My uncle had a farm in upper NY. When I was a youngster I spent the most memorable summer there in the early 60s. I'll never forget he had an original hit and miss engine that was first bought and used on the farm back in the teens. It still worked! While he kept that one engine going his life's hobby was restoring Ford Model Ts and As. Thanks to all of you guys that keep these mechanical devices running, you are heroes in my book for helping us remember America the way it was.

Thanks for the demo and explanation. I had heard how they worked but nothing beats a live demonstration.

Just went to my first steam engine fair; and discovered hit & miss engines. “As always, thanks’ for taking the time to make this video!” ~M~

Thanks for sharing this informative video; old machines like these fascinate me!

hey man thanks for this video. I've been a four wheeler mechanic all my life and turning wrenches with my dad since I was old enough to pick one up and always wondered how those hit n miss engines worked. always so cool to hear em run. I'm in West Virginia and would love to find an antique motor show and see em in person.

Thanks for explaining how these work. I love listening to these engines.

Excellent, many thanks, I love these hit and miss engines, the sound always reminds me of the steam shows. Good luck.

Nice video, I felt like a hit and miss motor is just one of many pieces of history that as a "younger" guy I should learn about and understand how they work. They're a cool part of our history. Really it's where it all started. Without them I wonder how long it would have taken for the internal combustion engine to come along? Can't imagine how much of a back saver these had to be to those lucky enough to be able to afford one.

My grandfather built a hit and miss engine out of a briggs and stratton lamnmower engine. I've always been fascinated by the way it works.

Thanks a lot - being a mech.eng. I had a slight idea on those primary engines with only one valve controlled by cam+pushrod with a centrifugal regulator. But they were the parents of OHV with both valves pushrod controlled, and modern OHC as known today. Quite a nice lesson from young connaisseurs of int.combustion engines.

Nice Hit & Miss explanation. I've got an old 1.5 HP Hercules that was given to me that I hope to restore some day. I'm still gathering parts. Those old engines are fun to play around with.

thanks for the video, now I understand how this engine works, this is an amazing simple machine, I wish someone with start building hit and miss engines. it seems like they don t exist anymore.

Thanks Bud!! It's Guys like your Uncle that are the real heroes, they're the ones that built this Country!! We just try to keep their memories alive!!☺

very good tuturial! I've never Seen it before. I've read it in an oldtimer magazine. now I know how it works

I cant tell you how much I just learned by watching this tut. Thanks guys

Great job Roadking and Mike! There were plenty of hit and miss engines at the Swamp Yankee Days festival in Ashaway RI this past weekend!

I remember seeing an old farm Hit and Miss diesel engine with a whacking great fly wheel. One massive combustion stroke was enough to power about 6 revolutions on the wheel, before another power stroke was needed! If I remember correctly it was at the Kew Pumping Museum in London (England, UK), but this was about 40 years ago, so I might be mistaken. Thank you for posting!

Now that's what I call a tutorial! Thanks!!

I'm glad you did this thorough explanation, these motors are really cool.

Thanks alot Bud!! I appreciate you checkin' it out!!☺

I always wondered. A great explanation, many thanks.

Thanks for checkin' it out Charlie!!☺

Great vid...very interesting! This one went straight to my favorites.

Very interesting how they work, I think it is amazing they new back in the day how to get them to work! So many moving parts!

Great Video, Thanks love them Hit & Miss 👍

Great video ! Thanks for posting this .

Great vid, took me a second to "wrap my head around it" but makes a lot more sense now. Gonna have to get me one someday!

Thanks Beetle!! I'm glad it helped you out!! I run all my engines on buzz coils. Mags are a pain it the ass, I have 2 EK's sitting on the shelf!!☺

I love these old engines.My dad has one he gave me that i want to restore.It is about the same size as that last one that was running.It hasn't ran in probably 40+ years.

Thanks alot Bud!! I appreciate you checking it out!! They do have carbs or mixers, most of them are mounted to the bottom of the head!! On the green engine it is mounted to the side of the head, you can see it starting at 0:32 there is a big thumbscrew right next to the pushrod spring for adjusting mixture, the choke and intake is on the bottom of it and the gas line is hooked up to the little soda bottle!!☺

Good video. I was wondering and found this. Thanks.

Thanks for checkin' it out Bud!!☺

Thanks for the video! This explains a lot!

Great explanation! Thank you!

Clever stuff! It's amazing how they work

Nice explanation Buddy! I actually thought I knew how these worked, but I was wrong.

Awesome dude... Finally! The mystery is solved! and it IS that simple! Love old technology!

Thanks Buck!! I agree, it's interesting to see what different companies do to accomplish the same goal!!☺

Nice! Now I understand the term "hit & miss"!!!

@larrythelookout Thanks Mate!! Mike's a great guy to go to the shows with, He's more knowledgeable about the old engines than anyone I've ever met!!☺

Can you share a pic or some info on your timing system on the push rod .I took a 12 volt coil and made it into a buzz coil and have it hooked up but it is grounded to the engine so now if you turn the engine and it makes it's ground ( yes you guessed it ) then I get the buzz effects.

what is the big box opening on top of the engines for water cool??

great video, i learnt something today, thanks

Nice, i was looking for a video explaining what precisely, these engines were desiged for.

Thanks for checkin' it out Whack!!☺

Yeah you could hook them up to just about anything!! Thanks for checkin' it out Fred!!☺

Thanks for checking it out Bud!! Nice "M" ya got there!!☺

Excellent Video , Thanks For Posting.

Great video roadking i just bought an old fuller johnson 1 1/2 hp engine and its missing the ek mag i didnt have 300 bucks for a replacement and wanted to use an old ford buzz coil but couldnt figure how to rig up a timer switch. after seeing how you did yours ill have her running in no time.Great video thanks for posting.

Thankyou Roadking, Crystal clear now. Had no idea vacuum opened the intake valve. I always over think stuff and this seems pretty simple.

Heya there my Friend! Awesome explanation! I recently picked up a Coffin Top Stover 1.5hp that will be a winter project here on the farm. Picked it up for chump change along with a dozen Maytag Engines and parts. I hope all is well with you Buddy!!

Good video. You show us all these interesting old engines about time you how they worked! LOL

Very interesting. Especially the governor. I am at present making a small version using scrap from the bin. Part 1 just published last night. The 1st part you show , the Fuller green one. I have not seen a governer like that version before. Maybe that is how i will make one. I think better than the outer flywheel version.

Would love to see exactly how you have the timing wire connected when using a spark plug. I have a 3 hp fuller and Johnson I am starting to try get going. A close up picture of the hook up would be appreciated.

@wolfsheadoil In the video these engine's fuel tanks are in the large base, under the cylinder, flywheels and mechanisms.

That's cool!! Sounds like a good score!! I'm putting a Coffin top back together now!!☺

Great Video , I 've never seen on in person . Need to look for a show in my area .

Thanks for checkin' it out!!☺

Thanks - very good explanation

nice explanation, thanks!

yeah the reason i asked about it is that the thing sounded like it was cycling through about 6 or8 rotations before the spark and ignition happened. that's why i asked if it was more like a perpetual motion thing because of the centrifigul weight of the wheels on it or something like that. i understand it a little better now about what makes them function. thanks

thanks for the explanation . cylinder deactivaton is not new technology after all

Do you power anything with them or are they just show pieces? I think it would be pretty cool to power a saw in a mill or the like. I bet they’re pretty efficient. Especially with the proper pulley or gear setup.

3:17 is that the gas bottle? the gas cleaner? and how does the fuel go into the cylinder? the intake bauble doesn’t look like it’s connected to anything or is the huge block not actually all cylinder

That's cool !! Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it!!☺

thanks Bud!! we'll definitely watch your stuff!!☺

Thanks Buddy!! We did!! Hope You and your Family have a great New Year!!☺

thanks Mate!! I'm glad ya found it!!☺

Is there an adjustment that can be made for higher rpm ?

Great explanation, but i have one question. What initially pushes the push rod out so that the latch finger can hold it? Thanks.

Great explanation. You started the whole tutorial at just the right components, the pushed and valves, which made the rest of it fall right into place very clearly. I am amazed that I've never seen one of these engines before. I guess people got rid of them or stashed them away somewhere. I wonder how well a smallish one would work running a generator for home use when power goes out. Also wonder how these engines compare with standard modern 4 strokes of about the same overall torque/HP when it comes to fuel efficiency?

@nx2overide That's a good question Buddy!! I've seen many of them hooked up for generators! Basically the pulley on the side of the flywheel can be hooked up to just about anything with a large leather belt like a water pump, air compressor, cement mixer, corn shucker, grain maker, cream seperator, rock crusher, sawmill, log splitter. I have a few videos of them running things!!☺

I'd be interested in seeing the cam that pushes the push rod. Also, is that box on top of the cylinder a part of the piston oiling system? I've only seen a few of these "in real life" and didn't get a good view of them.

Thanks for checkin it out!!☺

Thanks, they are alotta fun to play with!!☺

Great video! what kind of oil goes in the glass oiler on top of the engine? I acquired a witte 2hp

Any recommendations on what brand to look for? or kind?

Steam engines typically had two balls, one on either side of the governor. Hence, the expression "balls out". Absolutely worthless trivia.

Thank you, it was very informative but where the air and fuel mixes? is there a carb somewhere?

@chilly988 There is a cam with a lobe on it very similar to a regular engine that runs off the crank that pushes it out!! Good question Bud!!☺

Basically what I thought, just wanted to make sure cuz I'm working on this tiny hit and miss you can hold in your hand, wanted to know what I was doing!

VERY cool. I know some folks are still using these, but I wonder if certain models can be used today in an economical way.

Nice and simple, I like it, and to think this was made almost 100 years ago. It seems like a big jump from what they had before. 5/5

Cool, now I know how they work.So it looks like when it gets going the flywheels take over and it only fires once every 3 revs. What kind of fuel,is it like a Wolverine?Nice vid,Thanks

@ShawnCFarm Yeah they're pretty cool little machines, alotta fun to play with!!☺

That's cool!! Yeah alotta people don't know what they are, if ya didn't grow up on a farm or your not over 50 years old chances are the only place you'll ever see one is at a show!!☺

This was very neat to see! I'm trying to find one"

That's a good explanation of how the Hit and Miss governor system works. I like how you showed several types of engines. Question: What about overspeed protection? I come from the world of modern industrial engines. We have to be concerned about the engine running too fast if the primary control mechanism breaks. What is the limitation on the Hit and Miss engines, if you lost the function of the latch so that it would fire on every cycle? I assume there is a safety mechanism because I have never heard of one of these overspeeding to destruction. Thanks for the info!

Thanks for the video. Very informative. The engine I have is TG.

@AngryFlagman That's a good idea, it would have to be an old lady trike! they weigh about 300 lbs. I've seen that garden tractor, pretty cool!!☺

GREAT VID! Very imformative information! Helped me out too cause i didnt know shit all about these to be honest ive never touched one in my life!

Better explanation on YT for hit and miss

Thanks for this video! So if I get it correctly, the RPM value depends on the weight of the governor / resistance of the governor spring so that means the engine comes with pre-set RPM, am I right?

you should make more videos like this :) i guarantee you i need a few lessons on the subject . lol great job buddy .

very interesting way to cool love the vid roadking

awesome, how much fuel do they use?

Quite a long time!! We run them at 3 day shows on about a half gallon a day!!☺

Hey wow, how did I miss this one? I hope you had an amazing Christmas my friend! Boing! o.O

OKAY now I understand. THANKS GUYS!!!

@hoooooops Thank you Hoooooops!! Thanks for checkin' it out!!☺