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[logoman]

The manifoild on the Aster marine engines is attached and sealed with silicone. During my attempts to rectify problems with this engine, i have removed the manifold. I would have liked to have found an alternative to the silicone when reassembling the engine, but have not been successful, with leaks on the middle cylinder. I tried paper gaskets, teflon gaskets, and gasket compound. The six screws that pull the manifold to the face are not sufficient to make the seal. Therefore I need to use an adhesive as Aster had done: white or clear bathroom silicone.

To gain a good seal the manifold will need to be clamped to the cylinders whilst the silicone is setting, but to do this i need to take the rail off the other side of the cylinders. I cannot work out how to do this, When i turn the hex nuts they spin, perhaps they are ornamental. I tried to knock the bar out of the eyelets without success. Also, when clamping the manifold, I am concerned that some silicone may enter and block the inlet/outlet ports.

[derekwarner]

Hi logoman..........

1. the manifold appears to have securing screws @ say 1.00 o'clock & 7.00 o'clock only
2. the enegine side plates appear to have tapping's @ 11.00, 1.00, 4.00 & 7.00 o'clock

Could you be getting some distortion there....& not sealing across the full face of the port?  .....Derek

[Circlip]

You need to lap the port faces flat with each other and also check the manifold plate is flat. A paper gasket should seal it, cigarette paper is only 2 thou thick, yes, fiddly but possible.

  Regards  Ian.

[logoman]

The gap (leak) at the lower part of the center port is perhaps .3mm. When the upper screw is tightened. the gap at the bottom opens, when the lower screw is tightened nothing improves - it does pull a little, but I think the port thread was damaged when I tried tightening it to close the gap.  Whilst I have considerable flattened the port faces, the design of the manifold (protruding pipes) means that no amount of lapping will make any difference. It is a design fault, no doubt, but I believe that it has been designed so that the seal be made between the protuding parts of the manifold and the ports holes.

Derek, the cylinders have four holes so that they can be mounted either end up/down : the casting are symmetrical top/bottom.

[KBIO]

Hello Logoman    .
It looks like you have four port holes on each cylinder , apart from the in & out ones.
Are they all  threaded? If not, may be good to tapper them all  ,same size. You have room for bigger size in case you need.
I wouldn't recommand silicone or coumpound here.
If so , drill extra  holes in the manifold plate and with oily paper gasket, it  should make it.
The leak is what makes the steamer's life exciting ...............................and wears out his nerves & patience!
When we see you on Blue forum???
Hope you run this nice engine soon! Another good example of your collection.
Cheers

[kno3]

Did you try Hylomar sealer?

To remove the bar you also need to remove the brass cylinder covers fro the sides.

If none of your solutions have worked, something more radical is to cut the manifold in 3 parts, so that each mates with the corresponding cylinder.

[logoman]

Did you try Hylomar sealer?

To remove the bar you also need to remove the brass cylinder covers fro the sides.

If none of your solutions have worked, something more radical is to cut the manifold in 3 parts, so that each mates with the corresponding cylinder.

Hi Calin, yes tried Hylomar, it made no difference.

please could you explain the need to remove the cylinder covers, I don't understand how these can be removed without first removing the bar and the three holding pins.

I don't see the need to modify this engine if I can return it to it's original state.

JUST NOTICED THAT I HAD NOT POSTED A PICTURE OF THE FACE OF THE MANIFOLD SHOWING THE PROTUDING PIPES! APOLOGIES.

[logoman]

When we see you on Blue forum???

Hi Yves 
what is the Blue forum?

[logoman]

Success in removing the bar - the bar is set in the eyes with adhesive, it needed more force than I'd applied previously. the eyelets can then be simply unscrewed from the brass cylinder covers (thanks Calin ) . All the problems with this engine are caused by its unconventional construction & materials.

[HS93 (RIP)]

have you ever put a straight edge across the three cylinder faces to see if they line up ?

Peter

[logoman]

All three cylinder faces can be aligned, since they rotate on their support. The manifold is another matter, and it's clear that the middle cylinder needs more gasket material than the others. There is little chance of correcting the shape of the manifold.

[malcolmbeak]

Rather than trying to use a gasket how about an O ring round each of the pipes. Obviously there will be a gap between the manifold plate and the blocks. The only problem I can see is that the O rings on the inlet pipes could blow out, but this could be cured by placing some thin rings around them.
An alternative to O rings would be to cut some narrow slices from silicone tube. It's very soft material and will compress nicely. I use this method to seal my water gauge glass. If you thread a piece of wooden dowel or a piece of brass rod through the tube, you can rotate it against a sharp knifr and produce really accurate rings.
Thinking about it I would go for the silicone tube slices.

Malcolm

[logoman]

that's a great idea Malcom, THANKS

[KBIO]

Hello Logoman!
Seing the pipes protuding the plate's manifold,  Malcombeak's idea is very good. Eventualy I would enlarge the ports (in & out) to O'ring size to make sure that they do not pop off. 1mm enough.
Still I do not understand why there is 4 ports per cylinders  and only 2 in the plate to hold it?
Blue Forum? But you are famous there , dear!
http://modelismenavalradioc.nouvellestar6.com/modelisme-bateau-a-vapeur-f10/groupes-vapeur-t1393.htm
Regards.

[HS93 (RIP)]

I see they have a Bunkerbardge picture 2nd one down.

peter

[kno3]

Malcolmbeak's idea with the o-rings is very good. Cutting them out of silicone tube lets you also adjust the thickness to compensate for the differences in port face location.

[south steyne]

 )Give oven cooking paper a go I have tried it works a treat for gaskets
John

[steamboatmodel]

Back when I used to do gas engines we would use $1.00 bills as gaskets, can't afford to do that now are smallest bill is now a fiver.
Regards,
Gerald.

[mogogear]

Blue Forum? But you are famous there , dear!

As he is with his friends--Miles collection and his manner make a great combination!! I know I am happy to have run into him...and his many engines...

[logoman]

As he is with his friends--Miles collection and his manner make a great combination!! I know I am happy to have run into him...and his many engines...

Thank you for the kind words, I suspect though, that my collection is simply compensation for a lack of something, and a bolster to the ego. An uncomfortable feeling.

[logoman]

I am confused as the the use of the nut on the bolts that fix the cylinders to the casting. what is the correct use of a fixing like this? is it a lock nut?

[logoman]

I've bit the bullet, a rebuild of just the three cylinders, leaving everything below untouched besides re-alignment of the frame. I have been scared of doing the timing, but I've studied this engine for so long now i feel confident I can put it back together (never one of my strong points  ). Since I have the manifold that was attached with silicone sealant off, I may as well.

[logoman]

Well, I should have known this, but I hadn't studied the diagram well enough, but the piston rod gland is completely hidden within the cross head guide, so now i can make new seals for these, repack them and put some thread sealant on them too.

[mogogear]

Good luck be with you Miles...and a handfull of extra patience!

[logoman]

well, the luck didn't get here quickly enough Greg.

Exactly what I had feared, happened. Whilst setting the position of the slide valve the grub screw slipped in the thread. It does not tighten now .

I suspect one turn of the thread on the valve is damaged, since when the valve is not on the spindle the grub can be screwed further in and holds.

the pointed grub is M2 and about 2mm

I don't know what to do about this.