4 Steco cars are waiting for assembly since 1914 ! (upd. now running again!)

Maybe you remember Quiz # 152 about the Steco Cyclecar. At that time we said the car was made in 1914, but now we are corrected by Denny Eggert. He says the Steco Cyclecar was designed and built by James Stephens and Perry Mack during 1909-1912. Initially Stephens and Mack, who formed the Stephens Engineering Company, were to build five cars, but only one was completed. Several photos show it being driven with and without a passenger in the winter near Lake Michigan (click!). At the outbreak of World War I the car was put in storage and it wasn’t until 1990 that the Steco was found. The attic also contained hundreds if not thousands of parts for the remaining cars, but only one body and one engine. Unfortunately everything is again in storage due to lack of financial resources. (photos courtesy Denny Eggert) (RB)

Publié:

mardi octobre 30th, 2007

Inconnu

27 Avril 2011, 17:24

Update on the 1909-1912 Steco Cyclecar. We have the engine running after more than 100 years in storage. It's a (Perry) Mack/(James)Stephens engine. Car #1 used the original Mack engine. James Stephens wanted his own engine so he disassembled the original Mack engine and began to develope his own with Mack parts. The entire lower crankcase on the Stephens engine is now an oil tank whereas the Mack engine had its oil tank in the nose cone of car #1. Both modifications of these engines never had a wet oil sump. After going through the engine, the oil was expended via a breather. Now an oil line comes off the bottom of the case and is fed to the oil pump and then oil is injected into the engine. Stephens used the Mack upper parts, cylinders, carburetor and distributor for his engine. On the rear of the lower case is molded in raised letters,"Stepens Engineering Company of Chicago".

The Mack engine used a magneto for ignition, this was eliminated and in place an Atwater Kent Unisparker (coil box) with a 6 volt battery. The Unisparker was wired to the "F" type distributor and it works. After the engines first overhaul it was run, but ran rough. A second run was made and it was determined that the engine was out of balance. It was competely disassembled and about a pound of counter weights were added to the crankshaft flywheel. It ran better, but still not smooth. It was determined the it was the Unisparker box. Several were recovered and marked "C" & "D". Two others were not marked. One was taken out of the car and replace the one on the test stand, it worked, it was an "F" type to match the distributor ("F" type).

The car is being worked on due to front & rear left fenders and hood damage from the trailer carrying it disconnected from the truck when it was being transported and rolled on its side. The car WAS NOT ejected from the trailer. After other mechanical work, the engine will be installed and the car should be 100% operational as the original car #1 was.

Inconnu

24 Novembre 2010, 00:33

I have an origional brochure for the steco cyclecar . Complete with specifications and price

4 Steco cars are waiting for assembly since 1914 ! (upd. now running again!)

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