Associated Manufacturers (Amanco)
Midget (Pony)
3/4 HP, 900 RPM
Engine No. 21851

This small two stroke air cooled engine is an Amanco Midget (or Pony in the USA) and is very similar to Maytag and Villiers Marvil engines. Acquired in 2002 the engine was complete apart from the ratchet strap starting mechanism which I am informed by the previous owner has being missing for years. (previous ownership over 40 years). The original use is unknown but at one stage the previous owner used it to power a go-kart when he was young, how successful this was is unknown !

The engine has been restored as far as possible and painted to the colours in which it was found (believed not to be original). The only major problem with the engine was the condition of the magneto. The original Associated high tension magneto is a rare unit and renowned for being problematic due to poor Mazak type castings. The condenser box was missing and the original magneto gear had been machined to accept a different magneto. The points arm had crumbled due to poor quality casting material and the points cover and HT pickup were missing. A great deal of work has went into restoring the magneto to its current state, further details can be found in the thumbnails. The magneto gear is also part of the governor system as the weighted lever cuts the spark out when the engine overspeeds (a basic hit and miss type engine) and had to be reinstated to allow the engine to operate properly. As the condenser box was missing and the magneto coil was faulty it was decided to use the magneto only to operate the points, a 6 Volt Honda C90 motorbike coil and a new 6 volt battery will form the ignition system which will be hidden in the base stand. In addition to this a 6 volt relay will be wired into the circuit (operated by the governor lever contact) which will switch the ignition off when the engine overspeeds and the governor level earths to the magneto body. A secondhand Amanco exhaust was bought from Astle Park 2003 and this fits in very well with the engine. Further descriptions can be found by clicking the thumbnails below.