2875]

I was scratching my head trying to figure out the camshaft setup. Because intake is on one side, exhaust on the other. So the PTO shaft is the camshaft with only one lobe that lifts two separate tappets? And yeah, I spotted the 'running backwards' thing, most all other small engines run clockwise looking at the blower end of the crankshaft.

[@jimmyguy428]

@@santaclause2875 yes, one lobe on the cam, and two rocker type followers.

[@santaclause2875]

@@jimmyguy428 thanks!

[@jimmyguy428]

@@santaclause2875 you're welcome. I'm glad to help.

[@bucklinoutdoorpowerequipme3846]

I use to run a small 120 ton Verson press at the last toaster factory in the US. Toastmaster inc. In Macon, MO. Well made presses. The biggest we had was a 300 Ton we had a lot of Bliss presses as well. Again we were only making toaster and other small kitchen appliance parts. But all the Verson presses were old. Our 300 Ton was new in 1956 and the main bearings finally went out in 1995. God knows how many hours was on it. But it was back up and running great when the plant shut down in 2000.

[@terrystroble8657]

There were a couple in a tool and die shop I worked for 40 years ago. I bet they still use them.

[@christopherwhite668]

We have a Verson to stamp and form our collars and footrings. We make aluminum propane gas tanks for fork trucks, lawn mowers, floor buffers and rv cylinders.

[@treytaylor7553]

Another great video guys! Bringing the vintage motors back to life is always cool and interesting. You never know what you’ll run into. Really cool that you got Buckets in this one. Have a good week and see you Friday!!!!!!!!!

[@hestheMaster]

The REO letters stand for Ransom Eli Olds ,you know like in Oldsmobile. Mr. Olds started a lawnmower engine building business in 1946. It's funny that Taryl mentioned go-karts. Back in the late 1950s (and into the 1960s) this was one of many lawn mower engines used by young boy's back then to scare mom's everywhere. Then the mini bike came along! Dun, dun,dun. City cops did not like them driven by us youngin's! It's alive! It's alive! Great stuff Taryl.

[@whateverweasel]

We all luv you too Taryl (& Team)! Great spooky skit 🎃 and I always like the falsetto-voice audience/comments section remarks during the repairs. 😂 It ain’t the Space Shuttle always struck a good chord too. Thanks for the dinner TFA! 👍🏻

[@BrettM-sm3hn]

Over many years, I’ve made a few jokes about Lancelot Link and no one ever got it. As a kid, Maybe I stayed inside watching tv while I should have been out cutting the grass. 😂

[@2StrokeDriptroit]

Oh!! Some had the gear reduction like this one, some had none with the PTO as the crank itself! My 10 has both.

[@santaclause2875]

Did they all run counter clockwise like this one? Never seen a small engine run backwards.

[@JW-iw6ww]

REO Speedwagon got the name from the car... Ransom Eli Olds.... and this was part of the mower division..... very cool!!!.... this would be a great engine for a portable air compressor.... GREAT VID!!!..... greetings from NH...

[@patrickdurham8393]

The REO Speedwagon was a multi use truck platform highly used for fire trucks.

[@ganoncollins1]

I have 2 of those that I couldn't part with when cleaning out grandfathers basement. Guess I need to dig em out and get em running!

[@5ryane]

If you use a belt to drive a pully for any application from the engine pully and you need to reverse the pully direction of rotation you can figure 8 the belt or x the belt. I know you know this Taryl but some of your fans might not know figure eighting a drive belt will reverse the pully being driven.

[@bonniewight911]

Thanks!

[@g.l.g.6064]

In 1956 my dad got a Reo Rotary self powered lawn mower for me to cut the grass at the new house (big corner lot) and to make spending money doing neighbors lawns. It was a high maintenance machine for the use it got, it lasted until 1972 and since than only have had rotary mowers. Memories 😎

[@allseasonservices]

Nothing more satisfying than getting a turd polished up!

[@robc1961]

Lancelot link secret chimp. .. loved that show.

[@markmore5906]

Fantastic job!! Love seeing Daryl work on vintage equipment and other fine art

[@buzzedalldrink9131]

Taryl !!!! You and Doc Neon need to make a video on how to build a spark plug cleaning machine!! I am sure I am not the only one who wants one!!!!

[@BCole-bj4lv]

Well Taryl, I know how old you are. I had a Lancelot lunch box in my past. Nobody remembers that show. I also had an engine just about like that. My dad took it apart for me and taught me all about engines. I started tearing everything apart after that. I made that engine run on a bicycle and welded new sprockets and pulleys on in place of the pedals and had a blast although I had no brakes.

[@kevindietzel8100]

Tayrl is the man, but I wanted to send some love to the brothers gross, you guys are doing a hell of a job with this channel. Great work. Taryl is a natural teacher and KZbin personality. Once you have seen a couple videos to get on the right wavelength, the humor lands. Reminds me of hanging out with my family. Keep up the good work. Never imagined I would watch so much small engine repair.

[@MissouriOldTimer]

on those old copper pipes if you have a leak, you can take a piece of cotton string, run the string over a bar of soap several times to get it coated with soap, then wrap the string behind the feral and tighten the fitting and it will seal off the gas.. yes that is the old fashioned fix , but it works.

[@jballew2239]

I have used a drop of solder on either side of the ferrule, to do a similar fix.

[@chrisbrown7362]

The feral ferrule!! It cannot be tamed by modern civilization! Like Mommo used to be, or that kid in "Road Warrior."

[@crisprtalk6963]

Can we get a hell yeah for Gary Richrath? A real Rock N Roll star!

[@billsmith5904]

Great video thanks

[@darrellkelly7614]

That Taryl sure knows his stuff. Great video on old ass equipt.

[@Eric-fv4jx]

As a connoisseur of the old cast iron engines, I enjoy these episodes especially. I am currently trying to find a Tecumseh magneto to put into a Lawson engine which are interchangeable from what I understand. I say save them all.

[@paulboomer7109]

Diamond REO is a 2 stroke diesel mine was a 14-yard dump truck 6-speed double clutch built in 1948. REO Speedwagon!

[@mikerunamuck]

She purrs like a Kitten !!! You should see the REO FIRE TRUCK they have at the JACK DANIELS DISTILLERY Lynchburg Tenn !!!! made in Lansing Michigan !!

[@robinredman5192]

Taryl, born in 1952 my tubing is also all distorted. If you got an extra Ferrule (feral=best spelling) it might help with all the leaking, ah,ah, ah. What did I do with the old nut? I think it hit the floor, it disappeared. I don't know if I can get it outa there. All good questions I often ask myself😅🤣😂 . John here, photographing the beautiful back-roads of Northeastern Tennessee.

[@notajp]

I believe in England they call ferrules, olives.

[@Flashman36175]

"All my old mechanic moved away". When Taryl was talking about maniacs. 😅😅

[@chubbyjohnson5480]

Great to see Buckets again.

[@michaelglynn2638]

Neat little unit, sounds in good shape too. Thanks all 👍

[@agostinodibella9939]

Ranson E. Olds would be proud Taryl!

[@davelowets]

Ransom

[@majorpayne5289]

Good stuff! Always enjoy the OCT Halloween videos. Keep up the great work, T! *YAY!!! I got my calendar today!! Hopefully with Ronnie’s signature too! (Need more Ronnie the snake vids)

[@billmalec]

Ole REO Lunchwagon

[@shaunvance3389]

Excellent work I’m 64 my father tought a lot about everything about everything 💚 🍀🍀😎

[@jasonsmith373]

Put it on a minibike, Minibike Man. That'd be a fun project.

[@NebukedNezzer]

notice the kink in the gas line. back in the late 50s a neighbor kid had on of these on a home made go kart. it had just enough kink in the fuel line that he would start it, jump on the kart and drive 20 feet then it would stall. he repeated that continually. my friend Don and I tried to tell him it was the kink in the fuel line but he never listened.

[@andrefiset3569]

REO mowers are related to REO Motor Car Company who made the REO Speedwagon truck which the band got its name from.

[@brettdillaman5477]

The skits are what got me. Now i look forward to them

[@jefftheaussie2225]

The filter bowl assembly looks like a Briggs and Stratton spec.

[@davelowets]

3:20 Ransom Eli Olds also built small engines, along with Speedwagons? I'll be damned, I never would have made the connection... 🤔 Thanks Mr. O! 😜

[@tpearl209]

I had a friend who passed away back in 2007 who did small engine work, and after he had passed his wife called me and had me pick up 2 generators. One of those generators was an old military one. Well that old military one being as old as it was and may have sat in indoors when it sat because all I did was clean out the glass fuel filter and it started on fresh gas, no leaks or issues just started and ran and gave power. It had an inline twin cylinder and metal jacket spark plugs. If a remember right the name started with a J.

[@ISLEOVUE]

Close call, only 'Tough Guys' can handle a maniac! Good thing Buckets was there

[@JDG1958]

I’m 66. The first mower that I ever ran was a reel mower. I was about 8-9 years old. Dad said that if I could start it, I could mow. Mother had a fit. Been mowing since then. Reel mowers made a nice cut.

[@harveysmidlap]

Except for the buckhorn weed.

[@meandthemrs7403]

Not many people are going to remember Lancelot Link, Taryl. I loved it when I was a little kid about 55 years ago. Those talking chimps are extinct now.

[@Davidjb37721]

We love you my friend

[@8Nguy1948]

We really appreciate you sharing your vast knowledge with us .

[@gregpanek523]

REO are the initials of Ransom Eli Olds. Founder of the Oldsmobile. After a few years Billy Durant bought the stocks out from under Oldsmobile, got 51% and took over, also did that with other brands , to form GM. Oakland became Pontiac, Flint became Buick The original Ford became Cadillac... But back to Ransom, after he lost Oldsmobile to GM he started R.E.O. using his initials One of his products was a truck he called the Speedwagon, hence the name REO Speedwagon. He made cars, lawnmowers and other products too. GM kept Oldsmobile in Lansing Mi. as well as Ransom Eli Olds also stayed in town. His main product was the R.E.O. Trucks. Sometime in the late '50s, early ''60s White Trucks bought Diamond T and REO and combined them as Diamond REO trucks they eventually became rebadged White trucks and faded away. Sometime in the '50s, probably when White bought REO they stopped making lawnmowers. When I was 12-13 in the mid '60s We used to get the sheeve for Whizzer Bike engine kits from a local Schwinn bike shop that was also a Whizzer dealership and screw it to the spokes on the back wheel and mount whatever horizontal shaft engine we could find on our bikes. I used to run Briggs or Tecumseh I preferred Briggs because the Tecumseh, if you ran it without a governor, it would blow the oil out of the breather and throw a rod. There were a couple of guys that had the REO engines, which fit the bicycle frame easier with the slanted cylinder.. I don't remember if the output shaft is an extension of the cam running half speed or if it is a seperate from the cam1:1 ratio shaft. I've seen plenty of those motors but never actually owned one.

[@Peter-f2y5t]

I remember on the farm in northern Michigan there was the remnants of a REO Speedwagon truck. Just the frame and front and rear axle. It had rear wheel chain drive.

[@davidlaws1438]

Didn't "White' eventually become Frightliner?

[@gregpanek523]

@@davidlaws1438 White owned Freightline, Autocar and Western Star too

[@davelowets]

Yes, you KNOW your Oldsmobile history. I am an Oldsmobile man myself. I've been building them and drag racing them for 30 years. Olds power baby! 👌

[@gregpanek523]

@@davelowets I spent the first 45 years of my life in the Metro Detroit area, In actuality I'm a Mopar guy, but my favorite GM car is the Oldsmmobile.A real Olsdsmobile, not a Oldsrolet. I used to buy '69-'70 Chevy C-10 pickups with 6 bangers or rod knocking rodent V-8s replace the rear coil springs with air bags and put a 350 Olds engine in them. A true torque monster workhorse!

[@craigdonnelly2290]

Love the finning on the flywheel.

[@daveroberts9431]

I would like to have that engine " here with me" on a Generator While " Riding the storm Out" because without power it will be " One lonely night"

[@agtrestorer8438]

good job getting it going. sounds good.

[@Jeffrey-t8g]

Make sure and tune in next week Grass Rats when Small Engine Archeologist Taryl Dactal get's King Tut's 5000 year old lawnmower running again.

[@rverro8478]

I have a 1953 211G 1 3/4 hp REO engine. It came from a wheel mower. The output shaft runs backwards. EDIT: I commented before watching the video. Now, I want to make it run again. That's if I can seal the gas tank WHICH, was changed with a homemade one, made with an old windex metal can. It seems to be all original (minus the "gas tank". As an odd point of reference, it's darker KFC creamy coleslaw green color.

[@mjm7187]

Well done! TYD. More Verson stories, retired T& D guy here.

[@supralapsarian]

32:42 That “Dee-dle-dee!” 🤣🤣🤣

[@NovaBill6264]

Awesome video God Bless you and your family Amen

[@andyhamilton8940]

Roll with the changes! Elskinsssss roll with the changes!

[@robertschemonia5617]

I have 2 of them. They have a very unique camshaft in them. They were ahead of their time in having the angled cylinder like all of them have now!

At last an engine older than me, thanks for another great video!

[@J.Manuel.]

Eres increíble taryl ,jijiji otro aprobado por mi parte ! Un saludo máquina 👍👍👍

[@keithkilps8250]

Another great video on vintage engines. ThanksTaryl

[@duMaurierMalone]

Fantastic Excuse You while you get OFF!!! Right On Big Props👍

[@georgeian3243]

Thanks Taryl, love the brass bowl.

[@markchriestenson3257]

The ignition coil is similar to older tecumseh /power products engines. It uses waste spark so it fires on TDC and 180° out. So using an induction tach, means you have to divide your reading by 1/2, as most induction tachs assume it only fires at TDC only.

[@robertrabhudsonhornet5869]

It's a long ways from home but it's great you got it up and running

[@Cravz69]

Taryl, the time you spent on the fuel line is what separates you from the rest of these channels!👍

[@Prometheus1979]

Loving the content and humor. I want more!!!!!!

[@michaelhernandez439]

Hiya Taryl, I installed the Crane rail on the million pound Crane at Verson. Installed the lighting in the pit too. No one believes me about the 500 ton crane, 🍄🤣 Mike the Marine from Chicago. See yins over the Christmas Holidays and have a Hamms with yins in podunk. Cheer 🍻

[@alexp6016]

I could go on all day with REO Speedwagon references 😂

[@jeffclark2725]

Great way to start a Sunday morning, thumbs up great video

[@haneyoakie14]

36:00 I can’t fight this feeling anymore

[@StevePasquarella]

I have one that I found in a abandoned house back in the 70's, REO is a company that R E Oldsmobile owned, he would get bored and start different ventures and this was one of them.

[@chadlambert3186]

Love the intro😂😂

[@pyrog.c.c89]

You the man!!🇺🇸

[@JacquesLevyJr]

Your The best Taryl !!!

[@Lon-up8bq]

Out of all the KZbin fix it channels Taryl fixes all is the most entertaining and informative!

[@oxyfee6486]

I remember thinking his channel was corny at first, so I just kept avoiding his videos. Man do I wish I would have subscribed earlier, I have learned so much from these guys. Subscribe folks, you definitely won’t regret it.👍🇨🇦🇺🇸

[@jerryaugustine1329]

That engine is awsome!

[@lordsauto]

Really cool. Love it. I'd buy it.

[@MichaelThomas-dr6xy]

Love the Lancelot Link references! LOL

[@simplyconnected]

Lansing, Michigan is the home of Oldsmobile and like everyone else said, REO is Ransom E. Olds who was born in Geneva, Ohio, manufactured many small gas engines including yours. They're usually painted green.

[@josephyoung451]

Tarly use a crescent to reroute tubing work well and torch to a Neil tubing when it cools you can bend it again. Thanks for the video.

[@markbrown-us4xe]

Thanks for helping build the press that would rumble the whole plant I worked in. The drafting people had to work off site.