Running in - for how long?

[planty]

I recently had a number of parts fitted to upgrade my MSS engine.

• Dead-leg Displacement Lubricator
  Steam Regulator Kit
  Upgrade Cylinders

After two or three times firing up the cylinders are still a bit "sticky", they run for a while and then stop, a quick nudge and they'll run again, stop etc (for a while I'm talking 5-20 seconds or so)

Has anyone else had experience of such upgrades? Do they take a while to free up/run in?[/list]

[anythingsdr]

They take a while to bed in, I think its normal... My Mamod didn't like it when i put a new upgraded cylinder in with an older bedded in one!

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

It takes a bit of time to run them in, strangely I found it takes longer for new cylinders on a mamod to run in than a new Lady Anne, it was either that or I just wasn't thrashing it enough

[DLRdan]

Welcome to the forum. The cylinders will take a while to run in but there are a couple of things to check. If the gland nuts on the back of the cylinders are too tight they will be clamping the piston rod, causing lots of drag. The other thing is to make sure the lubricator is definatly working as the upgrade cylinders do like oil. The only other thing is to be patient and keep running it.

[dougrail]

What Dan said. Also be careful not to abuse the cylinders, they might pop off!

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

What Dan said. Also be careful not to abuse the cylinders, they might pop off!  :shock:

I've never had a problem with that, and Britomart has hauled my edrig once or twice now! and that isn't a light load!

[dougrail]

Well I had to get a cylinder repaired, Dol.

However, far from being a negative, Dream Steam took receipt of the cylinder, and repaired [replaced?]the piston and housing unit within a week even after it had been bought for a year - but with proof of purchase and mindful of the fact it was one of the last of the Plymouth operation produced, much credit to DS!

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

Reading back on what i said there, it did look rather braggy, didn't mean to sound like that, sorry! But regarding dream steam, they're customer service is brilliant! Can't fault it really!

And also regarding hauling power etc, I've had to cut down on how much I put behind her, as dragging the edrig is what caused the wheel to slip on the axle, and also since cutting down on the loads, it hasn't been breaking as much!

[dougrail]

Naw, you're alright Dol, didn't come across as braggy. Just explained where I was coming from.

Now, as for loads and wheels, am I right in thinking y'm stil on Mamod originals?

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

Now, as for loads and wheels, am I right in thinking y'm stil on Mamod originals?

Normally I'm good at guessing what people try to say when they make typo's but i'm stumped by this!

(It probably doesn't help that I'm on the last HST out of London to York, and i'm rather tired )

[Narrow Minded]

Now, as for loads and wheels, am I right in thinking y'm stil on Mamod originals?

Normally I'm good at guessing what people try to say when they make typo's but i'm stumped by this!

(It probably doesn't help that I'm on the last HST out of London to York, and i'm rather tired )

He said "Is your loco still fitted with Mamod / MSS original wheels, as opposed to higher quality replacement wheelsets?"

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

Now, as for loads and wheels, am I right in thinking y'm stil on Mamod originals?

Normally I'm good at guessing what people try to say when they make typo's but i'm stumped by this!

(It probably doesn't help that I'm on the last HST out of London to York, and i'm rather tired )

He said "Is your loco still fitted with Mamod / MSS original wheels, as opposed to higher quality replacement wheelsets?"  ;)

[Narrow Minded]

Now, as for loads and wheels, am I right in thinking y'm stil on Mamod originals?

Normally I'm good at guessing what people try to say when they make typo's but i'm stumped by this!

(It probably doesn't help that I'm on the last HST out of London to York, and i'm rather tired )

He said "Is your loco still fitted with Mamod / MSS original wheels, as opposed to higher quality replacement wheelsets?"  ;)

My turn now then - "are they Dream Steam Steel wheels? and if so I take it one of them still came loose?"

[planty]

Thanks for the comments all.

I'll keep firing it up over winter so hopefully come spring will run like a dream on the track!

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

My turn now then - "are they Dream Steam Steel wheels? and if so I take it one of them still came loose?"

Nope, twas the originals that slipped!



(Notice the different in height between the two wheels on the conrod)

I've never had a problem so far with the steel wheels, and yes they are from Dream Steam, but I got them second hand, but were never used

[dougrail]

My God, He's Finally Sorted Out His Wheels!  :lol:

Trust me mate, you won't regret the switch to steel! Much more power can be used, I reckon you could haul the Edrig again Much smoother running too. Steel wheels should be compulsory.

...y'm still be needing steel rods me hearty, arrrr  :twisted:

But it looks like you took a blowtorch to Britomart?

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

My God, He's Finally Sorted Out His Wheels!  :lol:

Trust me mate, you won't regret the switch to steel! Much more power can be used, I reckon you could haul the Edrig again Much smoother running too. Steel wheels should be compulsory.

...y'm still be needing steel rods me hearty, arrrr  :twisted:

But it looks like you took a blowtorch to Britomart?  :shock:

I couldn't be bothered sorting the old ones out, and a set of steel wheels for £10 new was something I couldn't miss out on! and well, I'm not keen on giving it heavy loads otherwise the PTFE tape thats stuffed in the steam pipe to stop it leaking around the T pipe to the lubricator gets pushed out the way and leaks like bu99ery! and it a pain to try to resolve!

and the blowtorch was to get the old paint off, i then got the rest of it off with a paintstripper, then on with the new paint, which looks a lot like BR blue!

[-steves-]

I recently had a number of parts fitted to upgrade my MSS engine.

• Dead-leg Displacement Lubricator
  Steam Regulator Kit
  Upgrade Cylinders

After two or three times firing up the cylinders are still a bit "sticky", they run for a while and then stop, a quick nudge and they'll run again, stop etc (for a while I'm talking 5-20 seconds or so)

Has anyone else had experience of such upgrades? Do they take a while to free up/run in?[/list]

The upgraded cylinders also have upgraded springs. These springs tend to be a bit too much and no amount of "running in" will fix that. What some people do is change the springs back to the original cyliner ones, and personally, I just get the new ones, put them in a pair of big pliers and clamp them back up (do not do that if you do not have spare springs to hand). Either way, please please please try it and watch your Mamod gain a new lease of life. I have had to do this with 3 sets of upgraded cylinders now and it works everytime

Best of luck  :D

[planty]

The upgraded cylinders also have upgraded springs. These springs tend to be a bit too much and no amount of "running in" will fix that. What some people do is change the springs back to the original cyliner ones, and personally, I just get the new ones, put them in a pair of big pliers and clamp them back up (do not do that if you do not have spare springs to hand). Either way, please please please try it and watch your Mamod gain a new lease of life. I have had to do this with 3 sets of upgraded cylinders now and it works everytime

Best of luck  :D

Presume the springs are fairly easy to get out? I didn't do the replacement job myself so can't say I've ever dismantled the cylinders.

Also what do you mean clamp them back up? Compress the spring to stop it expanding so much?

Cheers for the info tho, much appreciated!