A new British Iron Project

[dieselgman]

Bob, have you experimented with spring tensioning for that idler? Just some straight spray paint on the rubber will quiet that chirp.

dieselgman

[rleonard]

I was at the local farm supply picking up some hardware and belt dressing.  At 104 outside these days it is just not enjoyable out in the shop.  Even with the fans going.  I do some early in the day then retreat to the basement shop mid day.  Besides, I have some reloading to catch up on.  Just finished up .40S&W and now catching up on .308's. I have the cases deprimed, cleaned, lubed, sized, and case trimmed.  Almost ready to put them together.

Bob

[dieselgman]

I'm with you Bob, temps have been above 110 here for a few afternoons in a row... siesta time!

dieselgman

[rleonard]

The Hornsby's have a lubricator similar to a Manzel unit to pump oil to the piston and connecting rod.

The original had ugly repair that had to go and it needed all new gaskets.  I spent several hours overhauling, making the new gaskets, and transferring all the parts from the old housing to the replacement one that i had purchased a month or so ago.  Happy to finally re install it.  You can imagine my surprise when I filled the reservoir with oil, only to have it run through several holes in the casting.  Several small ones and one large one.  Completely undetectable by visual inspection, only with oil in it. 

I said "Oh shucks" or something like that.

No good deed goes unpunished.

[rleonard]

This heat is really hurting productivity.  105 today and no end in sight.  No rain either.  Everything is burnt to a crisp.  I heard that in southern Illinois, crops are being plowed under due to drought.  

I do what I can in the morning and evening.  Retreat to the basement shop mid day.  That seems to work.

I think that I have solved three puzzles today.  I'm letting myself feel good about that because surely another disaster is just around the corner.

First, the beam spacers.  I put my main beams up on riser tubes for two reasons.  One to get the unit up higher and second so I can easilly move this by forklift until it gets into a permanent location.  One of those things where I knew better but went ahead anyway.  When the engine was running it would flex the joint between the I beam and the riser tubes.  Now with a plate and gusset welded and bolted in, that problem has gone away.





Second;  Engine speed.  It was necessary to replace the main governor spring to get the engine to run slower.  The original is just under 4" long and has .091 wire.  I found these 2" springs with .080 wire.  Stacking them fit just right.  I had planned for 1800 RPM on the generator head and a 250 RPM engine speed.  Hit it close enough as measured by the digital tach.





Finally I had a nice call from Paul (AKA Contracreek) today.  We discussed the air tank for starting the engine and where to put it.  It is an ugly heavy piece that has to be somewhere close.  I think I have a solution and will play around with a simple design to see how it looks.  Plan is to build a "water tower" looking structure, similar to this one;



The tank will be in the bottom and the fuel tank will be on top.  The heights work out just right too.

There is Doug behind that good looking guy (me) cleaning his hands.  He is the friend that passed away last month.  I miss my friend.  Although he didn't do a lot in the shop, he was there.   I assigned him to motivate me to get this stuff done.  The Oblong show was a big deal to him and he really helped put our little display together.    


Bob

[rleonard]

Here is the picture of the governor springs.



I was out of town this weekend to a wedding.  I hope to get back on track tomorrow.

Temps have improved.  The rain has passed north and south.  We're still in trouble.

Bob

[rleonard]

There.  Something like this;





I still have to sort out the top tank support.  Maybe a ring around the top collar of the tank, but it would have to get over all the valve gear.  Maybe straps around the tank and bolted to the uprights.  Like many projects,  I look in the steel pile and see what I have that will fit.

Bob

[rleonard]

I made up a stand for the radiator and finally got the cooling system hooked up.  I ran the generator for several hours today on about 2 quarts of fuel.  I still have not made any electrical tests.  The generator may have a bad bearing that will need replaced. 

Here is a clip taken this afternoon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx9epSUtq48&feature=plcp

[mauicole]

That is some SWEET music!

[rleonard]

I have lost some momentum here.  I have been trying to get this rig ready for an unveiling at the Oblong show.  If nothing changes, I'll miss that. 

First it has been 100+ every day for about a month.  The sun shines on the engine until about 4 pm and it gets too hot to work on or even touch .  It is simply miserable to fight the heat.   Big news today is that a cool wave will move through and it will drop about two degrees to the upper 90's  We are well over 12" behind on rain.  Everything is burnt up,  The corn is dead, beans getting close.  Many of the trees have blown off their leaves and it looks like late October.  All short needle pines are dead.  Mississippi river is just about closed to barge traffic due to low water levels.  Those that move are only half full to decrease draft.  Another thing about dry corn, the nitrate levels are too high for many uses.  It becomes a disposal issue.  Options being considered are even burning off the crops.

Most of the mechanical issues are resolved and it's tear down time.  Paint was ordered today but I should take out the crank and flywheels, and probably the piston for painting.  Big Doug often helped me with things like this but he is gone now.  It would be great to have some help but I'll have to manage.  Cleaning and prep for paint are big jobs, all outside in the direct sun. 

I do what I can in the morning and evening. 

Bob

[contaucreek]

That perkins reefer room is sounding better and better huh!

[rleonard]

I am disassembling the engine for painting. The oiling ring fell apart in my hand as soon as I touched it.

Now I am looking for an oiling ring for a Mark CR.

Part numbers HR 126 and HR 127

Anyone have one?

Bob

[rleonard]

The rig is scattered in pieces.  Frame and flywheels wearing a a gallon fresh coat of expensive paint.  And I did not have enough black.  I have Bronze Green for the engine and the rest. 

I contacted Ray Hooley.  Transfers coming.  I also found a pin striper today.  He is coming over tomorrow.

Ray looked up the info on this engine.  It was shipped to Canada from the factory in Lincoln on 5/11/41.  She is just over 71 years old!









Still trying to make the Oblong show with the rig.  I have 10 days

Bob

[rleonard]

Everything that needed to be painted black is now painted. 

Next I addressed a couple of safety issues.  Fastening any pulley to a shaft requires a different device as the shaft size goes up.  Such was the case of the idler shaft to the idler pulley.  Set screws are not adequit.  I selected and ordered a locking element, similar to a ringfeeder clamp.  It required a large counterbore in the pulley.  An hour on the lathe and it was good to go. 

Next was the generator shaft and flywheel arrangement.  I had to refit one hole to accomodate a locking bolt to retain the entire assembly in addition to the set screws and key.  I would not want a 200lb spinning flywheel to venture off on it's own.  Now that cannot happen.

Various parts are getting closer to green paint.  Last and most difficult is the preparation of the main engine.  It is all qued and ready to start in tomorrow.  Sanding sanding sanding. 

FInally I found a pinstripe guy.   He came out and looked things over.  He is willing to work with me to get this done next week.  It will be close!

So, if anyone is not doing anything.....   I have more sandpaper.

Bob

[OKFarmer]

You are a talented man Bob. I'm in awe!

Wish I was closer to ya. Id be there in a heartbeat. It was 117 today here in NW Oklahoma. It's just past 10:00pm and still 102. Yuck! Hard to get much done when it's this hot.

Be Safe,

OKFarmer