[Pete Thornton]

(Posting this for a friend whose username is problematic.)

Just bought an Accucraft live steam Climax. I put it on rollers for a test run and noticed steam/water seeps from both cylinders once it got hot. Not surprising as it’s had very little use since new.


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Does anyone know what size the cylinder nuts are? SAE or metric? Thinking a gentle nip up should fix things.
I’ve got an ElCheapo metric nut driver set but the 3.0 mm wouldn’t fit, and the 3.5 mm was too big. More than happy to invest in a good set once I know what to get.
Cheers
Neil

 

[fsts2k]

Sorry I don't know but it is a very pretty locomotive!

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Buy Wiha drivers (the brand, not the knockoffs), the sizes are more precise, and there are more available. I would suggest you get a pair of vernier calipers as a basic tool, and measure the heads yourself.

Greg

 

[JoelB]

I second both of Greg's recommendations. I bought a set of WIHA metric nut drivers (2.5 - 6.0mm sizes) just for my live steam toolbox, and they get a lot of use.

Also note that where Accucraft paints bolt heads, the paint thickness will make the driver a very tight fit, if you can get it on at all. There may also be some QA or supplier issues here, but I have no proof of that.

I've sometimes had to use an SAE ignition wrench or a BA wrench or nut driver where the metric tool just won't cut it. Above all, the idea is to not a) round the corners of the bolt head or b) tear the head off the bolt.

 

[Pete Thornton]

I bought a set of WIHA metric nut drivers

The first thing I told Neil was how successful I found the Wiha ratchet/socket set.
Wiha 65-piece Micro-Bit Ratchet Set

It includes every size of every screw & bolt I have yet come across.

BTW - I thought I had lost one of the sockets, and I discovered all of them are sold as spare parts on Wiha's USA website. I now have 2 of the 3mm sockets!

 

[CharlesTrains]

If you have to dismantle an Accucraft model, take a sheet of cardstock and make a template of screw location. I have found that screws in earlier models will only fit back into the same location they came from. Punch the screws into the cardstock at the location they are on the model and return them to the same location on reassembly. My model of " Earl " Beyer-Peacock 0-6-0T was this way in mounting the chassis to the cab-tank structure.