Water Regulator; Checks; Water Cushion; Wet Steam--Thermostat - White Motor Company White Steamer M Service Manual

Table of Contents

If the water regulator pin valve has insufficient lift, it will cause a back pressure through the water line. This

back pressure will transmit a pulsation of the pumps to the flow motor piston, causing it to move up and down rapidly

and feeding a slow amount of fuel without water, or at least hindering the flow motor from closing properly. This also

has a tendency to wear out the lap fit on the fuel valve. The correct lift of water regulator pin is one sixteenth to five

sixty-fourths an inch.

If the water regulator screen becomes clogged with dirt or lint from the pump packing, it will give exactly the

same effect as insufficient lift to the water regulator pin.

The flow motor check is the one the water passes through just after leaving the flow motor, and it protects

the flow motor from any backpressure. If this check is leaking, the water backs up after passing through, giving us a

condition for overheating. On models, which have the plug in the bottom of the flow motor, and where the flow motor

check serves also as a boiler check, leakage can be detected by removing the plug and listening to the steam escaping

back into the flow motor. Also if the flow motor stem jerks back and forth when well down in open position, instead

of remaining stationary, it is evidence that the checks are leaking back.

If hand pump checks are leaking, the water passes through flow motor as usual, at the same time feeding its

full proportion of fuel. Instead, however, of going to the generator it slips across through these checks back to the

water tank. It is easy to see that this would cause overheating. If these checks are leaking badly the pressure drops

very rapidly when the car is standing.

A broken water cushion spring gives the same effect as having too small a lift on the water regulator pin.

Removing this cushion and inserting a plug will give this same effect.

If the thermostat is adjusted to open at too low a temperature, the result will be wet steam. If the water valve

does not close at the proper time, too much water will be pumped to the generator. If the spring which pushes the

needle valve to its seat is too weak, or if the stuffing box, through which the needle valve works, is too tight, the valve

will not close at the proper moment. If, for any reason, this valve does not shut when the element contracts away from

the bell hanger, such as binding in the seat or a particle of dirt under the seat, or an imperfect seat, the result will be

wet steam. The most common cause, however, is having the stuffing box too tight. This stuffing box should be no

tighter than can be tightened with the fingers.

If by any means the water can pass the piston in the flow motor without pushing it down the result will be

that the water overbalances the fuel.

If the piston in the flow motor is binding it might cause wet steam, depending upon the point at which the

piston binds and whether it is opened or closed.

If for any cause the normal supply of fuel cannot flow at the proper time, the result will be wet steam. A

chokage of fuel supply can be caused by sediment in the strainer or the vaporizer nozzle tip being too small. The most

common occurrence causing a choked supply is that one of the holes in the vaporizer tip becomes clogged with small

particles of carbon. If the gasoline valves on the tank and the hand valve at the footboard are open, only a small

amount, it will give the same result. Many instances have been noted where owners have been guilty of the latter in

order to economize fuel, but contrary to their expectations, this resulted in using almost twice as much as would have

been the case if the valves were opened full. The reason for this is obvious. If the valves are not opened wide and the

water overbalances the fuel, the fire cannot catch up enough to superheat the steam, consequently is burning all the

time. Economy in a White car depends upon the steam being superheated. Other mistakes giving the same result have

WATER REGULATOR

Table of Contents