I gotta tell you Ben , I love the truck idea , the is the 1st. Thing that popped into my mind was the Beverly Hill billy's truck.
Thanks Bruce! I am hopeful that with the sunshade on it will look like a small cab truck....however, with the sunshade removed...it will pretty much BE the Beverly Hillbilly Truck!
Ben , here is the bed that I made for my Wileso D310 Foden lorry truck , it's made from balsa and weighs 1.4 oz.
https://youtu.be/iUyjiCe1aD4
Ben , here is the bed that I made for my Wileso D310 Foden lorry truck , it's made from balsa and weighs 1.4 oz.
https://youtu.be/iUyjiCe1aD4
Great video Bruce!....I have to admit that this is a model I had never really looked at, after I saw it scooting around so well, I went to look on Wilesco site and really started to see all the mods you did! Love the chain drive you found!
The "spare parts" show the Cylinder assembly, this looks like fairly standard D10 power? The other question I had is if anyone has ever pressed the big flywheel shaft out of a Wilesco flywheel? It's my understanding that Wilesco casts them right on the shaft....if there is straight knurl on the shaft it may come off with min damage but heavy diamond knurl or a cross pin might do fair amount of damage by pressing it out. It's not necessary for me to remove but it might be nice to have the option.
The more I think about it, A slide valve power plant is more where I would like to go than double acting occillator.
It looks like D10 or Jensen 75 power would be a BIG upgrade on Mamod Roadster....D16 or big Jensen power might get pretty Wild!
D310 Foden power unit photo
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If I remember correctly, the limo is just simply a roadster with a bucket seat bracket that can be added in back. So you actually have a gray roadster on order with bonus parts. Perhaps it's a vintage Mercedes Benz?
If I remember correctly, the limo is just simply a roadster with a bucket seat bracket that can be added in back. So you actually have a gray roadster on order with bonus parts. Perhaps it's a vintage Mercedes Benz?
I zoomed the Limo photo even more, from a manufacturer view it makes a Lot of sense if the Limo "kit" is really a grey Roadster with these additional parts:
Removing sunshade overhead canopy top
Rear seat (identical to front seat)
Brass windscreen frame
Wedge shaped tin rear seat mount.
That's it!!
(If) just by leaving the "wedge" shape rear seat base off...if there is standard "sloped" back Roadster tin underneath...THAT may change my game plan! In my heart I just really want to build a "Hotrod" Roadster...however the Truck "build" is to much fun to abandon completely, I think I will save all the limo "bonus" parts, and if I get the Roadster running well without big headaches, then source a second unit for the Truck build....I suppose with a bit of work I could convert to a Truck with ease, but I would paint a Truck very differently from a Roadster and likely gear the Truck for low speed Power and the Roadster for high speed motoring.
I am Very eager to view kit parts....thanks for sharing CBWho!
Hi,
An interesting project and I look forward to reading about its progress. Bruce is right about trying to keep the weight down my Roadster weighs 2.24 kg very near 5 lb the three wheel version is a lot lighter at 1.74 kg about 3.8 lb. Though their speed and ability to run continuously is about the same the lighter version certainly runs longer using the same amount of water. Although there is independent springing on the front wheels it doesn't really allow the single driving wheel to reliably stay in contact with the ground other than on very flat floors. If I modified one again I would look at fitting a solid front axle which was pivoted at its centre to allow the wheels to remain in contact the ground over reasonable undulations.
Take care.
Tony.
Hi,
An interesting project and I look forward to reading about its progress. Bruce is right about trying to keep the weight down my Roadster weighs 2.24 kg very near 5 lb the three wheel version is a lot lighter at 1.74 kg about 3.8 lb. Though their speed and ability to run continuously is about the same the lighter version certainly runs longer using the same amount of water. Although there is independent springing on the front wheels it doesn't really allow the single driving wheel to reliably stay in contact with the ground other than on very flat floors. If I modified one again I would look at fitting a solid front axle which was pivoted at its centre to allow the wheels to remain in contact the ground over reasonable undulations.
Take care.
Tony.
I have been enjoying having you in the thread Tony. I agree the pivot front axle will solve the lifting of the drive wheel issue. I live in the woods, so there is zero place on the property suited to run the Mamod Roadster, but I do have a Very smooth tennis court 10 minutes away. Before I try the swing axle, I may wind New Very Soft spring ( music wire guitar string) springs for the front. The Mamad stock springs look far to stout. Ideally the front springs would be perhaps more than 50% compressed with and empty boiler or maybe shoot for 95% compressed with a full boiler. This level of softness may allow me to run continuously on a premium surface like tennis court, but I will take your suggestion to heart as it would be nice to Not be confined to the tennis court only.
My "kit" shipped out this morning, I am eager to build it!
It's here!! Susann over at Ministeam takes good care of me, perhaps because I am a "repeat offender"?
The box is Large! I think I may just build it up as a "stock" Roadster so that I get the "Mamod" experience....than after observing the stock performance or lack there of, I will begin to Modify....I find the upgrades/mods can be more satisfying if you observe the stock performance in person first.
To be continued....
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I am pleased to report: just as CBWho suggested, on the left is a normal "Sloped" back Roadster body. On the right is the limo "wedge" shaped rear seat riser...or in my case a starter kit for a flatbed Truck mod
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Edit:
I am enjoying a bit of "English" tobacco in my pipe while reading the rather sparse Mamod directions and also having a spot-ooh-tea...just to get in the right frame of mind to build an English made Roadster kit!
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The instructions suggest to rinse boiler out with water before first run, I noticed some specks of dirt on my boiler sight glass, so I removed it and dumped this out of the boiler.
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Shine a light inside and there is 2-3 times that much flux? Lumpy scale cling to the walls concentrated around solder joints....I know steam feeds from top of boiler, but would not like to have pushed Any of that grit thru my steam Cylinder!
I gave the boiler a hot vinegar bath and let it soak about 20 min, then rinse with hot tap water several times down to cool water...the inside of boiler looks MUCH better now with nothing sticking on the walls that looks like it may come loose.
I think this kit may have been on the shelf a couple years and there was some tarnish on the brass, I broke out my new tube of Autosol and in 1 min she was shine like a new penny! I could bring it up more but most of the boiler is hiding under the hood and this will not be a shelf queen but more frequent driver.
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I pulled the piston/cylinder out of its bag and as I pulled the piston from cylinder it felt (not good).
The piston had tiny brass chips all over it, so I washed it with rubbing alcohol and also swabbed the bore with the same. Applied some steam oil and it was WAY better but not amazing. The swabs felt tacky so I think the cutting fluid still in the bore had held a fair amount of brass chips. I am not complaining, I am just happy they still Make this model! I am enjoying puttering with it a great deal. Thought I would share so if anyone purchase a kit, they may know what to watch for.
The piston is .3125 or a tick under 8mm. The portion turned round near back edge (of cylinder) is .440 dia on my kit. It could easily be bored out to 9mm or even 10mm piston if one was feeling adventurous!
This might be a fairly simple power upgrade to a stock engine (if one has the equipment to do it properly).
I still want the efficiency of a slide-valve engine, so I doubt I will try to bore out this unit.
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