[Steam-engine] Oilers for Crosshead slides

Thu Jun 30 07:45:26 PDT 2005

James/others...I'm going to asssemble the whole D valve eccentric mechanism 
out side it's shell and post a picture..just too hard to explain.

thanks much
RickinMt.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Mackessy" <jmackess at twcny.rr.com>
To: "Steam-engine mailing list" <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 1:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Steam-engine] Oilers for Crosshead slides

> 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?
> > > > > >
> > > > >
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