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

Spent a few hours today inspecting this engine. And (unsuccessfully) trying to run it on air. here are some of my observations with Pictures.

I had commented previously that the cylinder head looked different then the other SIPP's I have seen. It seems more ornate then the normal head that just has a rounded raised area in the center.

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I did some research in my photo library and found another SIPP that had this same head design on a Sipp that was on eBay 20 years ago.  So maybe this was the head that was offered during a specific period of time in the Life of SIPP's. (or maybe my SIPP is the one that was on eBay 20 years ago?).

The head is definitely a cast iron casting. not something that someone carved from bar stock.

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The valve linkage on this is very crude and seems to be fabricated from a couple of plates,  some bolts and nuts, the link out of a bicycle chain etc.  I do not like it, so I will have to get some cast iron and machine a proper one.  For now I will live with this one.


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I have seen SIPP's with a hole cast into the Bearing supports and without holes in the bearing supports.  This one has a hole in the inboard support, and no hole in the outboard support?

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Things got really interesting when I took the valve box off.  The D valve was shuttling back and forth on this H shaped brass thing that was soldered to the valve rod.  Not adjustable at all, but the actual valve seemed to ride on it just fine, and after cleaning it up it seemed to settle down on the port face ok.  The valve rod is not removable from the valve box unless I cut it or unsolder that slider piece.  The rod is also slightly bent and has a tight spot when I slide it back and forth.

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I will have to work on that.

The port face and cast in ports are real rough.

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And there was a sand inclusion in the top rear corner of the port face.

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Just cosmetic, the gasket seals it up pretty well.

Next installment will be the piston issues and trying to run it on air.

Jim in Minnesota