Dauntless
|
Merit Engine Woeswell I just tried to fire up my Merit engine (like an SEL) I filled with water gave the flywheel a few spins to make sure my new seals on the Safety valve and level plug were watertight and spurt  I have a bad leak on one of the boiler end caps so it looks like a re-solder job but do I patch up  or remove the end cap and start from scratch, its the end cap with the level plug in it and the leak is right at the top.
any advice would be appreciated..
|
Mamodman123
|
Re: Merit Engine Woes | Dauntless wrote: | well I just tried to fire up my Merit engine (like an SEL) I filled with water gave the flywheel a few spins to make sure my new seals on the Safety valve and level plug were watertight and spurt I have a bad leak on one of the boiler end caps so it looks like a re-solder job but do I patch up or remove the end cap and start from scratch, its the end cap with the level plug in it and the leak is right at the top.
any advice would be appreciated.. |
Put a bit of flux on it, then run some thin solder around. No need to take it off Dauntless  
|
Dauntless
|
Re: Merit Engine Woes | Mamodman123 wrote: | | Dauntless wrote: | well I just tried to fire up my Merit engine (like an SEL) I filled with water gave the flywheel a few spins to make sure my new seals on the Safety valve and level plug were watertight and spurt I have a bad leak on one of the boiler end caps so it looks like a re-solder job but do I patch up or remove the end cap and start from scratch, its the end cap with the level plug in it and the leak is right at the top.
any advice would be appreciated.. |
Put a bit of flux on it, then run some thin solder around. No need to take it off Dauntless |
cheers mate
|
Mamodman123
|
Re: Merit Engine Woes | Dauntless wrote: | | Mamodman123 wrote: | | Dauntless wrote: | well I just tried to fire up my Merit engine (like an SEL) I filled with water gave the flywheel a few spins to make sure my new seals on the Safety valve and level plug were watertight and spurt I have a bad leak on one of the boiler end caps so it looks like a re-solder job but do I patch up or remove the end cap and start from scratch, its the end cap with the level plug in it and the leak is right at the top.
any advice would be appreciated.. |
Put a bit of flux on it, then run some thin solder around. No need to take it off Dauntless |
cheers mate |
Just be careful not to heat near any threads etc. If it gets messy, just wipe off the excess and get some fine wet and dry, polish it up after and you're done
|
Dauntless
|
just done it gonna fire now
|
SPOKESMAN
|
Thats quick!! 
|
Mamodman123
|
| Dauntless wrote: | | just done it gonna fire now |
Good luck 
|
Dauntless
|
it run but not too successfully almost got up to steam boiler started leaking again  and safety valve blowing like hell
I did get a vid I will upload it now and post asap.
|
Dauntless
|
|
SPOKESMAN
|
Looks like the SV needs a stronger spring!
|
Mamodman123
|
Well the boiler still seems to leak a litte. That won't help too much.
Safety valve looks to be letting far too much steam out. The spring is loose on mine. It may need stretching or replacing Dauntless
Apart from that, they are just really cheapy little things. I won't even bother running mine 
|
Dauntless
|
good point spokesman and mm I had not even thought of a spring prob
|
Roly Williams
|
Touching up the solder like that makes it difficult to clean the surfaces thoroughly. In particular, make sure the laquer is removed from around the joint.
BTW, Merit and SEL are the same company. They usually sold the steam engines and scientific toys under the SEL brand and used the Merit brand for their other toys. I suppose they did sometimes use the Merit brand for the steam engines. SEL is short for "Signalling Equipment Limited" and is the old brand from before they started making toys.
|
Mamodman123
|
To be honest, it shouldn't be leaking at all!. They aren't that old, and i've known a fair few of them to have solder problems on end caps
Very suprised these things can actually run at times, they are just so cheap
|
Dauntless
|
| Roly Williams wrote: | Touching up the solder like that makes it difficult to clean the surfaces thoroughly. In particular, make sure the laquer is removed from around the joint.
BTW, Merit and SEL are the same company. They usually sold the steam engines and scientific toys under the SEL brand and used the Merit brand for their other toys. I suppose they did sometimes use the Merit brand for the steam engines. SEL is short for "Signalling Equipment Limited" and is the old brand from before they started making toys. |
very interesting Roly thanks
|
Dauntless
|
| Mamodman123 wrote: | To be honest, it shouldn't be leaking at all!. They aren't that old, and i've known a fair few of them to have solder problems on end caps
Very suprised these things can actually run at times, they are just so cheap |
a common problem then !
|
Mamodman123
|
| Dauntless wrote: | | Mamodman123 wrote: | To be honest, it shouldn't be leaking at all!. They aren't that old, and i've known a fair few of them to have solder problems on end caps
Very suprised these things can actually run at times, they are just so cheap |
a common problem then !
|
I've seen a few with bodged up end caps Dauntless, can't say for definate it's a common fault, but it's more common on these than a Mamod/Bowman etc. 
|
MooseMan
|
Reason for the leaky endcaps is that there is a mismatch between the boiler and burner capacities - it is quite easy to run the boiler dry, and that will result in a leaking endcap seam. I've done it! 
It's a relatively easy fix though - may be best to take the whole cap off and resolder properly, otherwise things just get messy. That engine runs a LOT faster when all's well.
BTW, I've found that a useful trick of soldering near fittings, bushes that you don't want to come off etc is to wrap wet tissue paper around the bit you don't want to unsolder. I've recently been working on a Bowman marine boiler which needed to be soldered back to its steel firebox - I was worried about the caps coming off, but a wad of wet tissue wrapped around it and it withstood all my big blowtorch could throw at it!
|
SPOKESMAN
|
As Moose said they boiler may have been weakened at some point in its life by being run dry . . .
|
