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| Clearing R3M cooling jacket |
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Message |
    
Ben Tuppen
Member
Username: bentuppen
Post Number: 6
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 03:24 am: | 
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Hiya. I'm doing up an old Stuart R3M and having a bit of trouble clearing 40 years of gunk out of the cooling jacket in the cylinder block. I've cleared out the cylinder head using pieces of wire and files, and the expansion port cover is looking good, but one of the two chambers on the sides of the main cylinder head is still blocked. Does anyone have a schematic of the shape of these chambers that they could send to help me poke the bits of wire in the right places, and I'm also wondering whether the brass covers on the sides of the cylinder can be taken off somehow to clear the chambers out that way rather than just using the holes on the top of the block and at the expansion port cover.
Many thanks in advance for your continued help with my project!
Best wishes
Ben |
Jon
Visitor
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 06:00 pm: |
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Ben,
I'm certianly not advocating this but the guy I used to take all my problem engines to used to run hydrochloric acid through the waterways to clear the salt. As a last resort you might want to try it. Just don't breathe the fumes.
Jon |
Peter Ogborne
Senior Member
Username: peterogborne
Post Number: 124
Registered: 09-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 07:26 pm: |
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Ben ....if you remove the brass core plugs from the side of the cylinder block it will certainly give you more access . You will more than likely have to fit new plugs ,they are ''dished '' so that when you punch them in they expand and seal.
Just poking around with bits of wire screw drivers etc gets a lot of the build up out . A piece of hand brake cable in an electric drill is a good method as well .Hydrocloric acid ....certainly cleans it out but the acid keeps on working even after you think you have flushed it all out . I you go down this path make sure you soak the block in bi carbonate soda to neutralise the acid. There is usually a build up at the drain plug in the block. |
Ben Tuppen
Member
Username: bentuppen
Post Number: 7
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 13, 2006 - 08:20 am: |
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Hi Jon and Peter. Thanks for your tips. I've had quite a lot of success with leaving the core plugs in and poking around with garden wire, as suggested. One side of the jacket looks pretty clear and water's flowing freely. Hopefully not too far to unblock the second drain. I think I'll give the sulphuric acid a miss unless I get completely stumped as I have visions of splurging it all over the shed and dissolving my dad's mower etc, not to mention the rest of the inside of the engine.
One thing I picked up along the way was that the thread has completely rusted away for the drain plug at the bottom of the cylneder. The plug turns freely in the hole and can be pulled out with a pair of pliers. I'm hoping that just applying a bit of instant gasket and pushing it back in will do the trick, otherwise I guess it'll be a giant jubilee clip wrapped round the block to hold it in place.
Getting there with this little engine!
Ben |
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