My New Toy, Losch Stoker Boiler

 
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StokerDon
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Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Tue. Nov. 25, 2014 9:04 pm

Once it started leaking, I didn't fill it any further. So, I hope there arn't any other leaks. The only potential leak areas I've found are two thin spots, one under the DHW coil, and one right around the corner above the cleanout cover. I whacked both with a hammer and it didn't break through like Scott's EFM.

The two nuts that still look like nuts I worked back and forth with lots of lube but, they broke off anyway. The rest, I took the cut-off wheel to.
LoschDHWcoilRemoval 003.JPG

Losch DHW coil removal

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I used the air chisle to get the big coil nuts loose. No, they are not bronze!
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Losch DHW coil removal

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Losch DHW coil removal

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Losch DHW coil removal

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Losch DHW coil removal

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Then, I took the plate off and pulled the coil out. The plate is realy, realy thin on the one side. I can use it for a template to make a new one. The coil looks very good, no sign of anything wrong.
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Losch DHW coil removal

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Losch DHW coil removal

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Here's something you don't see every day, the INSIDE of the boiler.
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Losch boiler inside

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Once I get the studs out and get a new plate made, I think this will seal up nicely, I hope!
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Losch DHW coil removal

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Losch DHW coil removal

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-Don


 
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McGiever
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Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
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Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Tue. Nov. 25, 2014 9:43 pm

You going to blank it off or put the coil back in with the new plate?

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Wed. Nov. 26, 2014 2:27 pm

I think I would like to;

A) Put this coil back in if it pressure tests good.

B) If it fails the pressure test, replace it with something else, EFM possibley???

I'm not very familiar with these DHW coils. What type of fitting screws onto this? Is there still something stuck in there that I need to remove?
Losch DHW coil 002.JPG

Losch DHW coil

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Losch DHW coil 003.JPG

Losch DHW coil

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It looks like something is threaded in there?

Thoughts???

-Don

 
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Scottscoaled
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Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Wed. Nov. 26, 2014 5:19 pm

There's a bronze nipple threaded in to allow soldering away from the seal. Looks like it was cut off flush. Cut a wedge out and tap it out. I was looking at the pic of the coil area. My God! It looks like it's a half inch thick!!!!!!!!

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Wed. Nov. 26, 2014 7:21 pm

Scott,

Yah, suprized the heck out of me when I saw how thick that weldment is. It's actualy 3/4" thick!!!
Losch DHW weldment 001.JPG

Losch DHW coil weldment

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The rest of the boiler I think is 1/4" plate.

After turkey, I will try to get that piece out of the coil. Then I can attach something to it to pressure test it.

Thanks,

-Don

 
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Scottscoaled
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Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Wed. Nov. 26, 2014 10:36 pm

StokerDon wrote:Scott,

Yah, suprized the heck out of me when I saw how thick that weldment is. It's actualy 3/4" thick!!!
Losch DHW weldment 001.JPG
The rest of the boiler I think is 1/4" plate.

After turkey, I will try to get that piece out of the coil. Then I can attach something to it to pressure test it.

Thanks,

-Don
Have fun drilling and tapping out new studs. That will keep you hungry for more punkin pie :P

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Thu. Nov. 27, 2014 8:35 pm

Well, I took my small pipe wrench to the studs. 3 came out, 2 broke off and left a small part down in tthe hole and 2 didn't even budge.

These are all blind holes, so it should be fun drilling them out!
LoschDHWcoilStuds 001.JPG

Losch DHW coil studs

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Losch DHW coil studs

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Losch DHW coil studs

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Losch DHW coil studs

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Now, where is that Pumpkin Pie?!?!?

-Don


 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Fri. Nov. 28, 2014 5:11 pm

I went down to the local metal fab shop today with my worn out DHW plate. The guy looked at it and said " how many do ya want?" I said "one" he said "Only one? It'll be done in a half hour".

So, Here it is. I didn't get the hexagonal holes so, it's just a block off plate for now. I figured, we don't yet know if this boiler is usable yet, spend as little as possible untill we know for sure.
LoschDHWplateYFunderGrate 001.JPG

Losch DHW block off plate

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Losch DHW block off plate

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3/8" thick plate steel, just like the original.

Now, if only I could drill strait! So far I've got some messed up mounting holes.

-Don

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sat. Nov. 29, 2014 7:28 pm

I spent the afternoon drilling and tapping. I decided since my drilling was so far off center, I would put in Helicoils. That way with the bigger hole I could get it back to center.

Drilled and tapped the hole.
LoschDHWblockOffPlate 002.JPG

Helicoiled DHW flange

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Installed the insert.
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Helicoiled DHW flange

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Helicoiled DHW flange

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Insert the tang removale tool and whack it.
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Helicoiled DHW flange

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Remove the tang.
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Helicoiled DHW flange

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This flange is realy rough looking. I slathered it with automotive RTV sealent and did the same on the plate. I let the RTV set up for an hour.
LoschDHWblockOffPlate 009.JPG
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I didn't have anything to make a gasket out of so I just used more RTV. I hope it holds!
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Losch DHW block off plate

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I'm gona wait until tomorrow afternoon to try pressure testing it. I want that RTV to have pleanty of time to cure.

My local hardware store didn't have any 3/8" -16 studs, so I had to use bolts. I put some Neverseize on the bolts so I won't have to go through this again.

-Don

 
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Townsend
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Post by Townsend » Sun. Nov. 30, 2014 9:43 am

Exciting rebuild you have going here. Thanks for all the pics and descriptions. Looking forward to seeing more.

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Nov. 30, 2014 8:14 pm

LOSCH PRESSURE TEST ==== FAILED!!!

And, NO, it is not leaking at the DHW flange plate. On the corrner and under the DHW flange, are areas that are very thin and the are some small cracks. That's where it leaking.
LoschFailedPressureTest 002.JPG

Losch pressure test = FAILED

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Losch pressure test = FAILED

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Losch pressure test = FAILED

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Losch pressure test = FAILED

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Other possible leak areas. This may be left over penatrating oil, I didn't take a real good look inside before I started so, this may have been there.
LoschFailedPressureTest 009.JPG

Losch pressure test = FAILED

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Losch pressure test = FAILED

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Well, it's time to have a beer and re-think the direction of this project.

For now, it's back in the corrner.
LoschFailedPressureTest 012.JPG

Losch pressure test = FAILED

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-Don

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Mon. Dec. 01, 2014 2:33 pm

Today I was able to bird poop weld the corner of the boiler well enough to hold water for a short pressure test. I cranked it up to about 40 PSI and let it sit for about an hour.
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Losch leaks

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Losch leaks

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Losch leaks

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I was very worried about this one on the bottom of the boiler. It's a little hard to see.
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Losch leaks

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It turned out to be a plumbing leak at the 2" return port. I must not have sealed that very well. The water leaked onto the top of the base where you could see it on the inside and outside.
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Losch leaks

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This one turned out to be penatrating oil.
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Not a leak

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Losch back in the corner

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For now it's back in the corner.

The only leaks I found are on that corner where the DHW coil is and one under the DHW coil.

Now I need to decide what to do with it. If I had a need to heat something with it, I would take it to the welder and get it repaired. Since I don't have a need, it doensn't make much sense to spend more money on it.

Much to think about.

-Don

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 01, 2014 4:29 pm

"E" for effort. A repair plate could be fabricated to cover the entire coil mounting area, and welded into the more solid parts of the boiler. Not sure it is worth the trouble though...the boiler has been long out of production and the missing parts won't be easy to find.

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Dec. 14, 2014 11:08 am

Yesterday, I took a trip to Wertz Coal Yard in Mechanicsburg PA to get 1.5 ton of meadium buckwheat for the Yellow Flame. It was my first time there and I got a nice supprize while in the office.

A beautiful Losch 350!!!
WertzCoalYard1 008.JPG

Losch 350 at Wertz

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Losch 350 at Wertz

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Losch 350 at Wertz

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Losch 350 at Wertz

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This is an early 350, serial # 129A. My 475 is also an early one, serial # 294B.

Apparently old man Wertz refurbed this 350 himself, nice job! He wasn't there so I left my phone number. Hopefuly, I get a call from him to talk about Losch's and possibly geting some Losch parts for my 475.

I am now interested in doing something with STEAM. I have binge watched two BBC series that were done by Fred Dibnih, "The Age Of Steam" and "Made In Britan". These are all about steam power generation and the Industrial Revolution in Victorian England.

So, it looks like I have some motivation to get the Losch back in operation!

-Don

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Fri. Dec. 19, 2014 9:34 pm

The boiler blank took a trip the the welder today. It should be done early next week! Guess what I'm going to be doing all Christmas vacation!

-Don


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