ll stop,
very quickly to.

If you thoroughly understand the working of the steam, you can readily
detect any defect in your cylinder or steam chest, by the use of your
cylinder cocks. Suppose we try them once. Turn your engine on the
forward center, now open the cocks and give the engine the steam
pressure. If the steam blows out at the forward cock we know that we
have sufficient lead. Now turn back to the back center, and give it
steam again; if it blows out the same at this cock, we can conclude that
our valve is in its proper position. Now reverse the engine and do the
same thing; if the cocks act the same, we know we are right. Suppose
the steam blows out of one cock all right, and when we bring the engine
to the other center no steam escapes from this cock, then we know that
something is wrong with the valve, and if the eccentrics are in their
proper position the trouble must be in the steam chest, and if we open
it up we will find the valve has become loosened on the rod. Again
suppose we put the engine on a center, and on giving it steam, we find
the steam blowing out at both cocks.

Now what is the trouble, for no engine in perfect shape will allow the
steam to blow out of both cocks at the same time. It is one of two
things, and it is difficult to tell. Either the cylinder rings leak and
allow the steam to blow through, or else the valve is cut on the seat,
and allows the steam to blow over. Either of these two causes is bad,
as it not only weakens your engine, but is a great waste of fuel and
water. The way to determine which of the two causes this, is to take
off the cylinder head, turn engine on forward center and open throttle
slightly. If the steam is seen to blow out of the port at open end of
cylinder, then the trouble is in the valve, but if not, you will see it
blowing through from forward end of cylinder, and the trouble is in the
cylinder rings.

What is the remedy? Well, if the "rings" are the trouble, a new set
will most likely remedy it should they be of the automatic or
self-setting pattern, but should they be of the spring or adjusting
pattern, you can take out the head and set the rings out to stop this
blowing. As most all engines now are using the self-setting rings, you
will most likely require a new set.

If the trouble is in the valve or steam chest, you had best take it off
and have the valve seat planed down, and the valve seated to it. This
is the safest and best way.