Air starting the 80 H.P. Fairbanks

[Squarerig]

Is it true that the Red Indians imported these for to make smoke signals?

[Dylan409137]

at the antique gas and steam engine museum up in california, they have a huge 3 cylinder fairbanks that is always fun to watch start up

[ccronn]

check out the smoke rings, lol!

[bernard240vdc]

to answer Testecull,s comment here no need to try to rig a electric starter on this machine because that d.c generator this engine is powering could very possibly be used to crank this engine on starting only thing possibly needed would be batteries at a appropiate voltage plus some swichting gear and some wiring battery voltage would depend to a degree on that generators normal voltage

[tonytiger75]

@bernard240vdc Unless the generator was designed to be a starter it won't work as one. More than likely this one would burn itself up before it would turn that engine for starting. That's why they start it with air.

[bernard240vdc]

that generator is a d.c machine a d.c generator and most if not all d.c machines can be used both as either a motor or a gen so that means that this outfit could possibly also be started electrically using the generator as a cranking motor  with appropiate d.c power from either batteries or another d.c source i worked on railway locomotives and on some older locomotives the gen was used to crank the 1500 h.p diesel fed by batteries for starting

[celesteraez]

loud engine?

[crazyteamcrew]

don't show this to Al Gore! :D

[citroenfil]

Great old engine, A nice clean runner. Puts some of our modern ford diesels in england to shame.

[MrJosephMopar]

am i reading the description right? does it say 15 stroke?

[pileofiron]

@MrJosephMopar It is supposed to be 15" stroke...I will correct it...

[MrJosephMopar]

@pileofiron haha ok! i was gonna say! lol, but this is a good video! great job!

[paack3]

@MrJosephMopar 15 inch

[1diesellover]

@MrJosephMopar 15 inch stroke

[cmlong10]

awesome!!!

[cotyke]

i would love to hear it under load

[4freespeech]

Not the best idea having the flag up there where it gets smoked up,

BUT AT LEAST ITS THE AMERICAN FLAG!

[canvids1]

I remember seeing a engine like this one in a fair ground a few years back

in NY state but it had been used on a water pump and it was running.

Great old machines that they could build away back in those years.

[ofir2008]

You are a KING! you made a machine making circles out of smoke like when you smoke hookah xD

1:04

[Cavian18]

How much would $8726.00 in todays money. Prob. millions?

[SeanMacLennan]

@Cavian18 What cost $8726 in 1927 would cost $106879.56 in 2009.

[MrBaldridge1988]

could it still produce electric if u wanted it to

[pileofiron]

@MrBaldridge1988 Yes, They are running lights aaround the outside and the RR crossing lights.

[CBMXX]

yeahh



[brybish]

its great seeing these old engines running.

[Bamchucknorris]

love the smoke rings lol

[Mr27ace27]

Dude, I want one! where'd you get it?

[TestECull]

Seems to me it would be a TON easier to retrofit an electric starter of some sort.

It's not like it's hard to recharge the batteries after the start with this setup.

[AJMB25]

that was a nice start, makes a great sound

[samalayork]

Beautiful sound of a diese engine in harmony...developing all its power!!!

[archer82633]

That is very cool I love old iron

[john1966elliott]

Is engine from ship ????? This is very good diesel engine 

[pileofiron]

@john1966elliott No it was used by a convent.. 

[EpiDemic117]

wow it's amazing how far we've gone in engine technology. smaller diesel engines now a days can produce more power half the size.

[pileofiron]

@EpiDemic117 Biggest difference is this engine developes over 1400 ft.lbs. torque at 300 RPM'S....

[TheRudeClown]

@pileofiron That is pure power. too bad they don't make 'em like they used to

[broham776]

@TheRudeClown no the new idea is make em cheap and make sure the customer has to buy a million parts for it

[TheRudeClown]

@broham776 agreed!

[marshamcc01]

@pileofiron horsepower is just a function of torque times RPM's. You could take a small 80HP engine running at 3600 RPM, and use a transmission get a 300 RPM output shaft speed, and then you would still have approx 1400 ft-lbs of torque. Vice versa, if you took this exact engine here, and used a transmission to speed up the output shaft to 3600 RPM, you would have much less torque. Of course, no transmission is 100% efficient; also that 3600 RPM engine will not last 80 years like this one!

[broham776]

@pileofiron so say a powerstroke diesel is 500 ft lbs at like what 1,500-2,000 rpms or higher? so this engine produces more torque at a lower rpm? do i have that right?

[pileofiron]

@broham776 It all depends. There are only 2 variables and 1 constant. The constant is 5252. So let's say this engine is 80 H.P. at 300 rpm's. Then the equation would be 80 X 5252= 420160. Now divide that by the rpm' and you have torque. In this case that is a little over 1400 lbs. So remember it is H.P. X 5252 divided by rpm's. Your powerstroke say is 365 H.P., so 365 X 5252 is 1,916,980 then divide by RPM's say 3000 = 638 lbs of torque!!

[gwheyduke]

What were these engines used for .. or in?

[pileofiron]

@gwheyduke This was used to generate electric for the Sisters Of Oldenberg.

[CasieKaetzeldjr]

huhukönte echt so schön sein wenn mich einer vor dem allein sein rettet!

[cd1306]

film the smoke?!?!?!?!?

[pauldeere1]

You can see this engine in person at the annual Franklin Co. antique Machinery Show in Brookville Indiana. The last week of September every year....

[SentryIII]

Runs like a top.

[orzech20406]

This is AC Generator. DC Generator contains commutator on the end of it's shaft. This generator contains slide rings...

[eddimull]

And today, I have learned yet another was to lose a limb (in the flywheel)

[hendotintco]

awesome

[73Shakes]

At first start up it sounds like somethin from willey wonk lol....cool nonetheless

[MegaDavid1960]

yessir...go old smokey....power my home....lol

[NathansBackwoods]

Do you know how low it idles? i would imagine its about 40 rpm, but im not sure.

[pileofiron]

I don't think they idle this engine. It has a regulated working speed of 300 rpm's. They probably could slow it down to under 100 but the engine would not be effecient... Interesting comment...

[NathansBackwoods]

Yea I thought about that after I posted it, because they have no need to run them that slow, thanks

[tpvalley]

$8726 in 1927?!

are u sure? thats about the same as so many millions now!!

[pileofiron]

That's what the sign said......

[douro20]

About $108,000, and that is about right.

[EpicureMammon]

@tpvalley Haha you're off by a zero :)

106K give or take. A lot of money, but that is quite a machine (and a generator, it looks like).

[ryotaryuu]

If you would just read the decscription it says 300RPM. 40 LOL.

[NathansBackwoods]

I asked what rpm it idles at dumbshit not max rpm. Think before you talk.

[goandy89]

@NathansBackwoods it is a set rpm not varible

[EpicureMammon]

@ryotaryuu that's like 3600 in modern RPMs. ;)

[kylethegreatguy]

@NathansBackwoods prob is but i dont no either

[ihihiih]

ma che roba è ???

[GundamKnight07]

i'm in love

[kentnelson84]

That had the neatest sound when it was starting up! GA-LUMP! GA-LUMP!

[SPARTANENGINEER1701]

so i take it i was around weting houses time?

i need histry on this

drop me a line guys

[MOGULIHC]

YUH Think!!

[jayeastanglia]

why is it???? its a 1927 engine not a 2009.

[jimmysfromphilly]

I love it. that is really cool.

[shloop4]

i saw what looks to be  a generator. where you powering something with that?

[MOGULIHC]

Yes it was powering a generator. They are running just a few lights and the railroad crossing lights just for demonstration. It's a 55 kw 110vdc generator.

[midgetcogger]

very nice love to see one in real life

[GayBoyRunning]

sounds like a shunter start up to me nice job

[Bidone1967]

Its a very big engine - nice video!

[hackerunivac]

baya eso si contamina

[rudolphna54]

And I also notice once its running it has a sound kind of like when using a hand saw. what is that?

[pileofiron]

The only thing I hear is the little electric driven air compressor is still running. That's just a guess.

[rudolphna54]

Its not the ticking sound of the compressor, its most easily heard in hte first camera view. its quite loud... Im not quite sure how to describe it.

[DangerousAernscht]

I know what you mean. You can hear it from exactly 1:12 to 1:25. Sounds like kinda rattle noise...

[pileofiron]

I think you are right about the rattle noise. Even though this engine runs smooth I think it vibrates enough to rattle the ladder frame or something else. At 1:25 the camera changes to a different angle and the noise disappears.

[rudolphna54]

thats a cool sounding engine, especially when it goes from tHUNK THUNK to actually running.

[ifabbott]

These were the cadillacs of the day and allowed industry to advance to where it is now. It is nice to see such machines still running. Thanks for the vid.

[oldtacomamarine]

great!!

[digitalrushdude2112]

i want one of these!

[douro20]

What kind of engine is running the starting air compressor?

[pileofiron]

I don't know what the name is of the electric motor, but the air compressor is the same as the engine, Fairbanks Morse.

[douro20]

Oh, I thought the thing had an engine to drive the air compressor...I guess I should had given the video a little better look.

[bfrance2002]

Cool. But I would hate to get a hand in that fly wheel..

[NastyNixels]

This is great - the Penngrove Power & Implement Museum (California) has a 1925 Y-VA that we've restored - I've done a video of it's first start.

I believe this is also a Y-VA which was the first true diesel from FM. Up until seeing this video, we knew of only one other running Y-VA in FL.

Good job showing the process of an air start. And your other video of it running is nice too.

[Ecm51]

I love those old Fairbanks Morse engines. I never can understand the use of the bar for turning the flywheel to a certain point? What is being done by doing that? How much pressure does it take to start one of those? I used to see guys have all kinds of trouble starting those. LOL

[pileofiron]

They turn on the compression release and roll one of the pistons just past Top Dead Center. They then close the compression release and shoot a large volume of air into the cylinder. This forces the piston down and starts the rotation. Momentum and timing another shot or two of air after it rolls by itself it will fire and take off on its own.

thanks for the question, Fred

[boa721]

very very nice engine. makes my reid look bad

[pianoplayer27572]

never seen one..ok heres my question..what is it used for?looks like to make electric...

[pileofiron]

Correct, It generates 110 VDC @ 50kva

[CrankMyCat]

That was cool. I assume you were putting the piston just beyond TDC, then filling with air? Forgive my ignorance.

[pileofiron]

Yes, you are correct. I tryied to show the timing mark. Slightly after TDC.