.

Steam oil for running.

The cylinders are also normally blown out after running.

Nick

There are thousands of Stuart engines running happily with iron cylinders and I think the full size did not have any problems.

As Nick says stean oil is running on steam, if using air then use an inline lubricator and also squirt a bit of oil into the engine once you have finished playing. You can use a lighter oil when running on air as the steam oil is a bit thick without the heat fropm the steam.

The passages are not dimensioned as they are cast into the cylinder, all the maker would have to do is clear out any sand and square up the ports if needed.

All the stuarts with the 2"x1" cylinder have the same ports and passages so 3/8" wide, 3/16" slot for the exhaust, 3/32" of metal and then 3/32" slots for the inlets. You will have to work out the position of the passages so they can be drilled yourself unless you go for a fabricated cylinder in which case they can be milled into the back of teh valve "block"

I don't know what's happening to your flame eater, I have two of them, and eighteen Stirling Engines, they all live in my (damp at times)workshop, one has a steel cylinder, the other cast iron, I'v never had rust problems in the bore of either of them, both have cast iron pistons. The older of the two is maybe 25 years old.

Ian S C

Main thing is to make sure you get as much water out as possible at the end by turning it over and pump some steam oil into the cylinders. Just like Jason, I have a ~17 year old 10V that's been run on steam and air and it hasn't rusted.