Van Wert VA600 Rebuild

alpineboard · Post by **alpineboard** » Tue. Sep. 15, 2015 5:50 pm

Found a Crane 44/88 door, new in the box. Time for an adapter plate.

Post by **StokerDon** » Tue. Sep. 15, 2015 6:45 pm

Ahh, you want to be able to see those stoker flames without opening the door!

NICE!

I can't wait to see this!

-Don

alpineboard · Post by **alpineboard** » Wed. Sep. 16, 2015 9:25 am

How does the VW door operate? It appears to have a wire handle, but I do not see any hinges. I do see a couple wing nuts. So, I conclude that to open the door , hold onto wire handle and remove the wing nuts and the door is removed from the boiler. Door installed by holding door in place and put wing nuts back on. Correct? Yes. No, Maybe? Determined from attached picture.

alpineboard · Post by **alpineboard** » Tue. Sep. 22, 2015 5:44 pm

Sorry, been doing other things. back on track.

Doby · Post by **Doby** » Tue. Sep. 22, 2015 7:32 pm

alpineboard wrote:How does the VW door operate? It appears to have a wire handle, but I do not see any hinges. I do see a couple wing nuts. So, I conclude that to open the door , hold onto wire handle and remove the wing nuts and the door is removed from the boiler. Door installed by holding door in place and put wing nuts back on. Correct? Yes. No, Maybe? Determined from attached picture.

Correct mine only had wing nuts with no wire handle, don't see the need for it

Post by **StokerDon** » Tue. Sep. 22, 2015 7:45 pm

NICE A.P.!

Did you drill and tap the VW door plate to attach those four screws or what?

-Don

alpineboard · Post by **alpineboard** » Tue. Sep. 22, 2015 9:13 pm

correct , the fun part was crawling up inside the boiler thru the hole in the horses thru the bottom, to get the hole transfer center punched on the steel plate that was clamped in place, I cut the hole first with a thin wheel disc grinder. A torch would not be as clean. Using the same method of attachment as original. I had the unit attached from above to avoid a Darwin award.

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Tue. Sep. 22, 2015 9:25 pm

I don't know anything about the horse in the boiler,but that door looks great & looks like it should keep the horses in.

Post by **StokerDon** » Tue. Sep. 22, 2015 9:35 pm

And keep that darn Darwin out!

A thin 4.5" wheel is the same thing I used to cut the EFM hole in my 5/16" thick Gentleman Janitor plate.

I can't wait to see a fire through that window!

-Don

alpineboard · Post by **alpineboard** » Tue. Sep. 22, 2015 9:51 pm

sorry , forgot the other pic, I squeezed inside the boiler and was a bit claustrophobic, it was easier going In than it was getting out. and I am not 15 and skinny any more.
almost there, still young at heart and still like to play

alpineboard · Post by **alpineboard** » Wed. Sep. 23, 2015 9:11 am

I went with 3/16" , considering that is what was on there and it had not leaked yet. Any suggestions on how to cut it. use a framers square as a strait edge, and a new utility knife blade, if it does not go thru on the first cut and it won't , bend the rubber to open the cut and use a new razor to finish it.
For the stud holes, I am thinking of sharpening a small length of 1/2" copper tubing. and solder on a tee, if I can find one, or just use vise grips, or I may have a dowel plug drill around in 1/2", from my flooring tools, and go electric drill.

Post by **StokerDon** » Wed. Sep. 23, 2015 8:32 pm

I used scissors to cut the rubber gasket for my Losch. For the holes you will want to use a punch. They sell them but you could just sharpen your copper tubing (or steel tubing if you have it) on a grinder. It might not last long but it's easy to make another.

The important thing when using a punch to go through rubber (or leather for that fact) is you want to go strait through it with one big WHACK with the hammer. That is the only way I know of getting a good clean hole.

-Don

Post by **StokerDon** » Wed. Sep. 23, 2015 8:37 pm

Page 4 of this thread has my Losch DHW gasket.
My New Toy, Losch Stoker Boiler

-Don

alpineboard · Post by **alpineboard** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 7:29 pm

The gasket cut and installed well, used the "right stuff", most of it squished out, but hopefully filled any dimples/rough areas, cleaned metal with brake cleaner first. wire wheeled the paint off.
Several tries with the burn pot to get to this spot. There is a method here and it is not as easy as one might think. I am having a hard time believing that I got it out to begin with, in that dark cellar.
I am thinking , screw a couple 1x onto that stack of 2x4's to keep it from wobbling. Because I still have to go up another 3 1/2 to 4". standing up a 3 1/2 or 4" board on the back shelf, and then stepping up the rest on top of existing stack in the front. Then stick a Phillips screw driver and line the holes up, and screw from there. Feel free to comment.....? thanks.
I did try using those shelf plates, but this seemed more solid, and I am alone.
I may need to step that 3 1/2 to 4 on the back shelf, due to the top burn pot ring when angled , hitting the inner shroud. Either way, get in there and measure correctly for final height so holes line up, main goal here. go slow and work careful.
Another thought, maybe I can fit a bottle jack in there, that would be less stressful, at least use it to pick it up enough to stick another 2 x4 in there.

Post by **StokerDon** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 9:30 pm

On the DHW gasket, the hammer ya got there is just about the right size to get through that rubber in one shoot. Looks good.

Getting the pot up in there to mount it looks like a floor jack job to me. That way you can get it to exactly the right height to get the bolt holes to line up.

-Don

Van Wert VA600 Rebuild

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