Fairbanks Morse - First smoke

[cschuerm]

Here's an interesting bit of trivia about these Fairbanks engines.  They use a phase change cooling system. The thing that looks like a radiator and has the fan blowing on it is actually a condenser.  The water level is only half-way up the hopper that the condenser is mounted on.  As the coolant reaches it's vaporization point, the steam rises into the condenser where it is cooled and phase changes back into a liquid.  After some thought, I realize this is a very efficient means of cooling an engine.  
Forgive me if I'm not exactly accurate on this - thermodynamics was a LOT of years ago - but if memory serves, raising one gram of water 1 degree C requires 1 kCalorie of energy.  Right at it's phase change point, that same gram of water absorbs 40kCal of energy to turn into steam (and hence liberates 40kCal when it returns to a liquid).  So, this system would seem to carry heat energy from the engine to the cooling system much more efficiently than a flooded radiator and also result in a very stable temperature (if the temperature starts to exceed the vaporization point of the coolant, the cooling capability of the system rises very rapidly as more liquid phase changes to vapor)

chris

[Tom Reed]

No need for a thermostat either. I like it!

[billswan]

Y'all enjoying this?
chris

YES SIR

Chris it is the thread I read first every time I check the forum.
Please don't think it might not be right for this forum.
By the way have the large bolts on the flywheel pinch give any yet?
Billswan

[BioHazard]

Y'all enjoying this?

How can you not enjoy engine porn?

[cschuerm]

Thanks.  I'll just keep sharing my rust porn addiction then...

I have managed to get the pinch bolt removed from one flywheel.  It took a LOT of heat and every bit of force I could apply.  Was just about to give up when it finally broke loose.  No luck so far on getting the flywheel to budge on the shaft though.  I'm going to try a trick I heard about from an old-timer who used to work on very large engines.  When you get to a certain size flywheel, apparently heating the outer rim (very slowly and very carefully to avoid cracking the flywheel) can cause enough expansion to pull the spokes and loosen the grip on the crankshaft.  I think I'll get some heat tape and wrap the rim with it and see what happens.  Sure don't want to break anything!

Chris

[billswan]

Chris

I bet heating the outer rim sounds like a winner but my guess is it will take more heat than heat tape.

How about one of those propane fire heat guns that put out 1/2 million btu's. If you play the flame on the outer rim and can turn the flywheel to keep the heat spread out evenly on the rim that would work. Get the outer rim to 100 degrees evenly and the center hub at normal daytime temp of 60 might just make room for lots of rust breaking penatrating oil to get in. 

Billswan

[Tom Reed]

Yes, an inexpensive propane weed burner should work. They're handy for starting on those really cold mornings too. I have one that uses the disposable tanks and an adapter hose to go to the 20 lb bbq tank for the big jobs.

[cschuerm]

Thanks for the suggestions!  It's pretty cold here right now (right around freezing) so I just want to take extra care heating up a hunk of iron that large so that I don't cause enough stress to crack something.
My Fairbanks guru was able to confirm that the fan drive pulley was cast as a single part then broken at the factory for installation.  He cautioned me to NOT break it during re-installation as it is almost impossible to get a replacement and they are very expensive.
Probably won't get to work on this project much during the week, but I may try again on the flywheel this weekend.

chris

[cschuerm]

Got the big bits blasted and painted over the week.  Now starting the re-assembly process.
I apologize for the purists in the crowd, but I have too darn many green engines already.  The ones that are not green are red so that was out too.  I'll get it put together and see if I like it.  If not, it'll be a lot easier to take apart and re-paint now that all the bits are in good shape.
chris

[rcavictim]

Chris,

Did you ever get the flywheels off the crank?  When you replace them on a beast like this do you liberally coat the mating surfaces with coppercoat or some other brand of high temperature anti-sieze grease?

I'm disappointed in your color choice.  That's a perfect color for concrete floors, electrical panels and boxes, battleships, even furnace oil tanks, but not these beautiful vintage engines.  Don't worry about what some of us think of your color choice though.  It is your engine and it has to please YOU.  Keep the pictures and reports coming!

[cschuerm]

Throttle body bored and re-bushed with new shaft and butterfly.
Brand new governor assembly.  Old one was missing entirely.
And lastly... Christmas present from my wife: an itty bitty pump jack to run off the Fairbanks 

RCA: Only managed to get one flywheel off.  The other just didn't want to budge and I didn't want to risk breaking it.  Fortunately, it was the non-clutch side which has good access to the back so I was able to clean it very completely and get a nice coat of paint on it.  I did not put anti-seize on the flywheels, but will do so when I put the clutch sleeve back on.  I did use some oil on the flywheel, but was concerned that if I used real anti-seize that I'd risk some movement over time.  Hopefully I'll never have to take them back off!

Chris

[LowGear]

Hopefully I'll never have to take them back off!

I'm sure glad that "Hopefully" was in there.  Brave words even for the master.

It's the bottom of the 8th and "Hey, you think he'll get a 'No Hitter'?

Casey

[cschuerm]

Last two weeks have been very busy and have only allowed for a small bit of work late at night.  Mostly just cleaning and blasting small parts.  I hope to make some serious progress over the holidays if my phone stays quiet.
I did finish putting the bottom end back together last night.  Con rod is back on the crank and all the gears are back in.  Need to flush the water jacket out one last time, then I can install the head.  I see light at the end of the tunnel!

Merry Christmas

Chris

[cschuerm]

Sorry for the lack up updates on this project.  Reality reared it's ugly head and I've been working my tail off the last few months leaving little time for hobby projects.  Last weekend I finished up the carb and head install.  Decided to try starting the beast for a short test run before I put all the cooling system and stuff on just in case.  She fired on the second click of the impulse coupler and just purrred like a giant kitten!  That's a REALLY smooth engine.  Amazingly easy to start.  Just a squirt of gas in the primer cup then gently roll the flywheel past TDC until the mag trips and it just starts running.
One of these days I'll get around to finishing her up.  If I can figure out how, I'll upload a video clip.

chris

[billswan]

Thanks for the update chris.

Have been wondering what was up with the long silence on the project.

Sometimes stuff just gets side tracked..............

Billswan