First Large Engines

[STEVEN BOREK]

Any Hints On Starting A 40 Hp Bessimer Cng. Engine ? This Is My First Engine 6 Hp

[Patrick McNallen]

Please give some more information on your engine and how it is set up. If you can post a picture of it, that would also be helpful.

[STEVEN BOREK]

This Engine Is A 40 Hp Bessimer Natural Gas 2 Cycle It Has A Belt Driven Gov. That Shuts Of The Fuel For Speed Control. It Is Air Start By Means Of A 1 Inch Air Valve Built Into The Head..

My Main Question Is Where Is A Good Starting Point For The Gas Valve And Also The Air Throttle Valve ? I Dont Believe They Should Be All The Way Open For An Engine That Is Not Under Load.

Any Info Would Be Apriciated Dont Want To Ruin My Engine On My First Try !!!!!!! I Will Try To Get Pictures But My Camera Wont Download . Will Keep Trying

[Patrick McNallen]

Your engine doesn't have an air throttle valve per se. You can control it by cutting back on the gas. Your gas valve should be located near the mixer, which should be under the cylinder. Is the governor on your engine still hooked up? Does your engine have magneto ignition? A picture (or several) would be very helpful. To use your air starter, you would need a large volume tank, maybe 200 gallons worth or more, and about 125-150 PSI. It may be possible to start your engine without using the air starter. Do you have the engine mounted on a heavy base? Do you have a large propane bottle, at least 30 gallon, and a good regulator that will handle enough volume for the engine? Do you have a lubricator hooked up and working?

[Patrick McNallen]

Correction/Clarification: If your engine has the air valve on the mixer air inlet with a handle to move it, you want it wide open for starting and most running conditions. The engine speed is controlled by varying the amount of gas the engine gets. When you get your engine running, you can use the air valve to save fuel. But it is neither a throttle plate nor a choke in the ordinary sense.

[Patrick McNallen]

Another correction/clarification: I think I completely misunderstood your question about the gas valve. It is just about impossible to tell you where to set it to start the engine. That is usually a trial and error process. They are all different, and there are several methods of starting the engine. Your gas pressure should be regulated to about 8 to 10 ounces pressure. I would try setting the gas valve at about 1/4 open, and the air valve wide open. If your engine is set up to use the air starter, that might be close enough to start it. If you have to "rock" the engine to start it, the gas valve setting could be more critical. If you have an old style magneto, like a WICO OC, you want to set the spark lever so that it fires at or a little past top center. When the engine is running, it needs to fire a few degrees before top center at lower speeds, and sooner, maybe 20 to 30 degrees BTDC at higher speeds.

[STEVEN BOREK]

THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION !!! SEEING AS I CANT GET MY CAMERA TO WORK I WILL TRY TO GIVE A DISCRIPTION .

YES THIS ENGINE IS ON A HEAVY WOOD BASE. THE GOVENER IS DEFINATELY HOOKED UP THROUGH A BELT (WE WILL SEE IF IT ACTUALLY WORKS BUT IT LOOKS OPERATIONAL ) THE EXHAUST PORT IS UNDER THE CYLENDER AND IS 6 IN IN DIAMETER INTAKE PIPE IS 4 IN . AND SITS ATOP THE CYLENDER THIS IS WERE THE AIR VALVE I ASKED ABOUT IS LOCATED THE ORIGINAL IS NON FUNCTIONAL SO THE PREVIOUS OWNER INSTALED A 4 IN GATE (WATER) VALVE ON TOP OF THE ORIGINAL. THE GAS VALVE AND GOVENER ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGNE AS YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE FRONT IT CONSISTS OF THE TYPICAL FLY WEIGHTS FOR SPEED CONTROL AND A 5-6 IN WHEEL WHICH I BELIEVE IS LIKE A NEEDLE VALVE TO REGULATE THE MIXTURE .

I HOPE THIS DISCRIPTION HELPS

P.S . THIS IS A MAG FIRED ENGINE BY I THINK WICO AND BELIEVE ME IT IS A HOT ONE IT HAS A START RUN AND OFF POSITION.

[Fred Van Hook]

If your engine has the big box intake on top with a thin sheet metal gate the gate should be open very little. If I remember I had mine open about 1/8 of a inch. The gas valve was set at about 1/4 open. I used a gas grill regulator and a expantion tank made from a freon tank. start with piston in the rear position and rock the engine back and forth twice counter clockwise against compression. Just be careful and don't be on the wheel when the mag trips. With a little practice it gets easier. The people that bought mine can start it just by pulling it backwards against compression after they have run it and warmed it up. Once again be careful and have fun. Fred

[STEVEN BOREK]

ITS ALIVE


THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP IT WOULD HAVE BEN A LOT HARDER WITHOUT IT I THINK THE GOVENER IS A LITTLE STICKY BUT I WILL GET THAT FIXED AND I CAN GET IT SLOWED WAY DOWN TO WERE I WANT IT

AGAIN THANKS FOR THE HELP

[Patrick McNallen]

The governor may not work well at low speeds. They usually have a range of speed where they work best, and it is probably in the middle and upper speed range of the engine. Some engines, like a Franklin, had a governor pulley which could be changed out for one larger or smaller to make the governer work better at higher or lower speeds. You can control the engine speed by controlling the gas supply without using the governor at all. If you have an adjustable gas regulator, you can adjust the gas pressure and gas valve with the engine running to get very fine control of the gas supply and thus of the engine speed. When I was a kid, there was a good number of large gas engines on powers and pumping wells around here, and I never saw a single one of them running with a belt on the governor.

[gold642]

I have a 60 hp engine. I run it on propane and air start it. A few clarifications might be helpful here. You need to have a bessemer diamond valve to adjust your gas. These valves have a diamond shaped hole though them and work ok the regulate the fuel to air mixture. These valves are only opened about an eighth of inch. set your timing at top dead center . With air start you don't have to worry about being kicked. I use a autolite 3077 spark plug. These plugs look odd but work great as they get the spark out in the gas/air mixture. I don't have a gas accumulator so I run a regulator at 5 psi. Top dead center on my engine is when the key on the flywheel is on the top. The governor valve can be tricky so I would bypass it in the begining so I would have less areas for problems. The governor setup you discribe sounds like the one on my 22.5 bessemer drilling rig engine. once you get the engine runing on it's own then concet in the governor valve and work with it until you got the engine running again.My normal starting procedure is to start the air compressor and pump up the air to 200 psi. I can start on 125 psi when the engine has been run but for cold starting I need at least 180 psi. I have a 150 gal air tank and a 2 inch line to the head . My engine has a air start valve which allows air into the head but not out of it. Therefore you need a check valve on the head port. I roll the engine over so the crankshaft key is at a couple of degrees off top dead center (countclockwise)I then turn on the buzz coil. I then turn on the gas. I open the 2 inch bal valve and watch to engine roll over. As the engine moves I shut the ball valve. The idea is to open the valve at top dead center and close the valve at 90 degrees or 9 oclock as you face the flywheel. It takes some practice so you can actually spin the engine over. After about 3 or 4 revolutions. Leave the ball valve shut. The engine should start running. if your engine does not start and you have spark at top dead center then smell the exhaust stack. If you smell propane then assume you are getting to much gas. I have had to much gas most of the time I could not get a engine to run. When you ajust the diamond valve lightly tap the handle as to move the valve very little. A small movment can really affect weather the engine runs or not. If there is anything else I can help with please email me at gold642@yahoo.com.