I finally have gotten much needed work done on my steam bike machining a new ball for the throttle valve, which is just a homemade ball valve. It is now basically ready to go back on the bike. I have purchased a spare water bypass valve for it which is a Swaglok toggle valve and a bleed valve so I can blow down the boiler. I can't believe the bike has worked without it for 30 years. I still need to unplug the boiler though. I plan to use vinegar to dissolve the plug once I get the bike out of storage for the winter. I suspect its somewhere near the front of the monotube boiler where the steam becomes superheated.

I wanted to install a whistle on the bike, which a friend was kind enough to give me, but I have been unable to find a suitable valve even on Ebay that I really like for under $200. The temperature of the steam is too high to use the conventional pull to activate valves which are really only rated to 450F not 750F.

I plan to install a fuel pressure gauge and build a thermocouple/reader for the bike next. Still have to figure out where to put them

Robert Hopkins



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2011 11:03PM by Stanleyguy101.

I silver brazed up my new frame for my 10 HP spare engine rebuild project.
Now I need to clean it up. One oz of 56 silver is now at $55.00

Rolly

An update on my engine rebuild. I sandblasted the frame and painted it. Got the crank assembly in place with all the eccentric straps and linkage connected. Made new guides for the valve stems as this frame design requires. Installed all new 440C balls in all the races. Made up new crosshead guides and sent them out to be hardened. Can’t do much more till I get them back.
Rolly

Rolly

Dear Rolly, It looks like a fun project that you are working on. Having made many of the same pieces, I measure "four" times and then I cut once. Things like locating the valve guides on the engine frame has always been a crap shoot for me. I have found if I have been off target a few thousands of an inch, they will soon wear them selves in. Keep us updated. Many are reading this, but they are just watching in awe of what you can do in your shop.

Thanks Pat
I think Stanley’s tolerance was + or - 0.020 or more, nothing on these engines is repetitive.
It’s a learning experience every time. The main bearing block were off by 0.0500 I made the frame square to 0.005 and had to shim the crank assembly 0.0625 to get square with the frame. One hole in the block is off by 0.0500 and is out of square to the others.
Rolly

Rolly

Dear Rolly, I know what you are going through with parts out of square, etc. I have bought many Stanley parts, new and vintage for our cars and I have had to weld them up and remachine them just to be able to use them. It has often a head scratcher of "what were they thinking of when they machined them like that?" Everything works so much more smoothly when the parts fit properly.

This morning I took an expansion reamer to the out of aligned hole in the block and pulled it to one side as I hand reamed it a few turns. The frame slipped right on.
The two valve rods aligned with the valve guides on the money. I did something right.
I’m still waiting for the crosshead guides to come back from the harder. The economy has put a crimp in how things get done. The company use to have a pickup and return truck in this area every other day. I could send stuff out one day and get it back on the third day now I have to UPS it out and wait for UPS to return it. Sometime ten to twelve days.
Rolly

Rolly

I thought I might mention a simple tool I made up from the scrap box.
These early Stanley engines have one piece connecting rods. To get them on and off you need to spread the fork end to get it separated from the piston rod. I made up this simple little double wedge assembly to do the job. Worked great.
Rolly

Up date on my engine frame rebuild.
To my surprise UPS came today and dropped off my harden crosshead.
I set up the surface grinder and squared them all off and then re ground the track for the ball. Took most of the afternoon but I got them installed. Tomorrow I will test the engine on air.

Rolly

Well today I finished the engine. I ran it on air and decided where I wanted the hookup to be and silver brazed the hookup notched plate in place. If its two much I’ll have to put a little heat to it and move it some but it running well and on steam should be very good.
I now have a spare engine for the EX
Rolly

Rolly

And it is a stout one too.

Well Pat it may have to be. This old mind has lots of projects buried deep down in back.
I started the drawings of the plates for the Stanley 20 HP engine. I have a few blocks and some other parts.
Rolly



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2011 10:04AM by Rolly.

May 7th, 2011, Merrily and I took our 1914 Stanley to the Friendly OK Car Club's annual car show in Omak, Washington. Our 1914 Stanley took home the "Best of class trophy for 1931 and earlier", and also it took home the "People's choice trophy". On May 29th, we took our 1911 Stanley model 85 to the Boulevard Park Show put on by the Bellingham Antique Auto Restorer's Club. in Bellingham, Washington. Beating out 237 other cars, our 1911 Stanley took home the "Best of Show trophy." A professional camera firm came to our house and took over 510 images of our model 85 to be used for their business. Attached is are a couple of photos taken at the different car shows.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2011 01:07PM by SSsssteamer.

My friend Carl Kriegeskotte finished his John Stevens 1804 replica steam engine.
See it run at the York Cabin Fever Expo.

[www.youtube.com]

[www.earlmorse.org]

Rolly

When I was waiting for my crosshead to come back from being harden, I made a pattern to cast up grate bars to convert my boiler in my boat to burn wood, from steam atomized oil.
I’ve been machining these up they need to be riveted together with 3/8 rod.
I’m waiting for a shipment of 4340 7/8 rod and some plate to start work on 20 HP engine frames.
I’ve also been cleaning up some of the parts I have for the engines. I am going to have to make a lot of 7/8-18 nuts for the frames. I’m short one on one set. Never counted them before. There are 16 heavy nuts four pale nuts and four long cap nuts.

Rolly

Rolly, Your shop sounds a lot like mine with round-to-it machining projects looking at you. Though out the years, I have picked up damaged engines with the idea that someday I will fix them up as spare engines. Some of them have been waiting for me to fix them for over 25 years now, and I have often wondered if I will ever get to them in this life time. It is good to see that at least you are one that is eventually getting his machining projects done.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2011 02:28PM by SSsssteamer.

I don’t know Pat, I don’t have any immediate need for these engines and may not finish them for quite some time. I kind of use some projects as fill stuff.
I finished the boiler grates this morning and installed them.
Another little project I made when I was disassembling what was left of one of the twenty HP engines was a deep socket. I cut a 1-1/8 socket in half and welded each end to a sixteen-inch length of pipe. I’ve been doing this for years but never seem to have the right one when I need it.

Rolly

Rain today
Good day to be in the shop. I made 30 Stanley size 7/8-18 nuts today. It came out to 14 minute’s each. 4140 steel hex stock.

Rolly

Good looking nuts. Good thing that they are made out of 4140, because they take a beating.

The day before yesterday the truck showed up after three weeks from placing the order with 7/8 4340 steel rod. So yesterday I spent the day cutting and threading rod. I now have enough Stanley frame rods for three new 20 HP frames.

Rolly