The Steamboating Forum

So the Toledo is inside and I'm starting to take her apart.

I started to talk about how I'm going to coat/paint on this thread...
http://www.thesteamboatingforum.net/for ... f=7&t=1945

Goals:
1) Fabricate new piston valves - possibly with a different profile.
2) Investigate Laser Measure or making latex patterns? Let me know if you would have any interest in either a digital model/scan or pattern or castings.
3) Repaint and/or plate TBD
4) Examine wear and investigate fabrication/machining if necessary

It's an interesting engine, but I readily admit I'm biased in the matter.

It actually was made to be partially enclosed with two crank cases - but that is not how I run her.

6HP/6.25 is mentioned in the Toledo literature.

-CB

So it's looking pretty good. I was able to disassemble more then I expected without much trouble.

Here is one of the piston valves.
-CB

I'm hoping people chime in now because I am a little above my head and I need your expertise...

1) I'm not forcing anything, but I am having a little difficult separating the crosshead from the piston rod.

2) What am I seeing on the crosshead wear - is this brass & babbit? What am I looking at...




-CB

Ok, well I've taking apart quite a bit of th engine. My steam mentor is going to give me a little babbit for the cross heads.

What are options for making piston valves with a different cut off?

-CB

"What are options for making piston valves with a different cut off?"

Literally volumes have been written on this subject! Start with study of the Zeuner Valve Diagram, then you can get started to know what you are doing, and what parameters can be modified to achieve your desired results. Plenty of free technical info on the web, as most publications about this were published more than 100 years ago.

Reading a little bit.

It is complex - what does the current valve represent...

What is the current "program"
See attached pictures ...

-CB

Unfortunately the valve piston itself does not provide enough information; we need to know the port dimensions in the valve, the and eccentric throw. If you change the cutoff on the piston you will need to then also change the position of the eccentric on the crankshaft as well because your change will directly effect the inlet opening timing and that needs to be reset. I know that it is probably tool late now, but it would have been more ideal to work out the engine's valve events before you started pulling the engine apart. It can all be done in simulation but you need to first measure everything rather accurately. If you can provide all of the measurements I can help you to work it out, as I am sure can other here. I am afraid that I don't know your particular engine, does it have a Stevenson's link? Can I see a picture of the engine before you pulled it apart?

Cheers

Lionel

Lionel is right, The valve is only part of the picture, the ports, link lengths, mounting points all matter in the motion.

As worn as the parts of the engine that you showed are, I would really recommend not making any changes until you get all of the parts refurbished. The wear may be (is probably) having an adverse effect on the performance of the engine. Measure while it's apart, repair the worn items, see if that gets the result you want. You'll have a good baseline and the data to make good decisions on how to proceed. You would only be chasing your tail trying to change the events on a worn engine.

Cheers

Ken

Here! Hear!

-CB