As a collector and restorer of vintage and antique engines, I have my favorites. The Fairbanks-Morse type D, commonly known as the “Saltblock” due to its shape, is not one of them. It is a very fine engine. Reliable and simple. You can’t really go wrong having one in your collection. And, they can be had for cheap. BUT. They are not pretty. Just look at it. So ugly only its mother could love it. But a fine engine otherwise.
These were offered in 1-1/2 and 2 horsepower versions. They are of hopper cooled L-head construction and have an enclosed crankcase. They obtain rated horsepower up around 1200 to 1500 rpm, and a half-speed shaft driven from the camshaft is available since many applications that this engine was built for used the lower speeds common to the larger, earlier types of engines. The D type is a good, well designed engine….but being higher speed and enclosed and in a squarish shape, it lacks the visual and aural appeal of many of the older models.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do have one in my personal collection….and I have no plans to part with it. It is just not an engine that one usually thinks of when seeking out old engines….but maybe they should.
My specific example has some interesting local history. Note from the photos that it looks nearly new. I did NOT repaint it. It survived this way. It was built in 1939 and ended up being sold through Samson Hardware in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Fairbanks Exploration Company bought it. FE Co was the outfit that mined gold with the floating dredges. They had an extensive machine shop in town to make parts and service these unique machines. I am not sure what they bought this little engine for, but it did not see much use and wound up on a shelf someplace and then into the hands of a good friend, Carl Gaul, from whom I purchased it to round out my collection.
These engines have but one significant flaw. The carburetor is made of a pot metal casting. Not uncommon for the time, but over the years they often tend to crumble. If you find one of these and the carb is wasted, you can luckily obtain replacements. Either a good original, or a good reproduction cast from brass. Mine had a bad carb, I was able to obtain a good vintage example for not too much money and once replaced, was able to get the little engine up and running without difficulty.
At some point, a fellow engine enthusiast was interested in restoring one of these and needed details for the factory wood skids. Such items tend to rot, especially if the engine is left out in the weather as is often the case. Since my example was so nearly new looking, I pulled measurements from those wood skids so that he could replicate them for his project. The drawing for the skids is shown below, in case you need this as well.
Other than being less beautiful than other early engines, the Fairbanks-Morse type D is a good engine that makes a good addition to a collection and may be a good inexpensive entry to the hobby for someone.