Final version Appeared In Gas Engine Magazine June/July 2021
This work is the result of two very different efforts. One of us (Cave) had been developing a John Deere engine timeline for many years. That timeline was easy to look at and quickly grasp a visual image of when various versions of the Model E were introduced, in the fine print were many key dates. The other of us (Fulk) learned from his father “if it’s worth doing it’s worth doing right.” Father and son gained access to the John Deere archives in East Moline, Illinois, and were able to pull serial numbers and decision dates for key milestones enabling him to correctly restore early John Deere engines. In the last 40 years Fulk has made several trips to the archives and restored countless engines. We decided to merge those two efforts and make the information available to other serious John Deere collectors and restorers.
The following is a very brief description of the Model E and its variations. For a detailed description from the oldest known existing Model E to the EP Northern, one of us (Cave) highly recommends the book John Deere Type E And Its Variations by Rie Fulk. You will find it a very informative overview yet an arm chair reader not filled with boring minutiae. Rie saved the boring minutiae for this paper! For information, such as, shipping location and date of your engines visit Two-cylinder.com. Fill out the tractor serial number form with your engine serial number and model information.
John Deere shipped the first enclosed self-oiling engine in June of 1921, a 1 ½ horse power Model E (1.5E). That was followed in April 1922 with the famous embossed 3 horse power 3E. In the third section of this paper, it is interesting to note how many changes were made to these engines from 1921 thru 1924 and how few changes were made from 1925 till the end of production in 1946. Looking at Figure 1, a 1922 1.5E, notice a different base, fuel line, fuel tank, igniter, magneto, flywheels, muffler, needle valve, rivet style pushrod pins, etc. when compared to later years. Even the 1.5E pulley bolt pattern was different until December of 1922.
Figure 1. A 1.5E High Base shipped June 10, 1922 to Minneapolis.
The first variation to the base Model E was the 1.5 and 3E Battery, introduced in 1924. We call them sparkplug engines but John Deere called them battery engines. Figure 3 is a 1924 3E Battery with its distinctive battery box, sparkplug and missing magneto.
Figure 2. A 1924 3E Battery shipped to Wentworth Mercantile, Co. Kansas City, Mo.
The battery engines were followed in April 1926 with the 6 horse power 6E, finishing out the base Model E line. Just two months later, June 1926, came the kerosene throttle governed engines the 1.5, 3, 6EK. Figure 3 is a 3EK with its characteristic brass mixer. Jim White, a well-known John Deere collector and restorer, also gained access to the archives researching the EK’s. Much of that information appears in “JOHN DEERE EK” in Gas Engine Magazine June/July 2018.
Figure 3. A 3EK shipped to Juan Borrera in Laredo, Texas on March 28, 1942.
The 3EP, protected, with its oil bath air cleaner, enclosed rocker arm and valves, enclosed push rod, tall BR tractor muffler, Wico high tension magneto and flanged pulley came in 1937. A detailed examination of the EP engine can be found in Richard Dechant’s article “John Deere Model EP Engine” in Gas Engine Magazine February/March 2010. Jim White, again in the archives, retrieved much EP information that appears as “FUN FACTS” in Gas Engine Magazine August/September 2018. With its very distinctive tall muffler, Figure 4 is a 3EP sometimes called a EP Southern.
Figure 4. A 3EP Southern shipped August 19, 1937 to Troy, Alabama.
Although John Deere did not identify it as a variation, several EP’s were shipped back to the factory or Minneapolis and stripped of their oil bath air cleaner, tall muffler and flanged pulley then refitted with the standard mixer, muffler and pulley and resold from Minneapolis We call those Northern EP’s. Figure 5 is a Northern 3EP with is still distinctive enclosed rocker arm and valves.
Figure 5. A 3EP Northern.
The following Timeline should give a nice visual image for those Interested in John Deere engines. Following that, for the serious John Deere restorer, is an archive documented list of decisions made by the factory and serial numbers where those decisions took effect. We hope this will be helpful to collectors. Finally, the authors would like to hear from any readers with additional documented John Deere engine information.
Chronology Of The John Deere Model E
Serial Number Date Decision Action
Number
300000 6-27-21 First type E, 1.5 hp, at least 65 were built and shipped
to Minneapolis.
7-18-21 1279 Fuel drain plug from 1/8 to ¼ pipe thread.
12-10-21 1334 300000 series serial number dropped, restart at 226001
226501 4-20-22 First 3E shipped to Minneapolis. Had embossed logo.
8 with embossed logo known to exist today.
12-8-22 Serial number moved to large brass plate on rear sub-base
2-6-23 1670 Remove embossed logo on 3E.
229501 Last 3E embossed
229501 John Deere stencils went to 1” high
1-8-22 1343 Removed oil filer boss from crankcase cover
7-24-22 1524 Added extension tip to igniter
8-8-22 1302 Cam shaft bushing went from bronze to steel.
12-1-22 1.5E pulley went from 4 ½ to 4 ¾. Bolt circle went from
4 ½ to 4 ¾.
12-2-22 1622 1.5E flywheel hub went from 2 ¼ to 2 3/8.
12-9-22 1631 1.5E and 3E pulley bolt pattern standardized.
234301 All 1.5E equipped with 4 ¾ pulley
234378 Spiral oil grooves added to crankshaft
234600 Embossed timing marks on flywheel.
234801 4-9-23 1.5E muffler goes from 1 ¼ to 1 ½ with 2 baffle plates.
5-5-23 1756 Bore oil hole in connecting rod.
6-11-23 1860 Decision to build E Battery
8-6-23 1806 Funnel furnished with engine
11-10-23 1861 Handy Farm Mixer introduced
11-28-23 1880 Flywheel spec adopted. 1/32” max wobble, 1/64” max
eccentricity.
235077 1-25-24 First new style fuel tank shipped.
235600 First new fuel line.
235601 1.5E engines after this all had new style fuel tank.
End of 1.5E High Base
236561 First 3E with new style fuel tank.
238007 Experimental 1.5EK with Wico magneto. 7 were built.
240221 First with slotted piston.
240301 First with nipple on oil drain.
Mid 1925 Big brass tag on rear of base ended between 241112
and 243417.
1925 1928? Serial number on end of crankshaft ended. Early
numbers were ¼” tall, later 1/8” tall.
11-12-25 2107 Trumbull Elec #1 became battery box standard switch.
11-26-25 2113 Slot put in end of fuel line
2-8-26 2130 6E hand cart introduced.
3-25-26 2138 6E crankshaft extension ready.
3-25-26 1.5E showroom cutaway engine available.
3-17-26 2141 3E flywheel went from 21” to 20 ¾”
256166 4-24-26 First 6E shipped. Omaha.
6-11-26 2173 Model K, Model H, Waterloo Boy and Big Chief Engines
will no longer be produced as whole goods.
258067 6-24-26 First 1.5EK shipped. Exported to Bulgaria
258068 6-24-26 First 3EK shipped. Exported to Bulgaria.
258069 6-24-26 First 6EK shipped. Bulgaria.
1926 6E relief/primer valve moved from belt to governor
between serial 258203 and 259866.
284670 5-28-28 Last 1.5E Battery produced.
326571 1933 1.5E crankcase breather added. Likely oil slinger and
redesigned pan came at same time.
343975 First EP
351250 to 351273 inclusive EP engines scrapped or discounted
352033 Last 6EK
364036 Last 1.5EK.
364953 Last 3EK
367874 5-13-46 Last 1.5E produced. Shipped to Salt Lake City
367983 6-12-46 Last 3E shipped. Minneapolis.
Odds and Ends
6E skids 48”L x 5”H x 3 1/2W Rear bolt hole to rear end of skid 6 ¼”
3E skids 39”L X 3 3/8”H X 2 5/8”W Rear bolt hole to rear end of skid 6 ¼”
1.5E skids 33”L X 3 3/8”H X 2 5/8”W Rear bolt hole to rear end of skid 5 ½”
Engine mounts to skids with 3/8” carriage bolt from bottom up with square nut.
Decision Numbers and Dates reflect only on when the decision was made. Inventory dictated when the first or last engine would be impacted.
John Deere fiscal year began Nov. 1 and is not always reflected in serial numbers.
John Deere purchased Waterloo Gasoline Traction Co. March 14, 1918, primarily to get the Waterloo Boy tractor.
John Deere changed the green paint color around 1960. The proper paint for the Model E at the John Deere dealership is Classic Green Paint rattle can part number TY25644, not Home Depot John Deere Green nor Hunter Green.
Waterloo/John Deere introduced the open crankcase Model H (gasoline) and Model K (Kerosene) mid 1919. The H and K were produced until mid 1926, overlapping the John Deere E.
Serial numbers were issued sequentially, a 3E might follow a 6EK, further the E, H and K serial numbers intermingled from 1921 to 1926.
Prior to 1900 the John Deere Branch Houses sold New Way and Stover engines. From about 1902 to 1917 the Branch Houses sold Root & VanDervoort engines. A typical tag might read Manufactured By Root & VanDervoort For John Deere Plow Company.
The small sheet metal cart, after its introduction (likely late 1923 or early 1924), is the correct cart for the 3E as well as the 1.5E. The handle and rear struts were 5/16 diameter.
Rie Fulk
David Cave