CE Power Unit Hood Sides and Latches - note to Tom R.

Well, over the holidays we went and got the 1938 CE power unit and other Case equipment I bought a while back. The CE is in pieces, but looks to be pretty well all there. I have a few requests, though.

We could only find the left hood side. There is a cutout for the exhaust and for the oil pressure button in this panel. I'll have to make the right side using the left side as a pattern. From looking at the right side of the engine and tractors, I don't think anything would require a cutout in the right side panel. Is this true? Does anyone have pictures of the right side panel?

Tom, I know you mentioned that your CE is in the back of a shed and bit hard to get to. I won't be doing this project for a while, so do you think you could put it on a back burner of things to look at?

Also, I'm missing the angle irons that go along the bottom of the engine sides with the two draw latches on each side. These are used to latch the sides down. I don't even know how these bars attach to the engine. I'm assuming one end bolts to the cast mount in front and the other end bolts to the CE front fuel tank/rear hood mount. I'd like to make these as original as possible. Again, if Tom or anyone with experience or pictures could help me out I'd appreciate it.

I've included a few pictures to start the gears turning. There is an LE thrown in to show the latches in use. Also, I included an illustration from a 1935 L and C brochure. This L tractor doesn't appear to have the lower angle iron. Is this an artist mistake, or was there another method of latching the bottom of the sides down?

Thanks to all!

If you need the latches they look similar to the ones used on the Moline tractor hoods, which are available. I think they were also used on Model A automobile hoods.

You might try mcmaster.com and search for adjustable draw latches or hood latches. They appear similar to me anyway. Start with part number 1344A21 and look at the catalog page; they have a lot of options.



Hope this helps.

Ken in AZ

Thanks to both of you for the latch info. I had looked a McMaster-Carr and agree that those would work well. I think the Model A latches are even more correct. They have the single hook handle rather than a T-shape, and are designed to fall out of the way. We've got some of that stuff around, so I should be able to round up enough latches. Thanks to both of you for the ideas.

Nik:
If I had known you were in Kansas, I'd have made it a point to look you up as I was there too. I did get up to see Buss Wurm, but that's all the visiting I did.

My CE does not have the side cover irons. I'll look in my parts book and see what it shows, but I don't have any way to scan and email anything right now.
I have pictures of a 3rd CE in Ontario somewhere but, as I recall, it does not have those irons either.

Darn. I never thought to see if you were around.

Does your and the other engine not have the side panels at all, or do they just not have the lower irons? In other words, if you have side panels, are they fastened down some other way?

Thanks for the info!

Mine has no side panels whatsoever and I don't think it ever did. It came out of the oilfields at Cut Bank, MT, the cold capital of the State.