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Re: Vintage Steam Engine.

Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 5:02 pm
by Mike Rometer
Maybe not totally. This engine ran it's working life in a training establishment, only ever connected to a dyno. I too worked in a training establishment and that's just the sort of trick we'd do to make a fault for trainees to find. We got up to all sorts of tricks like screwing down an injector to make it miss, blocking air-cleaners to make them smoke. There's no way now to find the total truth as that's all we have, but it certainly doesn't look to me like wear or damage. We'll have to suck it and see, it'll still rattle or it wont! My gut says it'll be fine.

Just finished making a whole bunch of shims. Managed to make them universal by stretching one hole.

Re: Vintage Steam Engine.

Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:32 pm
by Mike Rometer
The deed is done! Today with an end-mill I put a 'finding' cut across both slippers (they were both pretty true), and then flipped them over and removed 0.012" in three light cuts. The result is now 0.002" under pin size, which will become 0.002" over, with a 0,004" shim. Exactly where we aimed to be. Next task is to transport it back 40 miles to the boat and fit it with a touch of blue to check for high spots.

Re: Vintage Steam Engine.

Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:37 pm
by barts
<aside> Does anyone ever use plastigage when setting up steam engine bearings.... I used this stuff many decades ago to double check clearances on an engine during rebuild; it seemed to work well enough. Or was that just for people who didn't have a good set of micrometers and telescopic gauges?

- Bart

Re: Vintage Steam Engine.

Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:26 pm
by Mike Rometer
I did think about it but wasn't sure if A) it was still available or B) if I could get any in time. I can only remember seeing it I think once before, and that was a very long time ago, so it was only really a passing thought.

Edit: - A quick Google found it straight way on eBay and Amazon. Not expensive either. :o

Re: Vintage Steam Engine.

Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2020 2:51 pm
by Mike Rometer
Today we refitted the bearing to the crank with a 0.004" shim but without the rod, and it felt a touch tight with an obvious light tight spot, so we removed it again and attacked the high spots with a bearing scraper, and re-assembled with an extra 0.001" shim. I was happy with it at that. It felt a lot better.

It is now fully assembled ready for testing, when we can get some pressure (probably air). :D

Cheers for thoughts!

Re: Vintage Steam Engine.

Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2020 3:04 pm
by fredrosse
Plasti-gauge is generally available at virtually any automobile supply store, at least in the Northeast USA, and I would expect throughout the automobile driving countries. A quick and reliable way of checking bearing clearances.

Re: Vintage Steam Engine.

Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:47 am
by Kelly Anderson
I use plastigauge every time I fit a bearing. It also rides along in the tool box on every voyage in case of emergency.

If it was good enough for Jake Holman, its good enough for me.