Steamed the car for the first time yesterday. Ran it in a stationary position on jack stands. I’ve got bugs to still work out but getting closer to an operating vehicle for the first time in 12 years. Several questions for you 20 HP Stanley experts.
1). The steam chest cover gasket blew out. I was using a 1/16” non asbestos high temp gasket material that has Kevlar in it for a binding agent. What are you all using for gasket or gasket material?
2). The engine only wants to start and run in reverse even when the hook up pedals are in the forward position. Any suggestions on where to start with correcting this situation?
Any assistance is appreciated.

Larry

For a steam chest gasket, I use the same packing as what I also use for the cylinder heads and the piston rods. Clean the old material out from the base of the threads on the steam chest cover. Take a tight wrap around the cover's threads with an angled overlapping cut at it's ends. I also use a neverseize on the cover's threads before I screw it up tight. As the cover pulls up tight, the material is crushed tight for a good seal. Do a little more tapping on the cover until it stops turning. Sounds like with the reverse problem, you will have to take up on the "hook-up/reversing rods a little bit". Presently they are too long and they are not allowing you into the forward direction. Before you take up on them, ask the question, "How did they get out of adjustment"? Find out the cause before you apply the cure. On our Mt. Wagon, it had the same problem and I soon found that the hook-up/reversing control rod had gotten longer by rusting through and stretching where I could not see it.

Hi,,Has the block been off or have the valves been adjusted in that space by the alloy baffle,,If after trying Pats adjustments, it still gives trouble,take off the sheet metal cover around the engine,[[catch the OIL}},and see that in the extreme travel dictated by the reverse pedal,,the eccentric straps shift the links to line up with the link blocks,both foreward,and back,,then go onto adjusting the valve travel,,Is there a link to David's instruction on valve setting,,His words are better than mine,,and easier to follow I think,,Surely there must be a thread on this,,?? I'm too tired to look,,Later,,Ben

First take the engine cover off so you can see the Stephenson linkage. Have some one else push the pedal down and make sure the link bar travels the complete distance.
The link bar is all the way up when the engine is in the forward un hooked motion.

You say the engine is running in reverse with the pedal in the up position.
To me it sounds like some one assembled the engine eccentric straps on the link bar in reverse. The link bar is up when the engine is in the forward motion.

Rolly

Seems I recall a 735 engine that the straps on one cyl were in foreward and the other side were in astern !!! Sounds like this engine could have been apart also ??? Ben

Dear Rolly, Did you put your eccentric straps in backward once too?
20 years ago, once I did it accidentally, and my 735 ran backwards in full forward valving; ....and it also ran forwards in reverse pedal too. LOL... I couldn't believe what I did, but I had assembled the eccentric straps up side down. Now, permanetly stamped in my brain is: Looking forward as the driver sits, "The left (eccentric) strap always goes to the top". Larry didn't mention that he had taken his engine apart, so I didn't think to suggest that he could have assembled the eccentric straps up side down.
Dear Ben, The engine that you were referring to would have been a real head scratcher for a novice to get it to run. The engine wouldn't have known if it was to run forwards, or to run backwards. LOL The left strap always goes to the top.......

Dear Pat
No Thank God. But building marine engines some book and lots of engines I have seen are built with crossed rods. Stanley engines and all engines I have built have opened rods.
Open rods increase lead on hook up, Crossed rods advance the valve opening on hook up.
In other words the valve would open after TDC.
Rolly

Rolly

Let's not get into the possibilities of having 35degree and 40 degree loose eccentrics mixed, as I did on 2 of my cars,,,the green one didn't want to go foreward,,,and the red one didn't want to back up unless it was warm !!! More fun,,Starting from a stop was a problem,,,reversing direction on the fly was easier,,If you open the throttle and the car doesn't move,,,DO NOT depress the reverse pedal as you will go back 6' from the chest pressure,,,rather, open the drip,dump the chest,,and proceed,,Cheers,,Ben

Thanks for the replies. Sorry that I have not gotten back sooner onto this post.
I've not had the engine apart, but can not speak to what was done before the car came to me.
I had the block off to free piston rings. I also replaced the slide valve rods as they had an ‘Oklahoma Knurling Tool’ (water pump pliers) used on them along with the adjusting nuts had been welded to the end of the rods. I have not tried to adjust the hook up linkage as suggested by Pat. Everything else on the car has been apart or off the car so it could be that the linkage adjustment is off. Also the slide valves could be out of adjustment. I tried to duplicate what the set up was when it was disassembled. When steam is applied it acts like it is going to run forward but then takes off in reverse. It is going to be a little bit before I can get back on the car to work through the issue so unless anyone gives different advice, I am going to start with the hook up linkage adjustment.

Thanks, Larry

Thanks to everyone for the replies, it put me on the proper track. Made it to the car today and worked on the hook-up adjustment. I drained and removed the engine cover to check everything, checking linkage travel and positions. I wound up shortening the linkage. It starts right up in the proper rotation. I operated the engine in 200 psi air and it did fine.
I also installed packing on the steam chest cover and it held fine with air at 200 PSI, I suspect it will do fine on higher pressure steam. Again, thanks for the information that helped me get this to a proper conclusion.
I’ve sent my fuel automatic to the Goold’s for a re-build and they have informed me it is done. Now if they can get the Icelandic volcano to cooperate and overcome the backlog of air mail I can fire it again. It will be onto the next thing that surfaces… Again Thanks to All.

Larry