The standard 14-13's were all equipped with franklins from the factory. The horsepower varied from I think 140 to 160 so there are 14-13-1, 14-13-2 and 14-13-3. If the plane has a bigger engine there should be an STC or Field approval with notes in the logbooks and appropriate 337 forms. The version that had a Continental O-470K was a 14-19-2 and the 14-19-3 had the same engine with a nosewheel. It evolved into the viking. There was a version with a single fin and trigear that I believe had the injected engine and was a step from the Cruisemaster to the viking.
The 14-13's were called CruiseAir's and the 14-19's were Cruisemasters. They look very much alike and you can see in my avatar a 14-19-1 Cruisemaster which was powered by a Lycoming O-435A of 190HP. The 14-13's had a manual gear retraction system with a bicycle chain and crank to raise and lower the gear. I think the flaps were manual. I rode in the backseat of one many years back but have no firsthand experience flying one. The 14-19's have hydraulic operated flaps and gear. I did own a 14-19-1, my avatar N6590N which was a 1950. In my opinion they are one of the nicest flying planes out there with 4 seats. Very well balanced controls, good useable load, enough fuel to go somewhere and good speed for the fuel burned. The CruiseAirs have similar efficiency though they are a bit smaller inside. The wing on all of them, including the viking, is wood and if the plane you're looking at needs support in the wingwalk area thats bad. Its not an easy area to get at without removing the fuel tank so inspection can be tough too. Before buying you need to get someone with Bellanca experience to have a good look at the wings. There is a history of problems in planes which weren't stored or kept well. As for the engine timing issue its a good idea to get a knowledgeable mechanic to look it over. Sometimes cranky engines just need a little tweak and other times they need to be replaced. Franklin parts have become harder to find since the company went by by.
After flying a wide variety of taildraggers I can say that the 14-19 was one of the easiest to fly and groundhandle. Not very twitchy and with great slowspeed handling as well as fast.
Hope that helps some.
Frank
