Sage Model Engines
The Transformation
Acadia Marine Engine
(full size)
Acadia full sized marine engine circa 1930’s built in Bridgewater Nova Scotia Canada. It’s a 200 pound, 4hp single cylinder two-stroke.
This engine was manufactured in Bridgewater Nova Scotia circa 1930’s and was found discarded in a relatives barn in New Brunswick. It had been in the barn for more than 50 years and was used for many years before that. It was in very rough shape. Only a couple of pieces were missing but it was in very bad need of refurbishment. The cylinder was in good shape which is unusual for these engines since they were run in salt water. It is believed the cylinder was replaced sometime in it’s life. It still had good compression so the single piston and rings were in good shape. I stripped it to pieces, cleaned everything, turned the crank journals on my lathe to clean up some score marks and and then poured new babbit main bearings. The carburetor, water pump and ignition system were rebuilt. I wound my own coil for the low tension ignition system. I fabricated a simple gas tank from a tin can to match the simplicity of the whole engine. I Loaded it with gas and with only a few revolutions of the crank handle on the flywheel it started for the first time in more than 50 years. The long exhaust pipe gives the engine it’s characteristic put-put sound heard back in the early 1900’s all over the coasts of eastern North America as fishermen plied their trade. It runs at very low rpm (approx 600rpm) and typically would directly drive a 15” propeller. It can be run in reverse and it was a common trick of the fishermen to shut the engine off when approaching the dock and just as it was about to stop, re-ignite. If timed properly it would run in reverse slowing the boat just enough to make a slow landing at the dock. A typical dory installation can be seen to the left.
