[SEL] Fw: John Ames 3HP Stover - Needs Help

[Ed stoller]

How about taking a cold chisel to the ring and breaking it so it can be 
removed.

Ed Stoller
New Fairfield, CT
http://home.earthlink.net/~edstoller/
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "don." <don.h at wcoil.com>
To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 1:54 PM
Subject: Re: [SEL] Fw: John Ames 3HP Stover - Needs Help


>I wonder if he can take a dremel tool or dye grinder and grind away a line 
>in to places on the inside of the piston just enough to weaken the piston 
>wall so he could then drive a wood wedge in between the two walls at lesest 
>something to break down the piston in small enough chunks to get  parts 
>out??? maybe cool it down with dry ice to make it brittle so you can bust 
>it out ???
> just ideal,s
> Don in ohio
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Paul Maples" <paulmaples at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
> Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 12:42 PM
> Subject: Re: [SEL] Fw: John Ames 3HP Stover - Needs Help
>
>
>> Curt I have never met John, I just know that he is an engine collector, 
>> old farm equipment collector, restores old antique cars into beautiful 
>> showroom pieces, is 72 years old and he responded to my plea for help 
>> when I was trying to find the right Fuel Saver Arm for my 1905 Stover. He 
>> has his nice early 3HP Stover (now with a busted piston) that appeared to 
>> have the right fuel saver arm as mine needed and he was sending me 
>> pictures of the engine and arm.
>>
>> He later took the arm off and send it to me so that I could get one made 
>> for my engine but once I got it I discovered that it was not the right 
>> one and I quickly returned it.
>>
>> We became friends though e-mail and he even offered to try and make a 
>> Fuel Saver Arm based on the designed of the one on his engine and then he 
>> actually did make an arm for my engine that was very nice for someone 
>> that only had a welder and a hand grinder to use.
>>
>> When John first told me of the piston falling down in the cylinder and he 
>> could not get it out I suggested to him that I figured the skirt of the 
>> piston had fell far enough down that the lower ring had popped out and 
>> this was why he could not get the piston back up. He later confirmed to 
>> me that this was exactly what happened. The first thing I suggested to 
>> John was that he go out and get a large flat adjustable metal hose clamp 
>> and see if he could get it around the lower ring and collapse it enough 
>> to get the piston started back up in the cylinder. I never heard whether 
>> he tried this or not, I just received the message and pictures that I 
>> sent you folks showing where he was at. I too was alarmed that he was 
>> drilling out the top of the piston as surely I would think there is 
>> another way to do it. John told me he had worked on the engine four days 
>> trying to get the piston out without damaging it but had finally give it 
>> up.
>>
>> I ask him just a few minutes ago if he had a spare piston and rings and 
>> he told me he had no idea of where to even start looking for a piston and 
>> rings.
>>
>> I know that this happening to his engine is the last thing in the world 
>> he wanted as he had only recently purchased this engine. It was one of 
>> those unintended mishaps that John never intended to happen.
>>
>> I just hope that there is someone who can suggest to him how he can now 
>> get the remains of the piston out without damaging the rod and cylinder 
>> wall.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Curt" <curt at imc-group.com>
>> To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
>> Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 7:49 AM
>> Subject: Re: [SEL] Fw: John Ames 3HP Stover - Needs Help
>>
>>
>>> Paul,
>>> Goodness what a mess! I hear you telling us that this fellow is a good 
>>> friend of yours, but jeez, some people shouldn't own these valuable 
>>> historical machines. I only hope you aren't taking mechanicing clues 
>>> from this chap......what a hack. And I'm holding back my real opinion 
>>> since you've told us he's a friend of yours.
>>> I guess it is easy to Monday morning QB, but breaking a piston out would 
>>> be a last resort in my book. As someone else  mentioned, he should have 
>>> focused his effort on compressing that bottom ring. Has he got a 
>>> replacement piston lined up? If not it looks like he may get to 
>>> experience some pattern and corebox work!
>>> I said this before, we are simply caretakers of these engines and I 
>>> believe we have a responsibility to care for these engines as best we 
>>> can for the short duration we own them. Seeing this done to any engine, 
>>> let alone a nice rare Stover, pains me greatly.
>>> Curt Holland
>>> Gastonia, NC
>>>
>>> Paul Maples wrote:
>>>
>>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>From: Paul Maples To: sel at lists.stationary-engine.com Cc: 
>>>>AMESDOLL at CS.COM Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 3:45 PM
>>>>Subject: John Ames 3HP Stover - Needs Help
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Hey Guys my good friend in Missouri, John Ames, has a 3HP Stover that 
>>>>had a knocking noise in it and he opened the engine up to see what was 
>>>>going on. He took the rod loose and was trying to rotate the crank to 
>>>>get the rod into position to push the piston out but the piston and rod 
>>>>fell to the bottom He just sent me this message:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I HAVE BEEN IN  REAL MESS ON MY ENGINE FOR 4 FULL AFTERNOONS.  WHEN THE 
>>>>ROD AND PISTON DROPPED DOWN AND WEDGED IN THE OIL SUMP THEN THE BOTTOM
>>>>RING ON THE PISTON POPPED OUT THEN THE PISTON WOULD NOT GO UP OR DOWN. 
>>>>I HAVE BEEN DRILLING THE TOP OF THE PISTON OFF WITH A SEARIES OF HOLES 
>>>>THEN PUT TWO 1/2 INCH ALL THREADS DOWN THROUGH THE PISTON TOP SECURED 
>>>>WITH NUTS THEN A PLATE ACROSS THE BLOCK THEN TIGHTENED THE TOP NUTS. 
>>>>SUCCEDED IN PULLING THE TOP OF THE PISTON OFF BUT THAT IS AS FAR AS I 
>>>>HAVE GOTTEN TO DATE.  GOT ANY IDEAS?
>>>>JOHN
>>>>
>>>>http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/wheelterrapin/JohnAmesStover1.jpg
>>>>http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/wheelterrapin/JohnAmesStover2.jpg
>>>>http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/wheelterrapin/JohnAmesStover3.jpg
>>>>
>>>>Guys let's help old John out with some ideas on how to get his piston 
>>>>and rod out.
>>>>
>>>>Thanks,
>>>>
>>>>Paul