Where is everyone #5

Really something that old steam engine, neat conversion to LPG fuel. Would have loved to see it running.
I suppose you bolted on various sized belt pulley faces to the output flywheel to utilize?

 

As the Tom Cat said.... "Ya gotta make calls to get results...." (Can't lie around the house on the couch.)

 

Early ether starting fluid.... Live glow plugs ....Preheater...

 

Actually it’s been a gas engine its whole life, Reid is a 2 cylinder engine but one cylinder (small cylinder) is a charge cylinder, it sucks in the air and fuel then pushes it over into the combustion cylinder.

If you look on the center of the flywheel on one side you can see the bolt holes for a big clutch that had a big flat belt pulley to run drilling rig….

 

That is amazing. First of the crossovers then, steam engine build to combustion fueled. Thing prolly still thirty minutes after shut off just off those flywheels..
The orchard tractor. had seen old dealer pics but never one of a good close actual. Can one say: Low slung and aerodynamic?

 

That is called a Yellow Dog. Used for lighting around the drilling rig. From a distance walking through the woods the flames would look like 2 yellow eyes….

 

I see two eyes of any color in the night, I'm gone bye bye... (Part of the reason for attaining my age.)

 

The flywheels in my yard are from a 20 hp Oil City Southpenn 1/2 breed I use to own. If you notice the flywheel on the left is thinner than the flywheel on the right.

The thin flywheel is from the original Oil City steam engine used to drill the well. For some years they used the steam engine to pump the well, which took some time especially in cold weather. They had to build a fire in the boiler to get steam pressure then pump the well, after pumping wait for the boiler to cool down, all took quite a bit of time.

When the conversion came along they replaced the cylinder and piston, and added a flywheel on the original steam engine bed plate, hence the thicker flywheel on the right. Steam has a power stroke each direction so no need for a heavy flywheel. A weight ring was made too which was bolted to the outside of the steam flywheel in situations where a heavy flywheel was not available.

My Bessemer is 20 hp, 9 1/2” bore, 15” stroke, with 68” diameter flywheels.
Max rpm’s 180. Doesn’t sound like much but… those flywheels are over 1000 lbs spinning 180 rpm on a 4” diameter crankshaft.

The Reid is a 4 cycle and my Bessemer is a 2 cycle engine. Both are hot tube ignition. I have the big brass cylinder oiler as well as the diamond gas valve and drillers wheel but I don’t leave them on the engine, I keep them in the garage…..

 

Found a couple hidden gems today.