On the front of the engine, if I move the lever so it is inline with the faucet, steam and water shoots out. If I have it inline with the inlet pipe nothing happens.
How is the feed pump boiler valve supposed to work??
I assume it's plugged with solder on the one direction.
The sight glass appears replaced with brass, so I need to design a plan to redo that.
Well in theory the valve should have a ball type pressure check built into it so that water under pressure from the pump can flow into the boiler by lifting the ball off its seat seal, but boiler pressure cannot escape back to the pump because it forces the ball hard against its seat seal.
Hope that makes any sense!?!?
The check valve is on the pump, not the boiler.
On the boiler is a valve. Wondering which way the lever turns...
The lever straight out, drains the boiler.
Not sure on the other settings...
Then open up the check valve cap on the pump and put some air pressure to it and see what position of that boiler face valve gets your whistle to blow, or the boiler to get pressure showing on the gauge.
The pump is already separate from the boiler. I need to install a new line.
I believe solder has obstructed parts of the boiler valve. So a little drilling may be in order.
But I'd want the valve arm to be in the correct location in order to not destroy it. Makes sense the caution?
I think I need to remove the front of the boiler.
I have to undo the prior "fixing". Someone rather securely placed a brass tube instead of a glass one.
Was glass tube rare at some time over the last 100 years? It's not difficult to reseal the glass.
Originally the boiler appears to be attached by the bottom via tabs. The straps that were on this engine were crinkly and looked sloppy. So easier to go back to the tabs. I don't like the idea of de-soldering tabs for disassembly, so I think I'll solder on tabs once and then use a bolt to secure to the firebox.
The feed tap .
I think from memory the taper has Hole drilled right through and another one at right angle but only half way though ,ie in meets the through hole so basically a T
Top of T. Inline with boiler and tap out let with the other leg opposite water inlet . This acts as. Blow down valve .
Rotate 1/4 turn so top of T is inline water inlet and opposite (blank)
Leg of T is out tap so pump water out tap,
Rotate 1/2 turn so top of T is still across from inlet pipe to opposite and leg goes into boiler
I desoldered the front and completely disassembled the previous repair.
The valve was indeed plugged, but using the solder suction tool, wire brush, etc, it's now flowing.
Lever in line with faucet: everything drains.
Lever in line with inlet, boiler fills.
Lever opposite of inlet, pump drains.
I'll have to cut new threads into the bung end, and use a brass nut on the inside of boiler.
For soldering on the end cap, I assume I can use paste of some sort?
I ordered some glass tube from across the pond... Cheap enough. I assume I bend with torch?