Q. What trouble is likely to be had with the valves?
A. In time the seats will wear, and must be taken out and ground with flour or emery.
Q. Should the cylinder of a gasoline engine be kept as cool as it can be kept with running water?
A. No. It should be as hot as the hand can be borne upon it, or about 100 degrees. If it is kept cooler than this the gasoline will not gasefy well. If a tank is used, the circulation in the tank will justify the temperature properly. The water may be kept at 175 degrees of temperature, and used for hot water heating. The exhaust gases are also hot and may be used for heating by carrying in pipes coiled in a hot water heater.
Q. Are water joints likely to leak?
A. Yes. The great heating given the cylinder is liable to loosen the water joints. They are best packed with asbestos soaked in oil, sheets 1-16 inch thick. Old packing should always be thoroughly cleaned off when new packing is put in.
Q. How may the bearings be readjusted when worn?
A. Usually there are liners to adjust bearing. In crank box adjust as in steam engine by tightening the key.
Q. If you hear a loud explosion in the exhaust pipe after the regular explosion, should you be alarmed?
A. No. All gas or gasoline engines give them at times and they are harmless. If the gas or gasoline fed to the engine is not sufficient to make an explosive mixture, the engine will perhaps miss the explosion, and live gas will go into the exhaust pipe. After two or three of these have accumulated an explosion may take place and the burned gases coming out of the port as hot flames will explode the live gas previously exhausted. Any missing of the regular explosion by the engine, through trouble with battery, or the like, will cause the same condition.