| Archive for The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum The Original Unofficial Toy Steam Forum Established 2006 The biggest, most popular steam forum around! Accept NO imitations! We have a growing community of regular posting members who chat about all aspects of toy and model steam. |
| CCairns |
IP Eng Displacement LubricatorHi All,How well should these lubricators work? I have one fitted to an SL1K which I am trying to get to run consistently, but the lubricator hardly uses any oil at all. It is possibly due to a kink or two in the feed pipe bending, although on raising steam I do get steam coming out of the steam feed pipe with the filler cap off. By comparision, the inline lubricators fitted to my Cheddar Steam marine engines use up all of oil and leave plenty of waste water instead. Chris Cairns. |
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| Mamodman123 |
Hi Chris!
My IP lubricator uses very little oil on runs too! I guess it's the way they are. Mine has a little drain screw. Water is usually hidden below the oil so check the oil is still 'oil'. Cheers! MM |
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| Minor1PJG |
I have the same on an SL1K and the oil gets used up at a steady rate. Maybe requiring a refill after two or three runs.
That said my Loco without a lubricator seems to run just as well so only time will tell if one lasts longer than the other. |
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| steamyjim |
what cheddar engines do you have?? | ||||
| Titan |
The Little lubricators that go on the side of the smoke box (I think thats the IP style?) often suffer from the problem that the oil is trying to go down a pipe that the steam is coming up in the opposite direction, and sometimes this results in a kind of impass with no oil flow.
In a Roundhouse lubricator for exampe, one pipe travels straight through the lubricator and out the other side carrying the main steam flow. there is a small hole in this pipe that lets the oil in on the way through. thus everything is pretty much trying to go in the same direction through the pipe and this makes quite a difference. |
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| James |
Nice one!
How do you fit the Roundhouse one again? Pipe to banjo fitting in the whistle?? |
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| SPOKESMAN |
Welcome to the Forum Chris! 
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| Titan |
No, the Roundhouse ones go directly in the main steam pipe. So, after deciding where to put it (cab seems favourite) you take the steam pipe from under the boiler and route it in to the cab to connect on one side of the lubricator, and the other side you connect to the valve block at the front, so that the full flow of steam passes through it on the way to the cylinders. If you have an in cab regulator, you can connect it to the output of that and then pipe to the front as above. Oh and I forgot - welcome to the forum Chris!! |
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| Mamodman123 |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displacement_lubricator
The mamod ones work like this I guess? 
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| Steve_S |
Welcome to the forum Chris! | ||||
| James |
Thanks for clearing that up Ian.
Would it be hard to fit one in the cab of Poppy? Welcome to the forum Chris 
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| CCairns |
IP Eng Displacement LubricatorThanks to all for your replies, and your welcomes to the Forum.I was suffering the same problem of the lubricator piping interfering with the forward/reverse valve assembly, so I have decided to remove the lubricator until I have this loco running smoothly. I agree that the Roundhouse Lubricator is a better option, and is similar to those fitted to my Cheddar Models engines, and an IP Jane (for which I believe Cheddar Models made the boilers). Chris Cairns. |
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| IndianaRog |
Hi Chris,
Belated welcome to the forums. I see you are from Scotland...got to break bread and hoist a few drinks with the forum's most famous Scot...Sandman. He and his lovely wife were visiting Toronto and Detroit and the later was within driving distance for me. We only have a few bonafide Scots, so it's good to have another join us. cheers, Roger |
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| CCairns |
Just read an interesting topic on using these dead leg lubricators on a Yahoo group.
It has been recommended by the G1MRA (unfortunately you need to be a member of the G1MRA to be able to join their Yahoo group) that the pipe on these dead leg lubricators needs to be primed full of oil to get them to work properly. Ideally this could be done when fitting the lubricator, but can be achieved after fitting. I've just decided to have another go with my modified Mamod fitted with this IP Eng lubricator ( http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/about7201.html ). After injecting steam oil into the pipe in the lubricator, whilst it did not use up all the oil on one boiler fill of water (like a Roundhouse lubricator would do), it does show visible signs of lubrication on the piston rods. Unfortunately this boiler has suffered from oil contamination (possibly due to my first injection, subsequent ones done with the steam dome removed, but probably due to my previous method of sucking oil in via the exhaust steam pipe), so it will need several runs to confirm this lubricator is now working properly. At least I can now consider using my other IP Eng lubricator on another Mamod which will have the 'O' piston upgrade fitted as well. |
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| Rob |
would turning the wheels in one or the other direction draw the oil down the feed pipe before you fill the boiler? if not, the method of sucking it up via the exhaust seems a good idea.
did you rempve the steam dome to stop the oil going up the steam pip and into the boiler? i had a problem with oil contamination in my boiler and it messed it up. lots of hot soapy water rempved it. |
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| CCairns |
No it would not with the cap fitted, as the steam pipe inlet is above the level of the oil, and needs the steam condensing as water to displace this oil. Here's the lubricator with the oil at the maximum level which still allows the cap to be fitted. 
And with the cap fitted. 
This was a recommendation I found on a Yahoo group and I've used it on 2 of my Mamods. Simply fit a piece of silicone tube over the exhaust pipe (if your smokebox is rivetted to the boiler then this may be tricky as the exhaust pipe is actually offset from the centre, I've bent mine so the exhaust pipe is centred in the chimney). Now inject some steam oil into this silicone tube with the reverser set for fully forward. Then turn the wheels backwards to suck this oil through. Sadly as you've pointed out, it is possible to suck oil into the boiler using this method. I guess it is best to use as little steam oil as possible and limit the amount of wheel movement. I do not like removing the steam dome if possible, as these tend to leak steam (particularly if you are still using the very thin washer that Mamod fitted), and I now fit a thicker rubber washer and tighten the dome whilst under steam to get it nice and steam tight. The good news is that after some more running, I now have some emulsifying in the lubricator, proving that it is working OK. Despite flushing out with soapy water, I've still got some oil contamination in this boiler, but at least it is not the thick wax that you had in your loco, and is slowly being removed with each boiler full of boiling water. So I'm going to get those 'O' pistons I have some new 'O' rings, and fit these together with my unused IP Eng lubricator to a troublesome SL1K which has been occupying my workshop time for quite a while now. |
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| Rob |
ah right, i thought the delivery pipe which takes the oil to the steam pipe was at the bottomof the lubricator, not at the top which needs something to displace the oil. could you just squirt some oil down the delivery pipe when filling the lubricator? and, how is the burner?
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| CCairns |
Yes that is exactly what I've just been doing, with the excess just filling up the lubricator.
Just finishing a review of burners which should appear at the top of this Forum shortly. |
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| Mamodevon |
There is a pic of Pandora on my website under 'My Collection' with a smaller version of the Roundhouse lubricator fitted within the cab. This design works well, as does the IP design, if fitted properly. However, I am working on a design with a company to produce a special lubricater specifically for this loco. MD |