TRACTOR PARTS Allis Chalmers Case & David Brown Farmall & International Ferguson Ford & New Holland John Deere Massey Ferguson Massey Harris Minneapolis Moline Oliver & Cockshutt Kubota / Yanmar

TRACTOR MANUALS

Allis Chalmers	Case	Farmall IH	Ford 8N,9N,2N	Ford
Ferguson	John Deere	Massey Ferguson	Minn. Moline	Oliver

Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

steam pick up truck

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register

Author

mike brown

09-02-2005 13:03:21

Report to Moderator

What with gas prices and all I had this idea.
I take the engine out of my old Ford pick up and put in a steam engine with the boiler in the bed and size the firebox door so I can burn old tires. I help the nation's gas crisis and get rid of some of the waste tires every time I commute to work.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Hugh MacKay

09-03-2005 13:31:05

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to mike brown, 09-02-2005 13:03:21

Mike: The last suggestion you got was actually called a Haute Gasifier. They used them all over Europe during the war when gas was high or impossible to get I talked with an immigrant from Belgium, 65 years old, can remember his uncle having one of these on his truck well into late 40s and early 50s. They used them in cars as well, apparently burner would fit in trunk.

There is a stationary version of these in Nova Scotia used for operating a grain dryer and providing heat for hog barns. The burner is a cylinder large enough for round bales and high enough to put in 4 bales at a time. You keep adding bales at top, controlled fire is in bottom. As I recall they can run for about 3 days, using 8 to 10 bales per day, then they must shut down to clean ash. Apparently that is only couple wheel barrows. That unit was designed about 30 years ago and was designed specifically to use round bales as fuel.

If you wish to learn more about these go to google search and type in Haute Gasifier. I will warn you, much of this is devoted to large commercial stationary type operations, such as power generation with coal and wood chips. Sift through it you will find some that suit your use.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

cdmn

09-03-2005 00:26:14

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to mike brown, 09-02-2005 13:03:21

My dad's old friend had a 41 Ford V8 pickup truck that he ran on wood chips. This was pretty common during World War II in Europe. You basically starve the burner for air, but the smoke is like a weak natural gas that you draw into the air cleaner once you start the engine on regular gas. You then shut off the petroleum when you get to cruising speed. You cool the smoke and run it through a filter, such as a barrel of straw, to take out the particles that might damage the engine. Can't guarantee your catalytic converter!

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Coldiron

09-02-2005 19:45:54

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to mike brown, 09-02-2005 13:03:21

Burning those tires might get the EPA and a whole lot of Greeners chasing you down the road waiting for you to run out of tires so they could tar and feather you. Why not get a flash boiler with a closed loop system and run her on alcohol or some clean burning fuel. You might be able to put a coil over your smokestack and run it through some mash and make a little drinking alcohol while you are at it. LOL

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

RayP(MI)

09-02-2005 18:01:25

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to mike brown, 09-02-2005 13:03:21

Just happened to see a real "Stanley Steamer" at an old tractor/steam show recently. Engine itself isn"t very complex, or very big. Lots of room taken up with boiler, condensers, burner, etc. Steam engines aren"t very efficient. Think you"d be very disappointed. Warm up time is a significant problem too. No jump in the car and "blow this pop-stand"!

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

buickanddeere

09-02-2005 13:47:43

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to mike brown, 09-02-2005 13:03:21

With some work, the origonal engine will work half decent on steam.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

550Doug

09-02-2005 16:20:22

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to buickanddeere, 09-02-2005 13:47:43

Can you explain what work would be needed to run a gasoline engine on steam?

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

09-02-2005 17:42:26

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to 550Doug, 09-02-2005 16:20:22

Steam car engine? change camshaft gear to 1/1 drive instead of 2/1. Pipe high pressure steam from boiler though shutoff valve to intake manifold. Exhaust manifold low pressure steam and water drops to radiator/ condensor then to recovery tank. Recovery tank through filter and back to boiler. Very simplified explanation.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

mike brown

09-02-2005 18:15:25

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to RN, 09-02-2005 17:42:26

A valve would have to open at tdc, close at bdc.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

buickanddeere

09-02-2005 18:18:43

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to mike brown, 09-02-2005 18:15:25

You want to close the intake valve long before the piston is near bdc. 20 degrees after tdc should do. It's not unheard of for custom duration cams to be ground.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

09-02-2005 20:54:45

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to buickanddeere, 09-02-2005 18:18:43

Camshaft timeing? Ford truck grind/LP gas conversion specs perhaps. The old BMW R50/2 was intake open 20 degrees after TDC, no overlap with the exhaust. Exhaust was also short duration. Somewhere there is an article about a Ford 200 inch 6 cylinder converted to steam used stock cam with small gear match crank size, shortened chain. That engine had intake manifold cast into head. While 1 cylinder may have intake opening slightly before TDC, other cylinders are open valves after TDC. A converted single cylinder Briggs engine at steam days show had external, reversable drive to cam stub outside crankcase- demonstartion was run engine one direction, close steam valve, switch cam drive by slideing gear outward so it ran in series with reverse idler gear, then open steam valve to run engine in reverse. Edgerton, Wi steam thresher days had some other little models, powerplants, conversions. .

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

JMS/MN

09-02-2005 13:36:46

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to mike brown, 09-02-2005 13:03:21

I forwarded your message to a Mr. Green, just to the north of us. He said he's putting some components together,- I guess the boiler used to be a septic sewage sucking device- but it's taking a lot of fire-resistant duct tape. Mentioned something about keeping your 'stick on the ice?', and he's pulling for you, after all, says "We're all in this together".

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

chris sweetland

09-02-2005 17:18:35

Report to Moderator

Re: steam pick up truck in reply to JMS/MN, 09-02-2005 13:36:46

can i get in on this steam truck idea and plans for a chevy 350?

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

[Options] [Printer Friendly] [Posting Help] [Return to Forum] [Log in to Reply]

TRACTOR PARTS	TRACTOR MANUALS

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home | Forums

Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy