Restoring a 1931 2 HP Stover CT2

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Peter Rooke’s 1931 2 HP Stover CT2 restored to its original look.   Photo by Peter Rooke

A moment of impulse on eBay resulted in the purchase of a 1931 2 HP Stover CT2, mainly because I have not seen one in the United Kingdom despite this being a common engine in the United States. Undoubtedly, having purchased one I would suddenly see several.

The engine that arrived was something of a strange looking beast having been mounted on a large cart with a non-standard fuel tank, and the cast iron fuel tank from an old Petter engine being used as the basis of a pot muffler.

The Stover Mfg. & Engine Co. of Freeport, Ill., introduced the CT range in 1928, initially the 1-1/2 HP CT1, and the 2 HP CT2, with the 3 HP CT3 and 4 HP CT4 being introduced over the next two years. Some 25,000 CT2s were produced and sold under the Stover name, with further engines being produced, modified and looking different for Sears Roebuck and sold under the Economy name.

This engine is number TB 213534 and research on the Internet indicated that it was built in the early part of 1931. It is throttle governed and designed to run on kerosene with the mixer having a reservoir to be filled with gasoline to start the engine, with a separate fuel adjustment needle purely for starting.

While the engine turned over freely, no attempt was made to start it until all moving parts had been examined. It was clear that at a minimum it would need to be repainted as the paint had been roughly applied and was peeling off in places.

The non-standard exhaust and the fuel tank were removed before the mounting bolts were unscrewed. Then an engine crane was used to hoist the engine onto a small workbench so that it could be given some attention.

Flywheels
The magneto was the first thing to be taken off before trying to move the flywheels so there was no chance of having an accident and damaging it.

It was clear that I was going to have a problem in removing the flywheels as the gib keys had received some rough treatment in the past and little of the key heads remained.

Before trying to remove the flywheels the pulley was removed. Both ends of the crankshaft were badly marked with holes drilled in them and part of the keyway widened for some unknown purpose in the past. A little time was spent with a file, cleaning them as much as possible before emery cloth was used to remove remaining rust and nicks in the steel. The shaft and the area around the flywheel hub were given a dowsing in penetrating fluid, which was then given time to soak in.

The first attempt to remove the gib keys was welding some threaded rod to them in order to then use a nut to pull them off. A lot of care was necessary to ensure that no weld was stuck to the crankshaft, either covering it or using anti-splatter spray. However, the weld did not stand the strain of trying to pull out the key and the rod sheared off.

The second attempt involved a piece of 0.375-inch steel as a drill guide through which an accurate pilot hole had been drilled through the center. This was clamped to the crankshaft, and a long series drill was used to drill a pilot hole through the gib key. Only light pressure was put on the drill so that it did not wander off course and plenty of lubricant was used so that the drill could do its work. The drill bit was frequently removed to clear the swarf, again so that it would not bind, which would make it wander off course.