A blog about my the history, acquisition and operation of my 1911 Model 62 Stanley Steamer.
The rear wheels are back from Noah Stutzman with fresh wood and look perfect.
As you may notice the wheel bolts are new. When we disassembled the old wheels we found that the original bolts were in need of replacement. Many had been cross threaded and had heavily rusted shanks.
We had the originals copied because they are a non standard design with a high dome and no square under the head like a normal carriage bolt.
Now off to paint.
I tour my car and inevitable that comes at a cost. During my September touring down in Spokane Washington I ending up on a long downhill gravel road that was basically solid washboard. Due to the design of the suspension on a Stanley and my cars light weight it started hammering the axles up and down until I was able to bring the car to a complete stop. When I got the car back to the hotel I noticed that it did some damage...
As you can see above two of the spokes on the passenger side rear wheel cracked along the grain next to the hub. The wheel was still structurally sound, but it is now only a matter of time before the wheel completely fails. So, this winter we will be re-wooding the rear wheels to beready for next years touring season.
Happy Steaming!
If you have followed this blog for a while you would have seen numerous posts about pilot issues. The ongoing problem was that my pilot would be not stay lit when going down long hills or if the car was sitting at a stop for an extended period of time, like 2 minutes plus. I have changed the fuel from naphtha or Coleman fuel to hexane, I replaced the pilot vaporizer with a longer unit, and I even changed the fuel line size. These were all significant improvements and it would burn more consistently as well as being easier to light but it didn’t solve my core issues. Then I installed a stack blower.
The main purpose of a stack blower is to create a positive draft in the smoke bonnet to keep the fire from being smothered out. It is also useful in putting out tube fires as well as fires in your exhaust flue although the latter is a rare situation that you hope to never have happen. The stack blower requires an addition of a live steam line being plumbed into the vertical portion of the stack facing down towards the exhaust flue. It is controlled by a dash valve and can be used when required.
During the last 500 miles of touring I began using the stack blower when going down long hills and for extended stops to provide a draft and, like magic, my pilot would stay lit. This really changed the experience of driving my car. It made for much more relaxed driving without the fear of consistently pulling over to relight the pilot.
Now the stack blower is fantastic and has solved my issue but it is an issue I shouldn’t be having. I have toured with many Stanley’s and none have to use the stack as often as I do. So what is the real issue? It turns out that it is an incorrectly placed hole in the front of the exhaust flue under the vehicle. The purpose of this hole is to provide air flow through the exhaust flue and thus providing a draft in the smoke bonnet and keeping the pilot from being smothered out. There is a tiny hole, but it is blocked by the burner pan, mainly used for connecting the two lines from the feed water heater.
Add to the winter list: Remove exhaust flue and add 2” ventilation hole.
Happy Steaming!
Well it has been a long winter off the road but we flashed the the Stanley up this morning and with a few minor adjustments had her steaming down the road. We clocked about 40 miles and it rained so hard that I was sitting in a puddle of water even though the roof was up but all things considered the Stanley ran like a top.
The last time the Stanley was out was my wedding in August. Life has been busy since this momentous occasion so I haven't been in the garage as often as usual. It was on display with our 1912 Oakland Model 40 and 1911 RHD Model T Touring. The venue lent itself to beautiful photography, some of which I have included below.
1911 Stanley Model 62 @ Painted Rock Winery in Penticton B.C
1911 Stanley Model 62 - Rear @ Painted Rock Winery in Penticton B.C
1911 RHD Model T Ford Touring @ Painted Rock Winery in Penticton B.C
1912 Oakland Model 40 @ Painted Rock Winery in Penticton B.C
1912 Oakland Model 40 - Radiator @ Painted Rock Winery in Penticton B.C
