I am an industrial worker during the War of Resistance

Chapter 18 The First Roar of the Diesel Engine
Chen Changzai really wanted to hear Commander Chen's booming voice again in his cave dwelling or in the workshop where he worked, calling out, "Changzai, are you here?"

But now we can't hear it anymore.

He won't be able to hear for at least a few months.

But he truly hoped that he could suddenly hear Commander Chen calling his name again before it snowed again.

That kind of voice that could shake the heavens would make him feel at ease.

Commander Chen has already gone to his battlefield.

Then Chen Changzai cannot be a coward.

He also needs to achieve his own results on his own battlefield.

In the assembly workshop, Chen Chang was carefully adjusting the gaps between each component.

After removing the connecting rod for the fifth time, he saw that the cinnabar coating on the bronze bearing of the connecting rod no longer showed any signs of a dead fit.

He then smiled with satisfaction.

This indicates that after five scraping operations with a scraper, the bearing clearance is now almost perfect.

A thin lead wire that had been hammered flat was applied to the bearing shell with oil.

When I tightened the connecting rod back onto the crankshaft, I tried to turn it, but it wouldn't turn.

Then the connecting rod was removed.

The lead wire, which was three-quarters the length of the connecting rod bearing, had been compressed into an extremely thin sheet.

The lead wire was carefully removed.

He took the vernier calipers that his apprentice had handed him; they were calipers that Chen Chang had made himself.

The thickness of the lead sheet was measured in five sections.

He said to his apprentices who were surrounding him, "You must remember that the gap between the connecting rod bearing and the bearing is generally 50 micrometers, which is between 0.05 millimeters and 0.1 millimeters."

The clearance of the crankshaft bearing is between 0.065 and 0.09 millimeters.

If the gap is too small, it will affect heat dissipation and cause the bearing to seize.

However, the gap should not be too large.

If the clearance is too large, the lubricating oil between the bearing and the crankshaft will escape.

This will reduce lubrication and increase impact, which will exacerbate wear.

Remember? "

"Understood, Master," Chen Changzai's disciples replied.

Looking at the crankshaft of the single-cylinder engine on the workbench, with its shiny surface, Chen Chang smiled with satisfaction.

Chen Changzai put a lot of effort into making this crankshaft.

After this shaft is cast into a steel bar, it is continuously forged under a forging press.

Then, after heating it red-hot again, it is forged into shape in a mold.

Chen Changzai also considered using the steel casting method to cast the steel in one go.

However, the performance of the cast steel produced so far still cannot meet the requirements for engine use.

Therefore, it can only be forged and shaped again.

After forging and shaping.

Chen Changzai made an eccentric chuck so that the connecting rod connection part of the crankshaft could be machined with a lathe tool.

The connecting rod was also machined by Chen Changzai himself. Whether it was the connecting rod bearing hole or the piston pin bearing hole, he machined them all by himself.

Since it was the first thing, Chen Changzai didn't dare to be careless, but he also taught the students while driving.

As for the final polishing of the shaft surface and the hole surface, his students took turns polishing them by hand.

You can't develop a feel for these things without doing them yourself.

The single-cylinder diesel engine designed by Chen Changzai was based on the EH36 model of the later Changchai diesel engine, which was a horizontal evaporative water-cooled 36-horsepower diesel engine with a 135 mm cylinder bore.

It's the kind of engine with a large water tank mounted on its back.

With the advent of lathes, manufacturing mechanical equipment became much simpler.

Now, besides lathes...

Various machine tools, such as drills, grinders, milling machines, planers, and slotting machines, powered by steam engines, gradually transformed from Chen Changzai's drawings into actual products.

And it all started from the successful manufacture of the first steam engine.

Chen Changzai's dozens of students practiced during the day and attended classes with Chen Changzai at night.

No one dares to waste even a single second.

They were like an ever-filling chasm, constantly absorbing and understanding the knowledge Chen Changzai imparted to them.

these past few months.

Many talented students are already able to independently lead teams to assemble and produce various machine tools.

The creation of an industrial product is never something that one person can accomplish alone.

It takes the collective efforts of many people to bring an industrial product to the public eye. Just like this single-cylinder diesel engine that has now been completed.

To make it move, we need to go through the entire process from smelting to casting to machining.

It also requires the cooperation of chemically manufactured fuels, lubricants, sealing components, and so on.

Especially under the current conditions, close cooperation from everyone is needed to complete an industrial product.

Just as cold-drawn metal high-pressure oil pipes, which are extremely simple to manufacture in later generations, would be extremely difficult to manufacture under current conditions.

However, with everyone brainstorming, they managed to make it through high-temperature welding.

On the test bench.

Chen Chang did a final check on the engine's fuel tank, water tank, and oil dipstick.

Make sure all preparations are complete.

At this point, he inserted the engine starter crank into the starter shaft port.

With his left hand, he moved the pressure relief valve open, and with his right hand, he slowly started turning the engine.

At this moment, Chen Changzai did not start the engine, but instead kept the engine rotating continuously in a hand-cranked state.

This is to ensure that the engine oil in the oil pan can fully lubricate every component inside the engine.

Driven by the oil pump, the oil in the oil tank is delivered to the surface of all moving parts through the oil passages.

It provides ample lubrication.

Once I felt it was about time...

Chen Changzai began to crank the handle in his right hand faster.

At the peak speed, he suddenly released the pressure relief valve with his left hand.

Under the inertia of the flywheel.

The engine's exhaust pipe emitted a loud sputtering sound, accompanied by plumes of black smoke.

The first attempt to start failed; the system did not boot successfully.

But that's normal; a new engine can't be so easily succeeded on the first try.

After the engine stops.

Chen Changzai initiated the second startup.

Failed again.

On the third start, the engine, which had been sputtering, suddenly seemed to be startled awake.

It started making a continuous "putt-putt-putt" sound.

The smoke from the engine gradually changed from black to light blue.

The engine gradually became stable after initially vibrating.

The engine started successfully.

However, Chen Changzai did not immediately increase the throttle, but kept the engine running at a low speed.

This is the initial break-in process for the engine.

At this moment, Chen Chang was listening intently to the sound of the engine running.

After listening for a while, no unusual noises were heard, which means that the engine was indeed a success.

Seeing Chen Changzai turn around, nod to everyone, and say, "It's a success," then...

Political Commissar He and Political Commissar Liu, along with leaders and technical personnel from headquarters.

The experienced craftsmen and Chen Changzai's students, who had devoted months of effort to this engine, all cheered excitedly.

"Hahaha, it worked! It really worked!"

Political Commissar He used his only right arm to tightly embrace Chen Changzai.

Even though he was in his fifties, he couldn't help but shed tears when the engine was successfully developed.

He hugged Chen Changzai and kept jumping up and down.

How exciting! This is truly a thrilling moment.

Everyone hugged each other and jumped for joy, celebrating that their hard work over the past few months had finally paid off.

Political Commissar Liu then said to Chen Changzai, "If Old Chen were here and saw this engine succeed, his laughter would shake the roof off."

Chen Changzai also said, "There's nothing we can do. The harvest season for rubber grass is from May to July. If they set off last year..."

They would be stuck on the road by the heavy snow, and even if they reached their destination, they would not be able to find rubber grass on the frozen wasteland.

They're setting off now, and by the time they arrive in XJ, it should be May.

By the time they found the rubber grass, it was also harvest time.

By then, the rubber grass seeds should be ripe.

(End of this chapter)