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Edmonson White Steam Car Service Manual

1. 36 ENGINE POUNDS An engine pound is a decided knock or thump usually caused by a loose or worn part Do not confuse the terms vibration and pound An engine can pound and still pull smoothly or an engine can vibrate when all its moving parts are properly adjusted and well lubricated A loose or worn main bearing pound is usually a heavy thump and the best way to determine which bearing it is to make an examination Sometimes if it is the low pressure main bearing the pound is heavier when engine is pulling simple Often times it can be remedied by inserting over sized balls The bolts which hold he main bearing caps may become loose allowing the whole main bearing to move up and down When looking for a main bearing pound these bolts should all be tested A loose connecting rod is one where the bolts have become loose or the bearing surface has become worn A connecting rod pound is a double pound most noticeable when the pulling is slow and heavy Running along at a steady rate of speed it is usually decreased or sometimes eliminated by hooking up the reverse lever If a piston head is loose on the piston rod the result is a heavy double pound If the piston rod is loose where it screws into the crosshead the pound will be much lighter and sharper It is a double pound and is heaviest at slow speed The later condition may be easily determined by trying piston rod lock nuts with a wrench A double pound is one which thumps at each end of
2. INSUFFICIENT THROTTLE OPENING If the throttle is so set that it cannot be opened far enough the car of course will appear to have an insuffi cient amount of power To get this effect however the short lever on the throttle would stand at a right angle to the frame of the car and such a condition would easily be detected VARYING HEAT WITH SPEED CONSTANT If the temperature varies as much as seventy five degrees above and below four hundred degrees while the car is running at a practically constant speed it is probable that this is due to an irregular action of the thermostat Should the thermostat spring which seats the needle valve be weak or the packing in the water valve stuffing box be tight either of which may prevent the valve closing at the proper time the generator will receive too much water Then it may happen that when the valve does close it is too late The temperature has begun to fall If the element should be slightly bent it may spring sideways while expanding instead of pushing through the stuffing box When the tension is sufficient to start motion through the stuffing box the valve is suddenly opened too wide and too much water will be pumped to the generator before it again closes causing the temperature to drop Sometimes this may happen running at a steady rate of speed and with apparently no cause Another thing which may cause the temperature to vary rising however is that the Boiler checks being imperfect o
3. Leaking throttle Simpling pedal not pressed down Passover valve not leaving seat Low pressure poppet valve not seating Rapidly Operating throttle Without simpling Reverse on center 34 Items on CHART 4 ENGINE There is no difference in the fundamental principles upon which the old and new style engines are designed The greatest difference is in the mechanical construction Two very important items in connection with the care and operation of any steam engine are first starting when cold second lubrication In starting any steam engine when it is cold the first steam admitted to the cylinders is condensed by the cold cylinder walls Care must be taken not to allow the engine to attain too much speed until the cylinder temperature is high enough to prevent condensation This water from the condensed steam must be given time to escape from the cylinders otherwise it may damage some of the moving parts owing to the fact that it is incompressible and cannot escape quickly enough This matter has been taken care of in the new engines by the means of cylinder cocks which should be opened when the engine is started cold and allowed to remain open until the engine is turning freely On the older types the usual procedure is to open the throttle before the steam pressure rises too high The engine should be kept simpled and the reverse lever changed back and forth from reverse position to go ahead By keeping the engine simple
4. E Temperature too low i Excessive loss of pressure Hand pump checks leaking je N E K after standing a few minutes Boiler check leaking 2 Safety valve leaking 5 Throttle leaking Any steam leak Lack of water in generator when starting Fire burning too long in order to raise steam pressure Dirty generator coils above bypass Wet steam Clogged vaporizer 5 Brakes dragging Wet steam E Dirty generator or steam line 3 Lack of water in generator No reserve n 25 Items on CHART 2 GENERAL SYMPTOMS The items enumerated in Chart Two are partially a reiteration of some of the items on Chart One They are mostly general terms used for the purpose of identifying the symptoms developed by the car The most of the items are treated more specifically under the same heading on some of the other charts EXCESSIVE WATER CONSUMPTION WET STEAM Wet steam is one of the most common causes for a car using more than the normal amount of water The steam not being superheated sufficiently lacks the expansive qualities that it should have consequently it takes a great deal more volume to furnish the power to drive the car A greater volume means that the condenser must do a greater amount of work and where this amount is more than it can do satisfactorily the result is that the steam overflows Any such overflow means a waste of water If on an average road a car is running at a moderate speed and the condenser overflows the steam either the temperatur
5. of water per Ib of gasoline 56 If the heating value of the gasoline be 18 482 B T U per 1b the respective boiler efficiencies of these 2 cases would be 78 4 and 75 0 If the heating value be assumed at 20 400 B T U per lb the respective efficiencies become 71 2 and 67 3 THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ENTIRE PLANT 57 The engine developed a horse power on the brake at its highest load during the various tests with a consumption of 11 96 lb of feed water per hour The evaporation under actual running conditions with the feed water heater in operation was 11 5 Ib of water for one of gasoline This would show that 1 04 Ib of gasoline would be used under best conditions per developed HP 58 If the engine friction be considered as 1 6 HP the water per IHP per hour would be as calculated under best conditions 11 54 Ib and the gasoline per IHP per hour 1 004 which is practically one lb of gasoline per IHP per hour 59 If the gasoline has a heating value of 18 482 B T U per 1b we find a heat efficiency for the whole plant on the basis of total heat supplied compared with that converted into useful work on the brake of 13 25 and compared with that indicated of 13 35 If the heating value for gasoline be 20 400 B T U per Ib the per cent of efficiency for these two cases becomes respectively 12 1 and 12 45 60 The above calculations are made to cover the extreme results of he heating values of gasoline in order to make the results accor
6. the engine will not pull smoothly for a few minutes after starting until the steam has attained its superheat This condition is commonly known as when the car is warming up The steam not having the elasticity that it should will not do as much work in the low pressure cylinder as it does in the high pressure thereby destroying the balance between the two cylinders By the expression piston or slide valves cut is meant a condition where the steam tight surface has become rough or grooved owing to the two metals cutting each other This condition is brought about by poor lubricating oil a lack of oil or running with the temperature of the car too high Should a high pressure valve be cut it allows too much steam to go through to the low pressure giving the same condition as leaky simpling valve Broken piston rings will also allow too much steam to pass to the low pressure cylinder providing the rings which are broken are in the high pressure If the low pressure rings are broken the steam will escape to the condenser without doing the full amount of work Either condition destroys the engine balance Broken rings are usually caused from a lack of proper lubrication or starting the engine too fast with water in the cylinders ENGINE VIBRATES EITHER SIMPLED OR COMPOUND The items enumerated under this head are causes of vibration under running conditions either simpled or compound If the bolts which hold the engine to the frame should becom
7. FLOW MOTOR If by any means the water can pass the piston in the flow motor without pushing it down the result will be that the water overbalances the fuel If the piston in the flow motor is binding it might cause wet steam depending upon the point at which the piston binds and whether it is opened or closed FUEL RATIO If for any cause the normal supply of fuel cannot flow at the proper time the result will be wet steam A chokage of fuel supply can be caused by sediment in the strainer or the vaporizer nozzle tip being too small The most common occurrence causing a choked supply is that one of the holes in the vaporizer tip becomes clogged with small particles of carbon If the gasoline valves on the tank and the hand valve at the footboard are open only a small amount it will give the same result Many instances have been noted where owners have been guilty of the latter in order to economize fuel but contrary to their expectations this resulted in using almost twice as much as would have been the case if the valves were opened full The reason for this is obvious If the valves are not opened wide and the water overbalances the fuel the fire cannot catch up enough to superheat the steam consequently is burning all the time Economy in a White car depends upon the steam being superheated Other mistakes giving the same result have 19 been occasioned by putting on a twenty HP fuel valve on a thirty HP car or by putting a small twenty H
8. Senne Clogged Generator ja 2 Suction line Porous hose E Diy Sian Flabby hose a Dirty strainer S Cracked diaphragm Insufficient throttle opening Leaky stuffing boxes Pitted balls Pumps Faulty checks Flat balls Loose seals Too much lift Weak spring x Thermo valve Tight packing lt Speed constant Needle binding on seat Boiler check leaking O Thermo element Slightly bent Tight stuffing box Z Flow motor adjustment x Speed varying Leaky thermo valve 16 CHART 1 continued BACKFIRING When fire comes on split vaporizer slow gas leak either When fire Shuts of Crack in burner grate Turning on fuel too fast when cold Pilot too low Dirty pilot No lagging on burner Too much air in mixing tube Red hot coils overheating Fire on continuously wet steam Vaporizer nozzle out of center Insufficient air Foreign object lying on burner grate Dirt Asbestos Vaporizer out of hole Dragging fire Vaporizer nozzle large Shutter closed Nozzle in too far FIRE REFUSES HOWLING NO FIRE to CLOSE OFF without RACING ENGINE Constant Pilot light low or dirty Flaw in vaporizer Vaporizer nozzle not central Vaporizer nozzle too large Mud in mixing tube Insufficient air Carbon in vaporizer nozzle tip Vaporizer nozzle tip not screwed tight Intermittent Water regulator Thermostat Screen clogged Insufficient valve lift Pin wedging screen bindin
9. Steamers were used during his stay at Beverly by the secret service officials in the discharge of their highly important duties From The White Bulletin October 1909
10. been broken in properly In starting a new engine or an engine that has just been packed throughout care should be exercised during the first two weeks in regard to the stuffing boxes The packing is new consequently it is very soft and is not formed to the shape of the piston rod The stuffing boxes should be tightened up daily without being allowed to leak for the first two weeks then an additional ring of packing should be inserted in each box After the packing has once become seated provided it has not been allowed to leak enough to start a steam groove the stuffing boxes should then with the proper handling of the throttle last the rest of the season We know of one instance where a thirty horse power car has finished its second season and still has the same packing which was put in it at the factory At the beginning of the second season a little additional packing was put in each stuffing box If the steam is hot and the proper lubrication is lacking the packing may become hard and dry enough to score the piston rod Once this has happened the packing cannot be made to seat tightly and the engine should be repacked throughout after refinishing the rods Any scoring rough spots or nicked places on either the valve stems or piston rods will become a source of constant annoyance by causing leaks This little rough place in moving up and down through the packing cuts exactly like a saw tooth and will continue to cut a groove through which the st
11. cannot pass through the walls fast enough to maintain a superheat and the steam temperature drops Third Under the average running conditions the thermostat needle valve remains more or less off the seat when the speed of the car is suddenly increased and the flow of the steam increases correspondingly its temperature drops a small amount quickly causing the thermostat valve to close This in turn will cause the flow motor to feed the full amount of fuel which would tend to raise the temperature enough in a short time to cause the thermostat valve to begin opening again But if the valve is leaking and the extra amount of water continues to pass through to the generator the temperature will continue to drop instead of regaining the balance BACK FIRING Backfiring is a term used to denote the ignition of the gas as it leaves the vaporizer nozzle instead of above the burner grate There is no danger connected with it although it makes a roaring noise The proper thing to do is to close the gasoline valve and let the car continue to run until the gas already in the vaporizer is burned out Then turn 21 on the fuel again and proceed as before We have divided the subject of Backfiring into two general classes It may happen when the fire is just coming on or it may happen when the fire is shutting off or as under the heads of B and C on the chart it may happen either way WHEN FIRE IS COMING ON Any cracks in the burner grate are prett
12. generator This precaution holds good either for starting up the car when the engine is running idle or when the car is pulling out on the street On the other hand if after the car has been running idle and under an additional load such as climbing a grade the fire burns steadily without boosting the steam pressure the chances are that the generator is dirty Before coming to any conclusion like this however it should be known that there is a full flow of fuel to the burner Also that the temperature of the steam is correct SLUGGISH CAR If the car does not seem to have the proper amount of reserve power if it does not move out at once when the throttle is open the possibilities are that the trouble can be traced to one of the five items mentioned on Chart Two under this head For more specific details these may be looked up elsewhere K KK K K K K K K K OK K KOK K OK OK 2K ok 29 CHAPTER VIII CHART 3 MINOR ITEMS Vaporizer Clogged Graphite on screws Rough casting porous Pilot too high Flow motor Slow gas leak independent valve Split Pilot high Vaporizer red hot Clogged while red hot Excessive air pressure Pilot light Goes Out Water in gasoline Gas mixture too light Pilot turned too low Pilot dirty Too much oil in engine crankcase Burns red Hole in nozzle too large old style Dirty spreader cone Leaky flush valve Loose screws Not hot enough to vaporize Car ste
13. great deal of tire trouble could be avoided by giving heed to a few main points in regard to their care One of the most important of these is that of inflation To run a tire without its containing the proper air pressure will greatly shorten its life A table of proper pressures for different sizes of tires can be obtained of any first class manufacturer for the asking A rough but efficient method is to inflate the tire until its walls cease to bulge and are straight This when only the weight of the empty car is being sustained Avoid unnecessary use of the brakes The strain all comes on the fabric of the tires For the same reason do not turn corners at high speed Avoid letting grease or oil come in contact with the tires Oils and greases are natural enemies of rubber Too much emphasis cannot be put on the fact that many blowouts are the result of overloading the car A car is usually equipped with tires to carry the load for which it is designed Any more than this results in overstrains on the tire fabric Owing to the elasticity of its power a steam car is very easy on tires in comparison with a car of the same weight propelled by an explosive motor and there should be no reason why a steam car owner with a little care should not get exceptional mileage out of his tires Depreciation can be divided into two classes Theoretical and actual Suppose a car is bought and driven five hundred miles at the same time receiving the best of care In r
14. instantaneously Such a thing is absolutely impossible with the White generator The nearest thing to it would be a rupture of a tube through which the small amount of steam would escape with less noise than would occur when the safety valve pops off There are 2 principal points to observe in the care of the generator Avoid overheating and keep the water tank clean If the coils are allowed to run at a red heat the metal becomes soft and the pressure is apt to expand them enough to cause rupture 2 Mineral scales which are the enemies of ordinary boilers have no effect on the coils The circulation is too rapid However if the oil in the water tank is permitted to accumulate and is pumped into the generator by allowing water to run low much harm will result The oil spreads itself over the inner surface and unless removed while still soft will carbonize from the heat in the course of a few days Once carbonized it necessitates taking the generator apart in order to remove The White engine is a cross compound of the marine type The earlier models had both valves of the D slide type In 1907 and 1908 they had a high pressure piston valve and a low pressure slide valve and at the present time both the high and low pressure have piston valves The piston valve has the advantage of being almost perfectly balanced and consequently wears very little The Joy valve gear is being used at present taking the place of the 2 Stephenson gear whic
15. of vaporized fuel besides causing back firing WHEN FIRE SHUTS OFF Red hot coils may radiate enough heat downward to cause the gas to ignite below the burner grate owing to the radiation overheating the top of the burner If the fire is on continuously caused for instance by wet steam the burner grate may become overheated to such an extent as to cause the gas to ignite below If the vaporizer nozzle is not central to the mixing tube one part of the burner may receive too much gas and also too rich a quality thereby causing a hot spot on the burner grate which would cause ignition below Aside from the fact that it causes backfiring a crooked vaporizer nozzle may very greatly decrease the economy of the car on fuel A good way to line up the vaporizer nozzle properly is to watch the jets of gas when first turning on the fuel in steaming up The points where the different jets strike the side of the mixing tube may be located exactly and the nozzle can be set accordingly to a very accurate degree This subject of having the vaporizer nozzle central is much more important than the average operator thinks 22 If the burner is not getting enough air it will act the same as though it were getting too much raw fuel as mentioned above Causes for lack of air are nozzle being too large sometimes drilled out in order to get more power mixing tube shutter being closed too much or the nozzle projecting into the mixing tube too far If the gas
16. one who never leaves his driving seat while one the road except for accidental breaks or tire trouble One does not necessarily have to be an engineer or mechanic in order to run an automobile successfully A liberal use of common sense and oil will accomplish wonders along this line The points to be lubricated on the White car enumerated in the order of their importance are as follows First the cylinders Applied energy is obtained from a steam engine by means of the steam pushing a piston up and down in a closed cylinder This piston must fit close enough to be steam tight and at the same time be free to move up and down From this fact it can readily be seen that the power and economy of the engine depends upon a steam tight joint between the moving piston and the cylinder walls Proper cylinder lubrication helps to preserve this steam tight fit and helps to prevent leakage past the piston by forming a film on the cylinder surface The conditions within the cylinders are such as to demand a constant supply of oil of a high flash test The supply must be regular as the flow of steam is continually carrying it away through the exhaust If the oil ceases to feed even for a short time the pistons and valves become dry almost immediately and are apt to start cutting The steam used in the White engine is very hot much more so than is commonly used in other steam plants conseguently it is necessary to use an oil which has a high test and a good body u
17. pounds Therefore it would take 77 1 pounds pull at the rim of the brake drum to start wheel to moving or putting it another way the brake offers resistance of 77 1 pounds at a distance of 7 inches from the center of revolution Then the horsepower absorbed can be expressed Horsepower equals circumference of brake drum in feet times number of revolutions per minute times resistance in pounds divided by 33 000 Circumference of a 14 inch circle equals 3 1416 times 14 equals 43 98 inches 43 98 inches divided by 12 equals 3 66 feet To get the number of revolutions in a mile divide 5280 by the circumference of the wheel which latter is 9 42 feet The result is 560 Thus if we are going sixty miles per hour the wheels will be making 560 revolutions per minute At thirty miles per hour one half of which is 280 revolutions per minute end at twenty miles per hour one third of which equals 186 6 revolutions per minute Substituting these values in our horsepower formula and using 186 6 revolutions per minute for twenty miles per hour we have Horsepower equals 3 66 times 188 6 times 77 1 divided by 33 000 equals 1 6 HP As this is the power absorbed by one brake the total by both 2x1 6 3 2 HP Assuming that the friction remains the some at all speeds which is not exactly true the power at thirty miles per hour equals 4 8 HP and at sixty miles per hour equals three times that of twenty miles per hour which gives the great figures of 9 6 HP was
18. road equipment In this race the Whit defeated 4 24HP and 1 15HP cars 2nd a cupid 2 mile race contesting with cars all of which had 24 HP or over 3rd a two mile race for cars up to 16 HP with road equipment from 1905 White steam car catalog SPECIFICATIONS OF THE MODEL M AND O WHITE STEAM CARS MODEL M MODEL O 40 HP 20 HP Diameter of high pressure cylinder 3 in 2 in Diameter of low pressure cylinder 5 in 3 in Stroke 4 in 3 in Internal diameter of Generator tubing in in Wheel base 122 in 104 in Front tires 36x5 in 32x3 in Rear tires 36x5 in 32x3 in Front springs 44 in 37 in Rear springs 56 in 45 in Gasoline tank capacity 22 gal 15 gal Water tank capacity 18 gal 13 gal KOKK ok OK K IT IS A SOURCE OF MUCH PRIDE both to the manufacturers and to the owners of White Steam Cars that the President of the United States uses a car of this make Several months before his inauguration Mr Taft purchased a seven passenger forty horsepower White Steam Car and this machine he has used exclusively since that time The fact that there are other automobiles available for his use serves only to emphasize his marked preference for the White While in Washington the President uses his White car daily in going about the city and while he was spending his vacation at Beverly a long ride out into the country in the White was a part of his daily routine In addition to the President s personal car two White
19. shop he should comply with the following rules 1 Lubricate plentifully and systematically Use judgment in handling the throttle Use the throttle much and brakes little Shun making time on rough roads Carry the cars quota of passengers and no more Spend a little time each day in cleaning SAN eS A still shorter summary would read like this KNOW YOUR CAR A Few suggestions for obtaining good water and fuel performances on the road might not be amiss Drive at a uniform speed as nearly 18 to 20 miles per hour as possible Take hills easily It requires great excess power to climb grades at high speed Keep old style engines hooked up as much as they will stand without vibrating The new engines do this automatically Be sure brakes do net drag To show how much power is lost by dragging brakes let us suppose a case The diameter of the Model K wheels is 36 inches The diameter of the brake drum is 14 inches Suppose the brake is dragging so that it takes thirty pound pull at the outer circle of the tire to slowly move the wheel when car is jacked up This amount has been determined by experiment and is not an unusual occurrence Sometimes it is even more By the law of levers the radius of the wheel times the pull equals the radius of the brake drum times the resistance in the opposite direction which is of course the drag of the brake Then 18 times 30 equals 7x where x represents the drag 540 equals 7x x equals 77 1
20. superheat 298 298x69 206 Total 1401 Equivalent evaporation from and at 212 per sg ft of heating surface per hour was 13 Ib for highest result 54 In the above calculation the heat required for superheating is extremely approximate as the pressures in my test were about three times as high as those in the Sibley College test for specific heat of steam In this last calculation I have obtained the specific heat as 0 69 by extending the lines in Fig 12 This quantity gives the value of the heat in one Ib of steam above 212 as 1257 B T U which averages about 29 B T U per lb higher than that which I calculated as supplied to the engine and is I believe too high since the loss of heat between the points where the two observations were made was small and in my opinion must have been less than 1 or about 14 B T U in this case If the heat required for superheating were calculated by using 0 48 for the specific heat the above results would have been 1339 B T U per Ib which is 62 B T U or 4 4 less than the above 55 The heat absorbed by the steam for one Ib of gasoline burned would be in accordance with the above calculation 14 486 B T U corresponding to an equivalent evaporation from and at 212 F of 14 9 Ib per lb of gasoline and made on the supposition that the specific heat of steam is constant and equal to 0 48 it would be equal to 13 845 B T U corresponding to an equivalent evaporation from and at 212 of 14 3 Ib
21. surfaces have much or any higher temperature than that of the steam which they contain The name Continuous Flow or Single Tube Boiler would It seems to me better describe the class to which the White boiler belongs than the term flash The actual dimensions of tubing used in the White boiler are as follows E and F boiler 1905 06 internal diameter 0 372 inch outside diameter 0 535 inch G boiler 1907 internal diameter 0 540 inch outside diameter 0 72 inch 43 STRENGTH T The construction of the boiler has been shown and described from which it is seen that the diameter of each pressure element is small and consequently of great strength and not likely to be strained to any high percentage of its ultimate strength by any pressure which could be produced under ordinary conditions The high working pressure gives great power to the engine and explains the great success of the car in climbing high hills and in passing over unusually bad roads A safety valve not shown in the drawing is attached which may be set at any desired pressure but is usually set to blow off at from 1000 to 1200 lb per square inch Because of the small quantity of water and steam present in the boiler no serious damage is probable to person or property even should boiler tube be accidentally split or ruptured as the effect would be simply that of allowing the steam gradually without producing any disastrous results and even this accident has been extremely rar
22. the piston stroke If the lock nuts which hold the pumps on the bracket are not tightened sufficiently or should become loose the result will be a pound which should be looked after immediately If allowed to continue the motion of the pumps may strip the threads necessitating the replacement of a casting To diagnose this pound notice that it occurs only when the pressure is below the bypass point and when the pumps are pumping against the pressure of the generator Above by pass point it ceases An easy way is to raise the hood and take a look at the pumps Any movement up and down can easily be seen In the Models G and K it happens sometimes that in starting the engine too quickly the condenser pump rocker arm is bent This is due to the fact that the condenser is overloaded with water from cylinder condensation and the pump is doing full work As the air pump plunger is a part of the condenser pump plunger any shifting upward of the rocker arm will raise the air pump plunger enough to cause it to strike the top of the air pump cylinder This pound is a single pound and is very dull and heavy Sometimes it can be felt by placing the fingers on top of the air pump Also it may decrease or be eliminated when the air pump is pumping air to the tank as also might a low pressure main bearing pound If the arm is not bent too much it can be remedied by putting a gasket under the air pump head of such a thickness as to raise it enough that the plunger wil
23. GINE VALVES CUT Scored engine valves are very wasteful of steam as it is passing through the engine constantly This condition overloads the condenser causing it to overflow and waste the water BROKEN PISTON RINGS Broken piston rings are similar to cut engine valves in that they are wasteful of steam The rings are supposed to be steam tight and of course if they are broken the steam will blow through constantly whether the piston is moving up or down This excessive amount of steam will overload the condenser in a manner similar to a cut valve EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION Too much fuel consumption and the using of too much water in the majority of cases go hand in hand The cause for one will be the cause for the other It is well to remember this fact as mentioned hereinbefore about the water and fuel being supplied in a certain ratio Emphasis is put upon this fact for the reason that if it is kept in mind it will greatly simplify the process of locating many of the troubles DIRTY VAPORIZER By diminishing the full flow of fuel a dirty vaporizer will cause wet steam As mentioned before a much greater quantity of steam is used owing to its lack of elasticity and expansive properties likewise the generator must furnish a greater quantity This will keep the fire burning a greater part of the time even under ordinary running con ditions Continuous burning of the fire is the direct source of excessive fuel consumption A dirty vapo
24. INE We have divided this condition in two features Take notice if the car has wet steam or dry steam If the steam is dry It shows a deficiency in the water supply to the generator In this case it is best to first be assured that the water can get to the pumps This can be brought about by inspecting the water tank to see if it contains water the strainer in the bottom of the tank to see that it is not clogged or the hose leading from the tank to the pumps that it is not soft or clogged All these conditions have been described under the head of lack of power but dry steam Under this heading of dry steam there are but two places where the water can go if the pumps are pumping normally through the water regulator bypass and the flow motor bypass This can be quickly determined by breaking the unions respectively on same On the other hand if the steam is wet and the fire does not come on the chances are greatly in favor of the fact that the water is passing through the thermostat when it should not be doing so thus causing the water to overbalance the fire If the thermostat is set too low it will give this same effect after the car has been running a few minutes In case the fire refuses to come on the first thing to do is to look at the flow motor If the flow motor is not opening then the above mentioned circumstances hold good If it is open and there is no fire look for a dry gasoline tank a clogged vaporizer or a choked gasoline supply
25. P nozzle ona thirty HP car The twenty HP nozzles are hexagonal the thirty and forty HP nozzles are square A dirty vaporizer gives the same result as a choked supply It can be detected on the vaporizer gauge on the dash If the gauge flies around in excess of the pressure in the tank when the fire is on and shuts off very slowly after the flow motor closes it is a good indication that the vaporizer is clogging either in the passages or at the tip LACK OF POWER BUT DRY STEAM This implies that the system does not make much steam but what steam there is is of good quality Usually the steam pressure never reaches the bypass point nor does the fire burn very much at any time without racing the engine Any water leak on the feed line from the pumps to the flow motor will rob the flow motor consequently it will not open sufficiently and we have neither fire nor water for the generator A leaking flowmotor bypass valve can be caused by an imperfect seat collection of dirt or the valve not seating centrally The effect when this valve is leaking is to rob the generator of both fuel and water as the water is returned to the water tank without feeding any fuel A quick and easy way to detect any such leakage is to break the little union at the upper end of the flowmotor Having the engine running and the steam pressure below the bypass point If the valve leaks the escaping water can easily be seen No water should flow unless the flow motor pisto
26. SUCTION LINE TO THE PUMPS CLOGGED GENERATOR OR STEAM LINE PUMPS CRACKED DIAPHRAGM INSUFFICIENT THROTTLE OPENING VARYING HEAT WITH SPEED CONSTANT VARYING SPEED BACK FIRING WHEN FIRE IS COMING ON WHEN FIRE SHUTS OFF HOWLING FIRE DOES NOT SHUT OFF FIRE WILL NOT COME ON WITHOUT RACING ENGINE CHAPTER VII CHART 2 GENERAL SYMPTOMS Items on CHART 2 GENERAL SYMPTOMS EXCESSIVE WATER CONSUMPTION WET STEAM WATER LEAK LEAKY STUFFING BOXES CONDENSING SYSTEM ENGINE VALVES CUT BROKEN PISTON RINGS EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION DIRTY VAPORIZER VAPORIZER NOZZLE TOO SMALL VAPORIZER NOZZLE AIR PRESSURE TOO LOW ANY CHOKAGE OF FUEL FLOW INDEX Cont DIRTY GENERATOR BRAKES DRAGGING FUEL TOO LIGHT A GRADE ITEMS CONCERNING THE GENERATOR EXCESSIVE PRESSURE AFTER CLOSING THROTTLE PRESSURE DROPS QUICKLY WHEN CAR SPEED IS CONSTANT EXCESSIVE PRESSURE AFTER STOPPING A FEW MINUTES A SLOW GAS LEAK EXCESSIVE LOSS OF PRESSURE AFTER STANDING A FEW MINUTES HAND PUMP OR BOILER CHECK LEAKING SAFETY VALVE LEAKING OR ANY STEAM LEAK FIRE BURNS TOO LONG IN ORDER TO MAKE STEAM PRESSURE REACH BYPASS POINT SLUGGISH CAR CHAPTER VIII CHART 3 MINOR ITEMS Items on CHART 3 MINOR ITEMS VAPORIZER PILOT LIGHT PILOT LIGHT BURNS RED PRECAUTIONS CAR STEERS HARD IF THE REAR AXLE GRATES OR GRINDS VIBRATION FIRE CAR SMELLS OF GAS CHAPTER IX CHART 4 ENGINE Items on CHART 4 ENGINE STEAM VIBRATION ENGINE VIBRATES WHEN COMPOUND ENGINE VIBRATES EITHER SIMPLED OR COMPO
27. THE WHITE STEAM CAR SERVICE MANUAL EFFICIENCY REPORT MISCELLANEOUS From Arnoud Carp Heuvellaan 5 1217 JL Hilversum The Netherlands NOTE This complete service manual is a true copy of The White Steamer handbook written in 1910 by A T Edmonson Chicago Illinois K Ziesemer of 3211 N 5th St Milwaukee Wisconsin steam car owner enthusiast and mechanic recognized the scarcity of manuals on steam cars and the dire need for such It was for this reason that this copy was made which covers every possible trouble that the White Steam Car could be subject to February 1951 This service manual was transcribed in digital format by J Arnoud Carp of Heuvellaan 5 1217 JL Hilversum The Netherlands Steam car owner and enthusiast May 15 2000 INDEX CHAPTER I THE WHITE CAR CHAP TER II HINTS ON ECONOMY CHAPTER III LUBRICATION CHAPTER IV INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADJUSTING TEMPERATURE ON OLD REGULATION NEW REGULATION DIRECTION FOR VALVE SETTING ON THE OLD TYPE ENGINES DIRECTIONS FOR VALVE SETTING ON THE NEW TYPE ENGINES DIRECTIONS FOR SETTING PISTON DIRECTIONS FOR PACKING STUFFING BOXES TO DRAIN THE CAR FOR STORAGE OR SHIPPING CHAPTER V MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS CHAPTER VI CHART 1 NEW REGULATION WITH FLOWMOTOR CONTROL Items on CHART 1 OVERHEATING THERMOSTAT FLOW MOTOR WATER REGULATOR CHECKS WATER CUSHION WET STEAM THERMOSTAT FLOW MOTOR FUEL RATIO LACK OF POWER BUT DRY STEAM LEAKING WATER REGULATOR
28. UND ENGINE POUNDS BROKEN CRANK SHAFT ENGINE KICKS UPON CLOSING THROTTLE ENGINE JERKS WHEN CHANGING FROM SIMPLE TO COMPOUND ENGINE REFUSES TO START STUFFING BOXES WILL NOT REMAIN TIGHT CHAPTER X CHART 5 OLD REGULATION OVERHEATING WET STEAM LACK OF POWER BUT DRY STEAM CHART 6 LUBRICATION EFFICIENCY REPORT THE BOILER STRENGTH THE CONDENSER TESTS OF THE WHITE STEAM PLANT THE FUEL THE BOILER TEST THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ENTIRE PLANT SUMMARY OF TESTS MADE BY PROF C H BENJAMIN SUMMARY MISCELLANEOUS 1 CHAPTER I THE WHITE CAR All the forces controlled by man for industrial purposes are derived from three main sources The first of these is the muscular force of man and animals the second is the attraction of the earth which we know as gravity and the third being chemical combinations The latter is by far the most important as it is in this way we obtain heat and electricity the two greatest forces in use at the present time Electricity must be placed second to heat for in most cases it is obtained by a primary use of a heat motive power Even waterpower owes its energy originally to the heat of the sun which drew the water into the air and gave it its potential energy of altitude Windmills come in the same class as the winds are caused by the unequal distribution of the sun s heat The steam engine is a heat motor and the most extensively used of any for industrial purposes The steam itself does not pe
29. ad For these reasons it stands in importance as to lubrication very close to the cylinders and crankcase As the pressure on the lubricant between gear teeth is very great we need an oil which has plenty of body Usually the same kind of oil used in the cylinders is found to give good results Some advocate the use of light grease or non fluid oil This may serve very well when the climate is warm but better results will be obtained in cold weather by using the cylinder oil A spoonful or two of flake graphite sprinkled in the oil will be of benefit Do not get much more than this amount as the excess may choke the bearings and prevent the oil from getting into the ball races The oil should be changed about every 1 000 to 1 500 miles depending upon the work of the car Drain out and drench with kerosene When refilling do not get the level above the level plug on side of gear casing as an excess amount will cause oil to overflow at axle ends where centrifugal force will throw it on the brake drums and wheels The two outer bearings on the rear axle receive no lubrication from the oil in the gear case but depend upon grease which is supplied through grease cups These cups will be found just inside of the brake drums They should be kept well filled and should be screwed up a turn or two each day Once a week an entire cupful should be forced into the bearing Any first class hard oil will do for use in all grease cups Graphite greases give exce
30. ake place at the proper part of the piston stroke This is enough to cause the engine to pull in a jerky manner thereby causing it to shake the car See instructions for valve setting In extreme cases the engine may refuse to start Sometimes in changing the engine or having had it out of the car the rod which runs from the reverse lever to the reverse arm on the engine frame may be too short In this case when the reverse lever is in full stroke notch the valves are running on cut off No steam engine will pull smoothly at slow speeds if running on cut off especially if the valve gear gives an increased lead with the shorter cut off In cases where the reverse rod is short the engine may vibrate until the car picks up speed and then runs as smoothly as could be desired To test this move the reverse lever beyond the reverse notch of the quadrant while the engine is running It should not move past this notch the width of the latter before the lever begins to kick The best way is to adjust so the lever will kick just back of the full stroke notch on the go ahead and will cease when dropped into the notch This insures that the valves have full travel at slow speeds and if it is then desired to work the valves on cut off at high speeds the valve gear may be hooked up A broken ball in the crankshaft bearings or rough bearings caused from lack of lubrication may cause the engine to vibrate There is no way of telling this fact without proper examination
31. as leak Be sure to wait a few moments for after stopping there is usually a slight amount of gas left in the vaporizer If the flame continues to burn and will not die out it shows a leak If the pilot light flame is turned too high especially if the car is standing it will overheat the vaporizer When the first fuel passes into the vaporizer upon starting the heat is so intense that the carbon will be deposited When the vaporizer tip begins clogging regularly with particles of carbon it is a wise thing to remove the vaporizer and clean It shows that a carbon deposit has already started inside The cause of a split vaporizer is the result of overheating from a high pilot light or it may result from clogging and overheating at the same time A split vaporizer is easily detected by a smoky fire Loose vaporizer screws may give the same result Sometimes a red flame can be seen within the fire box by looking through the vaporizer door PILOT LIGHT Neither the pilot light nor the vaporizer should be a source of much trouble providing certain precautions are taken If the pilot light persists in going out it is probably either dirty or turned too low The pilot light should be turned high enough so that the noise of the flame is just noticeable from the outside When burning kerosene it should be carried with a flame much higher The pilot light should burn with a blue flame and the little flame spreading cone should be at a bright cherry red A
32. at the present time Presented at the New York Meeting December 1906 of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers and to form part of Volume 28 of the Transactions Pages 255 285 THE BOILER 5 The steam generator or boiler of the White system is a series of horizontal coils connected so as to form a continuous tube through which all the water fed to the boiler and all the steam discharged from the boiler must pass It is not provided with any reservoir either for water or steam A perspective view of the boiler as used in the 1906 car is shown in Fig with the external casing removed Its essential distinctive feature from every other boiler is due to the fact that the water is dept at the top and the steam at the bottom it differs from al types of stationary boilers by the absence of a reservoir for steam The construction of the boiler for the 18 brake horsepower engine which was used in the 1906 cars is essentially as follows and is typical of all sizes Eleven helical coils of drawn steel tubing are joined in series and connected as shown in the diagram Fig 2 so as to produce a system of circulation of such a character that the water or steam in order to pass from one coil to that next below must rise to a level above the top coil before it can pass down again Fig 1 shows the external view of the connections referred to which pass from the external circumference of the coil upward to a point above the level of the top coil and thence
33. ater is allowed to remain in the crankcase To clean same thoroughly drain out old oil before steam is blown off Put in halfa gallon of kerosene and run engine a few minutes Drain this thoroughly and put in fresh oil Then proceed as in item No 2 This fresh oil can be allowed to remain The same thing can be followed out on the rear axle gear case 12 CHAPTER V MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS Avoid racing engine when steaming up car The steam pressure rises no faster by so doing Run engine slowly with simpling pedal pressed down until all water is out of cylinders This will save many connecting rods and cylinder heads To loosen stubborn steam line unions hold a heavy hammer squarely against one face and tap the opposite side with a light hammer Repeat this for all faces Apply kerosene frequently The worst cases can be loosened this way until they will turn with an ordinary wrench A good prevention for tight steam line unions is an application of a mixture of graphite and oil Apply same when putting union together Do not leave flakes of graphite on the ground faces as they may cause the joint to leak To locate a leak in the air system make a thick soap suds and apply with a brush Any leak will create a mass of bubbles If vaporizer screws loosen easily but refuse to come out do not attempt to force them Saturate with kerosene and twist back and forth a few times Presently they will remove easily The accumulation of carbon on t
34. ay save a set of cylinder heads If the water regulator screen clogs frequently with lint it is evidence that the water pump packing is old and rotten or that a rough spot on the pump plunger is tearing grooves in the same Do not allow the steam line from the generator to the engine to become bare and exposed to the air It allows considerable heat from the steam to escape and consequently is a source of fuel waste After replacing a bolt and nut immediately put in the cotter key and spread it Serious accidents might result from a missing cotter key If a loose bolt is discovered tighten it at once Loose parts wear rapidly On the new style engines do not tighten valve stem stuffing boxes any tighter than necessary to hold the steam There is little pressure on them and any extra tightness simply places an additional load on the valve gear Know that your lighting plant is in good condition You may be far from home when overtaken by night and darkness It is unpleasant to drive without being able to see the road If a heavy wind is blowing if possible leave the car standing facing the wind Sometimes a gust of wind may whip in from the back and extinguish the pilot light For the same reason carry the pilot turned higher on a windy day If the pilot light goes out while running close fuel valve and run a short distance before relighting This gives time for all unconsumed gas to escape Have match lighted and in place before flush
35. comes on full force By intermittent we mean that the howling happens occasionally possible at regular intervals If the pilot light is low or is dirty the vaporizer is not hot enough to vaporize the fuel sufficiently causing the mixture to be too rich Once in a great while a vaporizer casting has been discovered that has proved to be faulty owing to poor foundry work A sand flaw would allow the gasoline to make a short circuit and emerge at the vaporizer nozzle without having been sufficiently vaporized As mentioned above the new steel vaporizer eliminates all such imperfections as this If the vaporizer nozzle is crooked namely not lined up centrally with the mixing tube it will almost invariably cause howling Also if the nozzle is too large for the burner the result will be the same Any mud dirt or foreign substance lying in the mixing tube or in the base of the burner is very apt to cause howling and backfiring Not enough air by having the shutter closed too much will give the same result In the summer time when the atmosphere is hot and consequently light or in high altitude the shutter should be open wide In extreme cases it may be necessary to remove the shutter When the atmosphere is heavy due to cold weather the shutter should be adjusted by partially closing This will be taken up more fully under the subject of fire If a particle of carbon or some foreign substance lodges in the tip of the vaporizer it will cause ho
36. d double the amount of ports for water to escape are provided than would be if the engine were starting compound When the piston reaches the end of the stroke and there is water in the end of the cylinders it will be released into exhaust if the reverse lever is thrown to the opposite position It is a good rule to allow the engine to run simple until steam emerges from the over flow pipe on the condenser This assures that all the water is out of the cylinders and that steam is coming from exhaust STEAM VIBRATION Vibration is the effect of anything which may cause the turning moment or torque of the engine to be perceptible from the seat of the car Instead of pulling smoothly as a steam engine should it shakes the car Vibration has been divided into two heads in order to be able to diagnose and locate the trouble by elimination ENGINE VIBRATES WHEN COMPOUND A compound engine is one in which the steam does part of its expansion in one cylinder then passes on to another where this expansion is completed The exhaust from the high pressure Is used to feed the low pressure If by any means the steam can escape without doing full work in the low pressure cylinder or it can get to the low pressure cylinder without doing its full amount of work in the high pressure cylinder it will have a tendency to cause one cylinder to do more work than the other This will unbalance the engine causing it to pull in a jerky manner If the engine vibrates when runni
37. d in this way Care should be taken that the rear wheels are not allowed to become loose This is caused by the nut on the end of the axle shaft not being sufficiently tight or by the omission of a cotter pin CAUTION In replacing the rear axle wheels be sure that the lugs on the axle cone are in place in the slots in the rear wheel hub If this is not done the cone may screw inward on the axle shaft and lock the axle VIBRATION See Engine Vibration A great many cases of engine vibration are laid to the rear axle owing to the fact that it appears to be there One should be very sure before taking any steps either way whether it is the engine or the axle On the Naught Five and Naught Six cars the torsion bar spring sometimes allowed to become loose or weak This permits too much motion of the bar making a bumping noise in the rear system with each stroke of the engine more particularly on slow heavy pulling 32 If the wheels or radius rods have too much motion due to wear it may cause vibration at certain speeds and again it may not However they should not be allowed to remain loose as this condition increases the rapidity of the wear By the rear axle thumping is meant a dull knock at regular intervals Such a knock might be caused by broken balls and broken gear teeth or a nut of the differential bolts striking the casing If there is one thump for each revolution of the rear wheel it may be that a gear tooth is broken on the main driv
38. d pump the water regulator lines full of oil until it drips from the steam blow off Give the hand pump two or three strokes to force water from the line between hand pump and water blow off On cars having water heater loosen unions at inlet and outlet allowing any water contained therein to run out Loosen all check caps and see that check balls trap no water On later models where the water regulator is in a position with the discharge pipe opening upward the regulator should be removed and water allowed to run out If these instructions are followed the heat retained in the generator the piping and the cylinders will evaporate any small amount of water left leaving the car perfectly dry and absolutely free from danger occasioned by low temperature These instructions also hold good for cars with the old regulation by leaving out any mention of the flow motor or the feed water heater If the car is to be laid up for some months and the packing in the pumps has seen long service it would be advisable to remove same to prevent corrosion of the pump plungers If the proper amount of oil has been pumped into the engine there is little danger of any corrosion of the valve stems and piston rods but it would do no harm to remove packing from their stuffing boxes Some owners of careful engineering experience believe in removing cylinder heads and steam chest cover and smearing all surfaces with a liberal coating of Vaseline Be certain that no w
39. d with either method of calculation SUMMARY OF TESTS MADE BY PROF C H BENJAMIN 61 The test made of the White steam system by Prof C H Benjamin in 1903 has already been referred to and a summary of the results is given here for comparison with the tests which I made 62 The engine tested by Prof Benjamin was of the vertical cross compound type with high pressure cylinder 3 inches in diameter low pressure cylinder 5 inches in diameter and with a stroke of 3 inches Its general construction was in many respects similar to the 1907 engine which has been fully described it was not however provided with ball bearings The test was made by essentially the same method as described in the paper During the 46 test the engine was operated at 675 R P M the friction HP determined in Prof Benjamin s test was approximately 2 which however included that of an extra countershaft which was not required in my test 63 Prof Benjamin s tests show a consumption of water per brake horsepower pear hour varying from 12 6 to 19 9 and per indicated horsepower per hour an amount varying from 10 8 to 14 Ib SUMMARY 64 Respecting these results Prof Benjamin states This is a remarkable showing for an engine of this size When the fact is considered that ordinary simple engines use from 25 to 35 Ib per indicated H P per hour and that 12 lb is considered good performance for triple expansion condensing engines the remarkable nature of this perfor
40. djustment on the thermostat The engine is allowed to run at a speed of approximately 400 to 450 RPM The thermometer is inserted in the thermometer well in the steam line To be working correctly the thermostat should open and close turning on and shutting off the fuel quickly and cleanly It is important that it shuts off the gasoline entirely otherwise the slowly drifting gases may cause backfiring Allow the engine to run for half an hour Read the thermometer every 3 minutes or at least often enough to see if there is any change in the temperature After running a while the thermometer will register a maximum temperature and stand there After being positive that this point has been reached take out the thermostat needle valve and screw lock nuts up or down according to whether the temperature is to be raised or lowered Turning the nut one turn downward towards point of needle valve raises the temperature sixty degrees and vice versa The thermometer should stand at 390 when the thermostat is set correctly This will probably give a temperature of 400 when the car is running on the road A centigrade C thermometer is customarily used If not possible to obtain a centigrade thermometer and a Fahrenheit is used 735 is the correct reading After adjusting the thermostat while the car is standing engine running idle on the floor take it out on the road and test it for power If the pumps are working properly and everything else is all right inc
41. downward in the central space where it joins the coil of a lower level Tubing having a nominal internal diameter of 3 8 inch was used in the boilers of 1904 05 and 1906 and of 1 2 inch in the new boiler recently built for the 1907 car The joints connecting the various coils are it is noted located in an accessible position This construction makes it possible to maintain water in the upper portion of the boiler and steam in the lower It prevents the water from descending by gravity and renders the circulation through the generator dependent upon the action of the pumps which supply the boiler with water The general direction of circulation of the water and steam is the reverse of that of the products of combustion 6 The White boiler has frequently been classified as a flash or semi flash boiler whether this classification is correct or not depends upon the definition of the term flash boiler In the flash boiler as I understand the term water is suddenly converted into steam by contact with a very hot metal surface And in the operation of such a boiler the metallic surface with which the steam is brought in contact is maintained at a much higher temperature than that of the steam The White boiler as noted from the description always contains a considerable amount of water which is forced downward and over the heating surfaces at a rate proportional to the demand for steam and under its normal mode of operation it is doubtful if the metallic
42. e Considering the fact that thousands of these steam generators are in use in the charge of men who have had practically no experience in the operation of steam plants the results as to freedom from accident are remarkable and indicate that the apparatus is from the standpoint of safety not open to criticism 8 I have tried to get data respecting the amount of deposit of scale in the tube of the White boiler due to its continued use but without any very great degree of success Investigation indicates that there has been very little practical difficulty due to this deposit and the makers report only a few instances which have come to their knowledge of any trouble due to this cause The velocity of discharge of steam through the single tube or the boiler is great and it is believed has been sufficient to remove the deposits in nearly every case In the boiler of which the results of the test are given later as much as 488 Ib of steam were produced per hour by the inch tube Without taking into account the extra volume produced by superheat the calculated velocity approximates 1 3 more 9 For the actual operation of the White boiler on the motor car water is taken from a reservoir which is supplied in great part with water condensed in an air surface condenser The condenser is located at the front of the car and receives the exhaust from the engine which contains an appreciable amount of cylinder oil A large proportion of this oil remains in t
43. e The older model pilot lights will be turned on full with one half turn of the regulating valve With the later ones from Naught Seven it may be necessary to open the regulating valve from one to four turns in order to have a sufficient flame A corroded flame spreader might cause a red flame The pilot light should be removed and this brushed off occasionally A very common cause for a pilot light burning with a red flame is not having it heated enough to vaporize properly Pilot lights have been condemned as worthless when all that was wrong with them was that they were not heated enough in starting PRECAUTIONS When flushing the pilot light feed just enough to fill drip cup inside of the shell If an excessive amount of fuel is turned into the drip cup upon becoming hot it changes to gas faster than it can pass up through the shell consequently the flame flares outside During the time of flaring outside it is not heating the pilot light vaporizer inside The pilot light should be heated and made to burn blue without any flame outside the shell Much quicker results can thus be obtained Always leave regulating valve open when putting up car for the night Contraction of the metals while cooling is apt to spoil the needle valve seat On older models it may enlarge the hole in the nozzle In later models the graded needle on the end of the valve stem may be seized by the walls of the nozzle orifice and the result will be that it will twist off when th
44. e fittings at the point of leakage for the tubing I found to vary from 7000 to 18 000 Ib per square inch The condenser dimensions are as follows For E and F cars 1905 6 74 tubes 24 5 inches long with a total surface of 118 sq Ft For car 1907 of 65 tubes 27 inches long with a total surface of 136 sq Ft 44 TESTS OF THE WHITE STEAM PLANT Prof C H Benjamin of the Case School of Applied Science Cleveland Ohio made a very careful brake test of the steam plant of the White system of 1903 which used a 10 HP engine and found that when the engine was fully loaded it used only 12 6 lb of steam per brake HP hour and 1 16 lb of gasoline per H P hour These results are unprecedented for small steam plants of any size and are nearly equal to the best results obtained with large triple expansion condensing engines Some details and results of this test are given as an Appendix 22 I conducted a test of the boiler and engine for the 1907 car from July 9 to 17 1906 being assisted by Mr Walter Grothe M E engineer for the White Sewing Machine Co Prof W N Barnard M E of Conell University Mr Wm Scaife and Mr George Carpenter M E 23 The engine and boiler tested have essentially the same features of design as those previously used but are somewhat larger and have increased power The engine used in the White steam cars of 1905 and 1906 had cylinders 3 and 5 inches in diameter by 3 inches stroke and was rated at 18 H P Th
45. e is too low or the condensing system is at fault barring items five and six on Chart Two WATER LEAK Occasionally very little attention is paid to one or more seemingly slight water leaks However when you stop to think that the water tank capacity is only seventeen gallons and that a slight leak may waste from one to four gallons in the course of half a day s running it is plain to be seen that a water leak may have something to do with the total water consumption Always stop a water leak no matter how slight LEAKY STUFFING BOXES Leaking engine stuffing boxes will waste during the course of a day s run an amount of water which is surprisingly large as mentioned before Leaky stuffing boxes indicate a careless operator Always keep them tight See Engine Chart Four CONDENSING SYSTEM If the car persistently uses too much water when the temperature seems to be correct and at the same time no water leaks can be seen the chances are that the condensing system is in some way to blame The condenser pump is a very important part of a condensing system In order to have a good condensation and saving of water the pump must keep the condenser empty of water and partially of steam The condenser should run with a partial vacuum On all the cars with the exception of G K O and M having the suction hose from the condenser to the condenser pump there is a possibility that this hose may become rotten and flabby thus obstructing the s
46. e loose the engine will bump up and down on the frame at each stroke of the engine especially when pulling slowly Vibration may not be perceptible after the car has attained speed In Models E F H and L which have the engine fly wheel should the bolts holding this fly wheel become loose it will cause the vibration especially when pulling The slip joint on the drive shaft fits into the square socket in the flywheel As this joint must slip each revolution it is obvious that if the flywheel is loose it will move on its retaining bolts as it flies around This same condition can be brought about if the radius rods are so short that the drive shaft projects into the flywheel socket far enough to bump against the bottom of the socket This is also especially noticeable when the engine is pulling hard or accelerating the car on rough roads The driveshaft square should be sunk in the fly wheel socket three eighths of an inch measured on a horizontal center line through the drive shaft Lack of lubrication has been treated under Chapter II The important points as mentioned there especially for smooth running are the engine cylinders and the drive shaft bearings Loose rear wheels on the axle may cause vibration to set up at certain speeds If in looking for the cause of vibration it is discovered that the rear wheels are loose they should be tightened at once If the valves have been taken out and not replaced properly the admission of steam will not t
47. e one tested had cylinders 3 and 6 inches diameter by 4 inches stroke and is rated by the company at 30 H P 24 Dimensions of Engine for 1907 car Diameter of cylinders 3 high pressure 6 low pressure Diameter of piston rods 9 16 low Clearance of engine 17 9 high 9 16 low Weight of cylinder castings with guides 98 5 lb Weight of valves and fittings 28 0 Ib Total weight engine complete 328 lb 23 Boiler The boiler consists of nine coils of drawn tubing with a nominal internal diameter of inch actual internal diameter of 0 53 inch actual external diameter 0 72 inch The external diameter of the boiler is 22 inches its height 11 inches The boiler contains 243 feet in length of inch tubing and has a heating surface which is calculated as amounting to about 45 8 sq 26 The weight of the boiler without fittings is 150 Ib The weight of casing bolts and all the fittings is 125 1b additional the total weight of the boiler complete as 275 1b The weight of the burner is 40 Ib From this it is noted that the total weight of the power system is about 643 Ib The maximum brake horse power as shown on the test is a bout 45 hence the weight is about 14 3 1b per D H P THE FUEL 51 The fuel used in the test was gasoline supplied by the Standard 0il Company Its specific gravity as measured by a Beaune hydrometer reduced to a temperature of 60 F was 68 5 which corresponds to a specific gravity of 0 705 at 60 F I
48. e same head New Regulation The symptoms of a dirty vaporizer are as follows The fire sounds weak and seldom shuts off It burns a considerable time after closing hand valve With a clean vaporizer and full flow of fuel the fire should have a deep powerful sound Usually with a dirty vaporizer the sound possesses more of a hissing quality and the color of the flame is of very light blue To find a clogged place in the fuel line always begin at the vaporizer and work towards the gasoline tank In the large section of the fuel line where the pilot light line branches off from the main line is placed a strainer composed of candle wicking This should be cleaned occasionally Care should be taken in replacing it that the ends of the wicking are away from the direction of flow otherwise it might bunch together and cause a chokage LACK OF POWER BUT DRY STEAM All these items have been discussed under the New Regulation A quick way to prove whether the generator is getting enough water is to give a few strokes of the hand pump while running If the pressure begins to pick up immediately it is almost conclusive proof that the water supply is at fault Usually in a case of this kind the fire keeps shutting off without raising the steam above the bypass point and the steam pressure is at all times subnormal For other items see New Regulation 41 CHART 6 LUBRICATION Pistons Constant supply of Cylinders Valve
49. e valve is opened CAR STEERS HARD If the front wheels are not parallel the tires have a tendency to run at an angle and hence slip some if the wheel is running in a straight line This condition makes it difficult to steer a car and also wears the front tires very rapidly In order to check up the steering gear to see if the front wheels are parallel the distance should be measured from felloe to felloe on the front side of the wheel at the centerline Then measure the distance at the backside diametrically opposite Supposing the distance in the front is one fourth of an inch less than the rear measurement This shows that the wheels are turned in in front The remedy is to lengthen the tie rod between the steering knuckles It seems to be a very common thing to neglect the lubrication of all the steering gear joints consequently the wear is greater than it should be and a sum of the resistance of all these joints is enough to make a car steer very hard If front tires are soft it makes a car steer hard For the proper pressure on tires see table issued by some reputable tire company IF THE REAR AXLE GRATES OR GRINDS A broken ball or a rough cup or cone will cause a grinding sound in the rear axle In a case of this kind an examination should be made before the bearing cuts itself to pieces A good way to test for this condition is to jack up the car and spin the wheels by hand The chances are that any roughness in the bearings can be detecte
50. e while the car is hot 1 Run the engine long enough to get the car heated fairly up to its maximum temperature approximately half an hour with condenser drain cock open 11 2 When car is thoroughly warmed up shut off the fire a moment and let the pumps force a little extra water into the generator Stop engine 3 Disconnect union on suction hose which connects the tank with the pumps and allow water to run from water tank Disconnect union on the main water line at the hand water pump 4 Remove plug from bottom of flow motor or in the later models where there is no plug disconnect line to the thermostat by loosening union where it enters side of flow motor Run engine a moment to give the pumps a chance to force all water out of water line 5 With engine running slowly turn on independent fuel valve allowing steam pressure to rise almost to the blowing off point 6 With fuel valve still open and while engine is running slowly open blow off valve on the left side of the car commonly known as the water end blow off Just previous to opening this valve partly open the steam blow off valve 7 While the steam pressure is dropping and the engine is dying for lack of pressure pump oil into the cylinder rapidly a pint will not be too much The internal heat cylinders will vaporize the oil causing it to penetrate all nooks and corners spreading a film over all the parts and insuring against rust Open valve under footboard an
51. eality it is a better car than it was the day it left the factory for all the bearings are broken in and everything is just beginning to work sweetly The theoretical depreciation amounts to something like twenty five per cent as the car is now a used car and that is its status on the market However it is with the actual depreciation and how to avoid as much of it as possible that we wish to deal For practical purses a used car is just as valuable to the happy owner regardless of its age as a new one provided he gets the service out of it To obtain this kind of service it is necessary to eliminate all sources of depre ciation aside from natural wear Enumerated in the order of their importance the following seven items are the source of the greatest wear and tear on a car Namely lack of lubrication abuse of the throttle abuse of the brakes fast driving on rough roads overloading turning corners at high speeds and a lack of cleanliness Lubrication heads the list but as it has been discussed in the chapter devoted to that subject it is unnecessary to repeat Owing to its great amount of reserve power the steam car can be abused by an improper handling of the throttle If the latter is opened quickly the amount of power which is applied in accelerating the speed rapidly is enormous It results in a great overload on engine drive shaft and rear axle No car whether steam or gasoline will stand this treatment and continue to ru
52. eam will escape as long as it is allowed to remain on the rod Such a rough spot is sometimes caused by allowing the stuffing box wrench or tool to slip and strike the rod causing a slight abrasion of the surface If there is any suspicion that the rods have rough places they should be removed and smoothed down by draw filing or better still by refinishing in a lathe For item D packing caught under edge of gland see directions for packing stuffing boxes Chapter Four If the throttle leaks while the car is standing pressure of steam will accumulate in the steam chest This may force its way through the valve stem stuffing boxes thus starting a steam groove in the packing Under running 38 conditions the actual pressure in the steam chest is a great deal less than that in the generator Only when the throttle is opened rapidly or when climbing a hill does the pressure within the steam chest even approach that of the generator On the new model engine the valve stem stuffing boxes are subject only to the exhaust pressure of their respective cylinders Probably enough has been said about the proper handling of the throttle on a Steam Car The explosive engine attains its working speed before the car is started to move but the steam motor must start the car while it is starting itself In this fact lies the difference between the two in regard to the damage which may be done by applying the power too rapidly At any rate the more recklessly the th
53. egular intervals when the car is working This regulation maintains a constant temperature but not a constant pressure For instance if the generator is entirely empty of water the temperature will rise to a point where the thermostat will close cutting off the fuel and still there will not be a pound of steam pressure In the other hand if the generator should be entirely full of water we will get an excessive amount of pressure before the temperature is high enough to shut off the fire These are the two extremities but when running on the road the pressure should not vary more than one hundred pounds at the most unless the running speed is suddenly changed OVERHEATING On the Old Regulation the thermostat is usually directly responsible for any overheating For setting thermostat see directions Chapter Four Any condition which would prevent the needle valve from closing at the proper time would probably cause over heating If the seat on the needle valve is poor causing leaks it will cause the temperature to continue to rise Be sure that the needle can work freely in the guide as it depends upon its own weight to cause it to seat A particle or dirt lodging on the seat would give the same result By inserting the finger into the opening when the cap is removed one can ascertain whether the bell crank is binding This should move perfectly free and fall with its own weight WET STEAM The causes enumerated here are all discussed under th
54. engine fast enough to keep up the power of the car This subject will be dealt with later PUMPS Any defect or disarrangement of the pumps will lessen the supply of water to the flow motor If the stuffing boxes on the pumps are leaking it will greatly cut down the normal amount of water supplied by the pumps The stuffing boxes should be kept well packed and tight enough not to leak especially on the new type engine where any leakage runs into the crankcase The checks are the most common source of trouble in regard to the pumps If the latter refuse to force their full amount of water and it is certain that the water can reach the pumps examine the checks look at the balls and see that they are not pitted and that they do not have flat spots or rings on their surface A very rare occurrence which chokes the supply furnished by the pumps is that the seats may become loose in the casting The check balls should have a lift of one thirty second of an inch for the pump checks for the line checks which have five eighths inch balls the lift should be three sixty fourths of an inch 20 CRACKED DIAPHRAGM This is an item which has been entirely eliminated by the use of more than one diaphragm In the Naught Six car only one was used At the present time each water regulator has four If the diaphragm should crack the steam escaping through would force the water supply back from the pumps causing them of course to cease supplying the generator
55. enters through which grease can be forced with a grease gun The brake levers especially the ones on the rear axle are very much exposed to mud water and dust The oiling of these is often neglected and the result is they rust and seize In the latter case the brakes will not release after they have been applied On brake bands lined with camel s hair belting or fiber a little light oil applied will improve their holding qualities Do not neglect to oil all the small pin joints These do not need it as often as some of the other points but they need it at times just as much The reverse lever and rod the gear shifting lever and rod brake lever pedals simpling valve connections all need oil at regular periods The last item does not exactly pertain to lubrication but to a part of the oil system This is the steam gauge and water regulator The pressure which operates the water regulator is obtained through a pipe connected to the main steam pipe just before it reaches the throttle A continuation of this pipe runs to the dash and terminates in the steam gauge Thus the water regulator and steam gauge obtain their pressure from the same source To protect the gauge and water regulator diaphragms and to avoid a pressure fluctuation this line is filled with cylinder oil By opening the valve under the footboards and directly below the oiler the path of the oil is changed from the cylinders to this pressure pipe Giving the hand pump on the oil
56. er 20 to 30 strokes is sufficient to fill this line with oil A positive way is to break union where pipe connects at steam line and pump till oil drips out Be certain that the valve is closed before starting the engine If steam gauge pointer vibrates it is a fair indication that the pressure pipe needs oil 9 CHAPTER IV INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADJUSTING TEMPERATURE ON OLD REGULATION Before any attempt is made to regulate the temperature on a White car there are several things that it is positively necessary to do before any satisfactory results can be obtained by changing the adjustment of the thermostat It is necessary to be positive that all of the other automatic parts of the car are working properly Make it a fixed rule on both the old and new regulation never to touch the thermostat unless you are absolutely sure that this is true See that the water lines are clean namely the screen in the water tank and the hose connecting the tank to the pumps Be certain that the pumps are pumping their full amount of water This can be verified by an examination of the checks and feeling the effect of the pumps with the hand pump plunger Be sure that the water regulator pin valve has a good seat and does not leak See that the gasoline line is clear from the tank to the burner that the wicking in the strainer is not choked that the vaporizer is clean also the vaporizer nozzle When all these things are done and not before it is time to make the final a
57. ers hard Front wheels not parallel Steering gear joints dry Front tires soft Worm and segment binding Springs Squeak Rear Axle Dry or rusty Shackle pins dry Grinds Gears dry Broken balls Rough bearings Vibrates Thumps See engine vibration Loose torsion bar spring Wheels loose Radius rods loose Broken balls Broken gear teeth Too much oil causes a leak into brake drums Fire Car smells of gas High off burner Light blue Proportion of air too great Light grade of fuel Mixing tube open too wide Nozzle too small or choked Nozzle too far away from shutter Air leaks around burner Air pressure too low Low on burner Red Proportion of gas too great Shutter closed too much Nozzle too large Nozzle too far into mixing tube Air pressure high Vaporizer not over pilot Pilot low Stuffing box leaking on pilot adjusting valve Flow motor fuel valve leaking Independent valve leaking Mixture light Pilot light extinguished 30 Items on CHART 3 MINOR ITEMS VAPORIZER When using any liquid fuel it must first be changed to a gaseous form in order to get the best results from the combustion In this form it is most easily mixed with the air The vaporizer in the White Car serves the purpose of changing the fuel from a liquid to a gaseous form It enters the vaporizer and is changed by the heat therein to a gas The earlier vaporizers were in the form of a casting having several t
58. fairly continuous use the old grease should be cleaned out and replaced with a fresh supply Graphite grease is especially good for front wheel bearings At all times when car is running the safety of the passengers depends upon the steering gear A steering gear which binds or is loose from wear is a constant menace Both can be prevented almost entirely by plenty of lubrication Without it all the pin joints wear rapidly owing to the vibration of the front wheels Hard oil is used throughout The majority of the joints are covered with leather boots These should be unlaced to allow cleaning of joint and renewing of grease Pay especial care to the steering knuckles as the load upon them is heavy The grease cups on these should be screwed up every day The steering gear housing is packed with grease within which works the worm and segment A grease cup is provided for this A mixture of light oil and kerosene is excellent for dry springs Pour it over the springs at night and wipe off surplus in the morning By lifting body of car with jacks and removing load from springs the mixture will penetrate better between the leaves The spring and shackle pins as well as radius rod pins are important points to lubricate The weight of the entire body and passenger load as well as power plant is suspended on these As they are in constant motion it is easily seen that unless well lubricated they will wear rapidly The pins have a hole in their c
59. fire under the coils will cause the steam pressure to rise steadily if the throttle is closed Always close hand valve at seat when stopping EXCESSIVE LOSS OF PRESSURE AFTER STANDING A FEW MINUTES If the running temperature is low there is not much reserve heat in the generator consequently the pressure will drop very rapidly after stopping HAND PUMP OR BOILER CHECK LEAKING This is the same condition as is given under number two SAFETY VALVE LEAKING OR ANY STEAM LEAK The volume of the steam in the generator being so small a leaking safety valve or any leak will cause the pressure to drop in a short time while standing All conditions being correct and everything tight the car should stand twenty five minutes to an hour and still contain pressure enough to move itself the time of course depending upon the temperature of the atmosphere FIRE BURNS TOO LONG IN ORDER TO MAKE STEAM PRESSURE REACH BYPASS POINT If when starting out with a cold car the fire is on full and the pressure is not rising the fire should be shut off for a moment or two until the pumps can have a chance to force an additional supply of water into the generator After a few moments the fire can be turned on on condition that the pressure starts to rise immediately Owing to the fact that the thermostat controls the temperature by means of its feeding an auxiliary supply of water it can have no effect on the lower coils until a certain amount of water has entered the
60. forth when well down in open position instead of remaining stationary it is evidence that the checks are leaking back If hand pump checks are leaking the water passes through flow motor as usual at the same time feeding its full proportion of fuel Instead however of going to the generator it slips across through these checks back to the water tank It is easy to see that this would cause overheating If these checks are leaking badly the pressure drops very rapidly when the car is standing WATER CUSHION A broken water cushion spring gives the same effect as having too small a lift on the water regulator pin Removing this cushion and inserting a plug will give this same effect WET STEAM THERMOSTAT If the thermostat is adjusted to open at too low a temperature the result will be wet steam If the water valve does not close at the proper time too much water will be pumped to the generator If the spring which pushes the needle valve to its seat is too weak or if the stuffing box through which the needle valve works is too tight the valve will not close at the proper moment If for any reason this valve does not shut when the element contracts away from the bell hanger such as binding in the seat or a particle of dirt under the seat or an imperfect seat the result will be wet steam The most common cause however is having the stuffing box too tight This stuffing box should be no tighter than can be tightened with the fingers
61. g Element bent Element binding Needle valve tight Spring weak Flowmotor Dry steam Fuel stem packing too tight Fuel stem bent or broken Broken spring Fuel seat leaking Hand valve leaking Pumps faulty Water regulator Flowmotor bypass Valve not closing Dirt on seat Leaking seat Wet Steam Thermostat not closing Thermostat set too low Thermostat leaking at seat 17 Items on CHART 1 OVERHEATING Overheating is any condition by which the temperature of the steam as it goes to the engine is above normal normal being 400 Centigrade An extreme case is when the coils of the generator are heated to a red heat There are a number of causes for too high a temperature many of which are due to the carelessness of the man operating the car THERMOSTAT The function of the thermostat in the new regulation is to govern the ration of fuel and water by admitting an extra supply of water to the generator through a line which passes around the flow motor If the thermostat does not bypass sufficient water then the fuel is fed in excess and the temperature will run too high If the thermostat is opening at too high a temperature the result will be just as bad as from any other source of overheating The opening and closing of the water valve depends upon the expansive action of the element in the thermostat due to the heat of the steam If this element becomes bent it naturally shortens in length T
62. h was formerly used Summing everything up it is just an ordinary steam engine with the exception of being very compactly built of excellent material The splendid results achieved are due to the generator and the high degree of superheat given to the steam Usually a small steam plant is very extravagant of fuel and steam sometimes using as high as 100 Ib of steam per HP per hour As a rule the larger the plant the more economical However the figures of 11 95 Ib of steam per developed HP per hour which is the result of Prof Carpenter s tests are superior in many cases to those shown by large compound condensing engines and even triple expansion ones Aside from the generator and engine the rest of the White Car is similar to any other of standard make with the possible exception of there being no transmission gear box 3 CHAPTER II HINTS ON ECONOMY Webster says Economy avoids all waste and extravagance The popular definition of being the opposite of expense Such is not exactly so It is however the direct opposite of needless expense Applied to the case of the automobile economy means the avoiding of all the expense of up keep which is unnecessary and which ought not exist A group of the necessary expense items is composed principally of the following namely that of tires depreciation and fuel Much has been printed on the subject of the care of tires A tire of standard make is usually good for several thousand miles A
63. hat the combustion takes place at such a high point in the coils This condition is apt to cause the front seats of the car to become heated As has been mentioned the cheaper grades of fuel commonly known as stove gasoline will give better results than the more expensive ones Most of the items given on the chart are due to either making changes or incorrect adjustments Too great a proportion of gas for the size of the mixing tube or for the air that can flow into the mixing tube gives a very red flame which hangs low on the burner The amount of air depends somewhat upon climatic conditions and altitude The colder the atmosphere the greater the amount of oxygen drawn into the mixing tube the inlet remaining the same and vice versa when the atmosphere is warm or the altitude is high The correct color of the flame is a purplish blue slightly tinged with red The flame should not lift over one half of an inch above the burner slots The following rule will hold good under most conditions The lighter the mixture the higher and bluer the flame The richer the mixture the lower and redder the flame Keep the shutter closed as much as possible without causing howling or back firing This condition seems to give the best results CAR SMELLS OF GAS This is a disagreeable condition and is entirely unnecessary The packing in the pilot light adjusting valve stuffing box may leak The gas escaping through rises outside the pilot light without igniting and so
64. he end threads inside causes them to bind The kerosene loosens this and permits the screw to turn outward Keep engine simpled when maneuvering in close quarters It handles better Also remember to close throttle an instant before applying brakes Make it a habit to steer with the left hand and handle the throttle with the right Practice opening and closing the latter with a wrist movement Much closer results can be obtained than by pulling on the wheel If gears bind and refuse to shift after stopping car it is caused by steam trapped in the steam chest Throw reverse lever to reverse and then to center position This relieves the twisting strain on the driving shaft and gears will slip out of mesh easily There is no occasion for applying force to gear lever Open steam blow off valve before turning on fuel when steaming up a cold car The pressure rises very rapidly with a generator full of cold water and may rise excessively before the valve can be opened The latter is especially true in case the valve sticks and refuses to open readily In steaming up be sure vaporizer is sufficiently heated before turning on fuel and avoid a backfire Usually when vaporizer outlet pipe is hot to the touch just outside the generator casing the vaporizer proper is heated enough to turn on the fuel Open and close the feed valve at intervals of three to five seconds until dry gas is coming from vaporizer nozzle To loosen brass union nuts apply a wre
65. he water tank and is discharged when convenient but at times quite a considerable amount is forced through the boiler So far as the makers have been able to ascertain no injurious effects have been caused by this practice and as a consequence they have made no attempts to introduce a separator for removing this oil THE CONDENSER 18 The steam system is provided with an air condenser which in its application to a motor car is placed at the front of the vehicle It consists of a series or corrugated copper pipes with suitable header connections at top and bottom and is arranged to receive the exhaust steam into the upper header The condensed water falls by gravity to the lower header and is removed by a pump The tubes are surrounded by air which is circulated by the motion of the vehicle supplemented by the use of a fan located between the engine and the condensing surface The condenser is furnished with a relief valve which opens to exhaust steam into the air in case the backpressure becomes of sensible amount The condenser as previously applied to motor cars was not adapted to produce a sensible vacuum its purpose being to conserve the water supply Recent improvements in the pumping system give a substantial vacuum from which a considerable increase in economy due to the vacuum is anticipated in the future The motor car of 1907 it is expected will maintain a vacuum of over ten inches at a speed of 20 miles per hour The strength of th
66. his forces it to expand farther before opening the water valve causing a higher temperature If the stuffing box through which the element works is too tight there is the possibility that it will cause the element to bind The latter is the most common of thermostat trouble Always see that the thermostat stuffing box is not so tight but that the element can work freely It is better to have a slow steam leak than to have it work tight FLOW MOTOR Bear in mind that the correct regulation of temperature and pressure by the new system is based on the fact that the flow motor feeds the fuel and water always in a fixed proportion Anything that tends to upset this proportion will upset the regulation If this idea is kept in view it will greatly simplify the reason for some of the following items causing an upset in the balance of fuel and water 1 If the lap fit on the fuel stem becomes worn it will give the fuel a chance to flow to the burner before the water can get to the generator This will cause over heating especially at slow speed The fuel valve is made to fit very closely for a certain distance in the hole through which it works This lap fit is close enough to prevent any flow of fuel The stem is supposed to move this distance before the graduated part slips through the hole and the fuel starts which gives the water a chance to lead the fuel It follows that it is not the proper thing to grind a seat on this valve The grinding material s
67. hrough passages which were connected in series The fuel travels back and forth at least six times before emerging as a hot gas As has been mentioned before the later vaporizers are of steel and very light compared to the old ones The latest ones for kerosene contain steel rods running through the passages About the only trouble that can happen to the vaporizer is having these passages become coated or filled with carbon Gasoline and kerosene are known as hydro carbon fuels and are composed principally of hydrogen and carbon If this carbon is deposited in the passages it will eventually check the flow of gas or fuel This condition however has been almost entirely eliminated in the later types of vaporizers A very common cause for choking is putting too much graphite on the vaporizer screws after cleaning When the fuel first passes through some of the graphite which is on the inside is carried with it and lodges at the nozzle tip After cleaning the vaporizer it should also be blown out with air pressure with the nozzle tip off A slow gas leak is the most common cause for vaporizer trouble The fuel passing through the slow leak drifts through the vaporizer without any velocity Owing to its lack of velocity it has time to become hot enough to cause the carbon to drop or deposit A good way to detect a leak after the car has been standing a few moments is to apply a match to the vaporizer nozzle If there is a flame at the nozzle it shows a slow g
68. ighten the lock nut on the valve stem and the process of setting the low pressure valve is complete To set the high pressure the same method is followed using the low pressure counter weight to find the dead center for the high pressure piston Usually the lead is between one thirty second and one sixteenth of an inch This method is an approximate one used by road repairmen but is sufficiently accurate for all practical purposes DIRECTIONS FOR VALVE SETTING ON THE NEW TYPE ENGINES 1 Have the valve stem screwed down as nearly the proper position as possible The valve on the new type of engine is an inside admission valve The steam edge of the valve is on the inside and not at the end as on the older type engines Therefore the valve setting will be done by inside edges The position of the valves can be seen through holes in which the cylinder cocks are placed These latter must be removed Begin turning the crankshaft slowly in a forward direction at the same time rocking the reverse rocker arm on the engine back and forth At some point of the revolution of the crankshaft the valve stem will cease to move up and down while the reverse rocker arm is being moved back and forth At this point the piston is at the end of its stroke and valve should be opened the amount of the lead The same method of dividing the lead equally is followed as in the older style engine The principal differences are the method of finding the dead center of the engi
69. ing a hot pilot light This avoids an accumulation of gas In applying emergency brake do not allow brake dog to slip into each notch as lever moves forward Grasp the lever lift the dog and move forward as far as it will go and release Sliding the dog over the notches soon wears it until it will not hold A little kerosene poured into water tank while the water is hot greatly assists in flushing off the oil After car has been standing at curb for some time turn on fuel slowly at first The same condition exists as when firing up When leaving car at curb throw gear lever in neutral position close fuel valve and apply brake Know for certain that the pilot light is extinguished before refilling with fuel This applies more strongly to gasoline Kerosene is not so easily ignited Never clamp a flow motor or pump in a vise The pressure will distort the barrel of the former and check seats in the latter Do not put a wrench on any fuel line unions with pilot light burning unless positive that all feed valves are closed Be courteous to those you meet on the road It costs you nothing and occasions arise when its results might prove invaluable Beware of loose sand soft gravel and wet pavements Once experienced the sensation of losing control of the car is never forgotten Eighty per cent of the recorded accidents are the result of carelessness and taking chances Slow down and look both ways at a railroad crossing The death notice
70. ing gear At least it proves that the knock is caused by some part of the axle which turns at the same rate as the rear wheels If the noise occurs at intervals faster than the revolution of the rear wheels it is probable that it is caused by a broken tooth on the pinion driving gear FIRE A great deal could be written about this subject but for the purpose of operating the White Car a few facts are sufficient In order to obtain the greatest mileage from a given amount of fuel we should have the best combustion possible Combustion is the chemical union of the oxygen in the atmosphere with the materials used for fuel To obtain the best combustion there should be just the right amount of gas mixed with the correct amount of air and this mixture will produce the greatest amount of heat However unlike the internal combustion motor there is a much wider range through which the mixture can vary without affecting the final results to any appreciable amount but there are certain wide limits within which we must keep to get the best results These limits we have designated under the heads of portion of air too great and portion of gas too great If the proportion of air is too great the resulting flame has a very light blue color and leaps high off the burner Sometimes high enough to be above the lower coil Naturally this condition would not be such as to give the greatest amount of heat to the coils A great deal of the heat is wasted by the fact t
71. ion in the threads to cause a pound when the engine is pulling DIRECTIONS FOR PACKING STUFFING BOXES A leaky stuffing box is a good indication of a careless and inefficient driver When stuffing boxes are packed properly the packing should be cut in lengths to make a closed ring around the piston rod This was the method of earlier days Packing can now be procured put up in rings ready to go into the stuffing box It is a good point to lubricate the packing with oil and graphite when putting it in Push as many pieces of the packing into the stuffing box as can be gotten in with the fingers taking care that the joint in one ring is on the opposite side of piston rod from the joint in the ring which is just above it When the box is filled the packing nut should be screwed up as far as possible Then remove same and insert more packing each time screwing up the nut and compressing the packing already in place A common mistake is in having the last ring of packing loose enough at the end to catch under the gland In this case the gland appears to be tight but does not compress the packing and a steam leak is sure to follow no matter how tightly the nut is screwed up The causes for leaking stuffing boxes will be taken up under the proper head in connection with the charts TO DRAIN THE CAR FOR STORAGE OR SHIPPING In order to properly drain the water from the car when getting it ready for storage or for shipment in cold weather it should be don
72. is too rich or does not have air the flame is very low on the burner grate causing the grate to become hot enough to ignite the gas below Any substance lying on the burner grate will accumulate the heat at that one spot sufficiently to cause ignition below A niece of mud or asbestos would be sufficient to cause backfiring One of the most frequent causes is that in putting the vaporizer in its place care is not taken that the point end of the vaporizer is in its support This allows the vaporizer to lie on the grate which will be almost certain to cause backfiring Dragging fire is a term used to denote the regulation which does net close off the supply of fuel quickly and cleanly after the water regulator bypasses It has much the same effect as slow gas leak mentioned above It is sometimes brought about by an accumulation of dirt in the water regulator screen and inoperative water cushion or not enough lift on the water regulator pin HOWLING Howling or whistling is the name given the noise made by the gas on entering the mixing tube A car in normal condition should never howl We have also divided howling into two classes Class A constant howling and Class B intermittent howling As a rule howling and backfiring go hand in hand Glancing at the chart it can be seen that a great many of the causes for howling will cause backfiring and vice versa By term constant howling is meant to infer that the car howls every time the fire
73. l not strike it In the Models E F H and L the condenser pump may become loose in the crankcase Any movement of the condenser pump can be detected by the eye It might be well to test the pin to see if it is tight in the crosshead If the engine frame bolts are loose enough the result might cause the engine to pound as it lifts up and down on the frame While this was mentioned under vibration an extreme case might be classed as an engine pound Sometimes this can be detected by watching the joints where the engine arm seats on the frame when the engine is running idle or by feeling it with the end of the finger BROKEN CRANK SHAFT This condition is more apt to happen on the engines which have the foot brake on the flywheel It is usually brought about by applying the brake too fiercely or without closing the throttle It can be detected sometimes by the fact that the flywheel wobbles and does not run true The surest way is to remove the crankcase and test by holding the flywheel and moving the crank ENGINE KICKS UPON CLOSING THROTTLE Should the engine jerk the drive shaft for a few revolutions after closing the throttle and car is coasting it is caused by the throttle seat leaking steam and thereby not completely shutting it off This steam is not sufficient to keep the engine running faster than the car First the car over takes the engine and then the engine over takes the car alternately taking up the slack on the drive shaft and loo
74. les This departure from the old ideas was the greatest stride in the science of steam generation since the time of Watt and should be noted as a distinct invention not an improvement To appreciate it one should compare it with an old type boiler Placed together the two appear as a pygmy and a giant although their power capacity is exactly the same A man of ordinary strength can easily lift the present 40 HP generator To conclude this line of thought the performances of this new type of steam generator have created a sensation in the engineering world Much credit is due the inventor for breaking away from the old ideas and giving to the industrial world of the present something so new and efficient As often described in the literature issued by the White Co this generator consists of a series of coils of seamless steel tubing placed one above another and the whole surrounded by a light annular casing The greatest point of difference from the old type of boiler is that the water enters at the top and the steam is drawn off at the bottom The water is being continually forced downward by the feed pumps to replace that which passes out as steam The small amount of water contained insures against explosion A boiler explosion as commonly known is caused by the quick liberation of a great quantity of water which is under high temperature and pressure The liberation suddenly reduces the pressure and the whole mass of water flashes into steam almost
75. light gas mixture in the mixing tube may blow the pilot light out by accumulating before ignition and igniting with a puff Water in the gasoline tank will extinguish the pilot light flame However the tank must contain quite a bit of water before giving any pilot light trouble If the pilot light cannot be turned high enough to make a slight roaring sound or will not burn with a blue flame the probabilities are that it needs cleaning This can be done by removing the small screws and cleaning out the passages with a drill provided for the purpose Care should be taken in replacing the screws that there is a small copper gasket under each one and that too great pressure is not applied in tightening as the threads are very fine and easily stripped In lighting the later style pilot lights where there is no flush valve be sure that the drip cup is full of gasoline before applying match Do not open regulating valve too much at first as a sudden rush of fuel may chill the pilot light vaporizer and cause it to burn with a red flame 31 PILOT LIGHT BURNS RED If the pilot light will not burn with a blue flame it might be caused by some of the screws leaking or the flush valve might not be closed tightly enough On the old style pilot lights the little hole in the nozzle may become too large This can be remedied by peening it over with a light hammer This will not happen however to the later pilot lights owing to the difference of having a graded valv
76. llent results The drive shaft is the connecting link between the engine and rear axle It must transmit all the power and do this at different angles caused by the up and down motion of the body on the springs To compensate for this motion a sliding joint and universal joints are provided The work performed by these is very severe and they should receive careful attention as to lubrication The lubricant should be hard oil or graphite grease The later models have grease cups provided on both slip joints and universals On the others the grease must be forced into the pins with a grease gun which is provided with 8 the car On cars having slip joint square in the engine flywheel the plate held by four screws must be removed to apply the grease If a smooth running car is desired all drive shaft bearings must be kept well greased The work done by the front wheel bearings is usually underestimated They receive all the shocks of the road surface and the side strains caused by changing the direction of the car By the leverage of the wheel from hub to tire this latter is sometimes very great especially in turning corners at high speed or turning out of ruts The front hubs are packed with hard oil the bearings being ball bearings This will provide lubrication for long periods However it is not wise to trust the grease for too great a length of time as it may become dry hard from excessive wear At least every five thousand miles of
77. luding the temperature there will be enough power to satisfy anyone NEW REGULATION In regulating the temperature on the new system the same procedure is followed as mentioned above for the old Be positive about the condition of the pumps the water regulator the flow motor the fuel line and the vaporizer Also that the thermostat needle valve does not leak water when closed Latter is very important on account of the fact that the regulation of the new system depends upon the water and fuel fed to the generator and burner respectively in a certain ratio In case the thermostat valve leaks the ratio would be upset as there is too much water for the amount of fuel As mentioned above the adjustment of the thermostat should be the very last step when regulating the temperature The operation however is a little different in that the nuts on the needle valve are turned down to lower the temperature instead of up It is not good policy to try to get a temperature reading with the engine running idle The proper way to proceed is to run the engine idle with the thermometer in the steam line and check up the reading of the pyrometer After this is done it is easy to take the car out on the road and make the adjustments for temperature at a speed of about 20 MPH Be sure to run the car long enough to give temperature time to become fixed It is apt to vary when first starting out If at any time the temperature should change suddenly while on the road do
78. mance is better understood fo AF WA te Sttem Cae 47 MISCELLANEOUS In the hill climbing carnival held in San Francisco March 28 1909 a 20 HP Model O White Steamer made the fastest time of the day Climbing the steep one mile grade in 1 12 2 5 This time was scored In a match race as the committee paid the White the usual compliment of having the regular events open for gasoline cars only Three days later at a hill climb held at Memphis the Model O White again displayed its superb hill climbing qualities by making the fastest time of the day against a large and representative field of competitors from White Bulletin 16 OFFICIAL COMMENTS on the Work of the White Steamers in the Massachusetts Military Maneuvers By E W M Bailey Inspector General of the Blue Army The 3 White Steamers attached to the Hdgtrs of the Blue Army showed remarkable qualities of endurance They were in constant use during the day and night on sandy unimproved roads in wet and dry weather and no matter at what time they were called upon or where they were to go they were always ready Their endurance and speed made it possible for the Commanding General to be continually in touch with all the elements of his command and demonstrated their usefulness for military purposes from White Bulletin 16 Pittsburgh Pa Oct Ist 1904 The White won 3 first prizes out of 4 races entered Ist a 2 mile race for all cars up to 24 horse power with
79. metimes can be smelled from the seats of the car To test for leakage apply a lighted match while the pilot light is burning Also should the flow motor fuel valve or the warming up valve be leaking the smell of gas may result The leakage being so slight the gas draws upward from the nozzle of the vaporizer instead of entering the mixing tube 33 CHAPTER IX CHART 4 ENGINE ENGINE Compound Leaky simpling valves Flaw in cylinders Passover valve HP poppet valve Wet Steam Piston or slide valves cut Broken piston rings Vibration Either simple or Compound Engine loose on frame Loose flywheel Lack of lubrication Loose rear wheels Valves set incorrectly Reverse rod short Broken balls Rough bearings Crankcase Cylinders Flywheel square Pounds Worn main bearings Loose connecting rod Piston head loose on rod Piston rod loose in crosshead Main bearing cap loose Pumps loose on bracket Bent condenser pump rocker arm G K Condenser pump loose in crank case Frame bolts loose Broken crankshaft Kicks when throttle is closed Throttle seat leaks Jerks when changing from simple to comp Refuses to start Causes for leaky Stuffing boxes Tight stuffing boxes on simpling valves Simpling spring weak Valves set wrong Simpling valves Reverse on center Steam too hot Poor cylinder lubrication Piston rods and valve stems rough Packing caught under gland
80. more steam but close the throttle and ascertain the reason Should the engine have just been reassembled there would be the possibility of the valves not being set correctly Examine the little pass over valve rocker arm an see that it is adjusted to give a movement of at least one thirty second of an inch to the pass over valve stem If this valve does not open and the high pressure cylinder happens to be on dead center the low pressure cylinder will receive no steam and the engine will refuse to start This can be detected by raising the hood and working the simpling pedal Also notice if the low pressure poppet valve is adjusted so that it seats In case it does not the steam which passes through the pass over valve passes directly through into the condenser without starting the engine To detect this condition simple the engine and try turning the valve stem with a pair of pliers In case it is not seating it will turn very easily It is very common for the driver to forget to press down upon the simpling pedal when starting Make it a habit always to do this Sometimes the reverse lever is thrown in the center notch In this last case the valves are covering all the admission ports to the cylinders and the steam will not be admitted STUFFING BOXES WILL NOT REMAIN TIGHT Contrary to the experience of some the stuffing boxes on the engine should need little if any attention This assertion is made however on condition that the stuffing boxes have
81. more water than it would under normal condition When the throttle is closed while the fire is on full the residual gases in the vaporizer boost the steam pressure very rapidly For remedy see Wet Steam Chart One If the steam seems to be dry and hot and the pressure drops back anywhere from one hundred pounds to three hundred pounds when the throttle is opened suddenly and then on closing the throttle the pressure springs back anywhere to a thousand pounds either the generator or the steam line has a clogged place which obstructs the flow of steam to the engine The steam pressure for the gauge is taken from the steam line near the throttle If there is a choked place in the line back of this the steam is taken thru the throttle faster than it can come thru the obstructed place consequently there is a drop in pressure at the throttle which drop is registered by the steam gauge When the throttle is closed the steam passing thru the clogged place balances up the pressure at the throttle or on the forward side of the clogged place This accounts for the steam gauge registering so high when the throttle is closed It may be seen that under this condition the steam gauge does not register the true boiler pressure with the throttle open any amount However only when the throttle is closed is the true boiler pressure indicated As the water regulator also receives its pressure from the same source as the steam gauge it may also be seen that the same is
82. mpound if the pass over valve is leaking or binding so that it does not seat the engine is trying to run partly compounded and partly simpled at the same time The steam which leaks through the pass over valve may cause back pressure on the low pressure piston and also it will cause the low pressure cylinder to do more than its share of the work thus destroying the balance between the two If the high pressure poppet valve leaks or does not seat the exhaust from the high pressure cylinder will escape into the condenser instead of finishing its work through the low pressure cylinder This will rob the low pressure cylinder of its full share of the steam and destroy the balance A good way to test the high pressure poppet valve to see if it is seated is to turn this stem with a pair of pliers if the simpling mechanism is in compound position If it is not seated it will turn easily but if it is seated properly it will not turn without applying considerable force A sand flaw in the cylinders might allow the steam to short circuit over loading the low pressure cylinder This is a condition of which but two cases have come to our knowledge It is mentioned merely as a last extremity All the cylinders are thoroughly inspected and tested before leaving the factory However a very slow leak or flaw 35 which might not be perceptible when new could in the course of time be enlarged by the passage of steam and later become more noticeable Occasionally
83. n as well as it would if it were handled in a sane manner The proper way to manipulate the throttle is to open it gradually Allow the car to get into motion before turning on any great amount of power It is also a good point to remember to close the throttle before applying brakes Regarding the latter the abuse of the brakes is just as needless and just as injurious as that of the throttle The steam car is particularly capable of being driven by throttle control alone and violent application of the brakes should be reserved only for emergencies The habit should be acquired of shutting off the power and coasting up to the desired stopping place How often we see a car brought up abruptly with all brakes squealing a protest No sane person would think of stopping a good horse in that manner When on country roads and approaching a rough bridge or a corner coast up to it when possible cross easily and gradually opening the throttle pick up the former speed A few little habits like these will save many a dollar in the course of a year There is little excuse at any time for fast driving and none at all for fast driving over poor roads Nothing will rack a car to pieces sooner When a car weighs from 2 500 to 4 000 pounds and is driven at a high speed where the road is rough the strains and stresses produced are exceedingly great It is marvelous that some machines stand as much as they do Furthermore the danger of accident from breakage s and f
84. n is at the lower end of its stroke Under normal circumstances it is merely returning the excess water back to the water tank when the piston has traveled one inch LEAKING WATER REGULATOR This is another point at which the water may escape without altering the ratio between fuel and water It might be caused by an imperfect seat on the water regulator pin valve the pin may stick while off the seat or the screen might wedge and refuse to close the valve Sometimes a particle of dirt can give the same effect Water regulator leakage may be quickly detected by breaking the union on the line which returns the bypassed water to the tank If your steam pressure is below the bypass point and water comes from this union then the valve is leaking No water should flow unless the pressure is above the bypass point The pin and the screen should both work back and forth freely If the seat is imperfect it can be ground in with a little pumice stone and oil or powdered glass and water SUCTION LINE TO THE PUMPS If the hose from the tank to the pumps is so soft that it collapses when the pumps make the suction stroke or is porous enough to admit air the pumps will not give their full amount of water The same thing will happen if screen in the bottom of the water tank becomes clogged with dirt CLOGGED GENERATOR OR STEAM LINE If there is a clogged or choked place in the generator tubing or in the steam line to the engine the steam cannot flow to the
85. n it ignites it may puff back through the burner grate and catch on the vaporizer nozzle If there is any leaking around the edge of the burner especially on some of the older model cars the flame from the inside may shoot out and ignite the gas at the vaporizer tip If too much air is being admitted through the mixing tube giving a high fluffy fire the mixture may be so thin that it will not ignite rapidly and accumulate enough so that when ignition does occur it may puff back and cause the gas to catch at the vaporizer tip A split vaporizer may cause a backfire either coming on or shutting off To cause this the split would probably be on the lower side of the vaporizer The jet of flame by striking the burner slots might force through enough to ignite the gas below A split vaporizer is usually caused by being overheated or partly clogged and overheated at the same time The new style vaporizers issued by the White Co in the fall of 1908 have almost entirely eliminated any troubles from clogging or splitting These vaporizers are very light are perfectly smooth inside and heat very quickly A slow gas leak through the flow motor fuel valve or the hand valve may accumulate the gas at the back side of the burner which may cause a backfire when the fire comes on and the flame may catch back when shutting off owing to the lack of velocity of the gas which is leaking through A slow leak should never be tolerated It causes the car to smell
86. nch and jar same with the hand They loosen much easier this way than by a steady pull In putting same together there is no necessity for great tightness as all joints are ground to a fit Avoid putting strains on piping and unions without holding in the opposite direction with an extra wrench Soap is a good emergency packing for gasoline joints Change any rubber hose as soon as it becomes soft and flabby Pay no attention to water as to whether it is hard or soft but allow no water containing sand or mud to be used Sand will pit the pump checks and cut the walls of the flow motor cylinder Keep brakes in good condition The time comes to every one sooner or later when they will need a good set of brakes badly Form the habit of filling the water tank each morning even though it takes only a gallon or so 13 Blow off generator twice a week from left side By closing valve before the steam has quite all escaped the generator will refill itself with water This is due to the fact that as the enclosed steam is condensed it forms a vacuum The pressure of the atmosphere forces water from the tank to fill the space formerly occupied by the steam If car refuses to start when throttle is opened slightly do not open it farther Close it immediately and investigate It will probably be found that the simpling pedal is not pushed entirely down the emergency brake is on or the reverse lever is in the center notch Observance of this point m
87. nd place for lubrication is given to the engine crankcase A quantity of oil is contained therein lubricating the revolving parts of the crankshaft by means of the splash principle The importance attached to the lubrication crankshaft bearings is due to 2 things First the amount of power transmitted from the cylinders to the propeller shaft Second the small space within which the mechanism is enclosed Work produces friction and the more compact the machinery doing the work is the greater becomes one importance of good lubrication A good crank case oil should not be too thin but should have body enough to lubricate well under a heavy load and still flow through the ball races It should have good wearing qualities and not change to a thick jelly like form under the beating due to the revolving parts It is very important that it be free from acid Corrosive action due to the latter is very injurious to ball bearings as it pits the balls and ball races The crank case oil should be changed before it is worn out The periods of changing of course depend upon the amount of use of the car and the severity of the work it is doing At least once a month the crankcase should be drenched out with kerosene which can be accomplished by putting in 2 quarts after draining out oil and running the engine a few moments This loosens and washes out all sediment and dirt which may have accumulated leaving everything clean for the fresh oil When the car is in u
88. nder high temperatures It is advisable to select an oil which is well recommended and known to be all right Then use that oil to the exclusion of all others for it does not pay to experiment with oils when the result may be a pair of badly damaged cylinders The oil enters the cylinders by way of the steam chest where it lubricates the valves before reaching the pistons The feed is made pos itive by means of a little plunger pump which is located in the oil box on the dash The pipe from this pump to the cylinders should be inspected occasionally to see that it has no leaks Any leak would rob the cylinders of their full amount of lubrication and should be stopped at once The later model cars have a handle on the oiler box which operates the force feed by hand The proper time to use this is when the engine is laboring up a hill or through sand etc at slow speed When the engine is running under light load to oil by hand is entirely unnecessary and merely results in wasting oil The automatic oiler supplies a sufficient amount for all but the most extreme conditions It probably does even then but many prefer to be on the safe side by using the hand oiler 7 When first startling a cold engine it is advisable to give the hand oil pump a few strokes The feed pipe may have become partly empty and as the automatic pump feeds very slowly the engine would run some time before the oil reached the cylinders On the scale of importance the seco
89. ne and the fact that the steam edges of the valve are on the inside It is worth the trouble after having tightened the lock nuts on the valve stem to repeat the whole operation and check the work done Occasionally in tightening the lock nut the valve stem is turned a little causing the valve setting to be slightly inaccurate DIRECTIONS FOR SETTING PISTON In setting the pistons back in the cylinders after having removed them a certain position is necessary The figures given below represent the distance from the machined upper face of the cylinder to the piston head the crosshead being at the upper extremity of its stroke This distance is termed by White mechanics the piston clearance a term which is not exactly correct however as the true clearance would be between the piston head and the cylinder head The Clearance on the Models C and D is as follows High pressure one half inch low pressure seven sixteenths On Models E F H and L high pressure seven sixteenths low pressure three eighths On Models G and K high pressure eleven sixteenths low pressure five eighths On Model M and MM high pressure seven eighths low pressure seven eighths On Models O and OO high pressure thirteen sixteenths low pressure thirteen sixteenths After screwing the piston down to the proper Position be sure that the lock nut is tightened snugly and that the lock washer is turned up around the nut If this nut loosens up there is enough mot
90. ng compound but does not when running simpled the chances are that the steam is by some means getting to the low pressure cylinder without having done its work in the high pressure cylinder There are three valves on the top of the engine which are designated on the chart as simpling valves Two of these are known as poppet valves the other one the pass over valve old style engine When the engine is simpled the pass over valve is opened allowing the steam direct from the generator to pass through to the low pressure steam chest the high pressure poppet valve opens allowing the exhaust from the high pressure cylinder to escape directly to the condenser The low pressure poppet valve should seat closing the passage between the high pressure exhaust and the low pressure steam chest Under this condition we have two cylinders working independent of each other Each receives its steam from the generator and each exhausts into the condenser When the simpling pedal is allowed to rise the engine changes from simple to compound The pass over valve closes the high pressure poppet valve also closes and cuts off the high pressure exhaust from the condenser causing it to pass through the low pressure poppet valve which is now open into the low pressure steam chest This rather lengthy statement is for the purpose of conveying the idea of where the steam should go when engine is simpled and where it should go when engine is compounded Thus we see in running co
91. not change the thermostat adjustment The chances are that the vaporizer tip has a little dirt in it or that the thermostat valve is not closing properly Either one of these will cause an over supply of water for the amount of fuel DIRECTIONS FOR VALVE SETTING ON THE OLD TYPE ENGINES 1 Fix the reverse lever in a rigid position at full valve stroke go ahead namely in the same position as it would be with the reverse lever in the first notch 2 Screw the valve stem into the valve stem guide to as nearly the proper position as possible by guess 3 Turn the engine in the direction it runs when the car is running ahead 4 In setting low pressure valve turn the engine until the center punch mark on the high pressure counter weight is on a level with the edge of the crank case In this position the low pressure piston is at one end of its stroke Now look at the valve and note how much it is open The amount of opening in this position is known as the lead of the valve 5 Turn the engine in the same direction until the mark on the counter weight comes opposite the crank on the other side This throws the low pressure piston at the other end of its stroke Note how much the valve is 10 open If it is open the same amount as it was on the other end of the stroke the valve is set correctly The valve should be opened the same amount on each end when the piston is at the respective ends of its stroke The lead is now divided equally 6 T
92. oon spoils the lap fit and overheating will result At high speeds a worn fuel valve is not so noticeable as the stem moves farther down on the stroke the ratio again becomes correct In replacing fuel valve on the flow motor if the fuel stem is not screwed into the piston rod sufficiently we have exactly the same effect as if the fuel valve were worn namely the fuel starts ahead of the water or at least the ratio changes The stem should be screwed into the piston rod until the tension of the spring is felt Then give it five more full turns which gives an adjustment correct enough for practical purposes If the stuffing boxes are too tight the piston while moving down as it should be drags in closing off This possibly might feed some fuel after the water regulator has bypassed the water from the generator Stuffing boxes on the flow motor should be no tighter than can be tightened with the fingers Piston binding in the flow motor barrel would cause a change in ratio One or two cases have been met with where this was caused by sand in the water Most often it is caused by placing flow motor barrel in a vise If the piston binds sufficiently the flow motor will refuse to close leaving the fuel turned on If the spring within the flow motor is weak broken or too short it takes a less amount of water to push the piston down consequently the fuel would overbalance the water This is a very rare occurrence however If the vaporizer noz
93. r causes the temperature of the steam to drop a slight amount just enough however to cause the element in the thermostat to contract sufficiently to turn on the fuel again CHART 5 OLD REGULATION Thermostat set too high Overheating Bad seat Thermostat refuses to close Needle binds Dirt on seat Bellcrank sticks Dirty vaporizer Wet steam Thermostat low Clogged fuel line Valves not open wide Checks Faulty pumps Porous or flabby suction hose Dirty tank strainer Leaky stuffing boxes Leaks between pumps and generator Unions Water cushion S g Cracked diaphragm 28 Water regulator Bad pin valve seat s Pin or screen wedging R Backfiring See Chart One S Howling See Chart One Fire on continuously Wet steam Thermo will not close Fire not on enough see lack of power Clogged water regulator screen Excessive variation of steam pressure Thermostat bellcrank sticking Steam leaking into thermostat Slow leak through thermostat Dirty generator Water overbalancing fire Wet steam Excessive water consumption Leaks Condensing system Chart 1 Stuffing boxes Excessive fuel consumption Wet steam Dirty generator 40 The steam pressure almost immediately rises above the bypass point the water regulator bypasses the water supply and the temperature rises again causing the thermostat to close the fuel valve This is a full cycle and these cycles follow each other in routine at r
94. r having a loose seat might allow the water to flow back into the tank Of course after this happens there would be a rise in the temperature owing to the lack of water in the generator The water must move downward through the coils when generator is being refilled pretty well towards the bottom of the generator before the temperature of the steam changes enough to affect the thermostat which although it closes will do so too late to prevent a drop in temperature VARYING SPEED If the temperature drops when the car is speeded up it may be due to one of three causes First If the flow motor fuel stem is not screwed into the piston far enough or is worn the temperature at a slow speed is a false one and upon speeding the car up the natural thermostat temperature is regained Under this condition if the temperature is set for slow speed or with the engine running idle the chances are that when the car is driven at any higher speed it will be too low Second If the generator is dirty a quick call for rapid production of steam will result in drop of temperature Should the coils have a thick deposit of oil on their inside surface the heat will not pass through the walls of the pipes and the above mentioned deposit as rapidly as it should It will probably pass through fast enough to keep up the temperature of superheated steam if the steam is not being used too fast But when the demand of steam increases and the flow becomes very rapid the heat
95. rform the work but the heat contained in the steam Water vapor is the best known medium for conveying heat from its source to the place where it is converted into useful work namely the engine cylinders History shows that the ancients knew something of steam Two hundred years ago steam pumps of a crude design were in use in England for lifting water out of the mines About 1775 James Watt invented the steam engine in the form it is most commonly known today Watt was a genius for the principles he laid down at that time are still followed The majority of improvements since have been mainly along the lines of detail material and construction The same can be said in regard to the advance made in the art of manufacturing devices for generating steam The same principle has been adhered to namely of having a large volume of water exposed to more or less heating surface and a receptacle at the top from which to remove the steam without entraining the water The earliest boilers carried a steam pressure of 2 lb to the square inch From 2 lb pressure there has been a steady increase up to the high pressures used in modern marine and locomotive boilers As fast as the advance in strength of materials and improved construction permitted the amount of pressure was raised yet there is little difference between the first and last in principle About 1899 R H White of Cleveland Ohio brought out the White Steam Generator which embodied many new princip
96. rizer can be de tected by watching the vaporizer gauge on the dash If this gauge drops back very slowly and hangs for quite a length of time at ten to fifteen pounds it is worth while to have a look at the vaporizer or at least at the nozzle tip which some times clogs from small particles of carbon VAPORIZER NOZZLE TOO SMALL As was mentioned in Chart One on regulation the standard nozzle recommended by the White Co should always be used The twenty horsepower nozzles are hexagonal the Naught Seven model H nozzle has four number fifty six holes the Naught Eight Model L nozzle has three number fifty four holes as also has the Naught Nine Model O These numbers are stamped on the side of the nozzle The nozzles for the larger cars are made square The Naught Seven Model G nozzle has four number fifty four holes and the Model K and Model M have three number fifty one holes In the Nineteen Ten models two sets of nozzles are furnished with each car one for gasoline and the other for kerosene These are each designated by being stamped on the side It is very important that they should be used as specified VAPORIZER NOZZLE The fuel economy of the car depends a great deal upon the adjustment of the vaporizer nozzle For instance an extreme case which came to notice was where a nozzle was so much out of alignment that two of the jets of gas were missing the mixing tube entirely If the nozzle points directly into the center of the mixing tube
97. rom losing control is no small item and should not be overlooked 4 The man who persists in overloading his car shows up his total ignorance of the laws of mechanics When an engineer designs a bridge he makes it a certain number of times stronger than is necessary to carry the greatest load it will ever be expected to accommodate This excess strength is termed the factor of safety Also when he designs an automobile to carry let us say five passengers a certain factor of safety is allowed The bridge is safe from harm for the reason that the normal conditions are such that it cannot be overloaded but there is nothing to prevent an owner from overloading his car if he wills to do so The surest preventive of this however is a strong application of good common sense Another money saver in regard to a car is cleanliness An accumulation of mud sand dust and grease works harm in many ways The grit works into many places causing wear Into the body joints the frame joints the brakes the drive shaft the engine and in fact all over the car It prevents the discovery of loose bolts and nuts which if found in time might save a broken part or possibly life or limb Sometimes an owner even finds that he is losing that respect for his car without which he does not give it the care it deserves All this because he has allowed it to become run down and disreputable looking Summing up briefly if an owner wishes to keep his car out of the repair
98. rottle is used the sooner the stuffing boxes will start to leak This is true in regard to opening the throttle without pressing down the simpling pedal or with the reverse on center Hence our caution mentioned above If the engine refuses to start promptly close the throttle and find out why it does not FKK 2K K 2K K ok 39 CHAPTER X CHART 5 OLD REGULATION From the time of building the first cars up to year of Naught Seven the regulation remained exactly the same in principle This principle was entirely different from the one in use at the present time The thermostat regulated the amount of fuel fed to the burner by closing off the supply when the temperature reached a predetermined degree The water regulator controlled the amount of water fed to the generator by opening and closing at a predetermined pressure Suppose a case where the fuel is turned on to the burner and the fire is burning There is enough excess fuel to cause the temperature in the generator to rise When the temperature reaches three hundred and ninety degrees the thermostat closes shutting off the supply of fuel Without any fire below the coils in the generator the steam pressure immediately begins to drop back As soon as it drops to the point where the water regulator closes the water starts to the generator causing that already contained therein to begin to move downward through the coils being forced to do so by the action of the pumps This movement of the wate
99. s Standard Steam motor oil Stuffing boxes White special steam oil 600W vacuum compounded Engine Fan and fan shaft _ Turn up grease cups daily Water pump block _ Oil daily Oiler driving mechanism Oil daily Crossheads Change bi weekly Crankcase Connecting rods Crank shaft Cylinder oil 3 guarts Pure lard oil 1 guart Valve gear Gears Cylinder oil up to level plug Rear axle Change every 1000 to 1500 miles Outer bearings Grease cups daily Drive shaft Universal joints Grease weekly Slip joints Front wheels Change grease every 5000 miles Force grease into tube weekly Springs Leaves Kerosene and a light oil Shackle pins Grease weekly Steering gear Joints Grease bi weekly Knuckles Grease daily Small pin joints Brake levers Reverse levers and rod Simpling valve gear Pedals Throttle rod Oil weekly Water regulator and steam gage Cylinder oil when gage vibrates NOTE The three kinds of cylinder oil are mentioned in the order of their merit If one cannot be obtained use the next one on the list N B Conditions are assumed that car is used daily 42 EFFICIENCY REPORT STEAM PLANT OF THE WHITE MOTOR CAR By R C Carpenter of Ithaca N Y Member of the Society 1 The steam plant of the White Motor Car is an example of what can be accomplished on a small scale in the use of steam of high pressure and with a high degree of superheat in the steam engine and is consequentl
100. s in the daily papers emphasize this point 14 Do not shoot over the tip of a hill at full speed Some one else may be doing the same thing in the opposite direction The same applies to curves where you cannot see the road ahead If your car is running well do not tinker tinkeritis is a disease the only cure for which is a few good sized repair bills 15 CHAPTER VI CHART 1 NEW REGULATION WITH FLOWMOTOR CONTROL Thermo valve loose lock nut Dirty generator Adjustment too high Thermostat Element Bent Binding in stuffing box O Worn lap fit on fuel valve stem Z Fuel stem not screwed into piston rod sufficiently gt Flow motor Packing glands too tight Piston binding A Weak short or broken spring gt Vaporizer nozzle too large O Water Regulator Dirty screen Insufficient lift of pin valve Checks Flow motor check leaking Hand pump checks leaking Water Cushion Sprig broken Piston Binding Adjustment too low Thermostat Water valve Weak spring Short spring Tight stuffing box z Seat leaking m Seat out of alignment n Flowmotor Piston binding z Water passing piston Nozzle tip clogged Carbonized vaporizer Dirty strainer Fuel ratio Choked supply Valves not open enough Vaporizer nozzle too small 20 HP fuel valve on 30 HP car Water leak on feed line Leaking flowmotor bypass valve Rough pin or seat Pin wedging Leaking water regulator
101. se 2 extra quarts of oil each week poured directly into the crankcase will insure against a deficit The automatic oiler on the dash has one lead to the crankcase which is constantly renewing the supply but the extra amount will prove beneficial Better too much than not enough On the later models where the crankcase is made almost absolutely oil tight the amount of renewal can be less but the oil should be entirely changed more often On these models where the pumps are enclosed in the crankcase it is well to guard against water getting into the oil by keeping the packing glands tight Water intensifies the action of any acid which might be contained in the oil If one quart of pure lard oil is mixed with 3 quarts of the crank case oil and this mixture is used the lard oil will help protect the bearings from any corrosive effect of water and acid by forming a film which coats the balls and ball races This hold good for all models as there is a possibility of water in the oil on the older models On these it can work in through the crossheads after having escaped through the stuffing boxes in the form of steam hence it is advisable to keep the piston and valve stem stuffing boxes tight The next item on the lubrication list is the rear axle Not only does the rear axle transmit the power developed by the engine but it must also carry its share of the load Furthermore it must stand the shocks and strains produced by the inequalities of the ro
102. sening it again Remove the throttle and grind seat with pumice stone or powdered glass To test for leaky throttle allow engine to remain stationary a few moments then 37 press down simpling pedal If engine starts to move the throttle is leaking Should the simpling pedal refuse to move be very careful about pressing it suddenly as the engine will probably race The best way to release the steam which is imprisoned in the steam chest is to give the pedal a few sharp kicks thus releasing the steam a little at a time ENGINE JERKS WHEN CHANGING FROM SIMPLE TO COMPOUND When starting the car on the street the simpling pedal should be held down until the engine has caused the car to pick up some momentum When releasing the pedal allow it to come back to compound position with a snap If the pedal is allowed to come back slowly there will be a short interval of time when the engine is neither compound nor simple and working against itself This will cause it to jerk the drive shaft violently If the stuffing boxes on the simpling valve stems are too tight they offer enough resistance to the simpling spring to cause the change from com pound to simple to take place too slowly All these packing boxes should be kept well oiled so that the spring can work the parts freely If the simpling spring is weak it may give this same condition ENGINE REFUSES TO START If at any time when the throttle is open the engine does not start promptly do not turn on
103. somewhere There maw be the possibility that the hand fuel valve has not been opened as is often the case with a green hand operating the car 24 CHAPTER VIL CHART 2 GENERAL SYMPTOMS Wet steam see Chart 1 Pump suction hose choked Throttle set wrong Will not open wide enough H 2g Any water leak Faulty condenser pump E E Engine stuffing boxes leaking Fan not running 2 5 Condensing system Mud on condenser tubes 8 E Engine valves scored Condenser fouled inside R O Broken piston rings Overflow valve spring weak Overflow valve loose Fouled vaporizer Vaporizer nozzle too small Vaporizer nozzle not central v 5 Air pressure high or low Strainer clogged ji S B Chokage of fuel flow Tank valve not open wide Sn B Hand valve not open wide 5 g Wet steam 20 HP fuel valve on 30 HP car O Dirty generator Dragging brakes Too much air Fuel too light 5 8 Pressure rises rapidly if throttle is closed while fire is on EB 3 Water overbalances fire caused by residual gas in vaporizer after the flowmotor 2 g E shuts off A A E a Clogged generator Pressure drops when throttle is opened a Clogged steam line Springs back when throttle is closed Pressure drops suddenly Hand pump checks leaking Speed of car constant water in generator back into water tank Coils too hot Rising pressure after stopping a few minutes Coils fouled of dirty g Slow gas leak in flow motor g Slow gas leak independent valve
104. ssing it in another way the generator is being constantly forced to keep up a superheat BRAKES DRAGGING This is one of the most common causes for a car using too much fuel If the brakes drag it may not mean much of a loss for one revolution of the rear wheel or even a dozen revolutions but in the course of a run of one hundred and fifty miles an enormous amount of power will be wasted in pushing the dragging brakes The rear wheels should always spin fairly free See Chapter II FUEL TOO LIGHT A GRADE If the fuel is too light it will give a very light high fire and will not give as much heat as heavy fuel In extreme cases the flame of the fire may be above the lower coil It will be found that the cheaper gasoline will give much better results than the more expensive The heavier the fuel as a rule the more heat units it contains per pound For that reason a great deal more mileage can be obtained from kerosene than gasoline ITEMS CONCERNING THE GENERATOR These items are to express the general symptoms in order to get a line on something which may be referred to the chart on regulation EXCESSIVE PRESSURE AFTER CLOSING THROTTLE By this term is meant that the steam pressure rises above the bypass point to an excessive amount after the throttle is closed this amount varying from two hundred to five hundred pounds There are two general causes for this condition If the water is overbalancing the fire the generator is carrying
105. ted If the car uses 1 2 pounds of fuel per HP hour then in 10 hours running at 20 miles per hour we have used 48 pounds of fuel to overcome the drag of the two brakes As gasoline runs about six pounds to the gallon therefore 48 pounds eight gallons gasoline wasted at 20 miles per hour These calculations are roughly made and do not strictly conform to the laws of friction but the results are near enough to answer the purpose namely to show how surprisingly large is the amount of fuel wasted in many cases As the ratio of the brake drum diameter to the wheel diameter is approximately the same on all models the same results can be applied to all Bear in mind the first sentence of this chapter ECONOMY AVOIDS ALL WASTE AND EXTRAVAGANCE 6 CHAPTER III LUBRICATION Lubrication is the process of introducing some substance between two moving contact surfaces in order to preserve them from wear If the surface of a bearing no matter how finely finished could be viewed through a microscope it would have a very rough and ragged appearance When two such surfaces are moving in different directions while in contact these tiny mountain ranges will begin breaking each other loose from their respective surfaces meanwhile continually creating new ones This process is commonly known as cutting or scoring If we can introduce some substance between these surfaces which will fill all the little crevices and hold them apart we have a l
106. the mixture of gas and air is distributed equally over the surface of the burner and also Is mixed to the most perfect degree giving perfect combustion This condition distributes the heat of the flame evenly under all the coils and consequently attains the highest economy AIR PRESSURE TOO LOW The flow motor is designed for feeding the proper amount of fuel when the fuel is being forced through by a pressure of fifty to fifty five pounds Therefore any pressure below fifty pounds gives the water a chance to overbalance the fuel 27 ANY CHOKAGE OF FUEL FLOW This will give the same result as a dirty vaporizer By the term chokage is meant any obstruction in the feed pipes or anything that prevents the fuel from flowing fast enough to take care of the water that is passing through the flow motor A common mistake is an insufficient opening of the hand valve at the seat or the shut off valve at the gasoline tank These should be opened at least four turns WET STEAM As mentioned above anything that will cause excessive water consumption will usually cause the same thing for fuel See Wet Steam DIRTY GENERATOR If the coils have a deposit of carbon on their inside surface it will take a greater amount of fuel to supply the same heat to the steam inside the coil owing to the fact that the coil will not absorb the heat so readily The carbon in side being a non conductor of heat consequently a portion of the heat is being wasted Expre
107. the other hand if the packing in the flow motor stuffing boxes on the fuel stem piston rod is too tight the flow motor may in extreme cases refuse to close and the fuel will continue to feed regardless of the action of the water regulator In connection with this it is worth mentioning that the fuel stem being bent or broken or a broken spring inside the flow motor very rare would give exactly the same result Occasions have occurred when the hand fuel valve was leaking slightly and the fault was laid to the flow motor A good way to detect leakage when it is too slight to cause a flame above the burner is to apply a match to the vaporizer tip Immediately after stopping the flow of fuel there is always enough gas to support the flame for a short time but if the hand valve and the flow motor valve are seating perfectly this flame should burn out for lack of gas If it continues to burn and blows occasionally either the hand fuel valve or the flow motor valve is leaking If the valve operated from the seat is closed and the flame goes out the chances are two to one that it is a flow motor gas valve leaking Never try to grind this valve for leaking Grinding material will spoil the lap fit An easy way to stop this valve from leaking is to form a seat by tapping the head of the valve by means of a small hammer and punch care being taken not to tap too hard and to turn the valve stem around at short intervals FIRE WILL NOT COME ON WITHOUT RACING ENG
108. ts specific gravity as measured at a temperature of 75 was 0 6945 Water being 1 From this measurement a gallon of gasoline at a temperature of 60 should weigh 5 877 Ib 52 The heating value of this oil as determined by Prof H Diedrichs as the average of three determinations with the Junker calorimeter is 19 606 B T U per pound for the higher value uncorrected for water vapor The chemical analysis of the oil as made by Prof B S Cushman of Cornell University showed 84 76 per cent C 15 24 per cent H from which the heating value per pound by calculation is 20 400 B T U The lower calorimetric value is about 10 below the theoretical calculated value a discrepancy which I am not prepared to explain at the present time but which I judge from consultation of a few authorities has occurred a number of times before I consider the lower calorimetric value as more nearly representing the value of the fuel in practice than the other 45 THE BOILER TEST 53 The average pressure of steam at the boiler during the various runs was 595 Ib The average degree of superheat at the boiler was 298 The mean temperature of feed water was 78 The average evaporation was 10 34 Ib of water for 1 lb of gasoline From this data by consulting Buel s steam tables we find B T U per lb of steam above 212 1051 B T U per 1b for raising feed to 21 144 By producing lines in Fig 12 the specific heat is found to be 0 69 Heat required to
109. ubricant The use of grease and oil accomplished this end and under proper conditions gives satisfactory results An article by Prof Thos P Stillman says The generally accepted conditions of a good lubricant are as follows 1 Body enough to prevent the surfaces to which it is applied from coming in contact with each other Viscosity Freedom from corrosive acid either of mineral or animal origin As fluid as possible consistent with body A minimum coefficient of Friction High flash and burning points Freedom from all materials liable to produce oxidation or gumming ATO A lack of proper lubrication is one of the greatest sources of damage and depreciation with which the automobile has to contend Even under the best conditions the dust and mud of the road are apt to increase the chances for wear by working in between the bearing surfaces The least harm which can result from improper lubrication is a very rapid increase in the rate of wear From this degree it may range on up to the point where an entire unit of mechanism may be cut to pieces and ruined in the space of a few minutes One cannot be too careful about the lubrication for it is the very life of the machine The benefits derived from proper lubrication are numerous Chief of these is long life due to lack of wear Fasy running results in economy of fuel and tires The man who spends from 20 minutes to half an hour oiling and inspecting his car before starting out is the
110. uction of the pump In looking over the condensing system it is well to examine this hose occasionally See that the stuffing boxes on the condenser pump do not leak air or water The checks should be examined also to see that there is no dirt or that they are not worn out of true The condenser fan is for the purpose of pulling a greater quantity of air trough the condenser over the radiating surface than will pass through with a natural draft produced by the speed of the car If this fan does not run the air will not carry away as much heat thus impairing the efficiency of the condenser Too often very little thought is given to keeping the condenser tubes clean If these tubes are covered with mud the radiation qualities are greatly hindered Any mud in the condenser should be washed out with a hose and a bristle brush An imperfect seat or a weak spring on the overflow valve may be the cause for poor condensation by admitting air to the condenser and preventing the pumps from producing a partial vacuum also the overflow valve might become loose where it is screwed into the condenser Sometimes a poor grade of oil used in the cylinders or the steam being at an excessive temperature will cause the oil in the exhaust steam to deposit in the condenser tubes This condition spoils the condenser efficiency to quite a marked amount The condenser can be cleaned by first pouring kerosene through and flushing with a plentiful supply of water 26 EN
111. wling The chances are it will lie across the diameter of one of the holes and this is very apt to deflect the stream of gas emerging from the same It is a good idea to have a regular inspection of the vaporizer tip An expert operator can tell within 30 seconds after one of the vaporizer holes has become clogged Intermittent howling is caused by an erratic action of the regulation probably due to the thermostat If the thermostat element is binding or the water needle valve is sticking in the stuffing box there will be periods when the car is running with little if any fire If this continues for too great a length of time the vaporizer and its outlet pipe may become somewhat cooled and when the thermostat suddenly closes the valve the flow of fuel is turned on suddenly by the action of the flow motor This will probably cause the car to howl until the temperature is regained and it is working normally again FIRE DOES NOT SHUT OFF This general head is used merely to help pick out the different items for closer analysis If the fire will not shut off after the water regulator bypasses the water back to the tank it is caused either by the water regulator or flow motor It is obvious that if the water regulator is not bypassing properly on account of a dirty screen or insufficient lift 23 on the water regulator pin the back pressure will keep the flow motor from closing properly causing the fire to burn slowly to a more or less degree On
112. working under a 28 false pressure and the pumps may be pumping against a much higher generator pressure than is indicated by the steam gauge A Car containing a generator in this condition does not possess very much reserve power PRESSURE DROPS QUICKLY WHEN CAR SPEED IS CONSTANT This is a very rare occurrence Should it happen accompanied by a peculiar moaning sound the chances are that the checks in the hand pump are allowing the water in the generator to escape back to the water tank In case this should happen while running on the road the proper thing to do is to immediately shut off the fuel and let the pumps renew the supply in the generator After this has been done turn on the fire and conditions will be normal again Unless this is done the lower generator coils would become overheated before the water could be pumped in EXCESSIVE PRESSURE AFTER STOPPING A FEW MINUTES If the coils are too hot the reserve heat contained by them will cause the steam pressure to rise gradually after the flow of steam stops If the coils have a deposit of carbon on their inside surface their temperature is greater on the outside than that of the steam contained within see Dirty Generator under Excessive Fuel Consumption especially if the car has been running at a good speed After stopping a few minutes this heat will soak through to the steam inside thus raising the pressure A SLOW GAS LEAK A slow gas leak sufficient to keep a simmering
113. y of interest to the mechanical engineer irrespective of its special application for the propulsion of motor cars I take pleasure in presenting a description of this plant and also the results of a series of tests which I believe will prove of considerable interest to all engineers who are studying the question of the use of steam at high temperatures and pressures 2 The White steam system was designed by R H White and has been successfully applied by the White Sewing Machine Company during the last six years to several thousand motor cars its essential and novel features are found principally in connection with the steam generator or boiler which is adapted to produce steam of high pressure and high temperature The system is also of interest in the details of construction of its engine and in one means for automatically controlling the quantity temperature and pressure of the steam produced 3 It is a well recognized fact that the efficiency of a steam plant is increased by the use of steam at high temperatures and pressures and there are numerous tests on record which bear testimony to this fact The development of the art of producing and using steam of high pressure and of a high superheat has been slow although probably continuous So far as I can learn from correspondence no boilers or engines exceeding 100 HP in capacity which are adapted to produce and use steam exceeding 300 1b pressure and 300 degrees superheat are built in this country
114. y sure to cause backfire A backfire is apt to occur accompanied by slight explosions as the gas ignites back to the nozzle If there is a suspicion that the burner is cracked It is best to take it down and examine it carefully The crack can be plastered over with fire clay allowing it to dry or it can be dried quickly by the flame of a blowtorch In case the burner is taken down it is a good thing to see that it is perfectly clean and that there is no mud or loose dirt contained in the base of the burner Sometimes a backfire will occur in firing up if the raw fuel is turned on too rapidly When first admitting fuel to the burner care should be exercised that the vaporizer is hot enough to vaporize the fuel properly For the first thirty seconds the fuel should be turned on and off at intervals of about two seconds preventing too great a rush through the comparatively cold vaporizer It is characteristic of the Bunsen system that the richer the mixture the lower the flame lies upon the burner If the fuel is too raw the mixture is so rich that the flame lies directly on the burner slots giving a good chance for the ignition to occur below the grate thus causing a backfire If the pilot light is turned too low the vaporizer may not be kept sufficiently hot to vaporize properly giving the effect of turning on the raw fuel too fast Again the gas may accumulate around the back side of the burner before the low pilot light flame reaches it and whe
115. zle is too large it would have a tendency to give the fuel the advantage over the water causing a high temperature The standard vaporizer nozzle advocated by the company should always be used Otherwise the fuel and water ratio will be changed 18 WATER REGULATOR If the water regulator pin valve has insufficient lift it will cause a back pressure through the water line This back pressure will transmit a pulsation of the pumps to the flow motor piston causing it to move up and down rapidly and feeding a slow amount of fuel without water or at least hindering the flow motor from closing properly This also has a tendency to wear out the lap fit on the fuel valve The correct lift of water regulator pin is one sixteenth to five sixty fourths an inch If the water regulator screen becomes clogged with dirt or lint from the pump packing it will give exactly the same effect as insufficient lift to the water regulator pin CHECKS The flow motor check is the one the water passes through just after leaving the flow motor and it protects the flow motor from any backpressure If this check is leaking the water backs up after passing through giving us a condition for overheating On models which have the plug in the bottom of the flow motor and where the flow motor check serves also as a boiler check leakage can be detected by removing the plug and listening to the steam escaping back into the flow motor Also if the flow motor stem jerks back and

Edmonson White Steam Car Service Manual

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