My first stirling engine, I need some help!

[Swifty-]

Hello all, hope you are all well ;)
To say I'm a little lost, would be an understatement So, I'll start at the beginning and see what happens
I bought this wonderful looking old, and tatty gadget at a garage sale for £1, it also had some planes with it, which told me this was a Stirling Engine,(shows just how green I am) when I got home I had a closer look, and along with the planes I ticked each box to see if it was complete, and from what I saw it was.
So, I looked up on the net a little more about Stirling Engines, and how they worked, I decided to see if this one worked or not, I put some lighter fuel in the little canister, and lit the wick, I left it under the engine for about 30 seconds and spun the flywheel, nothing happened, I kept spinning the flywheel but knew it was not going to work.
I then decided to take this apart and clean it all, managed to do this and put it all together and tried again, nothing...I can't see how it's not working, all the parts are there, I have good suction from the top piston ...I then took it apart again, and that is where I'm at now, I have not any idea how to get this beautiful looking engine to run again? ....This is where I need some help please! I will see if I can upload some pictures, I guess help is no good without them ;)

Thank you
Swifty

[Ian S C]

Hi Swifty, can't really help you because we can't see what you'v got, could you post a photo, or tell us the name of it on the plans (did you fly the planes).
If it's like one that was for sale in one of the hobby shops here it would be easy to fix, it was a GAMMA type motor, displacer cylinder, and power cylinder side by side, 2 flywheels with a crank on each. They had assembled the motor with the cranks 180* apart, it just needed to have the cranks adjusted so that the cranks were 90* apart.
Use meths/alcohol, NOT lighter fluid.
Ian S C

[Swifty-]

Hello
First of all I must apologise for not putting more information/pictures, (I've had some family issues come up) I have been searching the net for more info, and taken this engine apart cleaned it out, put it all together, just to gain some know how, on how it works and why it doesn't...The more I read the more confused I become The pictures you see are from the internet, but are identical to the engine I have. I understand that, this may be very difficult, helping someone that has very little knowledge of stirling engines, four weeks ago, never new such engines existed (shows how much schooling I had )I know a little bit more than I did just by reading on the net, and taking apart/reassembling the engine :) Thank you for any help you can give :) Please tell me if you need any more info, and I will try my best to give it Edit: I have some Ethanol now for fuelling

[Ian S C]

swifty, at least with that one you can't get the timing out, there is only one crank on a V type GAMMA motor. You are flicking the flywheel in the right direction? Let it warm up for about a minute, then try starting it. It should at least feel that it wants to turn one way or the other(might be in the instructions).
Ian S C

[Swifty-]

Hello Ian S C Thank you for helping me :)
I am now very confused Because again, I have been reading about these engines, and doing what you tell me,(Flicking the wheel in clock wise, as instructions..Then trying anti-clock wise, had a good flame under the tube for 10 mins before I tried the flywheel, still the engine does not feel as if it wants to start) so I can not understand why, this engine is not able to work...I have six pictures for you to look at :) Pictures 1, 2, and 3, I have opened with MS Paint and added some questions that I'm still having difficulty with, could you put me straight with these please?...Thank you, your very kind :)

[Swifty-]

Sorry, I needed another posting for my pics

[larsinist]

Have you checked it for leaks???. it should start..

[Swifty-]

Hello
If you look at my pic 3 in previous post, the only possible leak is around the heating tube(sorry if that's not the correct name) so, what I've just this minuet finished, I ran some solder around the heating tube, so now it's a air tight fit,(tube now does not move around) can't think where any other leaks would be? Yes, this is confusing too, as it should be running!....Unless you could think of anything else? I don't think anything that I have bought for so little (£1.00) has coursed so much confusion
Thanks for the help :)

[larsinist]

by heating tube, do you mean the cylinder, the only place where it shall leak is where the rod goes inside to the displacer/piston, and the leak is minimal, i use to put them machines under water, and then i blow in the displacer/piston tube..

[Swifty-]

by heating tube, do you mean the cylinder, the only place where it shall leak is where the rod goes inside to the displacer/piston, and the leak is minimal, i use to put them machines under water, and then i blow in the displacer/piston tube..

Hello
Yes, the cylinder :) I also checked for leaks at that point where the rod goes from the displacer/piston...That rod is a very tight fit, but not too tight, it runs free, I have a very light machine lubricant, that I use on that rod, and also for the piston that is in the bore at the top, it alls seems to be as air tight as can be...But I will try your method with the water and post back, about 1 hour ;)

[larsinist]

Nice,Ian S C "God in stirling engines"told me that it is not supposed to be oil inside the cylinder, cause than it will cause smoke, and then it wont work, if you take alot of pictures it will be more easy to help you, i am not an expert, but it would be nice to see your engine running, and please make a video then, i personaly think that 10mins heating is to much.cause then it will not regenerate, and the cold end will not work as it is supposed to do.

have you checked that the displacer/piston goes the hole way to the end of the cylinder, so it just touch the bottom??

Lars

[larsinist]

it must not leak anywhere in the cylinder area!!, if it dont start now, it gotta be the timing on the flywheel...

[Swifty-]

Hello
I tried to do what Lars had suggested, checking for leaks with the engine in water, (had used a length of small piping I found in the shed) there are none, no leaks at all...I tried again to get it running, I pulled the wick out a little more, and left it 1 minuet 10 secs this time it actually felt like it wanted to spin in an anti-clockwise direction but never quite getting there, so there is a slight improvement...@ Lars, I lined up timing per this image (from this site) everything seems to match up perfect

[larsinist]

oki, then you need to check resistance in your bearings,oil them and oil you rods, so they will run easy and then you clean you piston&cylinder with alcohol, so the oil is out of there, then it will start..if not,give it some more heat, and some ice cubes on the cold end, then we can work from there,i would like to see this start today

can you give it a try???
Lars

[larsinist]

what are you using as heat???,cause i think maby you need more heat