[Denmac]

[Gary Maker]

Too bad Jim, some people just have to ruin a good deal eh! lol. Andrew was just saying in another post he hasn't gotten too many good deals this year, now we know why......he probably tells people what its worth first then offer a low price...lol Just kidding Andrew, is there anything you don't know about engines? I've never even heard of this engine before!

[Denmac]

I posted a reply, but all I got was Icons ?. Try again.
I agree with Andrew, the engine is a collector's item. I believe the engine was also put out under another name . "Burgess M5". The engine was based on the "Gnome rotary" ,The model engine designed by an English chap by the name of L Chenery. He won the championship Bradbury Winter Trophy and championship cup Model Engineer Exhibition, England , in 1974 ?? I think. You could also get a set of castings for this engine, machine them yourself ?. The castings were not a very good grade of metal, and poorly cast in my opinion. I know, I had a set.
I still have the "Original" construction manual and drawings for this engine, showing all the working parts ,complete with all dimensions etc .Even shows how to make the "Distributer " for spark Ignt.They should be worth a decent price, to anyone interested .??.Open to offers ?.
Bottom line friend, the engine is well worth the prices quoted by Anrew, probably a little more to a collector ??. Good luck. "D.B'

[AJCoholic]

DB, the Morten M5 was not based on a rotary, it is a radial. Totally different designs.

Here is a bit on the M5....

- The M5 started as a shop project during WWII, drawings were developed and made available, and then castings were also made and sold. Today you can sometimes obtain these original unmachined castings. Also, some fellows in the USA are investment casting much better reproductions. But they are not cheap. The M5 was based on the LeBlond 5D full size engine, an 85 horsepower radial. The M5 was designed by the Morten brothers, who had previously designed single cylinder and twin cylinder model engines before the 2nd world war, and in 1944 they also designed a 4 cylinder 4 stroke.

in 1945, the Morten M5 was first sold as a complete and ready to run engine. First it was built in the Morten factory in Omaha, Nebraska. Then, in 1946, the rights were purchased by the Burgess Battery company in Illinois, and the engine was renamed the Burgess M5. Approximately 1000 engines were produced in complete or part form.

The Morten or Burgess M5 (same engine) has a bore and stroke of 5/8" and .600" respectively., for a total displacement of 0.92 cubic inches. The original engines has aluminum LAPPED pistons! Many reworked them for rings as the originals werent that great. Today, theyare of course collector items, but a few brave guys actually do run and fly these engines. I know of many that have bought the new castings and machined the engine as a reproduction.

I have a full set of factory M5 drawings. There is also a fellow that sells copies of the M5 drawings on ebay regulary for $25, if you are interested in seeing what all the parts are like.

Is that enough information or what??

[AJCoholic]

Originally Posted by Gary Maker

Just kidding Andrew, is there anything you don't know about engines? I've never even heard of this engine before!

Gary, I am an avid model engine lover, and my main interest is in old time engines, and reading everything I can about them. I have collected quite a number of old books and literature on vintage engines. I love them! I was this close to getting an M5 last year myself, with a whole bunch of parts. I made an offer of $1000 US to the seller (a friend of mine in the US) but was a day late. They went to another engine builder I know in Australia. He actually fixed up the engine and it is now complete.

The M5 is actually a very "common" engine for being so "rare" (if that makes sense). They come up for sale quite often. Some other vintage engines that were only made in numbers of less than 20 are VERY rare and you would be shocked to know what some guys pay for these engines... some are priceless!

If you ever go to the Toledo expo, try and make the Model Engine Collectors Association (MECA) collecto - thats basically a swap meet for MECA guys (but you dont have to be a member to get in). You will see engines like you have never seen before and touch stuff thats one of a kind.

You want to talk rare and expensive? The original engine that Bill Brown made as a teenager, in high school shop class, is now for sale. I hope you know who Bill Brown is..... asking price.....? $10,000 US. Yes, thats TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS...

(ps Bill Brown was the guy that started gas powered model engines in the early 1930's with the Brown Jr. - a .60 sized ignition engine that was the first to be mass produced, and actually ran great and was the first to successfully power model airplanes en mass in the USA!)