Dumping water

[Matto3868]

My mamod SL1 has developed a problem, firstly I have only had it a few weeks but it was as good as new ,date stamp in box 1980 and I don't think it has been used more than 10 times in all those year. I converted it to a 3 wick spirit burner and an updated safety valve and have ran it a dozen or so times,been busy building the railway for it to run on, concreting,slab laying,track etc etc . Went to run it on 2 days ago,and as soon as the water gets up to boiling and I open the regulator,all the water,steam gets dumped out the chimney pretty quickly. I have tried the same with original safety valve in and still does the same. Any ideas please. I have currently completely stripped the loco to bits and have been giving it a fine fettle,lapping,polishing surfaces etc,I have ordered some new parts,gaskets,0 rings etc and will rebuild it and try again . Any help will be really appreciated.

[Scrat]

If steam escapes from the chimney when the regulator is opened and the wheels do not turn I suspect leaky pistons.

[Old Man Aaron]

I'm guessing you've tried working the wheels around by hand with the regulator open? To force the water out of the cold cylinders until they warm up.
Another thing to look at is weather the steam pipe in the dome has it's spring, washer and a fresh o-ring in place under the washer.

[Matto3868]

Brand new pistons and cylinders fitted,new o rings all round and still it is ejecting all the water out the boiler into the exhaust pipe . It runs ok on air just not on steam. I am going to give up with it and stick to my accurcraft etc. I may convert it to a battery loco as an idea I just had.

[Scrat]

As I do not know the setup of your loco:
Does the steam pipe from the regulator run through the boiler?
Then you might want to close the regulator completely and try compressed air.

I had a leak in the pipe running through the boiler from the regulator to the superheater. This is where water came in.
This is also the reaso why the regulator had no effect. As soon as there was pressure, the loco took off.

So if yours does the same you might have a leak in the steam pipe or a broken solder joint.

[Matto3868]

No. Standard mamod set up. Steam pipe under boiler to reverser block. When you open the regulator all steam goes up the exhaust pipe very little to cylinders. No obvious leaks anywhere.

[Scrat]

ok, with that point excluded I can only put my finge on the valve which was a huge problem on my old mamod loco. After I lapped the faces and replaced the spring it goes well.
Have you checked the valve faces?