Stanley Winker

This is my first time to speak on the Forum. Five years ago I purchased a 1910 Stanley Model 71 project car. This is not an original car but a "put together" car. The wooden body was all painted and pretty but absolutely nothing had been done on the mechanics or plumbing--and I mean nothing! It came with boxes of accumulated parts. I spent three years working on the mechanics and plumbing (I'm on my 5th roll of 5/16 copper tubing!) made more difficult by the fact that the nearest Stanley is hundreds of miles from where I live. I finally Steamed it up for the first time over two years ago. Through trail and error and many mistakes and setbacks I have become a fairly competent operator. I had to bring it home on my trailer several times due to breakdowns but now those breakdowns are getting much fewer and when they do occur, they are fairly minor. Haven't had to use my trailer in months! I have now put right at 1300 miles on the car.
Finally for my question: When I first started steaming it was easy to see the winker working. However, I was using about a gallon of cylinder oil per 50 miles. I adjusted the oil pump to use less oil. Now it uses about a gallon per 100 miles. I understand that this still too much oil but I guess I'd rather use too much than not enough. Anyway, now I can't see the winker moving. If the light is just right and you put your face up very close you can barely see it moving. However, this is not possible to do while driving. I know the pump is working or the engine would have seized up many hundreds of miles ago. Also the oil is leaving the tank and not leaking anywhere so it has to be going to the engine. However, it is very unsettling to not being able to glance at the winker while driving and know it is working. I've taken the winker apart (several times) and can't find anything wrong with it or the little spring. I am using Mobile Cylinder Oil 600wt. Does anybody have any suggestions?

The biggest problem that I now have with my winker is that some varieties of Mobile Cylinder Oil 600wt and many others do not have the dark dye in them anymore, Without the dark dye, the winker is near impossible to see. This may be your problem, maybe not. I have tried to dye my new steam cylinder oil with no success. So far I have been able to located enough of the dark dyed cylinder oil to get by. Mike May and others have set up shop and are now selling dyed steam cylinder oil.

Right on Pat
Some of the guys in SACA-NE have tried dye’s, I am not sure about their success.
I have been looking for my original piping drawing for the 1910, I don’t believe it used a Winker, the EX and cars prier to 1910 did not. You could use a pressure gauge, I’m not sure how long one would last. I use no winker on my EX just my ears hearing the engine run can tell, and there is always a drip or two coming out the tail pipe.
I believe it was Herman Bayerdorffer, Guilford Maine, SACA-NE had some Die made up by a chemist.

Rolly

Thanks y'all. I was hoping some sort of magic dye was available. Rolly my ears aren't trained well enough to hear whether or not oil is getting to the engine. I'm afraid I wouldn't hear anything until it was too late. Actually, my wife claims I need a hearing aid now!

Well as I see it you have two options, you can use a pressure gage and watch the needle bounce back and forth, or go modern and use a pressure switch to light an LED for a blinker.

Rolly

You might try making your own blackening oil, when I do gunstock work fitting wood the metal action, I mix lamp black with oil to find the high spots on the wood. Lamp black or black graphite added to oil (Molybdenum disulfide)
Makes a real black mess if your not careful.

Lamp Black

[www.naturalpigments.com]

Rolly

Come to think of it, I believe the Mobile Cylinder oil was darker the first batch I purchased. Possibly when I ran out of first supply and bought more oil that is when the I started not being able to see the winker. However, I have slept since then and I can't remember the timing of when I started not being able to see the winker.

I wonder if the Lamp Black granules break down into a liquid when put into the oil? Any idea how much would you use to a gallon.

Also, SSSteamer mentioned Mike May. I am not familiar with him. Do y'all have his contact info?

Froggie

Mike May's address: 8369 N Gills Pier Rd, Northport, MI 49607-9539 Phone 231-386-5049 He has been selling steam cylinder oil for years.

Thanks SSSteamer. I'll contact him. I't will be interesting to see if his oil makes any difference in my winker.

An update on my winker situation:
At the suggestion of Mike Zeranga I ordered an oil dye. The dyes are available from Brae Labs in Delaware. The dyes are intended to trace oil leaks in hydraulic systems. Several colors (not black) are available. I ordered the blue. It was $33 for a pint bottle plus $25 shipping. Why it cost $25 to ship a plastic pint bottle of liquid I don't know. Anyway, four ounces treats 100 gallons of oil so I put 5 drops to the gallon of the Mobile Cylinder Oil 600wt that I have been using. A pint of this stuff is probably a lifetime supply! I drove the car 45 miles yesterday to see if it helped. It worked like a champ! Now I can clearly see the winker winking! Problem solved!