The Waukesha/Fuller & Johnson Connection (added August 2013)
(This is the first in a series of six articles about the various engine lines Waukesha acquired over the years that are no longer in production.)
The history of the Fuller & Johnson Company (F&J) of Madison, WI is well documented on the internet (See: Fuller & Johnson) and so I will limit my discussion to the Fuller & Johnson engine acquired by Waukesha.
In 1928 Waukesha Motor Company's President Harold Horning and the company's former President, Samper Perkins, became prominent shareholders of F&J. During 1928-29 Fuller & Johnson designed and developed a series of high quality engines for which the Waukesha men had some input. But the timing for the new engines couldn't have worse. F&J had gone deeply into debt to cover production cost but before the engines went into production the Great Depression had begun. In 1932, F&J had to sell its property to pay off the debt. Waukesha had already taken control of manufacturing the largest of the new series of engine and by 1932 Waukesha had acquired the rights to it. Waukesha built the engine in various bore sizes and configurations over the next 38 years. The quality of the engine design was proven by the fact that Waukesha manufactured over 156,000 of them.
Following is the lineage of the engine:
 |
| Models FLJ FKJ circa 1931 |
| Model |
Cyl |
Bore & Stoke |
CID |
HP @ RPM |
Years |
| FKJ | 4 | 3.250 x 4.000 | 132.7 | 32 @ 2400 | 1931-33 |
FL |
4 |
3.000 x 4.000 |
113.1 |
27 @ 2400 |
1931-37 |
BD |
4 |
3.000 x 4.000 |
113.1 |
28 @ 2400 |
1932-32 |
FSJ |
4 |
2.750 x 4.000 |
95.0 |
22 @ 2400 |
1932-32 |
FLJ |
4 |
3.000 x 4.000 |
113.1 |
27 @ 2400 |
1932-32 |
FK |
4 |
3.250 x 4.000 |
132.7 |
32 @ 2400 |
1932-37 |
FS |
4 |
2.750 x 4.000 |
95.0 |
22 @ 2400 |
1932-38 |
FC |
4 |
3.250 x 4.000 |
132.7 |
34 @ 2400 |
1935-73 |
FCS |
4 |
2.750 x 4.000 |
95.0 |
25 @ 2400 |
1936-47 |
FCL |
4 |
3.000 x 4.000 |
113.1 |
28 @ 2400 |
1937-46 |
FCX |
4 |
3.375 x 4.000 |
143.1 |
37 @ 2400 |
1940-55 |
FCB |
4 |
3.250 x 4.000 |
132.7 |
33 @ 2400 |
1953-73 |
 |
| Models FC FCL circa 1942 |
Notes:
- According to the F&J web site, Waukesha took over production of F&J's 3.000
x 4.000, Model AX engine in 1930 - The Model BD designation is a carry-over from the Fuller & Johnson designation.
- The Models FSJ, FLJ and FKJ designate; S= small bore; L= large bore and K= larger bore. The letter ''J' was soon dropped and the models became Models FS, FL and eventually the Model FC.
- The records do not indicate the origins of the Model designation ''FC", which should not be confused as a variation of the Model FU (4.000 x 5.750) which was built between 1919 and 1930. By 1932, Waukesha had used up all the letters of the alphabet for model designations for its 4-cylinder engines, and I assume it was decided to continue the use of the letter "F' and add the letter "C", the meaning of which I've yet to figure out.
- The Model FCB was a "military qualified engine", using military standardized components.
- The Model FCX was the largest bore of Waukesha's FC series
Rocky, WEHS 5-2013
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