Stanley Steam Car Hand Water Pump

HAND WATER PUMP

THE HAND WATER PUMP IS LOCATED UNDER THE FRONT SEAT FOOT BOARDS WITH THE REMOVABLE HANDLE PROJECTING THROUGH THE FOOT BOARDS	The water, oil, and fuel pumps on later model Stanley steamers are run from the rear axle of the car. Whenever the car is in motion the pumps are in operation. The hand water pump provides a way to pump water from the main water tank to the boiler. The displacement of the hand water pump is small compared to that of the two power water pumps and thus the functional use of the hand water pump is somewhat limited. The hand water pump is located under the front floorboards and the water pump’s piston is on a common shaft with the hand fuel pump’s piston. A pump handle connected to the shaft between the pump pistons rises from the floorboards and is rocked back and forth so that both the hand water and fuel pumps operate. A valve on the front power water pump controls if the hand water pump is to pump water or not as the pump arm is moved. In the event the water gets so low that the low water automatic operates to shut off fuel flow to the main burner it is possible to use to hand water pump to raise the water level of the boiler enough to get the burner relit (this assumes that what caused the low water condition has been fixed). The hand water pump can also be used when traveling up a long hill at slow speed to assist the power water pumps in adding water to the boiler. The worst part of using the hand water pump is that you’re not only pumping against the 140 PSIG pressure of the burner fuel system but you’re pumping against the steam pressure of the boiler.

USING THE HAND WATER PUMP

The hand water pump is a simple construction of a piston within a cast bronze cylinder housing. There are no check valves incorporated in the hand water pump’s housing. Operation of the hand water pump relies on the two check valves that are part of one of the two power water pumps (the pump closest to the front of the car).

When the pump handle is moved such that the hand water pump’s piston is pulled out of the hand water pump’s cylinder, water is drawn out of the supply tank and into the space once occupied by the piston. The water is drawn from the water supply tank through the intake check valve of the power water pump and then to the hand water pump. The power water pump’s discharge check valve along with the check valve that is located in the piping past the power water pump insures that water is not sucked out of the feed water heater and boiler.

When the pump handle is moved such that the hand water pump’s piston is pushed back into the hand water pump’s cylinder, the water in the hand water pump’s cylinder and piping connected to the power water pump is pressurized. The intake check valve in the power water pump blocks the flow of water back to the water tank. However, as the hand water pump’s piston continues to be moved into the hand water pump’s cylinder, pressure builds in the piping between the hand water pump and the power water pump’s discharge check valve. When the water pressure within the hand water pump and its piping to the power water pump becomes greater than the pressure of the water in the piping past the power water pump, the power water pump’s discharge check valve opens and allows the water to flow into the piping past the power water pumps. At the end of the stroke the power water pump’s discharge check closes.