1916 Associated 3 Mule Team Restoration log.

[speleausmining]

Though I would start a log on the work on this engine. Updates will be periodically posted.
This is the engine as found when I first got it home. Bit of a basket case but within reason for a restoration.

[speleausmining]

And the work begins cleaning off the dirt and grease. Stabalizing the flaking original paint with boiled lindseed oil.

Cleaning out the water hopper I found the second half to my rocker arm.

The engine is mostly apart at this point.

[speleausmining]

Looks like I will be doing some metal stiching.

Mostly back together.

I will have to take the water hopper off again to do the metal stiching but its safer attached to the engine then sitting loose beside it.

[speleausmining]

Brazed the rocker arm back together using nickle rod. That left it looking odd so after grinding down the braze I used reverse elecralisis to make the whole thing uniformly rusty.

[oldproff]

Good work keep. the pictures comming. Bill K

[MarkBillesbach]

Whats up with the angle irons on the left side of the engine in the first group of pics? and what's the round rod that goes from somewhere by the crank to the head area?

[speleausmining]

At some point someone converted the engine from hit and miss govorning to throttle. The angle irons supported a rod that was linked into the govenor allowing the rod to opperate a throttle. Same thing with the wierd elbow on the head. It was an interesting if vary jurry rigged set up. The down side is the govenor detent leaver is missing as is the original mixer. I am currently debating manufactureing or purchasing replacements.

[speleausmining]

Did up a quick drawing for the fuel mixer with the intent of manufacturing it over the next few days. Plan is to essentially use basic and common plubing parts for most of the assembly with a minimal number of custom machined parts like choke plates and needle valves.

[Chris J]

I am looking forward to seeing your fabrication of the mixer, it will be quite the feat!

How do you plan on going about creating the Venturi that stock mixers create for drawing in fuel and air correctly?

I for one have always been curious about that. I wish you luck!

Keep us posted

[speleausmining]

Well I started on the metal stiching on the water hopper today while I iron out some details about the mixer design. I have yet to do the Y shaped crack forward of the hopper drain. Since its been asked the venturi is, like alot of things on these old engines, pretty simple in actual function. The only challenge is figuring out how big to make it. Pretty well any constriction will act as a venturi. The Physics of it is when a set volume has to pass through a narrow opening it increases in velocity proportionatley. In this case it causes the air on the intake stroke to increse in speed drawing the gas from the fuel line and atomizing it. I have some decent photographs of that part of the mixer so I should be able to scale from that.