Rough and Tumble Engineering

by James H. Maggard

OIL

As I have stated, more engineers asked for a good brand of oil than for any other one article and I will answer this with less satisfaction to myself than any other for this reason: You may know what you want, but you do not always get what you call for. Oil is one of those things that cannot be branded, the barrel can, but then it can be filled with the cheapest stuff on the market. If you can get Capital Cylinder Oil your valve will give you no trouble. If you call for this particular brand and it does not give you satisfaction don't blame me or the oil, go after the dealer; he did not give you what you called for. The same can be said of Renown Engine Oil. If you can always have this oil you will have no fault to find with its wearing qualities, and it will not gum on your engine, but as I have said, you may call for it and get something else. If your valve or cylinder is giving you any trouble and you have not perfect confidence in the dealer from whom you usually get your cylinder oil send direct to The Standard Oil Company for some Capital Cylinder Oil and you will get an oil that will go through your cylinder and come out the exhaust and still have some staying qualities to it. The trouble with so much of the so called cylinder oil is that it is so light that the moment it strikes the extreme heat in the steam chest it vaporizes and goes through the cylinder in the form of vapor and the valve and cylinder are getting no oil, although you are going through all the necessary means to oil them.

It is somewhat difficult to get a young engineer to understand why the cylinder requires one grade of oil and the engine another. This is only necessary as a matter of economy, cylinder or valve oil will do very well on the engine, but engine oil will not do for the cylinder. And as a less expensive oil will do for the engine we therefore use two grades of oil.

Engine oil however should be but little lower in quality than the cylinder oil, owing to the proximity of the bearings to the boiler, they are at all times more or less heated, and require a much heavier oil than a journal subject only to the heat of its own friction. The Renown Engine Oil has the peculiarity of body or lasting qualities combined with the fact that it does not gum on the hot iron and allows the engine to be wiped clean.

INJECTORS

The next in the list of inquiries was for a reliable injector. I was not surprised at this for up to a few years ago there were a great many engines running throughout the country with only the independent or cross-head pump, and engineers wishing to adopt the injector naturally want the best, while others had injectors more or less unsatisfactory. In replying to these letters I recommend one of three or four different makes (all of which I had found satisfactory) with a request that the party asking for same should write to me if the injector proved unsatisfactory in any way. Of all the letters received, I never got one stating any objection to either the Penberthy or the Metropolitan. This fact has led me to think that probably my reputation as a judge of a good article was safer by sticking to the two named, which I shall do until I know there is something better. This does not mean that there are not other good injectors, but I am telling you what I know to be good, and not what may be good. The fact that I never received a single complaint from either of them was evidence to me that the makers of these two injectors are very careful not to allow any slighting of the work. They therefore get out no defective injectors. The Penberthy is made by The Penberthy Injector Co., of Detroit, Mich., and the Metropolitan by The Hayden & Derby Mfg. Co., New York, N. Y.

SIGHT FEED LUBRICATOR

These come next in the long list of inquiries and wishing to satisfy myself as to the relative superiority of various cylinder Lubricators, I resorted to the same method as persued in regard to injectors. This method is very satisfactory to me from the fact that it gives us the actual experience of a class of engineers who have all conditions with which to contend, and especially the unfavorable conditions. I have possibly written more letters in answer to such questions as: "Why my Lubricator does this or that; and why it don't do so and so?" than of any other one part of an engine, (as a Sight Feed Lubricator might in this day be considered a part of an engine.) Of all the queries and objections made of the many Lubricators, there are two showing the least trouble to the operator. There are the Wm. Powell Sight Feed Lubricator (class "A") especially adapted to traction and road engines owing to the sight-glass being of large diameter, which prevents the drop touching the side of glass, while the engine is making steep grades and rough uneven roads, made by The Wm. Powell Co., Cincinnati, O., and for sale by any good jobbing house, and the Detroit Lubricator made by the Detroit Lubricator Co., of Detroit, Mich. I have never received a legitimate objection to either of these two Lubricators, but I received the same query concerning both, and this objection, if it may be called such, is so clearly no fault of the construction or principle of the Lubricator that I have concluded that they are among if not actually the best sight feed Lubricator on the market to-day. The query referred to was: "Why does my glass fill with oil?" Now the answer to this is so simple and so clearly no fault of the Lubricator that I am entirely satisfied that by recommending either of these Lubricators you will get value received; and here is a good place to answer the above query. If you have run a threshing engine a season or part of a season you have learned that it is much easier to get a poor grade of oil than a good one, yet your Lubricator will do this at times even with best of oil, and the reason is due to the condition of the feed nozzle at the bottom of the feed glass. The surface around the needle point in the nozzle becomes coated or rough from sediment from the oil. This coating allows the drop to adhere to it until it becomes too large to pass up through the glass without striking the sides and the glass becomes blurred and has the appearance of being full of oil, so in a measure to obviate this Powell's Lubricators are fitted with 3/4 glasses-being of large internal diameter. The permanent remedy however is to take out the glass and clean the nozzle with waste or a rag, rubbing the points smooth and clean. The drop will then release itself at a moderate size and pass up through the glass without any danger of striking the sides. However, if the Lubricator is on crooked it may do this same thing. The remedy is very simple-straighten it up. While talking of the various appliances for oiling your engine you will pardon me if I say that I think every traction engine ought to be supplied with an oil pump as you will find it very convenient for a traction engine especially on the road. For instance, should the engine prime to any great extent your cylinder will require more oil for a few minutes than your sight feed will supply, and here is where, your little pump will help you out. Either the Detroit or Powell people make as good an article of this kind as you can find anywhere, and can furnish you either the glass or metal body.

Hard Grease and a good Cup come next. In my trips over various parts of the country I visit a great many engineers and find a great part of them using hard grease and I also find the quality varying all the way from the very best down to the cheapest grade of axle grease. The Badger Oil I think is the best that can be procured for this purpose, and while I do not know just who makes it, you will probably have but little trouble in finding it, and if you are looking for a first class automatic cup for your wrist pin or crank box get the Wm. Powell Cup from any jobbing supply house.

These people also make a very neat little attachment for their Class "A" Lubricator which is a decided convenience for the engineer, and is called a "Filler." It consists of a second reservoir or cup, of about the same capacity of the reservoir of Lubricator, thus doubling the capacity. It is attached at the filling plug, and is supplied with a fine strainer, which catches all dirt, and grit, allowing only clear oil to enter the lubricator, and by properly manipulating the little shut-off valve the strainer can be removed and cleaned and the cup refilled without disturbing the working of the Lubricator. This little attachment will soon be in general use.