Mounting Steam Engine

[JonRiley56]

Hi,

I am hopeful that I will be to the point of mounting my engine within the next month or so. Do I need to be concerned about vibration from the engine being transferred to the hull ? If so, has anyone used rubber busings or anything of the sort to isolate the engine from the hull ? One thought I had was to use the "hockey puck" type bushings/spacers that are used in mounting a jeep to the cab mounts on the frame.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

jon

[Lopez Mike]

My experience is limited to my own steam launch and a lot of inboard internal combustion engines in small boats (read: sailboats).

My own steam engine is bolted down solidly. The engine vibrations are minimal and whether they are conducted to the hull is not an issue. I have one U-joint between the engine and the shaft.

A larger consideration is whether you can get and keep good alignment between the engine and the prop shaft. I believe most steam power plants are bolted down securely and some attention is paid to shaft alignment.

Though our engines are small, keep in mind that in most installations the prop thrust is resolved through the engine mounts. In my current sailboat, the engine can flop about pretty much any way it wants to except fore and aft.

If your hull is reasonably stiff you can probably just arrange to get things aligned well and sock the engine down for good.

Input from the rest of you??

[fredrosse]

Most steamers have a slow turning engine with virtually no vibration like an IC engine. Solid bolting to the engine bearers is typical for all that I have seen.

[DetroiTug]

Yep, same here, just mount it rigid to the engine bearers. Use some long tapered wood wedges to align the shaft coupler, when you get it where you want, just drill right through and put a bolt. Best to leave it a shade high as the bolt will compress the wood slightly. It takes some tightening and loosening and checking, but that's how they've been mounting inboards in boats for years. Vibration is not an issue. When steam engines are set up right, i.e. prop for horsepower etc, they look like they really aren't doing much, just happily turning.

Your boat should run along very well, 60 sq/ft water tube IIRC, and a 3X4 single. You should be able to run some higher than normal RPM - like 5-600. I would go for a lower pitched prop, those are easy to find. .

-Ron

[barts]

I've mounted the Otter's engines rigidly - this works well, and having a solid mount helps keep the engine from bouncing around too . Otter's new engine mount is combined with the oil pan; traditional engines always ooze oil, and while it doesn't hurt a wooden boat, it makes a real mess. The steel mount also takes care of holding the engine at the right angle to meet the prop shaft... I used to use a Lovejoy coupling to connect the engine and prop, but the new engine has a lot more torque and the coupling was making some noise. This year I'm using a universal joint even though the engine is very close to being aligned with the shaft. Since my antique engine has no provision for a integral thrust bearing, I use a flange mounted bearing on a piece of angle underneath the floor boards to take the propeller thrust.

- Bart

[DetroiTug]

One thing should be mentioned, and Bart touched on it above. A drain pan is imperative. In some states if not all, they will ticket for oil in the bilges. Reason being, it gets pumped overboard. I never considered it until someone mentioned it last summer at the dock. I now have one made for under the engine. The Tiny Power engines are really good about containing oil with the wide flanges on each side of the connecting rod, but the crosshead oil will run down below in to the bilge.

-Ron

[farmerden]

ditto on all the above! My engine is bolted solid and shimmed to aline the engine to the prop shaft.I have a copper oil pan under the engine and a auto-style fuel pump running off an eccentrant on the prop shaft to pump any oil/water into a holding vessel [1 gal container] That colourful sheen on the water surface around your boat is a dead giveaway! We must protect our waterways! And that scum gets on your white hull first!! Den[/img]

[fredrosse]

Oil into the water, how about 2-stroke engines, they continuously dump an oil mist out the exhaust, and onto the water? What are the rules with respect to this issue?

[Lopez Mike]

I'm not sure but I think that in some states (read: California!) they aren't selling two stroke outboards any more.

And thanks for calling them two strokes rather than two cycles. There is one cycle. It can be a four stroke cycle or a two stroke cycle but by definition there cannot be such a thing as a two cycle engine. And the manufacturers saying it wrong over and over again doesn't make it any more logical. Harrumph!

(I'll climb down off of my soap box now.)

And not mention infernal combustion engines any more!

[87gn@tahoe]

Up here in Tahoe, any 2-stroke over 10hp is illegal in Lake Tahoe, and the surrounding lakes. That includes the obnoxious Jet Skis as well. The only reason they let the 10hp and under stay is because some members of the TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency) governing body have sailboats with 2-stroke auxiliary power.


They are working on banning 2-stroke snowmobiles in the basin also.


Most regular infernal combustion powered boats pump some bit of oil directly into the water as none have 0% leakdown and perfect ring seal...