Fox .19 question

My buddy has acquired a Fox .19. The baffle on the piston is crescent shaped. Any idea of when this was built?

1957?

Probably a 1953 or 1954 model. The first .19 was the Fox splitcase
of 1953, which had a curved baffle on top of the piston. Severe problems were experienced with the splitcase design, so Duke modified the crankcase to a one piece design like the Fox .35. The splitcase .19's were recalled, and for $1.00 you could have the one piece crankcase installed.

Later model .19's had a straight baffle on the piston.

De you are about a year late. 1952. Duke was trying to get them to a competitive equal to the K & B greenhead Torp. He never succeeded and besides that, McCoy came out with the rear rotor ball bearing race Red Head and blew both of them out. I got three of those speed modified versions as well as six standard curved baffle ones and six straight baffler ones.
Bigiron

You guys are amazing! Thanks for the info.

> De, you are about a year late. 1952. Duke was trying to get them to
>a competitive equal to the K & B greenhead Torp. He never succeeded
>and besides that, McCoy came out with the rear rotor ball bearing race
>Red Head and blew both of them out. I got three of those speed modified
>versions as well as six standard curved baffle ones and six straight
>baffle ones.

I have been thinking that I recalled being told or reading that there may have been enough of the curved-baffle pistons to exceed the count of "pre-'57" 19's. The only easily noticed external difference between the '57 model and the older one was the mounting lugs were wider and the hole spacing matched the 29/35. Supposedly, a few of the 19's made in the new case may also have had the older piston.

.

Kiwi

I have one of the curved baffle ones that I bought used from a friend in about 1957. Not sure when it was made but it has the long intake with extra holes to allow for the two-needle throttle.

The curved baffle piston was also installed in the .201 FF engine.
The curved baffle engine had NO shaft housing reinforcement gussets at the sides and bottom of the shaft housing and the straight baffle model has them in all three places. Internally there is shaft, rod, piston/cylinder, and head differences.

Bigiron

In corres in the last couple of days I learnt for the first time of the existence of these curved baffle Fox 19's. My correspondant Andy reckons all the curved baffles he's had are superior to the straight baffles.