After some searching on the internet and from some prior discussions with Jim Trotta, I decided to try and make a superheater for the Lyka Series 2. I found some inspiration from a Locomobile modification posted December 2016 (click on this for the link). I only wish I could bend pipe as smoothly as shown from the link. First task was to figure out a bending configuration. I approximated the diameter of the boiler and laid this out on a piece of cardboard and by using some string I had, I played around with the loops of the superheater.
Yes it looks a little silly, but I needed to get an approximation of the length of pipe I would need. From other research on the internet I found that 3/8 inch stainless steel 304 pipe was recommended. I sourced this from www.zoro.com a 6 foot length for about $40 including the shipping charge. Additionally I decided to make a fixture to bend the pipe around a radius of pipe attached to my work top with a couple of pipe flanges. I used 2.5 inch pipe x 3 inch nipple (again sourced by Zoro.com). To bend the pipe I filled the pipe with dry sand and capped off both ends. The sand's purpose is to support the pipe internally to prevent the pipe from collapsing.
But before going any further with pipe bending I had to finalize the pipe bend layout. This necessitated taking the bottom burner tray off the boiler. This is a major undertaking. You just about have to strip everything to do this and lift the boiler up to clear the burner tray for removal. If only Steam Traction World had made the parking brake bracket a bolt on assembly this work would have been MUCH simpler. The bracket prevents the dropping of the burner tray, so the boiler has to be lifted!
Once the burner tray is out, I could estimate the pipe fittings on the underside of the boiler using the burner tray. See below.
Steam Traction World actually had cutouts on the outer cladding for a superheater (I believe) and all I had to do was to cutout the inner sheet metal. As you can see in the above cardboard layout, I have drawn in the pipe fittings of the boiler to avoid.
Next the bending of the pipe. You will need most likely an Oxy-Acetylene setup.
You will need to heat the pipe to a medium red color and with the assistance of a friend help you bend the pipe. Below is my bending fixture mounted to my bench. The threaded bolt is used to hold the pipe and by pulling on the pipe while heated to a red color will bend fairly easily. We did get better as we went along. I'm sure if I were to do a second superheater it would be more consistent in regard to the bend radiuses.
The pipe length was cut on the left side of the above picture, and I had to purchase a 3/8 NPT die to cut new threads.
Cutting the threads was a bit tricky trying to align the die straight. My threads were a bit skewed, but I was able to get full engagement with the 90-degree fitting. I used 9 inch and a 12 inch stainless steel 304 pipe nipples and pre-assembled these onto the superheater. I have learned that when tightening these pipe fittings for use on the Lykamobile, when you think it is tight enough - go ahead and tighten some more! Nothing worse than having to go back and tighten for steam leaks!
The pipe above is the exit for the steam from the superheater.
From the Throttle to the brass flare fittings on the superheater I will bend and use 1/4 inch copper pipe (3/8 inch OD) to reroute the steam to the superheater. The steam will then travel from the superheater back up to the other flared brass fitting through a newly bent 1/4 inch copper pipe to the piston manifold. In addition, I felt like the superheater needed to be supported, so using some rods and some scrap metal I had, I fashioned a way to suspend the superheater through the boiler tubes. Much like how Steam Traction World did to support the burner tray. The pictures below explains this.
Below is a picture showing the boiler lifted by my engine hoist - again if that parking brake bracket was a bolt on, this would not have been necessary.
Pictures of the superheater underneath the boiler.
While I had everything apart, I decided to once again try to seal the throttle from leaking. It is a minor leak with a small amount of moisture, but it bothers me that I can't get it sealed. So I took everything apart, the special steam gasket I used was useless with a chunk of it blown out. But what was most important, I noticed some machining chips stuck in the throttle that I must have missed originally. Possibly the chips also "migrated or flowed" their way to the throttle and got stuck. About half my throttle holes were plugged. See below pictures.
Anyway, I reassembled the throttle and tried some high heat RTV (orange) to seal the assembly. (note this didn't work long either - still have that very small leak)
Below shows the two copper pipes I bent and covered with insulation for the superheater.
The following picture shows the fittings and pipe that the steam exits from the superheater to the piston manifold.
I have steamed the car twice so far. I feel like the amount of condensation is greatly reduced coming out of the exhaust pipes. I did a crude temperature measurement of the outgoing steam pipe from the throttle to the superheater and another measurement of the steam pipe after the superheater going to the piston manifold. I see a better than 100 degree F temperature rise.
I also believe that acceleration is greater, and my speed is greater, however due to the machining chips I cleared out of the throttle I have confounded this result - so I don't know for sure what contributed to the increase speed and pep. But I'm happy to be more "steam efficient" with the higher dryer steam which should translate into going further on a tank of water.
Happy Steaming :)
