Like I needed another babe bee……..

Jason_WI Thu Sep 02, 2021 12:55 am

But I didn’t have one of these in my collection. It’s a first edition babe bee with taper screw backplate. Jacob alerted me to the eBay listing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-049-tether-car-or-model-airplane-engine-cox-thimble-drome-/363505269329?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

I knew the condition wasn’t the best from the pics. It was just as bad inside as well.

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 65703610

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 4685e710

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 7f984d10

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 46716610

Some spit and polish and this is about the best I can get it. I could reblue the cylinder but it won’t fix the poor compression.

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 58cd6910

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 6745f710

Like I needed another babe bee…….. C2037c10

At least it won’t be alone…………..

Like I needed another babe bee…….. Adde9210

KariFS Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:04 am

Wow... So there actually WAS a type of Cox engine that you didn’t have already Shocked

Congrats for the nice and rare find!

Coxfledgling Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:31 am

Wow, 4 more and you have a century, keep collecting.

Would be nice to hear a "swarm"...

getback Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:22 am

Nice find Jacob and to let Jason collect it even better , you would have to look close to see the difference ! Heck it cleaned up Good ! Thumbs Up

rsv1cox Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:17 am

Unique/rare or not, just how I like them - crispy.

Nice clean-up Jason and a wonderful addition to your collection.

balogh Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:17 am

I read from your post, Jason, its cylinder is worn out, but I wonder if this thin wall cylinder featured tapered bore like many, if not all, thin wall cylinders? I mean even if worn out, a tapered cylinder will not let the piston fall through it..

Marleysky Thu Sep 02, 2021 8:30 am

WOW, takes a keen eye to see the difference in the screws through all that crud. She did clean up nicely. HA! looks like someone tried to snipe you in the last 4 seconds, nice bidding. Babe Bee .049

PS: I'm gonna steal that picture to use as a wallpaper on my laptop!!

crankbndr Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:24 am

Good eye to pick out the screws, the only way to tell. Find a good cylinder piston and swap. I have the other one. Very Happy

Jason_WI Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:40 am

Thanks for the compliments. On the tank I had to sand through the corrosion on the lathe. Same with the glow head. Even the crank is pitted on the web next to the crank pin. The reed wasn’t salvageable either.

Rust in the cylinder bore pitted it and that’s what’s causing the poor compression. The piston is fine so it would need a different cylinder to run.

I think Jacob already has one of these babe bees with the taper screws.

**Cribbs74** Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:50 am

Yeah I would have had a rough time seeing those tapered screws as well.

Looks as good as it can be. Good work, you have to wonder where these things are stored? My guess was under a well pump for that one.

**Admin** Thu Sep 02, 2021 12:21 pm

Man, that was a rough looking engine but you cleaned it up nicely. I'm sure you have enough pistons and cylinders in your stash that you can find a good period correct match for it.

I have a taper-screwed Babe Bee but someone put it in a vice and slightly ovaled the backplate and tank.

I think I'm responsible for doing a little damage to Jason's bank account over the years with the eBay links I've sent.

Mudhen Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:09 pm

Another cool piece of trivia.
The crankcase does not have an oil groove running through the crankshaft bore.
(Nothing like placing a carrot on a string. I wonder how long it will be before Jason disassembles the engine to see if I'm not off my dome. Popcorn

)

rsv1cox Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:43 pm

@Mudhen wrote:Another cool piece of trivia.
The crankcase does not have an oil groove running through the crankshaft bore.
(Nothing like placing a carrot on a string. I wonder how long it will be before Jason disassembles the engine to see if I'm not off my dome. )

Hmm, I know I have a couple like that. Were they restricted to the countersunk backplates only? And, they did countersink the backplates too to accept the tapered screws, right? I don't think, but I'm not sure if I have that early BB, but I'm not pulling them off the mounts to find out. Seems I would remember it but there are days when I can't remember my name.

Two of my crispy critters.

Like I needed another babe bee…….. Toasty23

Screened intake are fillisters for sure. Other one, probably, but one screw head looks suspect.

Like I needed another babe bee…….. Toasty22

These were pretty much protected by spent castor, unlike Jason's that unfortunately looks like it was stored in the bottom of a fishing tackle box. That said I would happly trade these two for his one and probably toss in a couple of Enya's too. Smile

NEW222 Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:55 pm

Great catch by Jacob, and great score for you Jason. You sure polished that poor gem right up. She is in probably one of the best homes I know of for her.

dckrsn Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:47 pm

Eagle eye Jacob. Good on you Jason.
Unmarked #2 cylinder, correct?
Found a backplate on "eboy" a while ago. Enlarged the photo 'till
I couldn't tell for sure, and went for it anyway. Holy grail moment
for me. The flat head is indeed flat, and it sits a little deeper in the
recess. The fillister isn't perfectly flat. Hoping to build a
copy around it.

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 20210910

Wound up buying a few lifetime supplies of these. Anyone need some?

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 20210911

Sorry 'bout the crappy pix.
Bob

Jason_WI Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:46 am

Mud is correct. Smooth bore.

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 5b945a10

Bob,

I think I’m keeping this one. Tempting though.

Oldenginerod Fri Sep 03, 2021 5:57 am

I know I have one, maybe two with the unmarked "silver" backplate and the three piece piston. Do they all have the tapered screws, or were there early models with the fillister head screws as well?
I'll have to dig them out and check. Here's pictures I took a while back. Hard to tell.

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 100_2810

Like I needed another babe bee…….. 100_2811

rsv1cox Fri Sep 03, 2021 7:20 am

So, are the backplates countersunk to accept the tapered machine screws? Seems like they must be.

Looks pretty flat on the two later plates that I dug out, but my eyes are not what they used to be.

Like I needed another babe bee…….. P1011540

Mudhen Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:48 am

@Jason_WI wrote:Smooth bore.

To the best of my knowledge, Cox had two different crankcases with the smooth bore.
But the counter sunk tank back was only used on the initial issue engine.
Maybe produced three or four months, tops.
I've only seen them with clear iridite plating.
(That's the multi-color, prism, type coloring.)
Cool engine, Jason

Marleysky Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:03 am

@rsv1cox wrote:So, are the backplates countersunk to accept the tapered machine screws? Seems like they must be.

Looks pretty flat on the two later plates that I dug out, but my eyes are not what they used to be.

[]

Yes the holes are countersunk. Here's a couple of pictures from Mark Boesen's FB group

Like I needed another babe bee…….. Tapers10

Like I needed another babe bee…….. Taperb10

rsv1cox Fri Sep 03, 2021 12:07 pm

Thanks Rene, saved that picture'

dckrsn Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:20 pm

When you have a part in your hands, and
you're looking for clues, the good old jewelers
loupe can make the task much easier. I wouldn't
try to cheap out too much. Bausch and Lomb
loupes have served me well for several years,
and they won't break the bank. Years ago, I didn't
need one. Mad

https://www.amazon.com/Bausch-Lomb-814171-Inspection-Magnification/dp/B00JFK1S5C/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=loupe&qid=1630717320&sr=8-8

Bob

rsv1cox Sat Sep 04, 2021 6:41 am

@dckrsn wrote:When you have a part in your hands, and
you're looking for clues, the good old jewelers
loupe can make the task much easier. I wouldn't
try to cheap out too much. Bausch and Lomb
loupes have served me well for several years,
and they won't break the bank. Years ago, I didn't
need one.
https://www.amazon.com/Bausch-Lomb-814171-Inspection-Magnification/dp/B00JFK1S5C/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=loupe&qid=1630717320&sr=8-8

Bob

Glad that your happy Bob. I guess Ida didn't spank you to bad out on Long Island. But NYC got hammered.

I have a couple of loupes, great aid for old eyes.

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