Sharp Dressed Highboy

McGiever wrote:That sure is one Sharp Dressed Highboy Wow...blows me away.

Question for all the EFM gurus...

Were there any other residential sized EFM (350's or 520's) with the full smooth removable fronts?

And if there was, was that removable cover discontinued at the same time (1955-56) as it was for the Highboy?

Highboys ran from 1948 to 1955
There where 350 & 520 that had custom line cabinet swing out doors Like scrapper said the high boys had the pull off front
cover but not all highboys came with them custom line style stopped in the early to mid 60's.
like the high boys not all of them came with these style Jackets front covers Never seen pull off front cover on 350's 520's
but not saying they never made them efm made and changed a lot of stuff in the early days.

Awesome setup Rob, good job with everything Awesome job to scrapper as well with the refub! Here is something I''ve been coming across more often with the Highboy's and the tube efms. Some people still have the baffles in the tubes or they are lying on the floor behind the boiler. I put the back in if they don't have a baro. I'm sure coal berner could give us a whole history lesson on these. I expect nothing less

MATTHEW D. wrote:Here is something I''ve been coming across more often with the Highboy's and the tube efms. Some people still have the baffles in the tubes or they are lying on the floor behind the boiler. I put the back in if they don't have a baro. I'm sure coal berner could give us a whole history lesson on these. I expect nothing less

Yeah, my Highboy came without the baffles. CoalBerner said thay were a PITA to clean?

009to090 wrote:

MATTHEW D. wrote:Here is something I''ve been coming across more often with the Highboy's and the tube efms. Some people still have the baffles in the tubes or they are lying on the floor behind the boiler. I put the back in if they don't have a baro. I'm sure coal berner could give us a whole history lesson on these. I expect nothing less

Yeah, my Highboy came without the baffles. CoalBerner said thay were a PITA to clean?

I won't argue that point, they are a PITA to clean! But I still do it.

Those are actually called turbulators and I don't have them in my 350 for that exact reason. I think I'd rather install a baro and have the correct draft all the time rather then rely on the turbulators.

Wood'nCoal wrote:Those are actually called turbulators and I don't have them in my 350 for that exact reason. I think I'd rather install a baro and have the correct draft all the time rather then rely on the turbulators.

Thanks, now I know the technical name. I would rather install a baro myself, but the home owners tell me " put the f---'n baffles back in, the last guy was lazy. That's why you got the job this year". I reply, what ever you want its your stoker. They don't want to spend the $ on a new baro.

you are right wood n coal the correct name for them is a turulator, they were installed in all tube boilers at one time, from what my 70 year old friend who spend all his life working on stokers and still does tells me they were used to slow the flow of exhaust down to get maximum efficiency out iof the unit, problem being most guys never took them out to clean or if they did they were to lazy or didnt know how the hell to put them back in. i have already purchased units where i cut them out in pieces with a torch due to the fact they were actually frozen in place. if they are not taken out on a regular basis and cleaned they become blocked and cause major problems. any old timers out there will remember when they went to a plate boiler they actually experimented with a somewhat similar setup, except they were flat upright pieces that sat on the hook, even more of a pain in the a--, because you had to be a magician to get them back in. i figured if they were so effective they would still be in use today, but they are not, if anyone out there wants them i must have about 300 of them laying in the archive shop, free for the taking. SCRAPPER

Turbulators are still used in ALL oil-fired efm boilers. Not coal-fired. They make a big difference in keeping the stack temperature low, but they have to be cleaned every service, as scrapper said. They are also used in the 90% plus efficiency, new oil-fired Ultra boiler

I'll bet all boilers have them installed when it goes for certification testing. When clean they improve performance. After the sale, and in the owners hands, the manufacturer could care less about the reduction in efficiency without them.

Yes, a great looking boiler for sure. Nice job on the install, ans Scrapper strikes again.

009to090 wrote:

MATTHEW D. wrote:Here is something I''ve been coming across more often with the Highboy's and the tube efms. Some people still have the baffles in the tubes or they are lying on the floor behind the boiler. I put the back in if they don't have a baro. I'm sure coal berner could give us a whole history lesson on these. I expect nothing less

Yeah, my Highboy came without the baffles. CoalBerner said thay were a PITA to clean?

The biggest problem in using them is not Just the cleaning it is when the fly ash builds up and not do they just slow the exhaust gases down to make the unit more efficient but they can get that clogged up with fly ash they can and will screw up your draft causing CO. problems so for the little efficiency they give it is not worth dying over and i am not convinced they
are that efficient be cause I took several of them out of units when I clean units and left them out and the owners said they did not use anymore coal with them out and some said the unit actually use less coal with them out so take it for it is worth.
the idea might of sounded great at the time but in the real world the cons out weigh the pro's .

Their might be fine in oil boiler where you don't have fly ash in play but not good in coal fired units even in oil burner I see problem if you don't clean units out every year carbon build up comes mind .

turbulators have been in use for decades on many tube boilers. axeman anderson oil units to burnham oil units and weil-mc clain ect..

yes they slow the exhaust down but most importantly they cause the hot air to spin and thus transfer more heat into the tube and thus raise the efficency... very important on oil fired units which are adjusted correctly.. worth the time to clean and install

with the faster build up of blockage on coal units and the less "wasted money" on the excess fuel used without them, it is easier to leave them out

now the Ebinezer's of the coal burning crowd will always want them back in so they must let thier moths out of thier wallets to the service mans bill

Put 'em in, leave 'me out...whatever makes you feel good. My dad's Highboy is running without them and the stack temperature is still lower than my DF520.

Thanks for the kind works and advice from JC! I think that Ann Marie deserves more than a couple 'atta boys' for her fine craftsmanship on the externals of these boilers. The only ones I have ever seen came from a 'couple of really nice folks' in Ravine, PA who typify the PA slogan: "You've got a friend in Penn." Be forewarned, I am headed south later this week.......for a few days.....startin' to cool down up here....saw the last flock of Canada Geese Honkin' to the flatlanders yesterday PM.

Most of us are in the RAT-ROD mode.....she ain't purdy, but she absolutely blows the doors off the slick versions from the city!!!!

Rob's dad is astounded that as bright as he is, it took him all these years to see the light!!! He's smilin' now, and has a few new friends when he is near the Haven.....son's, uncles, friends...the damned valley will be EFM North by the spring!!

To hell with the tractor pulls, they will be doing BTU Universe contests. Even Scotty is flying the ole smudge-pot up the northway! Remember this all you slick dressin' folks: Until the tide goes out, we will never know who WAS wearing a bathing suit!
(Please S, make me happy and dress up that bad boy image you have) Ground frozen in BF yet? Men are men and coal burners fear no oil man!

whistlenut wrote:Rob's dad is astounded that as bright as he is, it took him all these years to see the light!!! He's smilin' now, and has a few new friends when he is near the Haven.....son's, uncles, friends...the damned valley will be EFM North by the spring!!

I'm working on it, now I just need to fine a home for that 1300 Steve has tucked in the corner of the shop.

whistlenut wrote:Most of us are in the RAT-ROD mode.....she ain't purdy, but she absolutely blows the doors off the slick versions from the city!!!!

That made me think back to my drag racing days...the car to beat was a mid 80's mustang with a WILD small block chevy tucked under the hood. He really pissed the Ford guys off until another mustang showed up that sounded a little strange...and was painted flat primer grey. It wasn't much to look at, but he sure gave the rest of us an education when he blazed the quarter mile in 10 seconds flat. After enough prodding he opened the hood and showed us a turbo charged 302 that was built mostly from junkyard parts. The point is...it doesn't really matter if it is a Ford/Chevy/Dodge/etc...it all comes down to who put the combo together if the guy in the front seat knows how to drive.