Rotary Craft steam engine issues

[Steel]

I'm having issues getting steam engines to work right on a server I'm running. I read on the wiki that steam engines over heat at 180 degrees but that netherack with fire will keep it running at just 120, but in game the guide says it over heats at 150, and through multiple tests I can confirm that an active fire beneath my engines causes them to over heat. I am trying to power a wood cutter and it will work from 100 - 150, but then it explodes. I'm in a witchwood biome so I don't think it's biome temperature messing it up. I am rather far underground, and although I haven't heard of any sort of depth modifiers to temp, I wouldn't be surprised if there was. Any suggestions on how to use a steam engine successfully in a witchwood biome at Y=25?

 

[Padfoote]

Do you have enough water being pumped in at all times? And have you tried a cooling fin on top?

 

[Steel]

Plenty of water, and a cooling fin restricts the temp to 60 degrees, so it never boils.

 

[Padfoote]

I've heard a cooling fin with lava will allow it to work. Haven't done it myself to confirm though.

 

[Steel]

I've heard a cooling fin with lava will allow it to work. Haven't done it myself to confirm though.

Just tested, cooling fin heated up to 58 degrees, and the engine blew up at 150.

 

[Padfoote]

Can you post a picture of where the engine is / was, as well as it's water supply? I have a steam engine running in my world at a steady 120C over netherrack, so I'm just as confused as you are.

 

[Steel]

Here is the setup:

The area under the engine isn't well displayed, but as of this picture was lava, and previously was fire above netherack.

 

[Wagon153]

Just so you know, you can put multiple cooling fins on the same engine, and the effects DO stack.

 

[Steel]

Just so you know, you can put multiple cooling fins on the same engine, and the effects DO stack.

Okay, I have no clue if this is the way it should be done, but your tip helped. Here's the way I have it working now.

I had already tried just one fin, and it still heated up, but slowly, and exploded. So I tried putting fins on all three available sides, and it didn't heat up above 60 degrees. I dropped it to two fins, and it stayed at 60.

I tried letting it heat up a bit, and then adding a second fin, and now it fluctuates between 124-126. It's been running stable for about five minutes now, with no change in the observed temperature range.

Here's a pic of the final set up. I'll try to post back here if it ever turns off or does explode though.

Spoiler

 

[Wagon153]

Glad to see that I was able to help!

 

[eric167]

fire heats it to 120. shouldn't blow up unless youre in the nether or something.

light a piece of netherrack under the engine, save the fins for something else.

 

[Wagon153]

fire heats it to 120.
light a piece of netherrack under the engine, save the fins for something else.

He knows this, but in different biomes the engine will heat up to different temps.

 

[SaintLucifer]

Out of curiosity, is that a swamp biome?

 

[Steel]

Out of curiosity, is that a swamp biome?

Witchwood forest. I'm going to make the entire cavern out of that biome eventually with the Blood Magic ritual, but I need a way to find out the temp/humidity of a Witchwood biome before I can start performing the ritual.

 

[Pyure]

I know you've considered the biome thing, but I'd still try it in a test world. It really does sound biome-specific. If it works fine in a plains, you know that Witchwoods are hot.

 

[Reika]

Depth does indeed affect the temperature, as do things like time of day, weather, and sun exposure. The deeper you are, the hotter it gets.