January 2020 was warmer and wetter than typical in north Texas. The Brownell boiler firebox was filled with wood the prior December. Even though it was covered it still was too damp to easily get burning.
The new to the engine the old lubricator had never been used since acquiring it. The sight glasses and the stop valve had to be replaced. Fortunately no leaks were observed and operated as expected when steam was applied.
The new timber engine base now allowed the engine to be run up to its governed speed without fear of falling off its cribbing. Doing so revealed a condition seen on both of the other automatic steam engines seen in prior videos. That condition is where the engine valve timing is off when on the governor. This is indicated by uneven exhaust beats. The unscientific field adjustment is a first step in correcting this.
While they did not seem too bad when the steam chest was inspected, the valve component scoring might be too numerous and too deep to keep steam from constantly blowing out the engine exhaust. This materially reduces the economy of steam automatic engines are known for. More to do.
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