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

I just received a DK Products steam engine thru Live Auctioneers.

It is built like a tank, but unfortunately the screw in the top of the
upper sightglass fitting is frozen.  Right now I'm using PB Blaster
penetrating fluid to loosen it but I'll need to wait a while before
giving it a try.

Does anyone else have tried-n-true methods for loosening the screw?
Modest heating?  The fitting, silver colored, is non-magnetic so it
probably nickel-plated brass as is the boiler. 
   
I hope it isn't cross-threaded.

Thanks,
Wayne

Thanks for the advice.  Slow and modest heat, cycled up/down a few times
then soaking in a penetrating solution.....All sounds reasonable to me.

The heating element, flat, is toast.  I looked around at industrial band
heaters and have several saved on ebay, but first...

I did try compressed air (bypassing the boiler) into the engine and it
runs slowly in one direction.  The other direction, nada.  Oiling a bit
helps but....I took it apart and now it is worse.  Hmmmm.  Sometimes it
takes work just to get back to where you started. 

This all sounds like my Weeden 34.  Work the problem, try it, and if it
doesn't run, work it some more from a different angle of attack. 
Eventually, the 34 ran and so will this.  Grrrrr.

Wayne

Jim...don't hold your breath.  I'm not liking
the design.  The fancy 'direction changing' aspect
is an overdone waste.  And, it is recommended by DK
that if you are going to be running it much use air
to avoid over-working/ruining the heater element.
First time I saw a warning of that sort.

I am still fussing with the sightglass problem as it
is set up for that right now.



So.....I'll switch to soldering the boiler cap
on an early Empire B43 (hope my hands don't shake
too much) that leaks here/there all the way around. 
The first owner must have cooked it early on because
it does not look like it was used much.  Oopsie, dead
engine, put it in the attic is what I think happened.

Wayne