GILSON - "Style T" (4hp).
Port Washington, Wis.
I have two Gilsons . One is a 1 1/2 H.P. the other a 4H.P. on the original cart, It still has the original crank guard, So. Therefore it still has the original brass tag, Serial # 40272, Both of my engines were apparently built in Port Washington Wis. they are both igniter fired which seems to be the norm for Gilson's built in the Wisconsin factory all with spark plug s were built in Guelph Ont. On the U.S. built engines the spark plug is replaced either with a primer cup or a pipe plug. The Gilson engines have one of the best designed igniters that I have seen. very easy to replace the points. The hollow rod on the small engines makes a good way to assure the rod bearing gets oiled. My small engine has a reproduction crank cover, So, that means no serial numbers.
It seems to be true that the U.S. engines were painted red, mine was, It had the original paint and battery box, There is no place to attach a magneto that I have seen. Also, it seems that the U.S. engines had a smooth sided hopper with a decal instead of the raised letters. My brass tag reads, Goes like Sixty Gasoline engine, Made by Gilson manufacturing Co., Port Washington Wis., Style " T". The wheels on the cart are forge welded and the spokes are spread by a chisel. The 4H.P. uses two governor weights as opposed to the single weight on the 1 1/2 H.P. Both of mine have the original mufflers, another Gilson trade mark is the fact that the engines are mounted with the head facing the rear of the cart. The picture was made before I had applied the decals, which by the way, were made from the very poor remains of an original decal and computer enhanced , So, I was able to get decals for my two engines. As to the Igniters, they are small, very small, square head set screws that hold each point. So when the points needed adjusting you simply loosened the set screws and replaced or moved the points closer together. By the way, The best point material I have ever found that makes a good bright spark is a common nail, soft metal arc's better than a harder steel.
All the parts on my 4hp have the "T" before the part #s. The rod reads as yours, Changed FEB-15-1913 on one side and something on the other which appears to be the same as the letters on yours, but the casting is not very clear. What this means is a good question. My 4H.P. has a long piston rod compared to the small engine, It is a rather short engine. I will also get you a close up of the igniter as soon as I can get the engine to a better light.
