Author Topic: RLE questions!  (Read 30127 times)

Offline michaelr

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 163
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #105 on: February 15, 2018, 07:16:22 PM »
John. I changed my RLE original carb for a Lunkenhiemer, the casting is a bit fiddly and tested my machining but I got there, the photo will give you a idea how it looks on the engine.
Mike.




Offline Manorfarmdenton

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 124
    • Fearnley Contract Services
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #106 on: February 15, 2018, 10:53:39 PM »
Jason - re. the Fowlers, I wish!  I reckon the pair would cost ten times what my old lady did though.  The nearest I have ever been is that my first moling tractor in 1989 was a Fowler Challenger 33 steel-tracked crawler, and since then we have used a succession of Cat D7Es and D8Hs.  The huge advantage of rubber tracks though is that you can lift up the mole and drive out of the gate to the next job at 15mph.  With steel tracks a low-loader is required with all the ensuing cost and delay.
I have considered the Lunkenheimer simply because I've made a couple that work well, and also because I'm not sure how to make a fuel tank with a flat top for Graham's design to sit on!  How would one bolt the casting down - solder the bolts/studs into the top before assembling the tank?  I'm comfortable with lathe and mill but tinwork terrifies me!

Graham - I'll take a photo in the morning.  One of the lugs is buried in a mess of not very solid-looking cast which when machined away won't leave a full-sized lug I'm sure.  Your design does sound a lot simpler than the Lunkenheimer though, which is why I thought I might fabricate one.  I'll still have the issue of making a tank though - I could probably buy a cylindrical one to use with a Lunk.!

John
John Fearnley

Offline Manorfarmdenton

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 124
    • Fearnley Contract Services
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #107 on: February 15, 2018, 11:10:31 PM »
Mike - thanks for that.  What a super looking engine.  The spring on the push rod is a good idea too - mind if I copy you?  I like the diamond-shaped name plates too - did they come with your kit?  I don't think I'll be able to highlight the cast-on writing on my hopper if/when I do the painting.  I'm no sign writer.  I'm happy enough to use spraygun or cans, but tiny brushes - I'm far too clumsy!

As you'll see above, part of my reluctance to use Graham's design of carb is my ignorance concerning making a suitable tank!  The Lunkenheimers are a bit fiddly though, so I'm open to suggestions!  I hold me breath when I look to see whether the little needle valve hole has emerged in the cone of the valve seat, but in the two I have made it has done.  Probably more by luck than judgement!  One thing about them - the slightly rude noise the little valve makes on the induction stroke never fails to raise a giggle from someone seeing the Red Wings for the first time!

John
John Fearnley

Online Jasonb

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9463
  • Surrey, UK
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #108 on: February 16, 2018, 07:45:53 AM »
Round tanks are not too hard to make, for that one I would face off a ring of suitable dia brass tube then rough cut  a couple of discs of brass, sit the ring on one and rest the other on top then soft solder. Once soldered file off the overhanging edge of the discs and you will be left with a nice neat tank, couple of tabs left on the bottom one will allow for screwing it down and silver solder any fittings to the top before soft soldering the tank together. They can be bought a skits from DeBolt in the US at a price

https://www.deboltmachine.com/collections/all?page=1

Horizontal tanks can be done in the same way or turn up a couple of stepped ends.



You can solder on a bit of brass half round to make it look like the tank has been bead rolled as a lot were, once painted in satin silver or silver Hamerite it will look like Galv



Or just hide the tank in the sub base and JB Weld on a filler and feed boss





I expect Graham will be along later to tell us what brand of beans he used for a suitable tin to make the tank from ;)
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 08:10:21 AM by Jasonb »

Offline Manorfarmdenton

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 124
    • Fearnley Contract Services
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #109 on: February 16, 2018, 08:59:54 AM »
Jason - expert advice as usual.  I like the idea of a vertically oriented cylinder and soldering on brass half round would make it look exactly like the ones on one or two of my old full-sized engines, Amanco etc.

Don't laugh about the bean can though - I looked long and hard at a small can I emptied of its contents yesterday, and saved it just in case...... :)  That copper (cooling tank?) in the second photo looks very similar to the one on my Amanco, apart from not being as squat.  I reckon that's the way to go.  It can sit on the wooden bearers near the carburettor.  Is fuel level an issue?  In your last (superb!) photo the top of the tank appears to be about level with the carb?

Re. photos, please tell me again how you take them.  You have got more or less everything in focus and perfectly lit, and I never seem to achieve that.

Thanks again for the advice, John.
John Fearnley

Offline michaelr

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 163
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #110 on: February 16, 2018, 09:05:05 AM »
John. I got the diamond name plates made by Diane Carney Nameplates, but I don't think she is in business now, feel free to copy the push rod spring, I made the original fuel tank from a cut down stainless steel kitchen container the lid is sealed on with JB weld.

Mike.

Offline Manorfarmdenton

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 124
    • Fearnley Contract Services
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #111 on: February 16, 2018, 10:18:49 AM »
Mike - of course, I'll look for name-plate makers.  I think I know someone who makes the ones to be given out at tractor rallies.  Thanks for the suggestion about JB Weld too - until Jason mentioned it I hadn't given it a thought.
Seeing your stainless tank made me think of the water tank I have made for my unfinished Best model.  Its made from 4" diameter steel tube with turned ends riveted in, but one could be made and soldered up, the lid etc being completed before final assembly.  Don't know why I was worrying!

Graham - photos below of the casting.  I don't think that by the time I've cleaned it up there will be enough material left for the lug?

John.
John Fearnley

Offline Manorfarmdenton

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 124
    • Fearnley Contract Services
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #112 on: February 16, 2018, 10:41:53 AM »
I just fought my way through the cobwebs to the back of the shed the Amanco is in and was amazed to see how much bigger the tank was than I remembered!  Perhaps one for the RLE wouldn't be far out at 4" diameter by around 1.5" high.  Food for thought.
John Fearnley

Offline Alyn Foundry

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1653
  • North Wales, Great Britain.
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #113 on: February 16, 2018, 11:13:21 AM »
Good morning John.

A pictures worth....

Your carburettor casting is a very poor “ pull “ from another, definitely not one supplied by me. I do have a few spares, with the now famous, special coating. :)

Jason, not beans but .... A “ Three Nuns “ tobacco tin was first used. The present tank fitted to my R.L.E. was purpose made from Zinc plated Steel and sits neatly between the mounting timbers.

That 50 gram tin held enough fuel for several hours of running!!

I’ll try and take some pictures later.

Cheers Graham.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 11:43:56 AM by Alyn Foundry »

Offline Manorfarmdenton

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 124
    • Fearnley Contract Services
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #114 on: February 16, 2018, 01:37:14 PM »
Hello Graham!

I thought that particular casting wasn't up to your usual standard.  I'm in a quandary now in that I can either ask you if you'd be prepared to sell me one of your spares or I can buy a casting to make a Lunkenheimer.  If I make your design - which is very attractive because of its simplicity - I'm right in thinking the tank and carb need to be attached directly to the cylinder head am I not?  While the Lunkenheimer is a lot more complicated to machine I would be able to have the tank where I like, i.e. to emulate the Amanco.  Don't know - its six of one and half a dozen of the other!  What do you think?  To add to my confusion there's a lovely-looking little carb in Jason's photo!  Perhaps I ought to make one of those..............

John.
John Fearnley

Offline Alyn Foundry

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1653
  • North Wales, Great Britain.
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #115 on: February 16, 2018, 02:20:42 PM »
Hello John.

I never owned an Amanco, played with a few though. If memory serves they had a special non return valve in the fuel line?

Before I turned 103 into a “ Dragsaw “ my tobacco tin tank sat on the flat wooden box base that housed the HT ignition coil. In effect being supported by the base. When I mounted the engine on the Oak runners that form the structure of the Dragsaw I suspended the carb and tank ( between the runners ) directly from its connection to the cylinder head.

There’s absolutely no reason why you couldn’t do the same as the Amanco with my carburettor, so long as you have liquid fuel under the jet and the special valve to stop it pouring out when idle.

Am I correct in thinking that the Lunkenheimer carburettor has another spring loaded “ snifter “ valve?

Cheers Graham.

Online Jasonb

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9463
  • Surrey, UK
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #116 on: February 16, 2018, 04:08:22 PM »
Yes the Lunks have a valve much like an atmospheric inlet valve and there is a small hole drilled through the valve seat that leads to the needle so as air is sucked in the valve lifts and fuel is also drawn in. When the valve drops that closes off the fuel supply and will act as a NRV if tank below or a stop valve if tank a little above.

The red engine has a simple ball NRV in the line so that fuel does not drain back between hits and just needs priming to get the fuel up before starting by simply putting a finger over the inlet and turning the engine over once. It is an easy carb to make.

I have the castings for an Amanco Hired Man and that will have one of the flat tanks on it's "sack barrow"

Online Jasonb

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9463
  • Surrey, UK
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #117 on: February 16, 2018, 04:14:37 PM »
This is the horizontal tank I showed earlier painted up to look like Galv, this has a foot valve at the bottom of the vertical pipe so fuel does not drain back.

Also something a bit larger than a backy tin, this is a cut down 2.5lts paint tin.

Offline Alyn Foundry

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1653
  • North Wales, Great Britain.
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #118 on: February 16, 2018, 04:30:53 PM »
Ah.... I found one.

Stover engine in the USA, Pilter in Europe.

Look at the similarities of the carburettor.   ;)

Cheers Graham.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 04:36:20 PM by Alyn Foundry »

Offline Manorfarmdenton

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 124
    • Fearnley Contract Services
Re: RLE questions!
« Reply #119 on: February 16, 2018, 11:59:33 PM »
Graham, can I ask you to part with one of your spare castings please?  Perhaps you'd like to send me an IM about it?  I'm sure the special coating makes them highly desirable and well worth whatever the damage is.  Having made a couple of Lunkenheimers I'm interested to try something different, but can you just enlighten me about fuel levels, foot valves etc please?  I think a foot valve is shown in your drawing and is there a tube going down to near the bottom of the tank?

John.
John Fearnley

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal