[SEL] Fw: Rebuilding Stover - Mystery Holes - Help

[Paul Maples]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Paul Maples 
To: The SEL email discussion list 
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:09 PM
Subject: Rebuilding Stover - Mystery Holes - Help


Folks as you all know, by the fact that I am constantly asking for help from the SEL, I am rebuilding my 1905 Model C 5 HP Vertical Stover.

Last night I pulled the piston and rods so that I could have the piston ring grooves squared up and new rings and shim installed or double rings whichever is appropriate after the machining process.

At the bottom of the cylinder almost directly across from the oiler hole and what appears to be on the same plane are two holes in the side of the cylinder wall. See this picture:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/wheelterrapin/StoverRebuild113AB.jpg

I tried blowing compressed air into the hole to see if I could detect where it would come out but I don't have enough rubber in my arms. By the time I get the hose nozzle down in the cylinder and forcing compressed air into the hole I cannot get my other hand down the cylinder at the same time and since I don't have enough rubber in my arms I cannot reach down and put my hand up in the crankcase to try and feel for escaping air.

One of the holes is definitely machined and I think the other one is but it is not quite as big as the known machined hole.I can get a piece of 1/8" copper tuning in the known machines hole as this is what is on the end of my air nozzle but cannot get the tubing in the smaller hole.

I then plugged the outlet to the water jacket and filled it up with water to make sure that the holes did not enter into the water jacket. Once the water jacket was filled no water came out of the holes into the cylinder. Thinking that there might be a possibility that the hole did enter into the water jacket but was just plugged up with rust I once again applied 90 pounds of air pressure to the holes in the cylinder wall and then checked to see if I saw any bubbling in the water of the water jacket and I did not. I am not confident that these holes do not enter the water jacket.

Does anyone know what they are for and to what extent, if any, I need to check them out such as rodding them out or do something else that would make sure that whatever goes into them exits at the right place.

Thanks for the help.

Paul