Off topic - Can anyone identify this engine?

[Robert Zambelli]

I found this in a junk pile.
The nameplate says "Lawrance Power",
Obviously four-cycle,
It's 24 inches wide, 28 inches OAL,
It carries a Stromberg NA-H1E carburetor,
2 Bendix/Scintilla magnetos (two plugs/cylinder),
It has a tachometer drive and an oil pressure line,
And what appears to be an electric fuel pump, mounted underneath, just in front of the exhaust manifold.
It weighs around 85 pounds.
It has a mechanical governor connected to the throttle linkage.

Can anyone identify it?

Bob Z.

[Ian MacNeil]

Robert,
Do an internet search for 'lawrance power air cooled engines'.
There is a lot of info from the early days of aircraft engines.
You will likely find your engine.

[David Hoover]

About half way down the first column on page 12 in the attached link is a reference to a Lawrence Model N, 2 cylinders, about 80 lbs.  Possibility?

https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1224&context=jaaer

[Dave Hull]

It looks too modern to be one of the original Lawrance Aero engines from the 1920's. I think the photo below is a Lawrance A-3 twin. The photos that I can find of the Breese Penguin ground trainer at the Cradle of Aviation Museum aren't good enough to tell much--but the open pushrods seem to be there.

I don't think Stromberg existed yet--although I could not readily find their history. I know their patents started much later.

All that being said, if it is somehow an original Lawrence, it belongs in a museum and should be restored.

Dave

[Carl Cisneros]

Robert

i could take the pictures up to the air and space museum about 20 minutes from me here in northern VA and see if anyone there could identify it.

Carl

[Robert Zambelli]

Thanks Ian, Dave, Dave and Carl for the interesting replies.

The link was very helpful and yes, I plan to restore it and donate it to a museum.

Bob Z.

About half way down the first column on page 12 in the attached link is a reference to a Lawrence Model N, 2 cylinders, about 80 lbs.  Possibility?

https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1224&context=jaaer

[Dave Hull]

But the puzzle remains:  Your engine has a Lawrance nameplate, but appears too modern in design, and in accessories (although these could have been more modern substitutes) for the time period in the late teens to the early twenties that the original Lawrance Aero was building engines---So what is it?

Enquiring minds, and all.....

Divot McSlow

[Steve_Pollock]

Here is a picture of the Lawrance (Excelsior) engine at the Air and Space Museum.  A link to information on this engine is:

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/excelsior-lawrance-3-horizontally-opposed-2-engine

There are additional pictures at the A&S site (both directions from the link site).