The Steamboating Forum

Anybody good at hearing why an engine is squeaking?

So, part of the sound is the flexible ss steam hose here is corrugated inside. But underneath that there is the squeek that sometimes is very pronounced and I don't know what it is.

It's coming out the exhaust so I feel it must be from inside the engines valves. This Twin Toledo has piston/balanced valves.

How do steam engines piston valve's usually fail/wear?

Today at Chippewa Lake


-CB

Hi,

Anybody good at hearing why an engine is squeaking?

it runs dry - whithout any steam oil. Where is your steam lubricator and where the oil-separator in the exhaust-pipe. The exhaust pipe could also be a bit small. The inner diameter should be 1,5 times of the steam pipe.

Here you can see my steamengine with adjustable displacement lubricator. The D-valve is balanced.

http://youtu.be/JY7lK1SyZbk

best Dietrich

On the engine the casting is 1/2" NPT steam in and 3/4" NPT exhaust.

The lubricator is a Swift. I went through a pint or whatever the size my swift hydrostatic lubricator. for maybe 1 1/2 actual steaming around.

The thing is I'm not convinced the squeak is under oiling because it doesn't seem to mater how much I open the valves on the swift.

I do know you have to be judicious with a swift, it will take the whole container quickly if you open it full up. Some folks that "feature".

I have no oil separation.

I'm not aware of a D-valve configuration that is balanced. Usually the 'D' always has steam pressure pushing it against the valve casting.

-CB

That's blowby whistling past the piston valves, not a metal on metal squeak.

Kelly Anderson wrote:That's blowby whistling past the piston valves, not a metal on metal squeak.

So if this is correct, the piston valves might need maching or outright new fabrication (worn beyond repair) to remove the squeak?

-CB

Hi,

how balanced D-valves work you can find here:

http://youtu.be/8x94ASMtXpk

Best Dietrich

dampfspieler wrote:Hi,

how balanced D-valves work you can find here:

http://youtu.be/8x94ASMtXpk

Best Dietrich

Dietrich, thanks! Learn something every day...

cyberbadger wrote:So if this is correct, the piston valves might need maching or outright new fabrication (worn beyond repair) to remove the squeak?

That's right. Probably replacement, since piston valves that small seldom have rings and rely on a very close fit only to seal. The valve bushings will probably need to be bored and honed true as well.

So this one is more of a metal slap.

Keep in mind audio is always horrible for engine noise. It's often not what a human hears.

At 1:30 in this video I start squirting oil on the engine and then it disappears for a while.

I don't have enough experience to tell what I'm hearing. Crosshead worn?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38q48mUqzo8


When I had the engine it had some drip oilers but I found them not very intuitive, so I have mainly oiled manually with Green Velvet Pin Bearing & Journal PBJ220.

-CB

The drip oilers are definitely needed and a lot better than manually oiling occasionally. Drip oiling provides continual lubrication. It's like draining the cooling system on your car and letting it idle and occasionally throwing a bucket of water on the engine to cool it off, it wouldn't last long like that.

Sounds as though your engine needs some work and its probably worn out piston valves. I don't think those have rings (they might) on the piston valves, about the only way to repair it is hone the valve cylinders and get some new piston valves made that fit. Running it like that is using a lot more steam than it needs as a good bit is just going right out the exhaust and never making it to the cylinders.

-Ron