Having a new boiler for my car (Stanley 735B), its time to replace the burner. The car came with a custom designed boiler and burner, which couldn't generate enough steam for steady driving. Upon reading and talking to various steam car owners, the baker burner replacement seems to be the burner of choice. My question is if I have the burner grate, is there design prints or layouts available that a fab shop could use to make up the sheet metal parts?
I appreciate any information the Phorum readers can pass on.
Gary Geyer
Bay City, Michigan

Was the custom boiler a Stanley type?? Are you replacing just the burner or both,,Is the new casting drilled or slotted,,and what does the outer edge look like?? How long was/is the ''custom'' superheater ??? Short superheater will use tons of water,,,and destroy performence,,, What fuel pressure are you carrying ?,,What boiler pressure,, Is the problem on the flat/leavel,,or hills only,,Just hadda ask,, Cheers Ben

Dear Gary, Our 1922 Stanley 735B came to us with a Baker burner and Baker boiler. Both were installed new in 1939. The performance was dismal at best. I didn't want to jump out into traffic because the boiler didn't have any steam reserve, ane when it was just warming up, it couldn't get out of it's own way. We installed a new 30 hp fire tube boiler made by Don Bourdon. The performance is very good, but it was not good enough to justify going from a 20 hp to a 30 hp boiler and burner. I tour with guys that still have the 20 hp 23" diameter Stanley boiler and Baker burner in their condensing cars and they cruise nicely at 45 mph. When I travel any faster than 45 mph with our 30 hp Stanley set up, my condensor cannot keep up and I waste too much water. The added weight on the front axle is noticable too. My old 23" Baker burner was slotted and it was still in good condition. I made a new burner pan for it and I put it in our 1909 Stanley model R with a Stanley firw tube boiler. The 23" 20 hp Baker burner will fit both the Baker and the Stanley Boilers. The only difference is the cut out in the side of the burner pan for the Baker blow down. The big advantage that the Baker Boiler has over the Stanley boiler is that the Baker boiler traps the oil in the bottom water leg and the oil can be blown down from there. The Baker boiler is of all steel water tube construction, so it is not as apt to experience injury to itself as quickly as a Stanley fire tube boiler which has to be swaged if it gets scortched. The mud burn that the Stanley boiler can get from oil build up if it is not properly maintained is not fun. I have had my Stanley boiler in my 735B for 10 years now with out having any mud burn or being scortched. We have attended several tours with it and it has always brought us home in pride. In most cases, the way that Stanley built your Stanley steam car is the best way to restore it back to. If you need a Baker burner to fit a Baker boiler, buy a new burner pan from Alan Kelso or Don Bourdon and notch it out on the side to fit the Baker boiler. Slotted burner verses the drilled burner? They both are good as Stanley built them both ways. The Baker burner plate is thinner than a Stanley slotted burner plate but the Baker burner can pass more air/fuel than a Stanley burner. The Baker boiler/burner combination stands very tall and can barely fit under the hood of a 735 Stanley. The burner type is your call because they are both good in their own ways. but my vote is for the Stanley fire tube boiler.

Ben,
The custom boiler was a combination fire tube and water tube design. It appears to be well built and may be used in the future in a steamboat project. I don't want to take the time and energy working out the "bugs" of this design. My new boiler is a fire tube of Stanley design and I just want to get the car back to the original design and fine tune it from there. The old burner had a sheet metal burning surface with hundreds of small holes drilled into its surface. I have yet to test this burner.
Gary

Hi Gary,,,It sounds like it COULD be a 23" Ottaway burner,,,There have been plans for both 18"and 23" published in the past,,,The Herb Ottaway burner[14"] was originally made to get more steam out of the early Locomobile ,,BUT they had the disadvantage of hooting howling ,schreeching,,you get the idea,,,one of the things that is dear to my heart is the silence of a Stanley, compared to other period cars,,The black racer makes good steam and only on rare occasions will make any noise other than a hissss,,It lites so quietly, that I can't tell that it has lit,,,have to smell test it !!!,There are some people who like the noise,,I for 1 do not,,,therefore I would reccomend selling it to a likely victem and puting the money in a burner of choice,,Nergaard"s old 735 gets along quite well, climed Mt Washington OK,,and it still has the original style burner, last time I looked,,He takes good care that all is clean, and has both feedwater heater and economiser fitted,,Starts carefully,not to crowd the burner on startup , and thus not soot the economizer which has small fins,,,George Munroe [Fred's mechanic in Story of a Stanley Steamer] is said to have taken great pride in wiping inside the top boiler flap with a clean white hankerchief and not soiling it,,car 1913 607 touring I think,,I think I would vote for the "Baker style" provided you are not going to show the car, AACA judging etc,,We had a tune up project here 6 mos or so back,,Pat will post a key to it I hope,,We coverd a lot of VERRY useful ground ,,Best of luck,,,Ben