New Member, Mamodifications ad nasuem

[Spule 4]

All:

New member here, found this via the "Mamod" forum. This fourm appears to be less collector driven and more toward operation, so maybe some better answers here?

Anyhow, I have made many of the common updates, to the point my loco is really a Janmod:

IP bits are: Cylinders, Boiler with regulator, improved safety valve and injector, Spacer and Bufferplates

Sidestreet Banerworks: Meths Burner

PPS: Wheels, Cylinder Gaskets and.....something else?

Roundhouse: lubricator

Mamod (mechanical) bits are: reverser and con rods.

I got it to run well on the bench and compressed air, but it could barely move under its own weight.

So I spent (about ten minutes) tearing it down and found the following....

The nuts on the bearings are loose. Also, one of the (new, PPS) rear diving wheels and con rod pin were loose from its axel. Loctite per Alan at PPS for the wheel and pin.

The nuts did not go tight to the Mamod frame, so I cut some small washers to look like the letter "C" and made spacers for between the nut and frame, all good there.

My first steam feed pipe was a mix of brass and copper silver soldered together, so now (thanks to the local boiler guru) I have good 1/8th inch line for the feed.

The wicks I assumed I had packed well back in the 1980s. So out they came and re packed, a good article on meths burners can be found here: http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/spirit.htm

The lubricator is MUCH better (IMO) than the deadleg IP one and the Van Dort one that have been on the loco (I did like the looks of the Van Dort one tho).

Checked the return line, (brass tubing, larger ID) no binds. Keeping in mind the suggestions for backpressure, have a chuff pipe from back in the 1980s I need to refit....

Along with checking for leaks, I am going to get it back together in the next few days and see if it gets more powerful with running in?

Any other suggestions of what I may be missing here would be of help.

Thanks!

[SillyBilly]

Welcome Garrett !
Sounds like it should be a textbook Mamod, not sure wether either lapping the reverser valve or purchasing the improved design one from PPS would help? Yes it should certainly improve with some running in.

I'm sure others will have some good ideas!

[Spule 4]

Welcome Garrett !
Sounds like it should be a textbook Mamod, not sure wether either lapping the reverser valve or purchasing the improved design one from PPS would help? Yes it should certainly improve with some running in.

I'm sure others will have some good ideas!

Thanks for the Welcome!

I did lap the reverser per the instructions in the 16mm groups Mamod Handbook, but still get some SLIGHT bubbles at pressure. The PPS regulator would be the next natural step!

.....or I should have just bought a new Janet!

[Chris Cairns]

Hi Garrett, and Welcome to the Forum. I'm glad you finally found it.

Sounds like you should have covered all the potential problems, but here are my experiences.

The replacement PPS reverser/regulator is supposed to be better engineered for less steam leaks. However the one fitted on my IP Jane still gets the odd bubble of steam/water exiting from it. I make sure it is lubricated with steam oil prior to use. This is mounted to the inside of the chassis plates with a gasket, and I've just made some of these to stop a leak in that area on an SL1K, using 0.5mm oil resistant gasket paper.

My IP Jane was originally fitted with a meths burner, and once bench run used to run well on my test oval of Mamod track. I decided to fit it with a PPS Ceramic Gas burner, which was previously in an Mamod SL1K and had caused damage to the boiler and sight glass. However the spacer I removed for the meths burner was much shorter than the spacer for mounting the gas burner, and this has caused problems with free running of the rear axle. I have had this apart a few times now, and cleaned up the chassis plates around the axle mountings, but what I have found is if these chassis plates are not evenly placed, then the sideload generated by the bearings on the axles is enough to cause them to bind. I have another PPS chassis for a IP Jane/PPS Janet composite rebuild, and on that one using a standard Mamod chassis spacer the front axle is binding.

By comparision there is enough play in the Mamod/MSS axle bearings that I have some really free running wheels on my Mamod & MSS locos.

Another area is that those IP Eng cylinders/pistons do require a lot of lubrication, and I'm tempted to take mine apart to see if the 'O' rings have suffered any damage. Unfortunately I do not have enough Mamod cylinders/pistons & gaskets to try running my IP Jane with Mamod cylinders to see if they work any better at present. Do you still have your old Mamod cylinders/pistons, and if so have you tried refitting them?

I am currently running in an SL1K which seems to have some stiffness in at least one cylinder, but the cylinder has refused to come apart so far (do not want to hit it too hard as I've already got some broken cylinders due to the mounting bolts probably being loctited in and snapping off when trying to remove them!).

I trust that your further running in provides a welcome improvement.

[ACLR]

Hi Garrett welcome to the forum its great to see you here.
sounds like you have done everything right mate.
I found it took me a lot of running in. I just sat there continually running the engine on blocks just topping up the water and adding meths. it seemed ages for it to be run in but in the end it now runs great.

[Spule 4]

Thanks Gents!

Chris, glad to see you here, I though you had "vanished", had not heard from you on the other forums!

From both Graham and Chris, it sounds as if I should get it back together, seal up any leaky bits and just let it run on blocks for a few hours....days?

Agreed on the oil, fortunately, the new Roundhouse lubricator seems to do the job, at least from the amount of oil emitted out of the exhaust during the run on blocks.

[Spule 4]

Got everything back together over the weekend, and had a spare moment to fire "Jan-mod" tonite.

I got the wheels locked down tight with the retaining nuts. The thing still has a bit of a "knock" noise to it when running, but then the con rods have a bit of "play" in them.

I have the wicks packed well, the model was up to pressure VERY fast. Follow the Roundhouse article if you are using Meths, the burner performace is MUCH better now. Almost too hot to have your hands above the boiler for adding water and the like.

In the toolbox, when looking for the loctite for the wheels and the loctite high temp for the threaded steamlines, I found an old tube of black high temp Toyota sump seal. Put a (VERY LITTLE) bit on the steam line into the reverser block....NO LEAKS!!

I still need to find some teflon tape to pack behind the cylinder nuts.

Put a small section of crimped larger diameter tubing on the exhaust line for a bit of backpressure. Now has the "chuff" I remember it having back in its heyday.

I ran it on the workbech, but found the "urge" to sit it on the workshop floor and it took off like a rabbit.

I think the combination of the above have improved running, but I need to give her a bit more "on the blocks" running for sure.

Thanks for the help , and whenever it warms up, I can run it on track and see how it does, but I think it is better than it was a couple weeks ago.

[ACLR]

Garrett im glad you have got it sorted. look forward to some vids of it running.
I use the plumbers pipe sealing tape you can get it from any plumbing store. comes in small rolls.
cheers Graham

[Chris Cairns]

Sounds like you have finally got there Garrett.

After punching my IP wheels out I was getting a knocking noise from my IP Jane as well. It turned out that a one point in a wheel revolution on one side (with the coupling rod at the furthest point to the rear of the loco), the rod was actually very tight and causing a bind at that point. A little filing of the rear wheels opening on the coupling rod fixed that and no more knocking. This was with the coupling rods supplied with the IP Jane, which are different from the standard Mamod coupling rods. In fact when I had this knocking I temporary replaced the offending coupling rod with a standard Mamod one and the knocking disappeared.

I've been considering trying a chuff pipe or restricted exhaust pipe to see if that gives any improvement like it has for yourself and Graham. I was thinking of using a bit of 5/32 pipe soldered at the top and a small hole or slot cut just below the top, and sliding this over the current exhaust pipe. Probably have a go today and let you know what happens.

I find the temperature achieved by my Gas burner is so high that it is melting my water top up syringe if I try to top up whilst it is burning away.

[SillyBilly]

Great news Garrett

[Chris Cairns]

OK so I've just tried an exhaust restrictor.

I took a piece of 5/32 pipe which is a snug fit over the exhaust pipe, soldered closed the top opening and drilled a hole (1.5mm/ approx 1/16" - the smallest drill bit I have at present) on the side of the pipe so the exhaust goes horizontal.

Whilst it actually does not seem to affect performance of my IP Jane, it does give a cleaner exhaust as most of the condensate/waste oil ends up at the bottom of the chimney and not over the bodywork as before when using a vertical exhaust pipe. However the IP Jane is finally running properly, as I had my first rollover on a corner due to running too fast, previously I needed a lot more regulator to achieve this speed, if at all.

However trying this restrictor on an SL1K which I have been struggling to run-in has produced a better result. Prior to fitting, this loco could barely do a lap of my test oval, but after fitting the loco can now quite happily push an RW1 open wagon around the loop until the meths runs out, albeit in reverse at present.

So it would seem beneficial to fit this restrictor to my Mamods & MSS to hopefully improve performance, and at least get a cleaner exhaust.

[ACLR]

yes I have to agree with you Chris
am glad you have yours sorted as well

[Spule 4]

I am thinking my "knock" is not much of an issue based on this, you can hear the same knock.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAecQ3NnI6o

[Chris Cairns]

I've watched that video before, but admit I never noticed the 'knock'.

I guess you could do what Graham did after losing a circlip, and remove the coupling rods and run the loco as a 0-2-2T.

That would then prove if it is a problem with the coupling rods or not.

[Spule 4]

I got it to run well on the bench and compressed air, but it could barely move under its own weight.

The nuts on the bearings are loose.  Also, one of the (new, PPS) rear diving wheels and con rod pin were loose from its axel.  Loctite per Alan at PPS for the wheel and pin.  

The nuts did not go tight to the Mamod frame, so I cut some small washers to look like the letter "C" and made spacers for between the nut and frame, all good there.

My first steam feed pipe was a mix of brass and copper silver soldered together, so now (thanks to the local boiler guru) I have good 1/8th inch line for the feed.

The wicks I assumed I had packed well back in the 1980s.  So out they came and re packed, a good article on meths burners can be found here: http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/spirit.htm

The lubricator is MUCH better (IMO) than the deadleg IP one and the Van Dort one that have been on the loco (I did like the looks of the Van Dort one tho).

Checked the return line, (brass tubing, larger ID) no binds.  Keeping in mind the suggestions for backpressure, have a chuff pipe from back in the 1980s I need to refit....

Ran the loco for over an hour since we are having a mini-heatwave today!

Well, the above work paid off, the loco runs MUCH better.  VERY powerful and good control.  Pulled the two Mamod carriges without a bit of problem....other than the two not wanting to stay on the rails, but that is how they have always been.  I am sure it could pull a lot more with the power it has now.

....I need to start building waggons I guess.......

Time for more axelboxes and wheels from Brandbright and IP!