Stuart ‘Victoria’ : a beginners tale..

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Unfortunately haven't been able to get the engine to run – must have got something fundamentally wrong along the way somewhere I think. At a guess I would say the ports, I had no idea at the time I was cleaning them up how they worked and may have enlarged them too much perhaps. Also I'm not quite sure if the valve rod grub screw on the wristpin is doing its job as it seems to slip often. It was suggested in the thread that this is better pinned, have to agree totally with that, essential i think, but also the Flywheel and Pulley Wheel as well would be a good idea or maybe an indentation for the grub screws to sit in making take apart easier etc.. The grub screws on their own seem totally inadequate, to me anyway.. Initially I was getting 'one stroke' from TDC to BDC then there was pressure coming from both ways locking the piston at BDC. After adjusting the timing again the engine seemed to want to go and almost took my fingers off once – seems a lot of power coming from something so small somewhere there! Now as it is it does a stroke from TDC to BDC every time and almost wants to go around and start coming back on the next stroke, needing only a tiny helping hand now but its not quite got enough push to do it going in that direction. So one stroke or is that a half stroke each time is all I can get….. It tuns over very easily by hand I should say when not connected up to the air. The compressor seems great.

I'm not too disappointed though – I knew absolutely nothing when I started and I have got so much out of completing it and have at the end of the day a great looking and sizeable display model which shows the movement nicely when turned over by hand as well. Have learnt an enormous amount from initially knowing nothing and am looking forward to starting the next project now and hope to stand a much better chance of getting that one to run. Maybe I'll come back to Victoria one day when I have more knowledge and experience – I was pleased just to get it made, assembled and increase my knowledge really, all very enjoyable..

A big big thanks to everyone who helped with lots of advice, I am very grateful and enjoyed it immensely – hope its ok if I come back with with questions in doing the Stuart no. 1. That one I will definitely have to stay with until I can get it to run, and looking good this time…

A very short little video, again with my old iPhone so not good quality – trying to get it to run

**LINK**

I guess thats the end of this thread now.

Best Regards to all.

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 13/03/2014 12:41:09

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Allan you need to mark the video as public.

I'm sure we would all like to help you get teh Victoria running so if you do want some more help post here or use PMs if you prefer.

Look forwatd to the start of the No 1 thread

J

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Thanks Jason, I think you should be able to see the video now – its only a few seconds long…

Cheers

Allan.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Allan, that could be a symptom of too much valve advance. Take the valve cover off and make sure the valve port opens only by the tiniest amount before the piston hits dead centre. Advance and the accompanying expansive working are much less important on compressed air than steam, but this also means that engines are far fussier running on low pressure air than reasonable pressure steam.

It could also be friction near TDC; a big engine like that will react very freely to a small amount of air near the middle of its stroke, but that's not enough air to get over T/BDC.

You may have to fiddle a fair bit to get success, and the timing that works on air may be some way from what you would expect.

Neil

[MM57Participant @mm57]

<<…so if you do want some more help post here or use PMs if you prefer.>>

Here please – when I build my Victoria I'm going to need this last golden snippet of the build to get mine going

PS – still a brilliant thread – thanks to Allan again – keep going, we're all with you!

Edited By Martin Millener on 13/03/2014 13:08:27

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Yep, that's viewable now, I would take the valve chest cover off and make sure the valve is moving equally either side of the ports and then just keep adjusting the eccenrtric in say 5deg stages to see if things improve.

Regarding the grub screws, yes a flat is a good idea for two reasons, one it reduces the chance of slipping and two the screw won't damage the shafts surface and make it hard to get things apart, not such an issue with Stuarts slotted grub screws which are quite soft but something to bear in mind when using teh allen screw type which tend to be harder. Ideally if teh engine is todo work keyways would be cut and a key used to stop any rotation.

J

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Allen, re the video, please don't think I am being critical but is there some slippage on the crankshaft somewhere? It maybe just my eyes but the action of the piston rod and valve rod do not seem to tie in with the motion of the flywheel, which has a much smoother action.

Chris

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You could be onto something there Chris, certainly looks like the crank turns 180deg to about 60 of the flywheel now I have looked again

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Thanks Neil, I'll have another fiddle with it..

Thanks Martin, best of luck with yours!

Hi Chris and Jason. Yes the Flywheel is not rotating with the crankshaft. The grub screw that came with it for the Flywheel and the only problem I had with the quality of all the supplied bits, was poor – I ordered some new but still cant tighten enough to get the Flywheel to lock on the shaft. Its not helped by the fact that there is an oil cup into the Crankshaft bearing right next to it – so there is oil being fed almost directly to the grub screw location on the shaft…

I am puzzled by the fact that the stroke that is working from TDC to BDC is very strong indeed, too strong to hold back by hand I think – yet the push needed to come round BDC back towards TDC by hand is very very slight, right up to TDC…

Cheers

Allan.

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Just an interesting observation, not had chance to try with the compressor again yet – but the simple act of removing the Flywheel Grubscrew and wiping the end and replacing has enabled it to lock Flywheel on the Crankshaft, only temporally though I'm sure, its quite a heavy Flywheel and wow what a surprising difference it makes to the engine turning over, totally smooth now all the way round and it will almost spin completely on its own…. If I were remaking I would definitely do as Jason said and put a flat on the shaft.. The difference in having it locked on the shaft is massive – may be of interest to other first time builders not only of this engine..

Cheers.

Allan.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You don't need to remake it just file a flat on while the engine is assembled so it won't slip again

[Mike ClarkeParticipant @mikeclarke87958]

Good look with it Allan.

I must say I thought it was something to do with framerates why some things seemed to be rotating more than others. Hope that turns out to be the problem, sounds promising!

Please will you upload another video when you get it running. Have enjoyed following your build – you've made a lovely job of it too.

Cheers,

Mike.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Super job Allan, I'm sure you will get the timing sorted, I know I'll have similar probs when I get round to doing a similar engine. I have a Stuart Progress – S50 – 10V to look forward to, once I get my head back into gear after last week, it's amazing how demoralised, & angry you can get over a simple engine that some B****** nicked, as some others could verify… still ..'onward & upward, into the valley.. Nils carborundum.. etc,etc thanks for your commiserations any how. look forward to your next write up.

Cheers

George

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Success!!!!! Unbelievable, brilliant..!

Will explain and post a video later…..

Cheers.

Allan.

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

What a great day, I have the engine running at last and we’ve been able to sit outside in the sun for the first time this year!

 

With hindsight I should have mentioned the following yesterday, I had intended to but as part of what I hoped would have been a successful trial of the engine then, had I done so regardless I suspect someone would have pointed out a possible problem, especially as I was going to upload a photo of what I had done…

 

Bear in mind that I have never owned or used a compressor before – when it arrived the screw in air filter was smashed in the box, I had emailed the supplier and had an immediate response saying they would ship another filter straight away, great, can’t ask for more than that of course, so I forgot about it and as a make do to try the engine for a short period I placed the foam filter material loose in front of the air intake with a rubber band. The compressor backfired / misfired twice when I was using it and blew the top off the engine oil cover… I was so concerned in trying to get the engine to run I paid no attention – sorry, I can hear the groans. Anyways I got to thinking about this for some reason early hours this morning and I was remembering Neil saying about how it may not have enough air to get around DC – it slowly dawned on me, off I went to check and sure enough the foam had been sucked down the inlet pipe and was all compressed in there effectively blocking it. So to cut the story short with the foam removed the compressor ran for much longer before auto cutting off and filling the air tank and the pressure level at about 10 bar I think, it was barely on the scale yesterday – this together with the flywheel now spinning with the crankshaft the engine couldn’t wait to get going – and it seems to run very nicely now!

 

The broken Air Compressor filter, just a bit of plastic and foam.

 

 

The Air Compressor with makeshift foam filter – this had almost disappeared down the air intake tube. it is fine now, seems very good in fact and a lot smaller and quieter than I was expecting..

 

 

The first sounds of chuff chuff were just brilliant, like it was coming to life, a completely amazing feeling that I don’t think I will forget. I was right in saying that for me just to get it made, assembled and having learnt so much in doing it would have been enough for this 1st project – to have it running as well is just superb. I will be drinking a toast to the little engine tonight, maybe one or two of you will join me..

 

The link for the video is here **LINK** – apologies for the quality again, I need to look at upgrading my iphone before starting the Stuart no. 1, and please excuse the location, it was done in an old out house (no dust)..

 

Have a good weekend everyone and as I said before a big big thanks to everyone…

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

 

ps. I'm going to miss posting on this little thread…been great fun.

Edited By Allan. on 14/03/2014 13:31:14

[Anonymous]

Excellent, congratulations!

However, the video seems to be listed as private, unless granted access. Clearly I'm not one of the cognoscenti.

Andrew

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Woops sorry Andrew – I'll sort that now.. and thanks!

Cheers.

Allan.

[MM57Participant @mm57]

Brilliant – well done Allan, and if I and others haven't said it enough, thank you for all your effort in keeping the thread going. In the short time I've been around, this is IMHO the best active build thread I've seen here

Can't wait for the Stuart No. 1 version…

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

You inspired me to get out my little compressor and fire up my (rather small) engine collection one by one!

Neil

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Brilliant Allen, well done, it's been a pleasure to follow your project through on here and you must feel very proud to see a lovely engine running so well.

Chris

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You should be very proud of that Allan, looks a nice smooth runner straight from the off. I'm sure you will now be able to dive straight into the No 1 with a lot more confidence knowing that you have a working engine under your belt.

Look forward to the start of a new build thread.

J

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Superb Allan; excellent work,& thanks for the super write up. look forward to No1.. I am going to remake another simple double acting oscillator now that I've got myself turned around after last weeks PIA!.. this time I'll lock it away every night!!

George

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Really nice to hear all the kind words thanks, I'll get the No. 1 ordered on Monday so will be back before too long – seem to remember the Victoria took about a week or so to arrive.

Meantime still be reading on the forum daily I'm sure…

Cheers for now.

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 14/03/2014 19:57:44

[julian atkinsParticipant @julianatkins58923]

hi allan,

i very much enjoyed the clip of the engine running. however for such a big compressor the engine seems to lack a bit of 'sparkle'.

try advancing the eccentric a tad. i am guessing the lack of vibration and speed is due to late admission.

cheers,

julian

[GaryMParticipant @garym]

Well done, Allan. Great to see it running at last. Looking forward to your No. 1.

Gary

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