The least examination permissible with a due regard to safety would be to move the engine throughout at least one full revolution by hand, and to see that the connecting rod brasses and the main bearings do not fit too tight to their respective journals, and to then start the engine slowly by giving it only enough steam to move it, keeping the hand on the throttle valve so as to be able to shut off steam instantly should it become necessary.
A thorough examination should be made in the following order:
First, slightly loosen the nuts on the crank shaft bearings and also the connecting rod keys.
Then move the fly wheel around until the crank points straight to the cylinder, which will bring the piston up to the outer end of the cylinder bore.
Take off the cylinder cover and also the follower from the piston head, and see that the piston rings are set out to fit the cylinder bore but not to bind it tight. Then bolt the follower up firmly in place again.
Take off the connecting rod and move the piston until it touches the cylinder cover at the other or crank end of the cylinder, and then draw a line across the side face of the cross head guide and on the guide itself.
Put on the cylinder cover and push the piston back until it abuts against it, and then make another line on the cross head guide and the guide bar, and these two lines will show the extreme positions to which the piston can be moved when the connecting rod is disconnected.
Next put on the connecting rod, carefully adjust the keys or wedges, so that the bores of the brasses fit easily to the crank pin and cross head pin, seeing that the oil holes are clear, and that oil will feed properly to the journals.
In making this adjustment it is a good plan, if there is any end play of the brasses on the crank pin, to set up the key or wedge until the rod can just be moved by hand on the pin, by first pulling the rod to one end of the pin, and then pushing it to the other.
In putting on the rod, it will be necessary to move the piston a trifle towards the crank.