How can I safely run in an A4 with old and sticky oil inside the cylinders?
Hello,
I got a live steam Silver Link as a birthday present. The seller told me, that this loco was never in use. The problem is, that wheels can be turned only with a little bit of force. I stopped trying immediately, because I didn't want to bend the rods. I don't know what to do. How can I clean the inside of the cylinders, shall I steam it up to get rid of the old oil with hot steam? As I'm a beginner with live steam I don't even know, if I can turn the wheels by hand due to the regulator mechanism.
Here in Germany you can hardly find someone using these wonderful live steam locos. Too fiddly to use they say. I love filling it with water and oil, steam it up and let it go. I saw it only on YouTube.
Can someone please tell me how to make my Silver Link run again without the fear of damaging it?
If someone wants to answer me, it would be very great for me.
Thanks a lot in advance.
Kind regards
Norbert Leichtle
Hello Norbert,
I suggest you take the body off as a first step - only two screws. It will help your understanding and hopefully remove the "fear" of what is inside and further dismantling the loco. You can then see what size tools you will need (very small screwdrivers) if you want to go further. It's much better seeing the real thing inside, rather than YouTube videos. If you do want to do more, then I suggest you buy the basic tools from the club shop - they are pretty much essential.
The old oil will have probably stuck the moving parts inside the steam system - they are the pistons inside the cylinders and the rotary valve at the front of the engine. The regulator should be OK as it is all metal. You might get lucky just running steam through, but the cylinder seals will probably need replacing anyway, just because of the time they have been in there. With the right tools and some practice it's only a 10 minute job.....30 minutes for a first time 😀
Good Luck,
David