Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

A few specifics in the laborious customer dissatisfaction to satisfaction process. 

After reporting the missing oil pan (they call it “engine bottom” or “oil bottom”, depending on the writer doing google translate), as well as the parts deleted from the standard model after the sale and before delivery,  and getting brushed off by enginediy service, (not a new thing), I seethed until I decided to apply multidirectional pressure.

Yes, I went anywhere and everywhere, looking for help.  I got help when I sent links to the less than favorable YouTube videos and forum posts to the sister website, stirlingkit.  When the stirlingkit service person read my request and viewed the videos, she sent up flares, and in a matter of hours a rough, but eager set of instructions was written (it’s unconscionable to release a new product without them), and I got a very nice, perfectly written, American English reply over the enginediy serviceman’s email address, but I’m told it was written by the ceo, promising complete fulfillment of the sale as written at the time, restoring the now deleted ignition, as well as the drill start adapter, and the missing oil pan, gasket, and screws.
She invited comments on the instructions, and sent an unlocked pdf in hopes I’d edit or offer comment.

I read the typically clunky instructions, decided not to go red pencil crazy over the translation, and only marked up obvious, critical errors, such as reversed water cooling fittings, really obscure translations such as “ejector rod” for valve lifter, and a totally botched top oil (two stroke) additive direction of twenty five percent….   They got the engineer involved, adopted most if not all of the mark up, and as I suggested, they meant 30:1 to 40:1 on the top oil.

I’ve met their sincere efforts with kindness and tried to be helpful, as long as they were doing their jobs.  I suspect yon enginediy service rep is smarting where he sits. Let’s hope it taught him something.

I have not taken down the videos, but promised to replace them once I get the promised parts.

Meanwhile, I’m liking this version of the ETW designed whippet.  It features an exposed mechanical breaker system with a manual spark advance.  They ship it with the adjustment arm locked down at TDC, anticipating use of the new automatic spark advance type CDI box.  I’ve got one of those on the way, but discovered it’s easy to unlock the manual advance yoke, which might allow old timey “retard to start, advance to run” operation.  The yoke handle is an accurate pointer, with TDC matching twelve o’clock position of the handle. I note they are using the mechanical breaker system as designed to trigger the CDI ignition, and not a Hall effect switch.

I didn’t particularly care for their pricey belt drive water pump, so I’m repowering a “wobble drive” low volume coffee machine style pump from electric to round belt drive instead, using a junk drawer electric motor as shaft and bearing donor for the pump drive shaft.  A glass reinforced nylon bushing from the junk drawer threaded onto the small end of the crankshaft (1/4” fine thread) easily, after spinning it in the drill press and filing in a round belt pulley groove.  Instant water pump drive pulley.  I also already own a generator, the microcosm offering with the lift ring on top, so it will see service, providing dc power, and UBS by way of a postage stamp sized USB circuit board.  Theoretically it could end up charging the ignition battery while running, but most likely it’ll just provide accessory potential, as well as the unregulated dc off the generator  for whatever. The generator output will be switched, so the load can be added or subtracted at will, without removing the belt.

Also in the works is a reduction transmission with a belt clutch, running GT2 belt off the perimeter of the flywheel, with a pair of idlers to keep the belt tracking and provide throw out function.  I’ve got a couple of toys lined up to put it to real use.  The plan is a modular system to dock the transmission and the implements as needed, while retaining a relatively small display footprint with the necessities as well as the generator and switch box, with the transmission and implements removed.

So I’ve got plenty to do while waiting, and the escalation of the protest has resulted in a positive outcome for myself and for everyone who bought these engines in good faith from sister websites stirlingkit and enginediy.

I am fully aware the uproar wasn’t pretty on this forum, but the links to these posts, as well as the YouTube videos were effective in getting people who cared to clue in those with the power to fix things. With any luck at all, the next time I mention this engine will be when posting a run video.