Old Engine Intervention

Saving a Forgotten Bovaird & Seyfang from a Broken Home

By Howard Sam Weaver

Hearing stories about old oil field engines hiding back in the woods is exciting, but actually finding one is even better – it's an adrenalin rush. These days, locating these relics isn't as easy as it once was five or even 10 years ago. I've been lucky, though – I've done it twice, and the second time was especially fun.

When I discovered that my sister, Marilyn, worked for East Resources Inc., an oil and gas exploration and development company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., I immediately started bugging her. "Hey Marilyn," I said, "do you know of any old engines on the leases?" "No, Sam, but I will ask," she replied. In fact, she did ask, and to my surprise I got an e-mail from her giving me the name and phone number of a company employee who was willing to show me a couple of old engines in the Bradford, Pa., area (which, incidentally, was home to the oil field engine manufacturer Bovaird & Seyfang Manufacturing Co.).

The Hunt is On

On Sept. 24, 2003, I met Charlie Sherrick, a field supervisor for East Resources Inc., and the adventure began. First, we traveled to Wilcox, Pa., and unlocked a gate at a lease where an engine was located. Driving in, we followed a barely passable old lease road for about a mile around the side of a hill. It was hard just trying to get to the site, which was probably why the engine was still there.

The engine was easy to spot sitting out in the open, housed in a small wooden shelter that was barely standing. The tin roof was bent into a "V" shape, and inside the small structure the engine had tipped sideways. Taking a closer look, I realized the little engine wa.. spots in it where the set screws seat.

The biggest repair job was fixing the many spider web-like freeze cracks in the water jacket. I repaired them by first grinding a "V" in each crack with a small angle grinder and then, after a thorough cleaning with paint thinner, filling the cracks with Devcon steel putty. After the Devcon dried, I ground and sanded it smooth with an angle grinder and sandpaper.

With that done, I made some oak skids, and the reassembly began. I cleaned every part of the engine and painted it all a dark green. I had to make some minor adjustments on the exhaust valve timing, as the cam gear that actuates the pushrod was one tooth out of time.

After doing a little experimenting with the hot tube burner, I decided to use the original burner. Even though it was designed for natural gas, it has a needle valve so it works okay with propane. Finally, after only a month of preparation, I was ready to start the engine.

First Fire

I hooked a propane line to the gas cock and heated the hot tube, and with only three turns of the flywheel the little engine fired, taking off and coming back to life for the first time in decades. That first running was short-lived, however. The engine was firing too early, and I knew immediately that the hot tube had to be shortened to make it fire later. Not only that, but the head gasket blew out after only 30 seconds of running!

I pulled the head back off, and as I set about making a new head gasket I noticed some pitting on the sealing surface of the head. So, I chucked the head on a lathe and faced it off – another problem solved.

To find the best length for the hot tube, I started with a 6-inch tube and worked from there. I kept cutting it down, 1-inch at a time, and running the engine. I ended up with a hot tube only 2 inches long, and the engine runs nicely.

I am looking forward to displaying my Bovaird & Seyfang at several shows in the upcoming season, starting in April at the Maple Festival in Franklinville, N.Y. I owe my sister a big thank you for her part in helping me bring the Bovaird & Seyfang back to life.

Contact engine enthusiast Howard Sam Weaver at: 170 Lakeside Blvd., Jamestown, NY 14701; (716) 484-2028; e-mail: weave@madbbs.com