[SEL] When is it an oil field engine?

[Arnie Fero]

Hi Curt,

While Novo didn't specifically market the Novo "S" engine as an "oilfield
engine", Novo did offer these engines with optional gas mixers
and gasometers that would allow them to be run on well head gas.  They
also had substantial factory back-gearing as an option that facilitated
use on pump & winch applications.

However, the Oil Well Supply Company certainly did offer pumping rigs
based on the Novo "S" engines.

I copied several pages from an OWS catalog that shows three different
styles of pump jack equipped with a Novo "S" engine in the range of 4-10
hp.  Refer to: http://www.oldengine.org/docs/Nova_S_misc.pdf
They also point out that the outfit can be equipped with a winch for
pulling rods or tubing.

So add the trusty and ever popular Novo "S" to the list of "oilfield
engines."

See ya,  Arnie

Arnie Fero
Pittsburgh, PA

On Fri, 9 Jul 2004, Curt Holland wrote:

> Like the Famous and the Foos you mention, I have seen Witte's on
> pumpers. I don't think of a Witte as an oilfiled engine either.
> There are a handful of engines we just naturally think of as oilfield
> engines.
> Maybe it is simply that these are the engines that were marketed
> exclusively(?) thru the oilfield supply catalogs.
> There are engines like the Spence that Tom posted yesterday on OFES that
> leave no doubt it is an oilfiled engine because of the heavy back
> gearing and crankarms built into the subbase of the engine.
> Certainly companies like Fairbanks marketed their engines to both the
> farm and oilfield segments. Did companies like Famous and Hercules make
> an effort to do so? I've never seen anything in their literature to
> indicate this....