I have MPC steam engines with liquid smoke units. Are there any ways to increase the smoke output of them? If there are threads on this already, please direct me to them. Thanks.
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The longer you continuously run the MPC locomotives, the more they will smoke, especially if you juice the voltage. Just don't let the wicks run dry.
What, me worry?
I have run some mpc/LTI steam engines but never worried about keeping fluid in them. In fact I can't remember what year I last put fluid in one. Are the mpc/lti units known for burning up with no fluid? I thought that was only a problem with the newer electronic units.
aussteve posted:I have run some mpc/LTI steam engines but never worried about keeping fluid in them. In fact I can't remember what year I last put fluid in one. Are the mpc/lti units known for burning up with no fluid? I thought that was only a problem with the newer electronic units.
The fluid type are all resistors, dry = more heat. More heat= a shorter life. It's really luck of the draw how long a dry one may last; twenty years, or twenty minutes.
Here's an old thread in which a few forum members, notably EIS and C W Burfle, discussed ways to improve smoke production and burning out smoke units with too much voltage.
None of them were good smokers but after running a few of these newer room foggers maybe they aren't so bad after all.
Adding new wicking and making sure the air hole over the piston is clear is normally an improvement. Adding a return spring on the piston top can help keep the piston from sticking high, leaving you with less than a full stroke, and tweaking the height of the linkage slightly can help too.
Over packing wicking can slow arflow. I drilled the air hole out on one and the smoke DECREASED. It seems I upset the balance needed for good pumping action. It pulled air from the smoke chamber back into the cylinder too easy early in the down stroke. The next time it's apartIm going to try a flap valve over the hole. Don't eliminate the post structure for the air hole in the chamber or the fluid will leak right out of it.
Smoke elements come in different ohm values. Changing from a high ohm number to a lower will increase smoke. Removing ceramic from a resistor with a dremel so the wire is exposed, or nearer the surface, helps. GRJohn suggests this regularly
....and the chances of burning it up if run dry increases with heat don't forget. But once you play with one some, youll see it's no big deal and tweaking things is fairly simple and fun too.
They resistors often have a sleeve of material over them. If that's charred just cut it off and refluff the loose material if its in good shape& if you can. Sometimes it's a rather solid disk of material similar to felt called a Pac-man due to its resemblance to \
Some pellet elements can fit in resistor units too.
My modern Berk jr got a PW ceramic & wire element after the resistor died. Popped right in. I think it was $12 for a new PW element and $6 for a resistor.
Undoing a wrap or two works on the PW, but when resoldering, keep in mind the solder traps the nicrome wire and doesn't really stick to it.
