Schramm air compressor engine- anyone know anything about these?

Chris

Chris

Well-known member
I bought this engine from a guy who was going to scrap it. He said it ran before he pulled it. 4 cylinders run, 4 cylinders compress air. What I want to know is, what internally is different then a regular flathead V8? Can I swap the heads/intake and have a regular runner?

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Chris , thats a beauty mate , I have one almost ready to start up . I will get back with you tonight on the differences .
Cheers
Tony
 
Chris,
Like Tony says 'it is a beauty'. My advice is to NOT disassemble it but
shop it around. There are collectors who cherish these type of things especially
a functional Schramm. Swap it for a fresh Flathead.
Charlie ny
 
The only info Schramm has is the year made which Dick Schramm has a list which will tell the year it was assembled. The one you have could be up to 39 or 40. After a slow up during the depression they used the early blocks before getting into the 24 stud engines. Dick told me they threw big dumpster loads of brand new engines and parts away. I can't remember the guys name guys name that worked for Schramm but he got a bunch of parts and sold them in Texas under "Lena's warehouse". Someone else bought him out and still supplies parts. G.M.
 
Chris,

There is quite a bit different than a standard flathead. In addition to the heads & intake, they have a special cam, no exhaust valves and special lifters in the compressor cylinders, and may have cast iron pistons.

Unless you are in need of a 21 stud block you are probably better off leaving this as is. They are a very cool piece, at 60 cfm of air they are a good source of air.

If you don't want to mess with it, somebody out there will. If you decide to try and get it running I have an original manual that I scanned, helped me alot when working on mine.

I had talked to the guy in Texas when I was working on my first one, but can't remember his name either.

Andy
 
Charlie ny said:
Chris,
Like Tony says 'it is a beauty'. My advice is to NOT disassemble it but
shop it around. There are collectors who cherish these type of things especially
a functional Schramm. Swap it for a fresh Flathead.
Charlie ny
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If somone wanted to do that I probably would! While it is a neat piece, I would rather have an automitve user friendly engine :D
 
Chris as I said earlier that is a "wee beauty". Too bad we are at opposite coasts I would gladly work a trade !!! I have the fine gentlemans name & contact that is in Michagan that has a few parts for them . They are an ingenious work of art !!
The block had babit or aluminum slugs in the exhaust valve pockets . Steel flat top pistons even in my 59A 1946 model , the compressor cylinders it uses very light intake valve springs , special lifter bore insert with air tube connected (please do not brake them if you remove them as they are unobtainable & you need a special puller to remove them , I made one & would lend it to you ) little 2 piece piston/lifters with cast rings on them that fit inside the lifter bore insert. Special camshaft , heads & head gaskets (carefully save the headgaskets also if you remove them) head studs are real long.Special intake with attached air valves & lil carburetor (again take care of carb if you remove)
Mine is almost ready to fire up , a few more weeks , cant wait to hear it run . I had to make several tools to work on the valve & lifters . I would be interested in any parts you do not need if you decide to strip it for the block !
Cheers
Tony
 
Chris, I just did a Searchtempest (Craigslist aggregate) search with a 3000 mi radius for a Schramm V8 Compressor. No listings from sea to shining sea. That means people don't sell them because they want to keep them. Like Charley ny said, you need to shop this around. Research a selling price and pull the trigger.

Lonnie
 
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I'll have to check this out, but there was one in a junk yard several years ago, with a generator on the back. It was frozen or I would have bought it. Unfortunately it was outside. Clarmont, NH
The one I was looking for had a flat crank in it and ran one side as the compressor and the other was the engine. These cranks were used in the stockcars.
 
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