Williams 746 J smoke unit Question

That sounds right about normal for a Seuthe unit.

Also as an FYI, the unit is (or was) held in place by hot glue which melts as the unit heats up. I would recommend pulling the unit and reinstalling using an adhesive that won't melt. I believe I used JB Weld...

I think those are common issues with seuthe units. Mine spits too (I think I just disconnected it inside the engine). There is no chuffing on them, just a constant stream of smoke.

Besure you fill it almost full and you don't want to let it run out of fluid. If there's no fluid in it, it will eventually burn out, sooner than later. And as a previous poster mention they do sputter. Marklin uses them in their HO steam engines exclusively (AFIK).
Steve

Welcome to Williams ownership . The seuthe smoker doesn't puff it just smokes.


I think it was designed as a combination smoker/lubricator because after running it for a while you'll have as much oil on the sides of the engine and side rods as you will in the engine.

Have fun with it
David

Whatever you do, use only the Williams smoke fluid. LGB smoke fluid may be suitable but Lionel or MTH smoke fluid are bad actor in Seuthe smoke units.

Al W.

From watching it, it looks like the smoke is actually coming out of the tiny rod in the center of the stack. Would it cause a problem to stuff a little batting around it to keep the smoke fluid from splattering out?

Paul

I think that little stack is the heater and if it's overfilled it won't smoke at all. I get the best results with just a few drops. Of course your results could be different.

Paul,

The seuthe units are very tempermental and sensitive however many people have had great results by following a few guidelines. Do not overfill...that causes the unit to overheat and it will burn out. Do not let the unit run dry...that causes the unit to burn out. The trick is to put in just the right amount of smoke fluid. By testing our seuthe units we find that amount is about 5-6 drops of smoke fluid. That will produce a puff and a constant stream of smoke.
When it slows, add more smoke fluid. We have also found that when you add smoke fluid, it helps to let the loco sit in neutral and increase the power to the track until the smoke unit puffs. Then run the train. That process tends to clean out the little element that is in the center of the smoke unit.

The other issue we have found is the type of smoke fluid you are using as all smoke fluids are not created equal. The viscosity (thickness) of the oil is critical to the seuthe units. Most manufacturer's smoke fluid is too thick and will not vaporize correctly with these seuthes. This causes the spitting and splashing of smoke fluid over the boiler and down on the siderods since the oil is too thick for the tiny heating element. We use a high-quality smoke fluid like Mega-Steam and it works quite well since it is not too light and not too heavy. Just remember to put in the right amount.

We suggest cleaning the pot of your unit very carefully with a q-tip and then putting in some fresh smoke fluid. When all else fails, it may be a faulty smoke unit...which is common with the older seuthe units. These are easy to replace as it is just a plug in type.

This is from our own experience and offered as a suggestion. Hope this information is of help.

Thanks for the advise Jeb, I filled the smoke unit according to the directions by adding 10-15 drops of the fluid and it started to sputter and fry. I ran it for awhile and when the unit started to slow so I added more but may have added too much, I could see the drops because I didn't have my glasses on . I'll try to soak some up with a q-tip and add some Mega-Steam and see how she a does. I may add the frying bacon scent so the sputtering and frying sound will make scents. Get it?!?!

Paul

Greetings all,

 

New to the hobby since last November along with my kids. I came across this thread since I also acquired the Williams 746J. A very nice engine indeed, but not having knowledge of the variety of smoke units, I had assumed that it was like Lionel's puffer type smoke unit. When I first placed the engine on the track with a few drops of smoke fluid I did not get any smoke at all. I kept adding but never got anything. I did some investigating and here is what I did to get my feet wet. The Seuthe smoke unit uses a Molex 2-pin connector, I found that the Aristo-Craft art29311 (from wholesaletrains.com $41.88) has the same connector. This unit has a built in shut-off but I also installed an on/off switch. The engine also ready had the installation holes for it, I did have to open up the diameter of the mounting holes and grind down the switch thickess to fit in the rectangular slot. I am sure there are better suited switches out there. I ground down the rectangular smoke chute leaving only the hole. A friend turned a brass adaptor to connector the smoke unit hole to the hole in the engine's die-cast cover. I spent about $65 (wish it was less)but I am happy with the outcome.

I did forget to mention that I also ground off two mounting lugs on the smoke unit, and used a hot melt glue gun to hold it in place.