Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion FRY QUESTIONS

Members post of the nice fry 17 restoration in the showcase forum has spured some questions.
Does the round cast door on base pre date cast base with square door. Also what is the rarer of the two models 17- 5 gallon or 117- 10 gallon. Will the base with round door swap and line up mounting wise with cast square door pump. Would I be banished from oldgas for doing this as I really like the round door.
I'm assuming some answers but have not been around like some of the veteran members here, that have experience and time under their belts.

Loyd:
Round or square... doesnt mater to me I just would like a base! A member in Va. has been promising me a rough one since Mason-Dixon last year.

This would appear easy, but I will probably screw it up:
1. 17 is earlier of the two
2. 117 is more common being produced in larger numbers
3. Most parts will not interchange between the cast iron and stamped steel versions.I have never done a side by side comparison, but there are structural differences which I attribution to mass marketing and manufacturing/production techniques.
Jack Sim's book shows the linear progression of the various models.
Experts and those with more experience please feel free to jump in anytime...
Thanks,
Dave

Since the Blue Book does not mention the Guarantee Liquid Measure Co., and no production records have surfaced, it is hard to determone how many of each model were produced.

Only asking a question. How do we know the 177 was produced in larger numbers, when the 17 was produced for about 7 years longer than the 117?

Jack Sim

Hello Jack,
Am I hijacking the thread?
You have a valid point. Perhaps more research would shed light on this. The 117 would appear to be a pump with more stampings and simplified production techniques(less castings and machinings)sp. It may just be from my own personal experience that I draw this conclusion and this may be a regional bias(southern US)...I have found one 17 for every 10 117s. One would have to get the actual production figures to know this. You have more data than anyone...
Dave

[quote=Catauladave]Hello Jack,
Am I hijacking the thread .

HIGHJACK AWAY, reason I moved over here! Just afraid I misdirected showcase post by making company comment right out of the box. I have a way of doing that. I'm listening and learning.

Actually, I was the guilty person that asked the question about the rarity of: “5 Gal” vs. “10 Gal” in the “showcase forum”.

http://www.oldgas.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=292498#Post292498

Loyd was kind enough to expand the question with a new thread.

BTW, I was not looking for historical data (how many pumps Fry company produced) rather an answer based on data from all collectors over the years. Either way, great answers so far as I will take any information I can get. Thanks to Dave & Jack as well.

I am already hooked on the “5 Gal” one.

a "Ramble"
You would probably have to dig around in Rochester, PA. to try to uncover any documentation. Since we are talking pre depression era and most companies either went under or merged...it would be a tough search. Since Wayne bought out GLM(J.Sim, Gas Pumps, p.15), perhaps the information still exists in some archival collection somewhere.
From my own experience I have found that companies trash most of that stuff because it is just useless to them.They pitch it, especially when they move from one location to another or when they come under new management and they "clean house". We are also talking about a time when everything would have been on paper and simply a burden to accumulate and transport. Throw into this mixture elements such as an economic depression, a World War, advancing technology, etc. Why would one "save" this information...especially when everything old was seen as archaic and we had not yet begun to appreciate the aesthetics and beauty in the design and construction of many everyday objects such as buildings, automobiles, gas pumps, juke boxes, etc. It would be neat to uncover some old files which had all of the production figures and information though.
Perhaps the best source of information now is the collectors and restorers, "preservationists", such as the ones on this forum who selflessly contribute their time so that others may benefit from knowledge and/or experiences. Thanks guys!
Dave Jones

OK DB I found it ,sure wish I remember it was southfloridagas member post sure would of been shorter search.! You told me I needed two of jacks book, and read instead of just looking at the pics.Tuff love lessons really stick!
Basic what book says,but its easier to grasp when layed out this way.
APPROX DATES
1918-1920-cast iron body,no base, external pump
Late 1920-short cast base,external pump
1921-cast base,internal pump
1924-sheet metal skins and base,internal pump.

Jack and Dave, thanks for your post, raised some more questions for me. With the war, depression, as 10 gallon became more popular would they have coverted the 17. wouldn,t think so because the base,skins,and pump would be all you could use ? And then the war wonder if some were destroyed as they were taken out of service as the need for metal was great.

Anybody else, in the course of looking more 10 gallon than 5? Thanks in advance.

BUT, now you are combining the 2 companies, GLM & FRY!
Several of the 17's were converted to the 117.
As Jack asked in his CTO article this month, "Why are there more RUSH conversions of the FRY than WAYNE's AFTER WAYNE bought the FRY company?

So this Guarantee liquid measure pump with a metal base should be from 1924 - 1926?

Since Rochester is only 25-30 miles from Pittsburgh, I am wondering if perhaps the pumps were made there and the business headquartered in Rochester.Was there an actual plant in Rochester or just corporate offices? More questions...LOL Dave

well cant say i know much about the dates,but here is a pic of the first two pumps i ever found in the wild.2 -5 gallons. when i bought em in the hills(and i mean the hills) of eastern ky,i wasnt to sure if the 75.00 i paid for them was too much or not.

thanks to oldgas,i learned i did pretty good on em!!no longer have them,but have a great memory!!

Found this online:
GUARANTEE LIQUID MEASURE COMPANY- 1918

One of the nationally know manufactures of county was the Guarantee Liquid Measure Company, which was located in North Rochester, and manufactured the Fry visible Gasoline and oil dispenser. The glass globes used in the dispensers were manufactured by the H.C. Fry Glass Company. The company started in business in the year 1918 in a small way and ultimately gained prominence second to none in its line. The officers at its inception consisted of Robert F. Bane, president; Frank Woodruff, vice president; A. M. Jenkinson, secretary; and George D. Campbell, treasurer. Soon after, H. C. Fry was attracted to the company sensing the wonderful opportunities to build a new and useful product. Mr. Fry assumed the presidency in 1919. In August of 1920, Mr. W S. Townsend, then of Washington, D. C., became vice president and general manger. During the years following 1920, the company made great progress. It introduced new models of equipment to the then existing line and ever increasing efficiency to the original models. The visible gasoline pump in 1918 was practically an unheard of commodity, but a short time later it was seen in every wayside service station. Later the company built a new plant at the present site of Hydril Company and subsequently sold its interest to the Wayne Pump Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Wayne Pump Company operated the plant for a short time and then later consolidated its operations with the Fort Wayne Plant, and the North Rochester plant was closed.

Nice. I actually found two behind a house several years ago working...pumping fuel oil.They are always neater "in the wild"! LOL Thanks for the cool picture.Dave