I have disassembled an early cast tank Johnson waterbug. I would like to clean out the cylinder water jackets. The welsh plugs are pennies. I will make new plugs- question is what material did Johnson use? Steel or brass come to mind
I’m sure the early Johnson welch plugs were made of steel or iron as I’ve had several which were rusted through. I make replacements out of aluminum and epoxy them in place.
Although not original, a very old penny will add authenticity. One of my motors has a 1916 penny replacing the Welch plug. . A small peen dent is where the mint mark could have been. A 1916 D penny would be worth more than the motor.
Thank you all for your replies. I popped the pennies- they were stuck good! I’m soaking the jackets with lime and rust juice before capping the plugs again.