I had valve leak problems with my Steamlines shay before I lapped the valve on plate glass using valve grinding compound. I am not a machinist and do not have metal working machines so I took advice offered to me to lap the valve to ensure that it seats properly. After grinding the valve flat I reassembled the engine and ran it on air with valve grinding compound (fine) for one (1) minute, then cleaned the engine and tested it under steam. It still leaked so I repeated the fine grinding compound process for another minute on air. The second minute sealed the valve very nicely.
Adding a radiant burner to a butane burning engine, increased fuel efficiency and enabled the boiler to keep steam pressure up for the first time. Radiant burner construction was easy with only hand tools or using simple power tools like a drill motor or Dremel. http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/index.htm Click on Reference then go to the Notes from the Unit Shop section and click on Radiant Poker Burners. The direct link http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/notes/radiantpokerburners.htm might also work. The screens can be installed simply by wrapping the cut screens around a small tubing about the size of your burner then using your fingers to open up the screen just enough to clamp on the burner. Without any other physical fastening method, my two screens have stayed in place for four years plus. The unmodified burner kept steam pressure up for less than one lap around my 180' layout and total burn time was 13-18 minutes. With the radiant burner pressure is always between 2-4 bar and run times are now 34-38 minutes. Burn less fuel, have more pressure. How can that be beat? Two side effects are less heat in the exhaust and less butane burner roar. ~ Gary - Steaming over Terror Trestle http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy/ ~I'm still trying to get it to run smoothly, but I am getting a large amount ~of steam out of the stack and the boiler can't keep up, so it seems the ~valve is not seating. I did polish the valve face with crocus cloth so I ~know it will take a while for the valve to bed in. ~Help me mister wizard! _______________________________________________ SSLiveSteam mailing list Send messages: [email protected] Cancel subscription: http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html
