Hey guys,
My daughter-in-law recently discovered a Jensen 35 that belonged to her late father, and has asked if I could get it running again. Here's what I know so far:
the stack is MIA, the blanket element is shot, and the cylinder is frozen solid. It looks like the stack, element, fancy rivets for the boiler straps and a gasket set will be sourced from Jensen. But I'd like to use the original cylinder if I can. I've soaked it in oil for a few days but no luck, so now it's soaking in WD40. May try some WB Blaster next. Don't know if it's just mineral deposits or lack of lubrication that caused it to seize. Any advice? What's worked for you? Does the front cylinder cover that the piston shaft goes through unscrew from the cylinder body? I'm trying to be gentle so I haven't tried twisting anything with tools yet to keep from gouging it up. Thanks
Neither of the cylinder end caps have threads ... they are both just interference press fit. I've used Diesel fuel, Tap Magic, PCL and Kroil as penetrants to free up stuck metal. Sometimes some of them even worked! Another thing you might try is heat, as heating the outside of the cylinder should expand it before the heat gets to the piston and expands that too. Not too much heat mind you .... just a good hot can't quite hold on to it kind of too warm should be all it needs.
Keep us informed on how you are getting on with this worthy project.
Thank you much Stoker. Good to know that the end caps aren't threaded. I'll try soaking it in a few more products and then apply a little heat. I'll document everything and may even put a little video together for my daughter in law, so I'll share it here too. I'm excited to dig into this and see it running again.