Me 1 Western Electric 0

[Mike Schweikert]

This is one of 2 Western Electric Light Plants I have.

Serial 4889 probably pre 1921 as it does not have oil check valves in the crankcase cover or main bearing. This plant was hard stuck. I broke the pulley on the end shaft by trying to turn it with a pipe wrench...(if someone has one, Id be interested)…...I learned the hard way that the crankcase cover can be removed and then just unbolt the con rod and cylinder and remove to help remove the piston. I had got it to move about 2 inches then no dice.

The crankcase had a hard crust of oil over a inch thick. It must have been stuck for 50 years. I have never seen one so bad before. I've cleaned it out now, removed the oil pump, cleaned that, then freed the governor weights and oil pump rod.


I turned the cylinder upside down and cleaned the rust and gunk from the walls to give the piston a chance to move. I then removed the bearings and turned the crank so the rod could hang freely down when cylinder was bolted back on. Got a BMF sledge and wood and smacked it good. Here are the results.


The rings are interesting as they are pinned and cut on a slant. Ive never seen that before. The piuston pin uses a small pin in the end of the screw inside the bushing to hold it there.


So after 2 months of MAP gas, oil, trans fluid and acetone, here we are....


Thought someone might find this useful...….hope I find a pulley....

[K-Tron]

Mike, that is a really interesting piston/ring combination. I think your best bet towards cleaning that piston and saving the rings would be to submerge it in a heated ultrasonic cleaner for a day or two. I have had great luck using that method to free up seized small engines and the like.

Chris

[Mike Schweikert]

UPDATE

Dammitt, of course broke one ring trying to free them.....The top ring was fused to the land, even with map gas and gentle persuasion with a feeler guage...

The pins are small screws that were either chiseled or shaped to hold the rings.

They are 3.500 by 0250. I suppose I will have to Dremel them flat and use standard rings....

Now its me 1, Western Electric 1...…..

[Andrew Mackey]

see one of our sponsors for new rings. I would get them with overlap ends and put the keeper notch in another location so gasses can't get by the pin.