[SEL] Another engine runs!

[Ed Herreid]

Just a note to let you guys know that another engine joined the ranks of the 
runners.  I bought the Taylor vacuum engine at the Baraboo swap about a year 
and a half ago.  It was well rested and covered with about an inch of barn 
dust ,crud, oil and straw.  |I had not touched it until the couple weeks 
before Portland.  I cleaned it up and found a lot of original paint and 
original decals under all the crud.  I cleaned up and dressed the valves and 
brought it as a sorta non runner to Portland.  It would sputter and pop but 
not run.  I did not spend much time messing with it as there is so many 
other things to do and we ran the other two engines when we were around 
camp.

This past weekend I took it along to our club show and spent some time 
adjusting the timing and exhaust valve per the instruction manual I printed 
from Denis Rouleaus page.  Cranked it for a while and it took off running.  
Very poorly but it was running.  More mixer adjustments and some more 
tweaking and it ran long enough to warm up everything.  Kept fiddling around 
and got it to run but still not as good as it should when the club member 
across the aisle from me came over and gave me the same advise Jim French 
gave me at Portland.  He said you gotta have a vacuum valve on that engine 
if you want it to run good.  My reply was that I didnt get one with the 
engine and I dont know where to get one.  He said I will bring you one 
tomorrow.

Sunday morning when I arrive there was a crusty box of parts laying by the 
engine when I arrived.  He took the valve off his engine and brought it to 
try out.  Sure enough, with the valve mounted up and a load on the engine 
she runs much better.  It ran good until it blew the ignition plate gasket 
and we had to quit running it. The bad news is I have to return his valve.  
So my challenge is to find a vacuum valve or make something to simulate the 
original valve.  Anyone seen anything like that for sale or fabricated 
something similar?  You can see photos of one on Ricks taylor vacuum page 
here: http://www.oldengine.org/members/inzero/  Seems like I am not alone in 
the search of the valves.  Maybe it would be a good item to have recast.

Anyway it is good to bring another one to life after a long rest in the 
barn.

Ed Herreid
Trevor WI

BTW:  Thanks for the excellent web page Rick.  I have been following your 
progress on your engine in my absence of progress.