Your injector is trying to tell you something!

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AnthonyDuarte
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Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by AnthonyDuarte »

Earlier this year I had been telling people that I’ll make my 1000th injector this year, so recently I added everything up and realized I’ve actually already made just shy of 1300 injectors.

With more and more injectors getting into the hands of enthusiast, I’ve had to spend more and more time on the phone and writing emails helping people figure out why their new installation isn’t working. Without being there first hand or seeing a video, this can be very difficult to figure out.

So, I put together a video that I think will help diagnose what’s going on with your injector based on the overflow’s behavior.

In this video I recreate or simulate 11 of the most common problems, and discuss how the overflow behaves uniquely for that specific problem. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/VPdvvu4g1Hw

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NP317
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by NP317 »

A priceless video for users!
Thanks for your amazing efforts.
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Gra2472
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by Gra2472 »

Well done sir.
7.5" Allen Mogul
3 x 7.5" West Valley Baldwin Westinghouse Electrics
The railroad is almost done.
G. Augustus
Monte Rio, Ca.
ccvstmr
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by ccvstmr »

Anthony...

EXCELLENT video! Thank you. Went back to your website to see if something similar was in your documentation tab. Many of the "problems" mentioned in the vid WERE covered in your Injector General Info document. But seeing is believing as opposed to reading.

1300 injectors is nothing to sneeze at. That's AMAZING! A testament to your knowledge, ability and attention to detail. As you found out, the more product "out there" in the public domain, means more often someone will have a problem. Years ago I heard someone say that when Emery Ohlenkamp used to go to steam meets, he would end spending an excessive amount of time helping steamers with their injector problems. More often than not, the injector was simply installed wrong. With 3 injector connection points and lack of injector understanding, it's easy to see how someone MIGHT be confused. Not implying this is a problem with EE injectors.

I'm aware there's lots of guys with "smart phones" (I'm not one of those). Would be easy to have your vid handy (no pun intended) in the steaming bay area when troubleshooting a finicky injector. Like to think that most of the common injector problems experienced in the field fall into only a few categories.

Have an old Superscale injector. The most common problem I run into when traveling is a clogged delivery cone (depends on the water being used). Have learned to service the delivery cone in the steaming bay area while the loco is under steam...and get going again. One word of advice for others...sometimes it's best to put a tarp or blanket on the ground under the injector when removing the delivery cone. That little check valve washer has a nasty habit of jumping and getting lost in the steaming bay gravel! Thankfully, have always been able to rescue the washer (whew)!

Thanks for a great, informative video. Carl B.
Life is like a sewer...what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!
I don't walk on water...I just learned where some of the stepping stones are!
I love mankind...it's some of the people I can't stand!
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Bill Shields
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by Bill Shields »

Very 👍
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Andypullen
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by Andypullen »

Very informative Anthony!

Thank you for sharing it!
Clausing 10x24, Sheldon 12" shaper, ProtoTrak AGE-2 control cnc on a BP clone, Reed Prentice 14" x 30", Sanford MG 610 surface grinder, Kalamazoo 610 bandsaw, Hardinge HSL speed lathe, Hardinge HC chucker, Kearney and Trecker #2K plain horizontal mill, Haas TL-1 lathe.
FrayJo
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by FrayJo »

I found this video also really useful
hoppercar
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by hoppercar »

Very informative...good video.....my e.e. injector has worked great since I installed it.....then all of a sudden, it would spit, and sputter...and had a very limited range it worked in....and a lot of dumping out the overflow.....checking things one step at a time, like in Anthony's video....I traced my line under my tender, back to where it connects to the tank fitting.. the brass fittings had that tarnished, green copper look like it's been wet ?....if water can get out, surely air can be drawn in?....got another run meet in 2 weeks. Gonna take this line and fittings down and replace everything.....hopefully that was it !!
hoppercar
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by hoppercar »

Update....after investigating my tender plumbing, for what had to have been an air leak...causing the injector to not pickup.....I discovered, what you might not think to look at......the packing nut on my water control ball valve was worn out . Taking the valve out is an easy task....fortunately I planned for this in building the tender.....put air to the valve....and wallllah.....it bubbles all around the stem.......hopefully, the culprit has been found
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Bill Shields
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by Bill Shields »

Heavy grease around the stem (and other areas) when running is a quick way to find air leaks.

I also like tygon tubing on the inlet...if there is air in the stream you can see it
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Gra2472
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Re: Your injector is trying to tell you something!

Post by Gra2472 »

I’ll add to the symptom list here. I bought an EE injector off of EBay a while ago. When I received it, I found a piece of steel in the delivery cone. I tried my darnedest to get it out without damaging the cone. I ran the injector several times, trying to figure it out. I felt like Columbo…….uh just one more thing. After weeks of tinkering with it, and thanks to Anthony’s excellent video I was able to uncover the culprit. I did have to ask Mr Injector himself to confirm it, but darn it, the cone was indeed damaged.

Here are the symptoms. It will pick up and sound like it is running, but only entrains about half of the water. Much like it is trying to run on the lower end of its pressure range. If you cut back the water, it starts hammering and acting like there is a leak, and will then immediately lose prime.

At first I thought that I had a bad check valve, or even an obstruction in the delivery line. I changed the check valve, cleaned the lines, yada yada. I talked to Anthony for a moment, got the doctors opinion, and subsequently bought a new cone. Voila, it works like new. It really doesn’t take much to damage a cone in an injector. Not an experience notch in my belt that I wanted, but there it is.
7.5" Allen Mogul
3 x 7.5" West Valley Baldwin Westinghouse Electrics
The railroad is almost done.
G. Augustus
Monte Rio, Ca.
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