6/25/09

Setting up a bypass loop on the cooling system

Despite working the saw fairly hard, the screen cooler's capacity greatly exceeds the heat the engine makes and the cylinder remains cold all the time. When restoring the Alamo I installed a bypass loop in the cooling system that allowed limited water movement thru the cylinder. This proved immensely successful, and so I decided to add the same feature to the Famous saw rig. Not wanting to get into threading the standard 1" pipe feeding water to the cylinder, I decided to simply use the drain port as the tie in for the bypass loop. The drain petcock was unscrewed and a nipple and tee added. The drain petcock was now fitted to the bottom of the new tee. A 1/2" NPT black iron pipe was run from the tee, under the engine base to back side of the engine, just aft of the water pump. The bypass water will flow thru this new pipe.

A new 1" tee was installed just ahead of the screen cooler and the bypass loop plumbed up to the bottom side of this tee.

Another view of the bypass loop tie in.

A 1" gate valve was added to the cylinder output loop.

And finally the horizontal runner to the screen cooler was replaced. I use the short pieces of rubber hose in this horizontal run to provide strain relief on the cylinder water jacket. Not original, but safe.

To operate, the gate valve will be opened fully until the cylinder fills and the water begins flowing over the screen cooler. Then the valve will be nearly closed, and adjusted to keep the cylinder temperatures around 140 to 150° F. The vast majority of the water will now flow thru the bypass loop and onto the screen cooler. Probably won't get to try it out until Cotton Ginning Days in October, but am anticipating much better operating conditions.

Using the saw

We like to use our old engines whenever possible. Several years ago we had a terrible ice storm and many tree tops were broken out.

Once gathered we fired up the buzz saw and sawed everything up into useable lengths for the wood stove.

Now to stack it in the wood shed.....hey Devin.....