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

I was doing a video of my B-43 with the "RPM" Gauge and it was struggling to run accessories.  The cool thing about this guy is you can watch the pressure gauge to see how its doing.  I guess when I first got it I didn't mess with it to much, since without an accessory it ran pretty darn good.

• I am pretty sure the spring I used in the stack is too weak but it does have the new Mcmaster seal.  So I just tighten it up more.
• Steam line leaked a bit, unscrewed the pipe off the collar and put some of that Permatex 59235 High Temperature Thread Sealant on.
• Both the upper/lower steam collar seals leaked.  So I cleaned off the old seals, installed a new one at the tank and reused a good old one at the bolt head to collar.
• The regular screw needs to be replaced, its all kinds of wavey - talking with @Paula this is bound to happen with the small diameter brass screws.  I'll be getting some stainless steel screws but for now a good bit of Teflon tape fixed it up.

Now I can pretty much run it with accessories until the water is getting low.  I can't run it super fast for long but I can get it chugging at a nice pace forever now.



Link to the video I did before the above work is in the comments.

Thanks Bruce!  Once you try to run accessories the oscillating piston setup isn't forgiving on any leaks ;-)

Assuming Stilson's book is correct and the engine was only made in 1933, they should be rather hard to find.  Not only is this the only engine with a gauge, it is the only one with a throttle/regulator screw coming out the side of the steam collar.  I have to say, the screw is a little dodgy coming out that way.

Speaking of the screw, more often than not these screws are bent in someway.  Though most times it isn't like someone hit it but more like "distorted".  I sent a screw up to @Paula and she explained to me how these Empire screws being small diameter brass they will not hold up to heat and will malformed.  Then when it cools down and you steam it next the screw doesn't move well (likely messing up the fitting's threads over time)  When working with this engine and its rather long screw I saw this happening to this very screw. Now on my list for repairs will be replacing this screw with a stainless steel screw.

Here is a photo of the screw, the malformation is subtle but it's there.