[Steam-engine] Oilers for Crosshead slides

James Mackessy jmackess at twcny.rr.com
Wed Jun 29 12:58:19 PDT 2005


Hi Rick;
     I'm scratching my head on this one. On some engines I have seen with
similar arrangements, there is a tube that comes from a mechanical oiler
above such a cup, set up so it drips into it. Is there any evidence of there
having been such a tube? Two small screw holes side by side would be one
of the signs I'd be looking for. As for keeping the oil in, a piece of felt
or
the elusive "cotton waste" would work for that, but if it is a drip gravity
will
take it down the tubes before it can get slung out. Do your grease cups
actually have grease in them? Or did you find oil in felt or cotton waste?
Sometimes cups are used that look like grease cups, but there is no
provision
for screwing the caps down to drive the grease into the bearing. They are
usually
oil cups. We run a 6 HP Leffel portable with grease cups, and she does just
fine.
Crosshead slippers on this one are lubed with motor oil, but some of the
fellows
on this list have some good ideas based on practical experience that should
be
considered. I'm thinking of trying the STP, for instance, to see if we can
keep things
a little "tidier" while running. This list is a great place for exchanging
ideas and
sharing tips and tricks for keeping these old gals going.
     Rick, thanks for "sharing" your project on-line, and thanks to all who
make this
list a great place to be!
Best Regards;
Jim Mackessy

> I'm glad you mentioned the eccentric strap, James.  This picture shows the
> eccentric (on the left) and the oiler tube (copper line in the middle)
> coming down from the pivot point connected to the square bar slide:
>
>
> http://community.webshots.com/photo/188300547/193214334PhoqoW
>
> another view:
>
> http://community.webshots.com/photo/193224326/193224326kCYtEE
>
> Here is the top of the eccentric rod and copper oiler tube, which connects
> to the square bar slide, which connects to the "D" Valve..and where my
> question begins;
>
> http://community.webshots.com/photo/195199771/195199771OUxVee
>
> On that round pivot point is an oil reservoir which probably holds 5
> tablespoons of oil.  How is that oiled and what keeps it from slinging
> out???  There is no cap.
>
> Here's the pix again:
>
> http://community.webshots.com/photo/195199771/195199771OUxVee
>
> Thanks much!!
>
> Sincerely
> RickinMt.
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "James Mackessy" <jmackess at twcny.rr.com>
> To: "Steam-engine mailing list" <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 10:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [Steam-engine] Oilers for Crosshead slides
>
>
> > Hi Rick!
> >      No oil pump means oilers are appropriate gear! If you have all
grease
> > cups,
> > it's not worth buying 5 gallons of DTE for just the crosshead slides.
SAE
> > 20
> > or 30
> > will do fine. You didn't mention the eccentric strap, which should also
> > have
> > a grease
> > cup in this case. The reason for using "DTE" type oil is that in an
engine
> > with a sump
> > and oil pump, it is impossible to avoid water getting into the oil due
to
> > condensate coming off
> > the piston rod. "DTE" oils are designed to give rapid water separation
and
> > rust and oxidation
> > protection in these situations. Many of the older central lubricating
> > systems on steam
> > engines purposely used a layer of water in the bottom of the sump to
help
> > trap dirt
> > there, some even "percolate" the oil through the water to "clean" it,
but
> > this was a
> > misconception of the times, as the difference in surface tension between
> > the
> > two fluids
> > pretty much prevents any "washing" effect short of gravity settling out
> > the
> > larger particles.
> > Best Regards;
> > Jim Mackessy
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Richard Strobel" <Richard_Strobel7 at msn.com>
> > To: "Steam-engine mailing list"
<steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 10:21 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Steam-engine] Oilers for Crosshead slides
> >
> >
> > > James, there is no oil pump on this engine.  Grease cups for
connecting
> > rod,
> > > crosshead wristpin, and mains...1/4" npt for the crosshead slides.
> > >
> > >   Will checkinto those lubes you mentioned.
> > >
> > > Thanks again
> > > Rick
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "James Mackessy" <jmackess at twcny.rr.com>
> > > To: "Steam-engine mailing list"
> > > <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
> > > Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 9:36 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [Steam-engine] Oilers for Crosshead slides
> > >
> > >
> > > > Rick;
> > > >    Looks gorgeous so far! From what I can see, you may have a choice
> > > > for
> > > > crosshead
> > > > slipper lubrication. Is that rod going down into the base from the
> > > > crosshead
> > > > driving an
> > > > oil pump? On the Troy-Engburgs, this pump fills a reservoir mounted
on
> > the
> > > > upper part of
> > > > the engine, and from there the oil is piped to all the lube points
in
> > > > copper
> > > > tubing. Each
> > > > lube point has a needle valve and drip window on the bottom of the
> > > > reservoir. This may
> > > > have been how the engine was set up originally, but an oiler on each
> > side
> > > > of
> > > > the frame will
> > > > work just as well and might have just a little more "eye appeal".
> > > > These
> > > > types of engines
> > > > usually did blower duty or similar "non-glorious" tasks, and
therefore
> > the
> > > > manufacturers
> > > > made an effort to make them easy to maintain and resistant to the
> > effects
> > > > of
> > > > neglect, as
> > > > far as possible. That's why the central lube system instead of
> > individual
> > > > oilers became
> > > > the norm. As far as oil, originally you would have used an oil such
as
> > DTE
> > > > oil medium
> > > > or DTE oil heavy medium. The former is an ISO 46, the latter ISO 68,
> > both
> > > > are Mobil
> > > > callouts, descended from the old Vacuum Oil Company products back in
> > > > the
> > > > twenties.
> > > > You can usually find the hydraulic versions of these, DTE 25 and DTE
> > > > 26,
> > > > in
> > > > five gallon
> > > > pails. They have some extra anti-wear and anti-foaming additives,
but
> > work
> > > > just fine. If
> > > > you prefer the simple life, SAE 20 will work fine too.  The
cylinder,
> > > > of
> > > > course, gets steam
> > > > oil through the cylinder lubricator pump or a displacement
lubricator.
> > > > Most
> > > > guys use a
> > > > 600W.  If you are fussy about what oil you use, Mobil is the
> > > > traditional
> > > > favorite, but
> > > > Conoco has come out with a series of "Hydro-cracked" oils that are
so
> > > > well-refined as
> > > > to be "eye clear" in an oiler. We will probably use one or the other
> > > > in
> > > > our
> > > > big Corliss, as
> > > > the oil is filtered and recirculated, and used for a long time.
> > > >      One word of caution if you find original literature and it
calls
> > out
> > > > oils by name, and you
> > > > find that they are still available, double check the product specs.
> > > > Some
> > > > of
> > > > the old steam engine
> > > > friendly oils have been redeveloped under the same name, but in new
> > > > applications. For example,
> > > > "Gargoyle" oils were steam cylinder oils back in the twenties, now
the
> > > > name
> > > > is used for
> > > > refrigeration oils, an application that could cross over back then,
> > > > but
> > > > not
> > > > now. Mobil bought
> > > > out Socony/ Vacuum Oil way back when, and Mobil tech service still
had
> > > > some
> > > > steam engine
> > > > applications listed the last time I checked.
> > > > Best Regards;
> > > > Jim Mackessy
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >   Were oilers ever used in this application and what type of lube
> > would
> > > > > be
> > > > > best for this type of application?
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Steam-engine mailing list
> > > > http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
> > > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Steam-engine mailing list
> > > http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Steam-engine mailing list
> > http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Steam-engine mailing list
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
>




More information about the AT mailing list