Early Cummins History

Today on what it's like, engine episode early history of Cummings
Founded in 1919 by Clessie Cummins and William Irwin ( a prominent banker who put up the capital to fund the business venture ) really cool episode enjoy =)
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[@andreamills5852]

I'm in tears and the crying i'm doing's for you .Angel --Areosmith .

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah that's it =) congrats

[@johnboydTx]

I'm Impressed 👏👏👏👏 Congratulations , Well Done ✌️

[@HelpingHand-ic4wt]

@@What.its.like. I woulda picked "Eww eww that smell" 👃

[@johnboydTx]

@@PS-js9oh Ode to Billy Joe .. Good Movie 🍿 👍 Just stay out of the muddy water .✌️

[@MattCummins-g5z]

Thank you for creating this video on my grandfather. It's an incredible story of brilliance and determination. Your details are close. He actually came from a family that built wooden barrels. They often moved based on the supply of the needed elm wood. The Packard Limousine story is especially critical to the beginnings of the company. As the stock market crash was closing markets everywhere, WG Irwin told my grandfather that on January 1, 1930, the doors of the company needed to close. My grandfather's idea of putting one of his new model U engines into a car was an act of desperation. Within a matter of days, a small team of people created all the necessary parts to shoe horn the engine into the vehicle and on Christmas day he drive up to the Irwin home. WG was furious that he would buy such vehicle, and refused to come out. Eventually he gave in and took a drive with him. After a slight overheating problem, my grandfather got out and opened the hood. WG also got out and was astonished to see one of their engines powering the car. This was the start of the companies success. Nowhere in the world had someone put a diesel into a car (or a truck). Diesel's were never thought of us as an automotive engine. His speed runs at Daytona beach, racing at Indianapolis, truck endurance runs at Indianapolis, and coast to coast runs were all done to show the diesels reliability and fuel efficiency. I also need to say that he left the engine company in 1945 moving from Indiana to California. He did maintain his title, but not as an acting president. After his departure, my dad and grandfather developed 2 additional products - the Jacob's Engine Brake (Jake Brake), and an alternate replacement/ aftermarket fuel system for Cummins engines (The Hydrometer fuel system). My grandfather's last project was a "barrel" engine. It was a gasoline engine that used a "swash plate" crankshaft design for maximum power with minimum engine size. He ran it in his basement shortly before he passed away. I do have to make a big correction. He never worked at Allison. Somehow this was reported in Wikipedia. For the full story of his life, read "The Diesel Odyssey of Clessie Cummins.

[@charlesdalton985]

Thank you for the clarification and additional details. What a fascinating story and life he had.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for those corrections I thought it was weird for him to go to work for Allison. Thank you so much for watching =)

[@georgestirewalt8508]

Thanks Matt. Now I'm interested in the Living. Please tell us about your self, like what you do for a living. What's your interest do you hold any patents. Do you fish, farm, hunt, build engines, fly planes or play golf ⛳

[@automatedelectronics6062]

The houses Sears sold were kits, which included all materials and instructions/plans. They were assembled/built by the buyer or hired people. Complete assembled houses were not shipped by train.

[@What.its.like.]

I know that was just a funny picture I couldn't find an image of the crates on rail cars

[@automatedelectronics6062]

@@What.its.like. I realize that you were just putting up a funny picture, but then, some people might have believed. One of my best friends grew up in a Sears shotgun shack.

[@russwabuda1556]

let's just stop here. the three diesel players at the dawn of this, in this country were international harvester, caterpiller and clessie cummins. he is one of the most unsung heros of modern times.. john deere and the rest, including gm built on these three, each with their own way of starting. we owe them a lot. they taught all of us.

[@What.its.like.]

I always forget Detroit diesel but it was there since the beginning definitely going to cover all of them. I want to cover red diamond blue diamond green diamond engines and I don't know how I'm gonna go about that if I should do them all in one or if I should separate them by color.. But those are engines that never really get the time of day they were in international trucks as well as a few other manufacturers.. but probably will do international v8 before that one

[@seanbatiz6620]

🤯🤯🤯👍🏻👍🏻‼️ WAY more kool factoids from the Cummins history then I ever knew before! Mind-blower of an episode 👌🏻

[@What.its.like.]

=) I was a little bit disappointed that we didn't really get into any of the history of the engines, but I figured the history of the company would be good, this isn't going to be our only Cummins episode I'd love to cover the actual engines as well as 1956 to now

[@seanbatiz6620]

@@What.its.like. YES! A “part 2” would be highly appreciated!

[@bparksiii6171]

Good one on the Cummins. Now we need an episode on the Chrysler experimental diesel program in 1939 when they patterned diesels from their largest gas truck engines and designed them with overhead valves and heavier block and parts, and built 5 trucks and evaluated them like the turbine cars in the 60's. Just was no business need then to market diesels until they partnered with Cummins in 1988 to offer diesel heavy duty pickups.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for sharing that information. I never knew Chrysler had a diesel program in 1939. I'm definitely doing an episode on the Chrysler turbine experiment going to talk about everything... because a lot of people don't know that that program started in the early 50s.. Happy you dig this episode

[@bparksiii6171]

​@@What.its.like. I did not know either until I read a Don Bunn Dodge truck history book a long time ago. I sent some diesel info with the other Chrysler engines. They built 5 heavy duty 1939 Dodge trucks with the diesels as tractor trucks and pulled loaded trailers cross country with 2 engineers taking turns driving, the rider taking notes, and watching instruments and monitoring fuel mileage they got the same results as Cummins plus they lent a couple of trucks for trucking companies for evaluation. The companies liked the fuel savings and less maintenance but the engines was too expensive at the time, the diesels didnt catch on until the mid 60's. Only Corbitt, Fageol (Peterbuilt), Twin Coach, Yellow Coach, Freightliner, Kenworth, and GM was just beginning to offer diesels as as an option before WW II.

[@justinpeterson6839]

I dont have any older cummins stories as im only 33 but I do work on current x15's and isl/isb and I can say for sure they are super easy to work on and easier to diagnose

[@TomC2100]

73 year old car guy, really enjoying your videos. I think this one was the best yet. I thought I was quite familiar with Cummins, and have visited their factory and offices in Columbus, Indiana, but so much was new to me. Klessie was obviously one of those pathfinders that God has sent through the years in order to enable the growth of civilization.

[@What.its.like.]

I'm so happy you enjoyed this episode it took a while to put this one together and then was having doubts on it because it was more history than actual engines but I'm finding out the history. The background history is also amazing needs to be shared. I would love to do more episodes like this.

[@61rampy65]

Very well researched video on an interesting topic. The only history about Cummins was the Indy car racer, and I knew it never pitted for fuel. The rest was all new to me! One minor nit: El Cajon is pronounced as "El Cahone". The only story I have about diesels is: about 15 years ago, one of my students had an 05 or so Chrysler 300. He had removed the Hemi, and replaced it with a 4 cyl Cummins turbo diesel. I asked him why, and he said "Why not?" I can't argue with that logic. What impressed me was how clean the installation was- it almost looked factory installed, and he kept his A/C. He even had little Cummins badges on the front fenders. Again, great video, Jay!

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for sharing that correction I really appreciate it as well as all the insight and information. I'm happy you dig this episode. It took a long time to find all the visuals that I wanted to use. 1956 Continental Mark II tomorrow

[@61rampy65]

@@What.its.like. OOOH! Definitely one of my favorite cars!

[@keithstudly6071]

Hey, he turned Ray Harroun in to Ray Hairoun so just what do you expect from a guy from PA?

[@leedaniels7196]

Didn’t know Cummins was this old!.😊

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

Very educational trivia ! I figured if im going to watch a video i may as well learn something ! 🤘

[@What.its.like.]

Hahaha yeah this was a cool video that's for sure

[@P_RO_]

For a month or so in my mid-20's I helped a friend service dump trucks and tanker semi's at night but I don't remember what engines were involved- some had to be Cummins. I learned how to drive a 15 speed Ford Cab-over and how to back a 40ft trailer into very tight spaces while I was there. I did know about the Indy car but as always I learned something here; I didn't know the "Jake brake" was named after Jacobs- DOH! I've helped restore 3 Sears houses and worked on a few others, they were available from plain to fancy. They were designed to be carried by wagon from train to jobsite so some lumber lengths weren't optimal. Along with their "Allstate" cars, you truly could buy everything you needed from a Sears catalog once upon a time.

[@jamesblair9614]

I’m still flogging my 91 Cummins, and it’s a keeper since it doesn’t rely on a computer or electronics, once the starter has done its job, it’s all mechanical.

[@kenappel6149]

Me to, 91.5 (intercooled) W250 and a 93 D 350, not a lot of power by modern standards but we're top dog in their day

[@kevinlott9626]

Great information..!! I look forward to seeing more from you in the future. 👍

[@Low760]

Having read the book on clessie, without dying from boredom through some parts. His history is interesting. The 15,000mile test was awesome.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome =)

[@Carstuff111]

I can say that the oldest working (still in service making money) Cummins engine I have ever experienced in person was a Big Cam 400 I believe, from the last of that generation of Cummins engine. The oldest still in service diesel engine I have experienced in person was an ex-military generator set with a Detroit Diesel engine from roughly the late 1960s that my uncle bought in the late 1990s for a song after it had just been freshly rebuilt, both generator and engine. I do not remember which engine it had exactly, but the generator set had enough power for his 2 automated (for feeding, watering and egg collection) chicken houses with all of their draw, his house, and 3 rental properties in the dead of summer with capacity to spare. It paid for itself many times over in the winter and a few times in the hottest of summers. During a test he turned off grid power, isolated from the grid, and started the generator. The mercury vapor lamps in the chicken houses, once warmed back up, were bright vivid white instead of a slightly yellow, and the power outlets went from reading 105-108 volts with a meter to 120 volts. Sorry... I am an old diesel enthusiast....

[@beesleyc]

Irwin Miller learned about modern architecture at Yale and when he returned home was able to convince more senior members of Columbus' Irwin-Sweeney-Miller dynasty to build in 1942 one of the first contemporary churches in the US. His continued patronage led to this sleepy little town in Southern Indiana being named the 6th most architecturally innovative city in America by the AIA in 2012. PS: No 's' in Kenworthy.

[@warrenjr527]

This episode was very interesting and you outdid yourself with educational information. I knew Cummins was the ultimate in diesel engines but nothing about it's story. Not only was he a great engineer he was tenacious against years of adversity..

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for watching happy you dig this episode

[@JefferyHall-ct2tr]

Hi Jay! That Cummins history is pretty fascinating. We had a lady who lived in our town in Indiana whose name was also Cummins. Don't know if her husband was a relative of Clessie or not. Those Cummins Diesel Indy cars are pretty darn cool! Last time I was at the ACD museum, they had one there. I believe they used Duesenberg "A" chassis on the 1930's ones. A later one was run at Indy in 1952 and had a Kurtis-Kraft chassis (I think).. Got to see that car run WAY back in 1982 at the Speedway on pole day. I believe Freddy Agabashian was driving it, just like in 1952. Too bad none of those Cummins Auburns no longer exist! Would be SO interesting to see one!

[@MattCummins-g5z]

One diesel powered Auburn and Cadillac are in the their history center. The same facility as their 5 Indy cars - 7 runners.

[@charlesdalton985]

Outstanding! I learned a ton from this, thank you sir ~ Chuck

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome =)

[@andreamills5852]

Awesome episode Jay .

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much happy you dig this episode

[@Frank-sf1wh]

I think Clessie would be upset with what they have done to his motor. I’ve had a few Cummins motors in my trucks, but since about 2000, they’re just not the same. I run Caterpillar now.

[@antibowtie440]

Awesome video awesome guy awesome engine. I had 5.9 with 488000 miles that the oil stayed clean for 2000 miles. Will not have anything but a Cummins. 😎

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome glad to hear that you dig this episode

[@geebs76]

Real cool episode with awesome video clips and pictures. I love the injection pump on the engine at 6:50. It must have been cool to be able to take a cross-country road trip in a development car to impress people. These days it's not a big deal and nobody would pay attention. Sorry, although I have worked on many Cummins engines from 5.9L (ISB) to 95L (QSK) but the earliest Cummins I worked on was a V903 which is a 1960's design.

[@What.its.like.]

=)

[@andyvonyeast332]

Cummins builds the finest Diesel engine money can buy. At work, we say, “If that had a Cummins, it would still be out making money.”

[@draggonsgate]

Great vid, as usual! Funny how diesels are so popular in cars over in Europe, but not here. GM kinda killed that notion I think for us. Detroit Diesel in the works? 🙂

[@bradyelich2745]

Gramps plowed with a team of heavy horse, which made him thick. He used to take Model T truck to city, buy gas which came in 55 gallon steel barrels, put on truck by himself. Travel home, and sell some gas on the way, lifting the barrels of gas off truck by himself - over 500 lbs. By the 1970's, Gramps was one of 3 men in the area, whom could still do the anvil toss, where grip anvil by the horn (the tapered part) and toss it. They stopped the game at the fairs shortly after. Gramps bought a Case C tractor in 1939 second hand. The C started on gas, then switched to heavier fuel.

[@Buzz-vz2js]

Back when men were made of iron and boats were made of wood. That was a saying a fellow used to say to me

[@MichaelGarner-io2td]

My Time With the Diesel, by Clessie Cummins is an interesting book for those that are interested in early automotive history.

[@michaelwelch5392]

Back in the late 90's early 00's worked for a guy that bought from a early 80's Ford auction, a Cummings cut-away 6 cyl. that was a display at the New York world's fair, (32 33 34 that it ran?). But anyway it was cut out so you could see the inner workings of the whole engine. While I worked for this same guy he acquired from the Bonneville speed museum a painting of the Cummings Special which was a car that tried to break the 24 hours top speed record, but ended up falling short. So I asked him did he think the cut-away engine was the same type that the race car used? Never know for sure but anyway. That's my early Cummings story. If memory services me right it wasn't any bigger than a Ford 300 6.

[@RandyKopis]

There is NO G in CUMMINS! Pet peeve of mine.

[@ZippydsmLee-freetube]

And now Cummins is reaching Italian carmaker quality....

[@KayakTN]

If you get hired at Cummins, they make you watch something very similar to this on your first day. 😅

[@What.its.like.]

Eh this is way deeper then the one they have maybe they will use this video

[@ronnieroberts9478]

Perfect video as always thank you so much

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for watching and digging this video

[@ronnieroberts9478]

@@What.its.like. yes thank you for the great videos

[@phxmotor1]

Dude... the El Cajon pass is a Spanish word. Everyone here knows it's pronounced ..,"L-caw-hone". Also: Next thing you do on Cummins it would be cool to include the fantastic architecture(s) in Cummins hometown in Indiana. A couple dozen guys snd bounty buildings donated free of charge to the best most well known architects in the would. The result? An array of buildings like no other in the would. All donated by the Cummins Corporation.

[@seanhoward8025]

Great choice, Jay!!!

[@What.its.like.]

It a pretty good episode I think you'll dig =)

[@scottmacleod6301]

A Cummins powered Auburn, wouldn't that be awesome!

[@What.its.like.]

Totally agree

[@pauljanssen7594]

Peanuts is a genetically altered vegetable, basic design was to produce biofuel for diesel engines. Big oil put a stop to that real fast!!!

[@asteverino8569]

I'm usually don't feel much interest in engine episodes. I liked this a lot. Those compression brakes are still called Jake Brakes and can be loud. Haha Thanks Jay.

[@What.its.like.]

@@asteverino8569 I was going to do history of the early engines, but I figured it would've been really cool via history as episode on the brand =) happy you dig this episode Going to do episodes like this every now and then I called this the long format because it takes forever to put together I would love to do a Duesenberg engine episode like this, as well as Lycoming continental engines Franklin engines .. and many many more

[@asteverino8569]

I like your ideas for future episodes. I do appreciate the time, patience creativity and tenacity in making a video. The rule of thumb used to be one hour for one minute of video.

[@paulfilanowski7808]

It is the precise timing of the injection that is most significant. The invention is precisely timed injection. To the gas mechanic it is better to tell "injection ignition engine". Ignition timing is sacrament to mechanics thinking. Let's improve our communication.

[@jamest.5001]

Cummings was born on my birthday! Or vise versa!

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome

[@goatfarmmb]

the Adolph Saurer company in Switzerland was a pioneer in Diesel engines as well mostly for their in house build Trucks. Saurer even had for a short time a factory in the US which later was taken over by Mack trucks Company. Awesome video by the way keep em coming

[@What.its.like.]

Great insight thank you so much for sharing that

[@Low760]

Hyvid cunmins motors were sold by sears not the f. The farmers would buy one and share it in communities then return it to sears.

[@HelpingHand-ic4wt]

I knew about

[@What.its.like.]

I really dug for information fir this one I thought the early history was super interesting

[@davidmitchell7183]

You missed the part of Clessie's story where after nearly getting killed in the brake failure, that you mentioned. Mr Cummins invented the diesel engine brake and donated it to the Jacobs Manufacturing Company. The "Jake brake's" heritage.

[@What.its.like.]

I did you must've not got to that part of the video it's later on in the video

[@KayakTN]

Which is ironic since they purchased Jacobs a few years ago.

[@davidmitchell7183]

@@What.its.like. My bad then.

[@jimciancio9005]

I have a Onan generator that is a diesel single cylinder air cooled beast that is now owned by Cummins, being the world's leading diesel manufacturer its only right I guess that they bought out Onan and have continued to produce their famous generator line's which are still offered in multiple fuel configurations today. The amazing thing is that they really haven't changed much in the design of their new found lineup for generators. Why break something that works so well and is almost bullet proof in the reliability standpoint?! Right? Lol great job on this one Brother. And as always Thanks for making these informative videos and God Bless you. ❤❤❤

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome thank you so much for sharing your Onan =) that is a company that will need its own episode one day Happy you dig this episode

[@stevenslater2669]

That’s Ray “Ha-room” not “Her-un”. I used to work with his son, Ray.

[@davidpowell3347]

It was my impression that early Diesel engines did not have timed fuel injection (or fuel injection at all) depending on the fuel being ingested along with air just like a spark ignition engine and resulting in very violent combustion until the engine speed and load was stabilized (the principle would have been much like the (Tester's brand fuel) fueled model airplane engines with their "glow plug" about 50 horsepower out of an engine that weighed at least a ton? what kind of engines in World War I German underseaboats ? also the early passenger trainset "City of San Francisco"? (I think one of the first passenger trains to use an internal combustion engine was fueled by kerosene but not sure if it was compression ignition or spark ignition) I think Cummins was one of the first people to invent a timed extreme high pressure fuel injection system - one of the Ketterings might have invented another one ? (for their locomotive engine adapted from an earlier Winton design?) The timed high pressure fuel injection allowed the first "high speed" Diesel engine with much higher horsepower per weight than early Diesels which were mostly low fixed speed?

[@mountainman0]

all diesel engines have had timed fuel injection from the very beginning of the prototypes. Rudolf diesel actually wanted to use firstly Ammonia as a fuel when applying for the original patent, then changed to powdered coal to get MAN interested in developing the prototypes but after almost 2 years changed to a coal tar oil and then to what would now be called diesel. all diesel prior to 1911 used air-blast injection where the metered charge of fuel was pumped at low pressure -40psi into the mixing chamber of the injector before being blown into the cylinder from the mixing chamber by a timed shot of high pressure air at 3-4000psi. The Cummins PT injection system actually uses this style of metering the fuel to this day but uses only Solid injection into the combustion chamber. it was the maintenance required to clean and service the injectors (every day in the early types) and the high pressure air compressors exploding when the ring packing became worn -they would bypass oil into the clean air side and at the high pressures the compressor now became a diesel engine burning the lubricating oil inside the compressor cylinders. in 1911 Vickers in the UK introduced a design of engine for use in the submarines they were building that used what would now be called a common rail system but was all mechanically controlled of course but more importantly used solid injection (fuel only) and so didn't need the air compressor for combustion. Bosch brought their inline injector pump out in late 1920's with solid injection and allowed smaller and lighter higher speed diesels for trucks and equipment to really be a viable option. MAN during WW1 built most of the U boat engines and were either 2 or 4 stroke depending on which factory - Ausburg or Nurnburg built them. ALL of the early diesels were made to replace or substitute for steam engines and only ever ran at low RPM's as most early factories were belt driven machinery, so they needed very high torque at very low RPM's. Lyle Cummins wrote 3 excellent books on the early history of internal combustion engines and the first diesels up to the end of WW2 - KZbin won't let me name them here though.

[@christopherandersch1299]

How about the short lived 2 stroke diesel race car engine.its a hoot of a story

[@What.its.like.]

One day =)

[@thestevedoughtyshow27]

Today the big boy is the X15. Over the years I have owned many pick up trucks, everything from flathead to big 440's. I have a Dodge with a 5.9 Commins. I will never go back to a gas pick up. My car is a Mercedes diesel, it gets better fuel mileage then my mini copper did. But thanks to the EPA diesel engine are fubar today.

[@chrisjarvis4449]

the epa has done some good thing but making cars and trucks is not one of them ! i will never understand why the makers put up with them ! some of the law makers need to go have lunch with hoffa !

[@ColtonRMagby]

Cummins engines are dead-on reliable. Ask anyone who has a heavy duty truck with one of their engines, and you'll hear it from them.

[@What.its.like.]

Totally agree

[@bparksiii6171]

I drove dump trucks with Cummins and Detroits, 2 different worlds

[@ColtonRMagby]

@@bparksiii6171 I don't know anything about Detroits.

[@leedaniels7196]

You are correct!.I used to drive a heavy duty truck with a Cummins engine.Virtually Indestructible!.

[@bradyelich2745]

Of course I watched until the end. WTF are we supposed to do with that?

[@What.its.like.]

Just having a little fun =)

[@bradyelich2745]

@@What.its.like. OK

[@ThomasWBaldwin]

Local fishing boats. John Deere or Cummings

[@stanleyness7230]

What happened to the 40mpg diesel engine?

[@What.its.like.]

I know right Gas mileage is something that they could improve upon, but they won't because everybody's in bed with each other there were cars in the 50s with flathead engines that got 32 miles to the gallon and they say now 32 is a good number with direct injection and more fuel efficient engines...

[@goatfarmmb]

our Versatile tractor has Cummins engine in it

[@luisvelasco316]

Ha Ha! "Blossom"

[@What.its.like.]

Haha glad you picked up on that

[@markchandler1130]

Cajon is pronounced “ Cahone”

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for that correction =)

[@JamesSmith-ph7sp]

I had a beautiful an all exotic Amazonian hardwood yacht harvested by uncontacted pygmies powered by an early Cummins Marine. (Lies).

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome any cool stories =)

[@JamesSmith-ph7sp]

@@What.its.like. the pygmies rebuilt it

[@edwardpate6128]

Harroun is not pronounced like Herron. Mispronunciations abound here, Kensworth? LOL

[@What.its.like.]

.

[@What.its.like.]

Sometimes I do it on purpose to see who is paying attention