posting my builds....finally

[terry123]

Thanks for detailing the steps! I say again....the finish is stunning. I would attempt it on my engine but I had sooooomuch trouble getting it to run Im tempted to leave well enough alone.
Its odd that at first glance the little flame lickers look to be an ideal first engine but Ive followed builders who say it took as much time to get them running as it did to build.

 

[werowance]

i had a horrible time getting it running. in the end the trick i accidentally figured out is that you have to have an over tight fitting of the piston and valve in the cylinder that when engine is cold they are actually seized up inside the cylinder. so heat the cylinder using the denatured alcohol burner by leaving it in place just like you are running it for about 3 mins. take your bore measurement while its still super hot. and no wilggle room. the piston / valve (cut from the same piece of graphite that you turned down to fit the cylinder). if you stick it in the cylinder and then let it cool back down it should be stuck untill you heat it back up again.

so what the deal was - the stainless cylider was expanding more than the graphite when hot and that allowed to much vacume to be lost.