My grandfather grew up near Sheffield Pa, and had a hunting lodge there. This is the heart of the Allegheny National Forest. Near his camp there were 2 stationary steam engines that ran push rods through the woods to run oil well pumps. Some of the rods are still strung through the Allegheny National Forest as of 2007. This engine was used to replace those steam engines. The Bessemer plant is still in Grove City, sadly boarded up. I went to college there. Fascinating stuff.
On the ignition, I believe they're essentially semi-diesel, in that the hot tube, combined with the heat from compression is what causes the ignition. Also "only" 15 horsepower is misleading. For those that don't know, Horsepower is a mathematical equation for work done over time. Specifically it's HP=TQ x RPM / 5252. The only reason such a large engine is "only" 15 hp is because it turns at such a low RPM. Guessing that this turns at around 65 RPM, that would mean it's producing 1,212 pound/feet of torque!!
Why are you using gasoline to clean the small parts and not an ultrasonic bath? And wouldn't it be easier to heat the Cogwheel in the oven to fit it back on? (or put the other part in the freezer)
@@Cast_Iron_Curiosities what did you use then? It looks like it cleans the parts better then water and you said to use gloves, so I assumed you used gasoline. Sorry, if that was wrong
For the temp belt to get them tighter by cutting them a hair shorter and keep them together. Ya don't just butt glue. I either used a piece of old shoe lace that just fit or split a pice of the tube and rolled and glue it to the inside of the tubing to form a stronger splice. Can tell you, nothing catches your attention like standing by the belt and having the splice pop apart and slap ya in the butt when you least expect it. 😂, thank you for the videos!!
"is it safe?" Oh hell no. People have been wrapping themselves around these engines for over a century now. Dont be foolish and be careful so you can go home today.
IF the sound and picure are in sync, then at minute 35 the ignition timing is WAY out. The combustion knock is occuring when the piston is most of the way through the power stroke. I'm not talking about the exhaust "chuff", I'm talking about the deep "dunk" sound that is characteristic of the combustion noise in these engines. If it's actually like it sounds, and not some artefact of the video, then it'll never run well or develop its rated power.
This is one of the best RU-vid videos I've seen! I love that a guy knows how to work on these. I have one of those tool and die lifts they're super handy.
I'd REALLY like to know the thermodynamic efficiency of that engine for comparison. As for emissions... Well it's a 2 stroke engine, let's not go there, t'is a silly place. Love seeing these old machines, thanks for uploading!
How would the timing have gotten off in the first place; doesn't seem like something that should be touched once it leaves the factory? Nor would it have run had someone fooled with it, so... "um, maybe put it back where it was"?
Visiting my Aunt in Smackover Arkansas in the 60's, she took me to an oil field between Smackover and Eldorado to show me a place she played as a girl. The 'play' involved walking the steel rods that were across the field running from a similar engine, but it was a gasoline powered hit and miss engine. The idea was to keep your balance as you walked along, and the rod went out, then back in, it riding on ground rollers set so many feet apart. The rods pulled several walking beam style pumps, and they moved a considerable distance. She was almost 70 at the time, hopped up on those steel rods and walked them like she was 12, first riding away from me, and then coming back, all the while walking away. I went back to visit about 40 years later, and the area that was a barren wasteland of black oil soaked ground, was totally restored, trees, grass, wild flowers, all the wells long gone. Can still remember it had a single Autolite spark plug. After watching this, I think the gas powered hit and miss was a bit less temperamental.
I remember these things on oil pump jacks in South Texas, hearing the pop pop pop pop as the engine lifted up the pump jack, then the whuff whuff whuff whuff as she coasted on the down stroke. They ran on casing head gas directly from the well head. They would run until the pumper came and shut them down. Very reliable.
These engines were called hit and miss one lunger's as they are to fire and miss (not fire). Back in the 1980's I pumped wells with 3 of these types of engines in Clintonville Pa. and one engine I was pumping 23 wells at once with, and when a well would pump off I would have to disconnect the rod line from the power eccentric unit. Sorry but when he adjusted the rod to the piston which he shouldn't have as it change the timing of everything else.
