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ANY CHOKAGE OF FUEL FLOW
This will give the same result as a dirty vaporizer. By the term chokage is meant any obstruction in the feed
pipes or anything that prevents the fuel from flowing fast enough to take care of the water that is passing through the
flow motor. A common mistake is an insufficient opening of the hand valve at the seat or the shut-off valve at the
gasoline tank. These should be opened at least four turns.
WET STEAM
As mentioned above, anything that will cause excessive water consumption will usually cause the same thing
for fuel. (See Wet Steam).
DIRTY GENERATOR
If the coils have a deposit of carbon on their inside surface, it will take a greater amount of fuel to supply the
same heat to the steam inside the coil, owing to the fact that the coil will not absorb the heat so readily. The carbon in-
side being a non-conductor of heat, consequently a portion of the heat is being wasted. Expressing it in another way,
the generator is being constantly "forced" to keep up a superheat.
BRAKES DRAGGING
This is one of the most common causes for a car using too much fuel. If the brakes drag it may not mean
much of a loss for one revolution of the rear wheel, or even a dozen revolutions, but in the course of a run of one
hundred and fifty miles an enormous amount of power will be wasted in pushing the dragging brakes. The rear wheels
should always spin fairly free.(See Chapter III).
FUEL TOO LIGHT A GRADE
If the fuel is too light it will give a very light, high fire and will not give as much heat as heavy fuel. In
extreme cases the flame of the fire may be above the lower coil. It will be found that the cheaper gasoline will give
much better results than the more expensive. The heavier the fuel, as a rule, the more heat units it contains per pound.
For that reason a great deal more mileage can be obtained from kerosene than gasoline.
ITEMS CONCERNING THE GENERATOR
These items are to express the general symptoms in order to get a line on something which may be referred
to the chart on regulation.
EXCESSIVE PRESSURE AFTER CLOSING THROTTLE
By this term is meant that the steam pressure rises above the bypass point to an excessive amount after the
throttle is closed, this amount varying from two hundred to five hundred pounds. There are two general causes for this
condition.
If the water is overbalancing the fire, the generator is carrying more water than it would under normal
condition. When the throttle is closed while the fire is on full, the residual gases in the vaporizer boost the steam
pressure very rapidly. (For remedy, see Wet Steam, Chart One.)
If the steam seems to be dry and hot, and the pressure drops back anywhere from one hundred pounds to
three hundred pounds when the throttle is opened suddenly, and then on closing the throttle the pressure springs back
anywhere to a thousand pounds, either the generator or the steam line has a clogged place which obstructs the flow of
steam to the engine. The steam pressure for the gauge is taken from the steam line near the throttle. If there is a
choked place in the line back of this the steam is taken thru the throttle faster than it can come thru the obstructed
place, consequently there is a drop in pressure at the throttle, which drop is registered by the steam gauge. When the
throttle is closed, the steam passing thru the clogged place balances up the pressure at the throttle or on the forward
side of the clogged place. This accounts for the steam gauge registering so high when the throttle is closed. It may be
seen that under this condition the steam gauge does not register the true boiler pressure with the throttle open any
amount. However, only when the throttle is closed is the true boiler pressure indicated. As the water regulator also
receives its pressure from the same source as the steam gauge, it may also be seen that the same is working under a
