1925 Doble E-20 Steam Car - Jay Leno's Garage

1925 Doble E-20 Steam Car - Jay Leno's Garage — Jay Leno's Garage

Jay Leno's Garage

AI-assisted summary of 1925 Doble E-20 Steam Car - Jay Leno's Garage — original source. Check the original for full context.

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Key ideas

  • The 1925 Doble Model E (chassis E-20), originally owned by Howard Hughes, achieved 132.5 mph in 1925 and produces 1,000 lb-ft of torque directly from a dead stop without a transmission. (0:00)
  • Unlike traditional steam boilers, Doble's flash generator heats only one to two quarts of water at a time across 475 feet of tubing, reaching up to two million BTUs of heat and 750–1,000 psi of superheated steam. (6:58)
  • Doble's closed-loop condenser system was advertised for up to 1,200 miles between water refills, though real-world operation yields closer to 200 miles under favorable conditions. (11:07)
  • To keep the car roadworthy, Leno's team replaced the ineffective factory mechanical drum brakes with modern disc brakes and fabricated two full sets of custom pistons to resolve steam-expansion metallurgy issues. (20:00)

Detailed notes

## Background This video was published on YouTube by the official Jay Leno's Garage channel on April 14, 2014. According to the page description, Jay takes viewers for a ride in the 1925 Doble E-20 steam car—heralded as the greatest steam automobile ever built—which was originally owned by Howard Hughes and reached 132.5 mph in 1925.

## TL;DR Jay Leno showcases the extraordinarily advanced engineering of the 1925 Doble E-20 steam car, originally owned by aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. Using both a complete Murphy Roadster and an exposed rolling cutaway chassis, Leno details how Abner Doble eliminated the flaws of traditional steam cars with an automated monotube flash generator, quartz thermostat controls, and a double-acting four-cylinder compound engine producing 1,000 lb-ft of torque. After demonstrating the multi-step startup ritual and modern ceramic thermal coatings used in its restoration, Leno takes the 2.5-ton vehicle on public roads to showcase its seamless, whisper-quiet acceleration. The feature wraps up with a high-pressure boiler blow-down alongside his mechanic, George Swift, underscoring the garage's mission to preserve lost mechanical history.

## Atmosphere & style The presentation carries an infectious, scholarly reverence for forgotten ingenuity, driven by Leno's conversational enthusiasm and deep mechanical literacy. Rather than relying on hyperactive television tropes or manufactured drama, the pacing is patient and technical, combining hands-on garage masterclasses with an almost reverent road test. Watching it feels like getting a private tour from an obsessive curator who delights in the counterintuitive quirks of steam physics, conveying an eerie wonder as a massive 1920s vehicle sweeps through modern traffic in near-total silence.

## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=0s) The 1925 Doble Model E (chassis E-20), originally owned by Howard Hughes, achieved 132.5 mph in 1925 and produces 1,000 lb-ft of torque directly from a dead stop without a transmission. - [06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=418s) Unlike traditional steam boilers, Doble's flash generator heats only one to two quarts of water at a time across 475 feet of tubing, reaching up to two million BTUs of heat and 750–1,000 psi of superheated steam. - [11:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=667s) Doble's closed-loop condenser system was advertised for up to 1,200 miles between water refills, though real-world operation yields closer to 200 miles under favorable conditions. - [20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1200s) To keep the car roadworthy, Leno's team replaced the ineffective factory mechanical drum brakes with modern disc brakes and fabricated two full sets of custom pistons to resolve steam-expansion metallurgy issues.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=0s) The Doble Model E solved the major drawback of earlier steam cars by enabling key-turn electric ignition without manual torch-lighting or long warm-up delays. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=0s) The custom Murphy Roadster body features the prototype disappearing convertible top that later became an iconic design cue on Duesenbergs. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=0s) Unlike internal combustion engines designed to shed heat, Doble steam propulsion relies on heat retention, running superheated steam at 750°F to 850°F. - [03:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=215s) Costing between $20,000 and $25,000 in 1925, the Doble required dedicated professional chauffeur or mechanic maintenance to run properly. - [03:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=215s) The emergence of the electric self-starter on gasoline engines, rather than inferior performance, effectively sealed the demise of steam automobiles. - [06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=418s) The double-acting four-cylinder compound engine delivers continuous power strokes in both directions, mimicking the power impulses of an internal combustion V16. - [11:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=667s) A quartz-crystal thermostat automatically cuts burner fuel at 750°F because quartz does not expand with heat, whereas the surrounding metal rod does. - [11:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=667s) Exhaust steam drives auxiliary turbine wheels that power the condenser cooling fans, recycling condensed steam back into liquid water. - [16:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=961s) Engaging the handbrake opens cylinder drain cocks to discharge trapped condensation, preventing catastrophic hydraulic lock upon startup. - [16:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=961s) The combustion chamber uses a Space Shuttle plasma ceramic coating capable of resisting temperatures up to 7,000°F to contain extreme burner heat. - [20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1200s) Speed is controlled via a steering-wheel-mounted fine-pitch screw throttle wheel designed to safely meter 1,000 psi steam pressure without binding. - [20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1200s) Unlike Stanley steam cars that lost pressure under sustained load, the Doble's forced-draft monotube generator maintains 800 to 1,000 psi continuously at highway speeds. - [24:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1441s) Jay Leno and mechanic George Swift transitioned the E-20 from a static museum piece into a reliable runner, accumulating roughly 3,000 road miles. - [25:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1525s) A regular high-pressure boiler blow-down procedure is necessary every few hundred miles to flush out hard-water scale and keep generator coils clean.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=0s) The Pinnacle of Steam: Howard Hughes' 1925 Doble E-20

Jay Leno opens in the steam room of his garage, surrounded by steam-powered machinery and historical memorabilia, to present the 1925 Doble Model E (chassis E-20). While earlier steam cars required drivers to manually light a pilot burner with a match or torch and wait ten to fifteen minutes for the system to build pressure, the Doble was a breakthrough: an automobile where a driver could simply get in, turn the key, and drive away. This specific example was originally owned by Howard Hughes, an avid Doble enthusiast who favored the car because it was the only machine capable of matching his Duesenberg in sheer acceleration. In 1925, Hughes pushed this Doble to an astonishing 132.5 mph.

The car carries a custom Murphy Roadster body featuring the very first prototype of a disappearing convertible top, a design that folded flush beneath a rear deck panel and later became the hallmark style on Duesenbergs. Because it delivers 1,000 foot-pounds of torque directly from a dead stop, the car requires no transmission or multiple gears; it uses a direct-drive setup to turn the rear axle. Originally restored as a static museum piece by Arnold Schmidt for the Nethercutt Collection, Leno and his team had to substantially rebuild the mechanicals once they began putting serious road mileage on it, fabricating new pistons and piston rings. Operating the Doble demands a specialized steam cylinder oil to withstand its extreme operating conditions: while Stanley steam cars typically run around 400°F to 600°F, the Doble operates between 750°F and 850°F using superheated steam. At those elevated temperatures, water expands roughly 2,500 times, giving the car its immense power.

Restoring and tuning a Doble is notoriously difficult because standard internal combustion intuition runs completely backward. In a conventional gasoline engine, the goal is shedding heat to prevent overheating; in a Doble, preserving thermal energy is paramount. As Jay explains:

> “Anywhere heat is escaping, you want to seal that up and do what you have to do because the more heat it has, literally, the faster it goes.”

- **Torque:** 1,000 lb-ft produced from rest. - **Top Speed Record:** 132.5 mph set by Howard Hughes in 1925. - **Operating Temperature:** 750°F to 850°F superheated steam (expanding ~2,500 times). - **Chassis Weight & Wheelbase:** 2.5 tons on an approximate 142-inch wheelbase. - **Body Style:** Murphy Roadster with the prototype disappearing soft top and rumble seat.

---

[03:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=215s) Under the Hood and the Reality of 1920s Steam Engineering

Lifting the hood panels reveals a labyrinth of copper and steel tubing, valves, and auxiliary systems that look utterly alien compared to an internal combustion layout. Jay jokes that pulling into a service station and asking an attendant to check the oil leaves them baffled because the actual four-cylinder engine sits at the rear axle rather than under the hood. Despite weighing two and a half tons, the car glides along in complete silence, burning fuel cleanly in a closed system that maintains an internal firebox reaching tens of thousands of degrees.

Operating a Doble involves dealing with mechanical phenomena virtually unknown to gasoline motorists, such as water hammer and high-pressure steam lubrication challenges. Since water possesses no lubricating properties, specialized steam oil must be continuously metered into the steam lines. Costing between $20,000 and $25,000 in 1925—at a time when a contemporary Model T Ford sold for around $260—the Doble was built strictly for the ultra-wealthy elite. The original owner's manual took this reality for granted, featuring a maintenance section explicitly listing chores for the owner's chauffeur or mechanic:

> “In the handbook, it says things for your man to do every day. See, if you had a car like this, you had to have a man who took care of the car.”

Starting the vehicle involved a checklist of thirteen distinct procedures. While running well it offers an effortless experience, keeping it running requires endless dedication. Jay reflects on the sheer volatility of ownership:

> “It's the kind of car when it's running great, it's unbelievable. It's the kind of car when it's running bad, it's unbelievable.”

Steam power had dominated rail and maritime transport throughout the nineteenth century, but the automotive market quickly outpaced it. The true death knell for steam was not raw performance, but the invention of the electric self-starter on gasoline engines, which freed drivers from dangerous hand cranks and made turning a key universal. The Doble represented the final, brilliant attempt to place steam on equal footing with internal combustion.

---

[06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=418s) Abner Doble's Obsession and the E-20 Chassis Architecture

Abner Doble was a quintessential engineering savant from a wealthy background who attended MIT before dropping out to pursue steam power. While a brilliant mechanical mind, he was a terrible businessman who constantly alienated investors. Rather than standardizing a production line, Doble treated every chassis as an evolving experiment, frequently altering engineering designs between sequential cars like E-18 and E-20. His obsessive perfectionism extended to minute hardware details. On the rear deck, the fuel filler assembly is fastened down by thirteen screws—a design choice born purely of competitive spite:

> “There's no reason you need 13 screws. The reason it has 13 screws is Rolls-Royce had 12. So Doble said, 'Hm, well, I'm going to make 13.'”

To clearly explain the Doble's mechanical design without the obscuring bodywork, Jay moves over to an original rolling display cutaway chassis. Rather than using a conventional boiler like a Stanley—which holds 15 to 20 gallons of boiling water in a pressure vessel like a tea kettle—Doble engineered a flash steam generator. The system heats no more than one to two quarts of water at any given instant across 475 linear feet of coiled, progressively sized steel tubing.

When the driver turns the ignition key, an electric Sirocco-style blower fan inside a draft booster unit spins rapidly, forcing air through a carburetor venturi. The suction draws gasoline from the float bowl and atomizes it downward over the tubing coil pack, igniting a burner that generates one million BTUs of heat in just 90 seconds (and up to two million BTUs at full operation). The forced downward draft produces 750 psi of superheated steam.

This high-pressure steam travels back to a rear-mounted, four-cylinder compound engine featuring two high-pressure and two low-pressure cylinders. Because the engine is double-acting, steam alternately pushes the pistons in both directions, making every stroke a power stroke. Jay points out that this constant delivery means the four-cylinder Doble generates power impulses equivalent to an internal combustion V16 engine, feeding torque straight into the rear differential without the need for a clutch or gearbox.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Doble E-20 Powertrain Flow accDescr: Diagram illustrating the operational flow from ignition to direct rear-wheel drive on the Doble E-20 chassis.

subgraph IgnitionAndAir ["Burner Assembly"] A["Ignition Key Turned"] --> B["Draft Booster / Sirocco Fan"] B --> C["Carburetor Venturi"] C --> D["Downward Forced-Draft Burner<br/>(1M–2M BTUs)"] end

subgraph SteamGeneration ["Steam Generator"] D --> E["475 ft Steel Tubing Coil Pack<br/>(1–2 Quarts Heated at a Time)"] E --> F["750 psi Superheated Steam<br/>(750°F–850°F)"] end

subgraph DriveUnit ["Rear Engine & Propulsion"] F --> G["4-Cylinder Double-Acting<br/>Compound Engine"] G --> H["Continuous Power Stroke<br/>(V16 Equivalent Delivery)"] H --> I["Direct Drive Rear Axle<br/>(No Transmission)"] end ```

- **Tubing Length:** 475 linear feet of continuous steel generator tubing. - **Water Capacity Under Heat:** Approximately 1 to 2 quarts heated at any single moment. - **Heat Output:** 1,000,000 BTUs reached in 90 seconds; up to 2,000,000 BTUs at peak operation. - **Operating Pressure:** 750 psi of superheated steam. - **Engine Type:** Double-acting four-cylinder compound engine (high-pressure and low-pressure stages). - **Hardware Quirk:** 13 fuel-filler mounting screws specifically chosen to exceed Rolls-Royce's 12.

[11:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=667s) Engine Architecture and the Closed-Loop Steam Cycle

Jay demonstrates the mechanical layout of the Doble, pointing out that the engine is a direct-drive unit acting straight on the rear axle through the crankshaft without any transmission. High-pressure steam enters the compound engine's high-pressure cylinder first, and whatever steam remains expands into the low-pressure cylinder. Beyond driving the rear wheels, the engine powers an auxiliary shaft running water pumps and high-pressure oil pumps that inject lubricant directly into the steam at 200 pounds per square inch, which is essential because water itself possesses zero lubricity. Upon exiting the cylinders, the exhaust steam hits a draft booster that overrides the electric blower to force fuel into the burner harder and faster. The heart of the Doble's automated temperature control is a thermostat housing approximately six quartz crystals mounted against a metal rod. Because quartz does not expand or contract with temperature changes while the metal rod does, rising temperatures expand the metal, pushing the crystal forward into an electrical contact that instantly cuts the fire once steam reaches 750 degrees Fahrenheit. As the car travels down the road, this thermostat cycles the burner on and off three or four times every minute.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Doble E-20 Closed-Loop Steam Cycle accDescr: Diagram illustrating steam flow through cylinders, auxiliary turbines, and condenser back to the water tank. subgraph Propulsion["Engine & Drive"] HP["High-Pressure Piston"] --> LP["Low-Pressure Piston"] LP --> Axle["Direct Drive Axle & Crankshaft"] LP --> AuxShaft["Auxiliary Shaft (Pumps)"] end subgraph ExhaustCycle["Exhaust & Auxiliary Drive"] LP --> Booster["Draft Booster (Overrides Blower)"] Booster --> Turbines["Twin Turbine Wheels"] end subgraph Condensation["Condensing System"] Turbines --> Fans["Cooling Fans"] Turbines --> Condenser["Condenser (Front Core)"] Fans -.->|"Airflow"| Condenser Condenser --> Reservoir["Water Supply Tank"] end ```

Exhaust steam passing the draft booster is still not finished; it drives two auxiliary turbine wheels that spin the cooling fans behind the condenser. Jay recalls tracking down the original manufacturer in Worcester, Massachusetts, who had produced the turbine wheels in the 1920s. When modern representatives initially claimed they could not replicate them, Jay appealed to their pride: “You know, your grandfather made it in 1925. You mean to tell me this many years later, you can't make something your grand.” Embarrassed by the challenge, the company accepted the job and fabricated new turbine wheels at great expense. Steam leaving the turbines enters the front condenser—which functions like an automotive condenser rather than a conventional radiator—where airflow from the turbine-driven fans instantly condenses the vapor back into liquid water to be pumped through the cycle again.

Jay highlights the intricate auxiliary unit, describing it as the heart of the Doble car containing a 12-volt motor generator, four-piston water pumps, an air pump, and two vacuum pumps, all fired by a single spark plug that lasts indefinitely without failure. While Abner Doble claimed the condensing system allowed up to 1,200 miles on a single water tank, Jay clarifies that real-world range is closer to a couple hundred miles on a cool day, and noticeably less during hot summer driving when high ambient temperatures overwhelm the condenser, forcing excess steam to vent through a safety valve into the atmosphere.

- The oil pump injects cylinder lubricant into the steam line at 200 psi to protect the pistons. - The quartz crystal thermal regulator automatically cycles the burner to hold a steady 750°F operating temperature. - The condenser acts as a closed-loop distiller, turning 750°F–850°F steam back into usable liquid water. - Abner Doble advertised a 1,200-mile water range, but actual road range is roughly 200 miles under favorable conditions.

---

[16:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=961s) Starting Procedure and Fire-Up

Operating the Doble involves an engineered ritual that often baffles modern automotive visitors. Jay jokes that explaining the systems to visiting engineers from General Motors or Mercedes-Benz makes him feel like a big shot despite having no engineering degree. Before firing the boiler, the driver must pull the handbrake lever. In a Doble, the handbrake linkage not only locks the mechanical brakes but simultaneously opens cylinder drain cocks to release any residual condensation accumulated overnight. Jay emphasizes that because water cannot compress, attempting to drive off with liquid trapped in the double-acting cylinders would instantly shatter the mechanical drive assembly.

Once drained, the driver turns on the electrical ignition and lifts an auxiliary manual water pump plunger to prime the mono-tube boiler coils up to roughly 500 psi. Pre-filling the coils with water is critical; firing the combustion chamber dry would immediately scorch and ruin the seamless tubing. Jay flips the switch for the automatic burner, pointing toward a sight glass down in the footwell where a circular vortex of fire ignites. The combustion chamber is treated with a modern plasma ceramic coating originally developed for the Space Shuttle. This coating withstands temperatures up to 6,000°F–7,000°F and insulates so effectively that someone can hold a piece of treated sheet metal directly in their bare palm while hitting the reverse side with a welding torch without feeling the heat.

As the burner warms the boiler, the driver balances steam pressure and temperature before departing. The burner automatically cuts fuel when boiler pressure peaks at 750 psi, requiring Jay to crack the throttle slightly to let off water and allow pressure and temperature to rise in tandem. Once temperature registers around 250°F on the gauge and steadily climbs toward operating range, Jay tops up the water reservoir—joking that he uses "Evian racing water" for high-speed runs—and prepares to drive.

- Engaging the handbrake automatically opens the cylinder drain cocks to eliminate condensation and avoid hydraulic lock. - Manual water pump plungers must build roughly 500 psi of water pressure across the boiler coils before the burner is lit. - The combustion chamber interior is lined with an aerospace-grade plasma thermal barrier coating resistant up to 7,000°F. - Burner fuel delivery automatically cuts off when resting pressure reaches 750 psi.

---

[20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1200s) Driving Experience: The "Hand of God" and 1,000 lb-ft of Torque

Setting off down the road, the Doble operates in near-total silence, gliding into modern traffic without clutch pedals or gear shifts. Jay describes the vintage driving experience: “They used to call steam the hand of God because the torque just pushes you.” Unlike an internal combustion car from 1925 that required double-clutching and grinding unsynchronized gears, the Doble delivers smooth, uninterrupted direct drive. Speed is modulated not with a conventional foot accelerator, but through an inner throttle wheel mounted inside the steering wheel. This fine-pitch screw mechanism controls a metering valve; standard butterfly valves could never overcome or safely meter 1,000 psi of steam pressure without binding or blowing open.

Jay notes that modern disc brakes were added to this particular Doble for safety, recounting how the original mechanical drum brakes once had him sailing helplessly through red lights while apologizing to cross-traffic. Once warmed up, the Doble operates with 1,000 psi of boiler pressure and steam temperatures near 750°F. At these higher temperatures, the steam becomes superheated and dramatically more efficient, allowing the driver to close down the throttle wheel while sustaining higher speeds on less fuel.

Cruising at 60 mph requires barely cracking the throttle wheel. Jay compares the Doble’s sustained power delivery to the popular Stanley steam car. While a Stanley had an evaporative fire-tube boiler that dropped from 600 psi down to 200 psi under steady load—forcing the driver to pull over and wait for steam to recover—the Doble's forced-draft monotube design continuously generates steam faster than the engine consumes it, effortlessly maintaining 800 to 1,000 psi at 65 to 70 mph. Jay glides past a horse on the roadside without startling it, pointing out that despite being officially rated at just 150 horsepower, the engine generates an earth-moving 1,000 lb-ft of torque right off idle, making it one of the fastest and most sophisticated road vehicles of 1925.

- The steering-wheel throttle wheel uses a screw-action mechanism to throttle 1,000 psi steam without sticking. - Aftermarket disc brakes were installed to replace the ineffective factory mechanical drum brakes. - Monotube boiler design enables the Doble to sustain 800–1,000 psi continuously at 70 mph, unlike Stanley steam cars that lost pressure at speed. - The Doble E-20 powertrain delivers 150 horsepower and 1,000 lb-ft of immediate torque.

[24:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1441s) Piloting the Doble and Honoring Its Heritage

Behind the wheel on the open road, Jay reflects on the sheer thrill of operating the Doble E-20, explaining that the sensation differs entirely from any conventional automobile. As steam pressure builds back up, the driving dynamic feels more akin to navigation than standard motoring. Jay marvels at the vehicle's eerie silence under acceleration; as it sweeps past the camera car, there is virtually no engine noise whatsoever. Imagining the car in its prime during the mid-1920s, Jay remarks, “I bet Howard Hughes had a lot of fun in this car blowing off everything else on the road.” Hughes could casually outperform anything else traveling the highways in absolute quiet.

Getting the Doble to run reliably required extensive mechanical sortedness. While the Nethercutt collection had previously executed a beautiful restoration, the car had accumulated very few road miles. Jay and his team took on the challenge of turning it into a true driver, ultimately logging roughly 3,000 miles. dialed-in reliability required going through two complete sets of custom pistons to resolve intricate metallurgy puzzles, as different metals expand at drastically different thermal rates under intense steam heat. Jay takes deep pride in preserving this mechanical legacy, stating, “You know, I consider it such an honor to be the custodian of this car because we've been able to uh to uh fix it and get it running properly.”

- **Driving dynamics:** Piloted rather than merely driven, delivering effortless, near-silent acceleration past traffic. - **R&D and metallurgy:** Solved piston clearance and metal expansion issues by cycling through two iterations of pistons. - **Mileage accumulated:** Approximately 3,000 road miles logged by Jay's garage after sorting the mechanicals. - **Provenance:** Preserved across generations by caretakers including Howard Hughes and the Nethercutt Collection before arriving in Jay's stable.

---

[25:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1525s) The Boiler Blow-Down and George Swift's Handiwork

Back near the shop, Jay prepares for essential post-drive maintenance: blowing down the steam generator. Performed every couple of hundred miles—or roughly every second or third outing—the blow-down expels mineral scale and hard water deposits out of the tubing before they can clog the generator coils. Jay introduces his mechanic, George Swift, crediting him with mastering the complex system. Although Swift came entirely from an internal combustion background, he grasped Doble engineering quickly and rebuilt the engine into peak operating condition. Jay praises the achievement, declaring, “And this is probably I think one of the best running Dobles in the entire world.”

Swift initiates the procedure—what Jay affectionately dubs the "Doble dance"—opening the blow-down valve to unleash a furious blast of hot water, steam, and accumulated mineral scale onto the pavement. Once purged, the burner is switched off, leaving just enough residual steam pressure stored in the system to drive the car smoothly back into the garage without needing to fire up the boiler again.

- **Maintenance frequency:** Boiler blow-down is conducted every few hundred miles (or every 2–3 drives) to prevent hard-water scale accumulation. - **Mechanic:** George Swift transitioned from traditional internal combustion engines to completely rebuild and dial in the Doble power unit. - **Post-blow residual energy:** The car retains sufficient leftover pressure after shutoff to motor back into the garage under its own steam.

---

[26:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1598s) Preserving Lost Technology Over Drama

Jay concludes the drive by contrasting his garage’s philosophy with mainstream automotive television. Rather than relying on manufactured tension or theatrical arguments, he prefers using his platform to teach enthusiasts about forgotten mechanical wonders. Articulating his frustration with modern reality programming, Jay observes, “You know, I watch a lot of the car shows where the people yell and throw wrenches at each other and this kind of stuff and I don't quite get it.”

For Jay, the genuine reward lies in digging into historic engineering milestones, educating viewers on forgotten propulsion systems, and connecting with an audience that appreciates genuine automotive history. Thanking viewers for their comments and feedback, he signs off until next week's episode.

## Notable quotes > [20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=1200s) They used to call steam the hand of God because the torque just pushes you. — Jay Leno

> [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&t=0s) Anywhere heat is escaping, you want to seal that up and do what you have to do because the more heat it has, literally, the faster it goes. — Jay Leno

## Mentioned Jay Leno, Howard Hughes, Abner Doble, George Swift, Arnold Schmidt, Doble Model E (E-20), Murphy Roadster, Duesenberg, Stanley steam car, Ford Model T, Rolls-Royce, Nethercutt Collection, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Space Shuttle

## Video description 1925 Doble E-20 Steam Car. Jay takes you for a ride in the greatest steam car ever built, once owned by Howard Hughes who took it up to 132.5 mph in 1925! » Subscribe: http://bit.ly/JLGSubscribe » Visit the Official Site: http://bit.ly/JLGOfficialSite

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1925 Doble E-20 Steam Car - Jay Leno's Garage http://youtu.be/rUg_ukBwsyo

Jay Leno's Garage http://www.youtube.com/user/jaylenosgarage

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo)

中文简报

1925年多布尔E-20蒸汽汽车 - 杰·雷诺的车库 杰·雷诺展示了1925年多布尔E-20蒸汽汽车非凡先进的工程设计，该车最初由航空先驱霍华德·休斯拥有。借助一辆完整的墨菲敞篷跑车和一具外露的滚动剖切底盘，雷诺详细介绍了阿布纳·多布尔如何利用自动化单管瞬时蒸发发生器、石英温控器控制以及可产生1000磅-英尺扭矩的双作用四缸复合发动机，彻底消除了传统蒸汽汽车的缺陷。在演示了多步骤的启动仪式以及修复中使用的现代陶瓷隔热涂层后，雷诺驾驶这辆重达2.5吨的汽车驶上公共道路，展示其平顺且极度安静的加速表现。最后，雷诺与机械师乔治·斯威夫特一同进行了高压锅炉排污操作，突显出车库保护消逝机械历史的使命。 最初由霍华德·休斯拥有的1925年多布尔E型（底盘E-20）在1925年达到了132.5英里/小时的时速，且在完全静止状态下无需变速箱即可直接产生1000磅-英尺的扭矩。 (0:00) 与传统蒸汽锅炉不同，多布尔的瞬时蒸发发生器在475英尺的管道中一次仅加热一到两夸脱的水，热量高达200万英热单位，并能产生750至1000磅/平方英寸的过热蒸汽。 (6:58) 多布尔的闭环冷凝器系统宣称每次加水之间可行驶长达1200英里，但在有利条件下的实际运行里程接近200英里。 (11:07) 为了保持车辆具备上路行驶能力，雷诺的团队用现代盘式制动器替换了效果不佳的原厂机械鼓式制动器，并定制了两套全新的活塞以解决蒸汽膨胀中的冶金问题。 (20:00)

Reading summary

The 1925 Doble Model E-20 represented the pinnacle of automotive steam power, overcoming the latency and pressure loss of earlier steam cars with near-instant start-up, continuous superheated steam, and massive low-end torque. Jay Leno argues that while Abner Doble's engineering matched or exceeded contemporary combustion luxury cars, its extreme mechanical complexity and exorbitant price ultimately sealed steam's commercial demise. Direct-Drive Performance and Flash Steam Innovation (0:00) Earlier steam vehicles like the Stanley relied on fire-tube boilers holding 15 to 20 gallons of water, which suffered severe pressure drops under sustained load and required up to fifteen minutes to light manually. In contrast, Abner Doble engineered a flash steam generator with 475 linear feet of continuous coiled steel tubing that heated only one to two quarts of water at any single moment. A downward forced-draft burner produced up to two million BTUs, generating 750 psi of superheated steam at 750°F to 850°F within 90 seconds. At these temperatures, water expands roughly 2,500 times, providing sustained operating pressure even at high speeds. Delivering 1,000 lb-ft of torque directly from a dead stop, the Doble required no transmission, clutch, or gear shifts. Power flowed straight to the rear axle via a four-cylinder, double-acting compound engine where steam drove pistons in both directions, yielding power impulses comparable to an internal combustion V16. Originally owned by Howard Hughes—who drove it to 132.5 mph in 1925—the 2.5-ton Murphy Roadster used an inner steering-wheel throttle wheel to deliver effortless, silent acceleration that Leno likens to the "hand of God." The Closed-Loop Thermodynamic System and Automated Controls (11:07) Unlike internal combustion engines designed to shed heat, operating a Doble requires preserving maximum thermal energy to enhance speed and efficiency. To regulate this closed system, Doble created an automated thermostat containing quartz crystals mounted against an expanding metal rod. Because quartz remains thermally stable while metal expands, rising heat pushed the crystals into an electrical contact at 750°F, automatically cycling the burner off and on three to four times per minute to prevent overheating. Exhaust steam from the engine's low-pressure cylinders drove an auxiliary shaft powering water pumps and injecting specialized steam oil at 200 psi to protect pistons against zero-lubricity water. The steam then spun twin turbine fans before entering a front condenser that distilled vapor back into liquid. While Doble claimed a 1,200-mile range per water tank, Leno clarifies that actual driving range is roughly 200 miles in cool weather, as summer heat overwhelms the condenser and vents excess steam into the atmosphere. Rigorous Operating Procedures and Preventative Maintenance (16:01) Priced between $20,000 and $25,000 in 1925—versus roughly $260 for a contemporary Ford Model T—the Doble was built for an elite clientele whose chauffeurs or mechanics oversaw a 13-step starting checklist. Engaging the handbrake simultaneously opened cylinder drain cocks; draining residual condensation was critical, as uncompressible water would shatter the cylinders and mechanical drive assembly upon departure. Drivers also had to manually pump boiler pressure to roughly 500 psi prior to ignition to prevent scorching dry tubing coils. Regular road use required post-drive boiler "blow-downs" every few hundred miles to flush mineral scale from the coils before deposits caused blockages. Leno’s shop also retrofitted modern disc brakes after original mechanical drums proved inadequate at stopping the heavy chassis, and lined the combustion chamber with aerospace plasma ceramic resistant to 7,000°F to ensure proper heat retention. Restoration Challenges and Preserving Vanishing Technology (24:01) Transforming the Hughes Doble from a static museum exhibit into a functional road car required extensive mechanical sorting by mechanic George Swift and Leno’s team. Over roughly 3,000 road miles, they resolved complex metallurgical challenges, machining two complete sets of custom pistons to handle differential thermal expansion under high steam heat. Sourcing replacement turbine wheels also required convincing the original Massachusetts manufacturer to replicate its 1920s work. For Leno, preserving the E-20 provides an educational counterweight to manufactured television drama. Highlighting Abner Doble’s obsessive tendencies—such as adding 13 fuel-filler screws specifically to surpass Rolls-Royce's 12—illustrates how the platform represented steam's final, sophisticated challenge to gasoline before the electric self-starter permanently secured internal combustion's automotive dominance. The Doble E-20 demonstrated that steam could rival the speed, power, and smoothness of elite combustion vehicles, yet its prohibitive cost, meticulous maintenance demands, and manufacturing idiosyncrasies sealed its fate. Leno’s hands-on stewardship highlights both the brilliance of Abner Doble's engineering and the steep operational realities that brought the automotive steam era to a close.

精炼阅读摘要

Jay Leno 介绍了其收藏的 1925 年款 Doble E-20 蒸汽汽车，展示了蒸汽动力在汽车工业演进过程中的技术巅峰及其超越同时代内燃机的静音与动力表现。该车曾由 Howard Hughes 拥有，通过革命性的闪蒸发生器与闭环冷凝系统，代表了蒸汽汽车在被电启动汽油车淘汰前达到的极致工程成就。 蒸汽动力巅峰与历史背景 (0:00) 在 19 世纪主导铁路和航海的蒸汽动力，曾是早期汽车工业的重要路线，但在汽油机普及电启动器后迅速式微。Doble E-20 是挽回蒸汽汽车命运的代表作。不同于早期 Stanley 蒸汽车需花费 10 至 15 分钟手动点火加压，Doble 实现了驾驶员通电扭钥匙即可直接行驶的自动化操作。该车在 1925 年售价高达 20,000 至 25,000 美元，远高于同年售价约 260 美元的福特 Model T，目标客群锁定在极少数极富阶层，原厂手册甚至专门为车主雇佣的全职机械师或司机列出每日维护清单。 这辆底盘编号为 E-20 的车辆原由 Howard Hughes 购置，配装了 Murphy 制造的 Roadster 车身，并带有后来成为 Duesenberg 标志性设计的隐藏式软顶原型。由于蒸汽机具有从静止状态直接爆发 1,000 磅·英尺（约 1,356 牛·米）扭矩的特性，车辆完全省去了变速箱和多挡位齿轮，直接驱动后桥。1925 年，Hughes 曾驾驶该车创下 132.5 英里/小时（约 213.2 公里/小时）的速度记录，将其视为唯一能在加速表现上匹敌其 Duesenberg 的座驾。 闪蒸发生器与闭环循环系统 (6:58) 创始人 Abner Doble 舍弃了传统 Stanley 蒸汽机容纳 15 至 20 加仑沸水的大锅炉，设计出一套长达 475 英尺（约 145 米）的连续盘管闪蒸发生器。系统在任一瞬间仅加热 1 至 2 夸脱水。启动时，电动 Sirocco 风机驱动空气流经化油器喉管吸入汽油，向下喷射并在 90 秒内产生 100 万 BTU 的热量（全负荷达 200 万 BTU），产生 750 至 850 华氏度（约 399 至 454 摄氏度）、压力达 750 psi 的过热蒸汽。在此温度下，水膨胀约 2,500 倍，为车辆提供巨大的驱动力。 动力核心是一台安装在后桥上的四缸双作用复式蒸汽机，包含两个高压缸和两个低压缸。由于蒸汽交替推挤活塞两侧，四缸结构可提供相当于内燃机 V16 引擎的连续动力冲程。为解决水缺乏润滑性的问题，高压机油泵以 200 psi 的压力向蒸汽管路持续注入专用蒸汽汽缸油。废气排出后，先驱动增压装置与带动冷凝风扇的双涡轮叶轮，再进入车头冷凝器液化回流至水箱。尽管原厂宣称单箱水续航可达 1,200 英里，但 Leno 指出在凉爽天气下的实际公路行驶里程约为 200 英里，炎热天气下冷凝器负荷过载则会导致多余蒸汽排出泄压。 启动规程、热控机制与现代维护 (16:01) 与内燃机千方百计散热的设计逻辑相反，Doble 运行的核心在于最大限度锁住热量。Leno 的团队在燃烧室内部喷涂了源自航天飞机技术的等离子陶瓷隔热涂层，可耐受高达 6,000 至 7,000 华氏度的内部极温。为实现全自动温控，车辆采用由石英晶体与金属杆构成的热调节器：由于石英几乎不受热胀冷缩影响，而金属杆受热伸长，当蒸汽达到 750 华氏度时，膨胀的金属杆会推动石英晶体触碰断电接点熄火，行车期间该装置每分钟启闭三至四次。 启动该车需遵循严格规程。驾驶员拉起手刹时，连杆机构会联锁打开汽缸泄水阀，排净积攒的冷凝水，避免因水不可压缩而导致双作用汽缸在启动瞬间发生液击碎裂。点火前还需手动操作水泵将盘管注水预压至约 500 psi，严禁干烧。后期维护方面，为防止硬水矿物质水垢堵塞细小的盘管发生器，车主每行驶数百英里（或两到三次出行）就必须执行一次“排污”（blow-down），利用高压喷出热水与水垢。Leno 团队与技师 George Swift 解决了活塞热膨胀率差异导致的金属冶炼难题，为该车累计行走了约 3,000 英里，使其从 Nethercutt 收藏馆的静态展品转变为可靠运行的公路车辆。 公路巡航特性与直驱操控体验 (20:00) 在道路实测中，重达 2.5 吨的 Doble 表现出不同于内燃机车辆的驾驶质感，车内没有离合器踏板与换挡冲击，行驶过程接近绝对静音。驾驶员通过方向盘内圈的微调螺纹手轮控制蒸汽进气量，这种设计克服了普通蝶阀在 1,000 psi 高压蒸汽下容易卡死或被冲开的缺陷。出于现代道路安全考量，该车后期改装了盘式制动器，替换了效能不足的原始机械鼓刹。 Leno 将 Doble 的动力输出比作“上帝之手”的平顺推力。与 Stanley 蒸汽车在持续高负荷下压力易从 600 psi 骤降至 200 psi 导致被迫路边停车蓄压不同，Doble 的强制通风单管结构产汽速率高于汽缸消耗率，能在 65 至 70 英里/小时巡航时稳定维持 800 至 1,000 psi 的压力。当蒸汽温度达到 750 华氏度以上时，超热蒸汽效率大幅提升，驾驶员只需微开油门手轮，即可在极低燃料消耗下维持高速行驶，展现了额定 150 马力与 1,000 磅·英尺瞬时扭矩相结合的机械实力。 Doble E-20 证明了蒸汽动力在汽车发展史中曾具备与内燃机正面对决的高性能潜力，但其极致的精密复杂性、对专业维护的高度依赖以及昂贵的制造成本，最终限制了其走向大众市场。Leno 强调，修复并运行这台车不仅是为了重现这门失落的技术，更体现了抛开真人秀戏剧冲突、客观记录和传承先锋工程遗产的收藏价值。

Source quotes

[20:00] Jay Leno: They used to call steam the hand of God because the torque just pushes you. [0:00] Jay Leno: Anywhere heat is escaping, you want to seal that up and do what you have to do because the more heat it has, literally, the faster it goes.

Original transcript

[0:00] [Music] [0:05] Look at this. I'm beating a [0:13] Camaro. I pass that Camaro like it was [0:16] standing [0:16] [Music] [0:23] still. Welcome to another episode of Jay [0:26] Lel's Garage. We're here in the steam [0:28] room of my garage, which means [0:29] everything in here is powered by steam. [0:32] We've got all sorts of steam memorabilia [0:34] on the wall. And this is, I think, uh, [0:38] as most people do, probably the greatest [0:39] steam car ever built. No, it is the [0:41] greatest steam car ever built. It's [0:43] called the Doble. It was built by Abner [0:46] Doel. Prior to this, all steam cars [0:48] required you lighting a pilot by hand, [0:52] using a match or torch of some sort, and [0:54] waiting 10 or 15 minutes for things to [0:56] heat up and doing a bunch of stuff. This [0:58] was the first steam car you could get [1:00] in, turn the key, and go. Uh, this car [1:04] is interesting because it was owned by [1:06] Howard Hughes. Uh, Howard Hughes, uh, [1:08] was a big doble enthusiast. He liked it [1:12] because it was the only car that could [1:14] match his Duesenberg in acceleration. He [1:17] went 132.5 in 1925, which is pretty [1:21] amazing uh uh for for a steam car. Um [1:25] we're going to show you how it works in [1:26] just a little bit. This is a [1:28] Murphybodied car. This is the very first [1:31] uh Murphy Roadster with a disappearing [1:33] top. Now, you've seen other cars like my [1:36] Duesenberg. This one here, the [1:38] supercharged car, the green one, that's [1:40] a disappearing top. That was the most [1:42] popular uh body for Duesenberg. But this [1:46] was the very first, this was the [1:47] prototype, the first disappearing top [1:49] car. Does not have rollup windows, but [1:51] the top goes down into the back as well. [1:54] It's really fast. It makes a,000 [1:56] foot-pounds of torque from rest. Uh [1:59] there is no transmission in the car. It [2:01] is direct drive. If you have so much [2:03] torque, you don't need uh gears to help [2:05] transmit the power. This car was [2:07] originally restored by the Nether Cut [2:10] collection. My friend Arnold Schmidt did [2:12] most of the work on this and he did a [2:14] beautiful job, but it was primarily a [2:16] show car. Once we got it and we started [2:18] putting a lot of miles on it, uh we had [2:21] to do a little bit of work to it. We [2:23] made new pistons for it, new rings, uh a [2:26] few other things. This requires a [2:29] very unique blend of steam oil. Most [2:33] Stanley's most steam cars run in the 400 [2:37] degree range, 600°ree range. This runs [2:40] it's 750 to 850° superheated steam. So [2:44] that's what makes it so powerful. I [2:46] think steam expands like 2500 times at [2:50] that at that temperature. That's what [2:52] makes this car so powerful. Um, I'm [2:55] going to show you how the car works in [2:57] just a minute because we have a display [2:59] chassis which makes a little bit easier. [3:01] It is the most complex car to restore [3:05] because everything you think you know [3:08] about uh internal combustion engines [3:10] does not apply here. Most cars uh you're [3:14] trying to get the heat out of the [3:15] engine. This car you're trying to keep [3:17] the heat in the engine. Anywhere heat is [3:19] escaping, you want to seal that up and [3:21] do what you have to do because the more [3:23] heat it has, literally, the faster it [3:26] goes. Uh, let me show you what it looks [3:28] like under the [3:35] hood. Now, although it looks like it [3:37] might be a show car under the hood here, [3:39] it's really not. Uh, we run this car a [3:41] lot. I was running it just yesterday, so [3:43] it's it's a little bit grimy. The engine [3:45] itself is in the back of the car, and [3:47] I'm going to show you that in just a [3:49] minute. I just wanted to show you an [3:50] overview of of what uh what it looks [3:53] like when you open the hood. It's very [3:54] funny when you pull in the gas station [3:56] cuz, hey, could you check the oil? Well, [3:58] they have they have no idea what they're [3:59] doing. It doesn't look like any sort of [4:02] normal car in any way. Uh I think it's a [4:05] great looking car. Uh what's it about [4:07] 142 inch wheelbase? It's a big car and [4:10] as I said, it weighs 2 and 12 tons, but [4:13] it's completely silent. Being a closed [4:16] system, it burns all the fuel. You have [4:19] a 30,000 degree fire in here. Let's show [4:21] you the other side. Show you what that [4:23] looks like under the [4:25] hood. I love the big drum headlights. [4:29] That's something kind of unique to the [4:31] 20s. This is the other side under the [4:34] hood. [4:37] sort of a dizzying array of stuff. You [4:40] have no idea what it is. You know, when [4:43] you get one of these, there's really no [4:44] instruction book. You have to kind of [4:47] find your way. But it's it's fascinating [4:50] technology. And once you begin to [4:52] understand it, it all sort of falls into [4:54] place. But you have problems in these [4:57] you wouldn't have with an internal [4:59] combustion engine. Water hammers and [5:02] lubrication problems. And water is not a [5:04] lubricant at all. So, you have to inject [5:06] a little steam [5:09] oil. This car was a pretty expensive [5:12] car, something like 20 or $25,000. In [5:15] 1925, when a Ford was $260, in the [5:19] handbook, it says things for your man to [5:22] do every day. See, if you had a car like [5:24] this, you had to have a man who took [5:25] care of the car. So, it says things for [5:28] your man to check on a daily [5:30] basis. Starting the car. Look, there are [5:35] only really only 13 steps to starting [5:38] the car. Couldn't couldn't be simpler. [5:41] It's just just a lot of stuff you have [5:43] to deal with. You know, it's the kind of [5:45] car when it's running great, it's [5:49] unbelievable. It's the kind of car when [5:50] it's running bad, it's unbelievable. Oh [5:53] my god, the problems we've had in this [5:55] thing. But it's been exciting. It's been [5:57] a lot of fun and it's such a labor of [6:00] love to restore and it's a real piece of [6:02] history. It's just such a quirky [6:05] automobile. Steam was dead by 1925. It [6:08] was over and this is that last gas uh [6:12] attempt. Uh you know, from about the [6:16] early 1800s up until 1910, steam was [6:20] king. Steam ran everything, trains, [6:22] boats. So, it seemed like the best way [6:24] to go. But the internal combustion [6:26] engine when it came out, uh, it moved so [6:29] quickly. And then the thing that really [6:31] did the steam car in was the electric [6:33] starter where people could get in the [6:34] car, you know, press a button and the [6:36] car would start and go. They didn't have [6:37] to get down there and crank it and break [6:39] their arm or break their thumb. Uh, that [6:41] was really the death nail. But this was [6:44] the last gasp, the last chance to try [6:47] and make the steam car something to to [6:50] rival the uh gas car. And this is [6:53] probably the only steam car that ever [6:54] did. No one's ever done a better job of [6:58] building a steam car than Abner Doel, [7:00] who was a quirky guy. He came from a [7:02] wealthy family. Uh he went to MIT as a [7:05] young man. I believe he dropped out. Um [7:08] he wasn't a very good businessman. Liked [7:10] Preston Tucker like some of these other [7:12] guys. Uh he kind of got into some kind [7:15] of stock manipulation thing. Whether [7:18] he's guilty or not guilty, I don't know. [7:19] But you know that deal we of using money [7:21] from this guy's car to build that guy's [7:23] car. He was not a businessman. He was an [7:26] engineer. And I somewhat of a [7:28] chromoginly guy. Every car he built was [7:31] different. E18. This is E20. These cars [7:34] are completely not completely different [7:36] but different enough. I mean Abnado [7:39] would build a car. Investors would say [7:40] this is perfect. Let's build. I want to [7:42] make some changes on the next one. [7:44] Don't. So consequently, each car was [7:46] handbuilt and no two cars are the same. [7:50] Uh the fuel delivery system a little bit [7:52] different in that one than it is in this [7:53] one. Uh but this is the pinnacle 1925 [7:57] and I think this is the the best one he [7:59] ever built. Uh cuz hey, it was good [8:01] enough for Howard Hughes. As you can [8:03] see, it's a two-seater, but it has a [8:06] rumble [8:08] seat. Comes out this way. This goes like [8:12] that. [8:15] And you can put people back there. [8:17] That's real safe, huh? Yeah. But that's [8:19] So it turns into a four-seater car. It's [8:22] uh kind of cool. Then your top comes up. [8:25] This opens this way. And the top comes [8:27] up as well. This is your fuel filler [8:29] here. Your gas cap for lack of a better [8:31] word. Why they put the gas gauge back [8:34] here makes no sense to me, but it is. [8:37] But as you can [8:39] see, there are 13 screws holding this [8:42] on. There's no reason you need 13 [8:44] screws. The reason it has 13 screws is [8:47] Rolls-Royce had 12. So Dol said, "Hm, [8:50] well, I'm going to make 13." So he put [8:53] 13. I It's one of those weird [8:57] Okay, I don't get it. But that's that's [9:00] all right. So you want to take that off. [9:02] You're going to be there all afternoon. [9:04] But let's go over and show you the [9:06] chassis and show you how that works. We [9:08] have this chassis because it's a lot [9:10] easier than trying to visualize what [9:12] we're talking about here. This is a [9:14] cutaway chassis of a double steam car. [9:17] Let's explain how it works. You turn on [9:20] your ignition. You turn on your [9:22] key. An electric fan spins down here in [9:25] this what's called the draft booster. [9:27] You might think of it as a supercharger. [9:29] A shurocco type fan. It spins quickly [9:32] forces air through the venturi of the [9:35] carburetor. as it goes through the [9:36] venture of the carpet, picks up speed, [9:38] suction, pulls gas from the float bowl, [9:42] throws the gas into here. Now, what you [9:44] have here, you see 475 linear feet of [9:47] steel boiler tubing. This is not a [9:49] boiler. This is a steam generator. A [9:52] boiler is where it's like a tea kettle. [9:54] You heat up 15 gallons of water at a [9:56] time. This you're never heating up more [9:58] than a quart or two at a time. Two [10:01] quarts at the most, but a little little [10:03] over a quart. Okay. heat is forced down. [10:06] Most steam cars, the heat comes out from [10:08] the bottom. This heat is forced down. [10:10] You have this tubing which gets smaller, [10:13] produces 750 lbs per square inch of [10:16] superheated steam. A million BTUs in 90 [10:19] seconds. When this thing is really up [10:21] and running, it's making about 2 million [10:22] BTUs, but initially a million BTUs of [10:24] heat. Heat comes back, steam comes back [10:27] here, hits your compound engine. This is [10:30] a fourcylinder compound engine with a [10:32] high pressure piston and a low pressure [10:34] piston. Now what that means is you have [10:37] four cylinders, but the steam pushes on [10:41] both sides. Steam pushes it up, steam [10:43] pushes it back. An internal combustion [10:46] engine, it's 1 2 3 bang 1 2 3 4 bang 1 2 [10:48] 3 4 bang. This every stroke's a power [10:51] stroke. So I think it's safe to say you [10:54] would have the same number of power [10:55] impulses that you would have in a V16 [10:59] engine. I think that's fair to say. [11:01] Because steam makes so much torque, [11:02] there's no transmission. It's direct [11:05] drive to the rear wheels. And let me [11:07] show you how this works. Here we go. [11:09] Press this button [11:11] here. All [11:12] right. That shows you how the engine [11:18] works. See, it's direct drive to [11:23] essentially your [11:25] axle right here. Your crankshaft is [11:28] here. And there's your uh direct drive [11:30] right there. Now, the way it works is a [11:33] steam steam gets used a lot. It comes [11:36] through here, goes through the [11:37] high-pressure piston. What steam is left [11:39] over leaks over to the low pressure [11:41] piston. Uh then the steam is not done [11:44] yet. Notice we're also driving right [11:47] here. Besides driving the rear wheels, [11:50] we're also driving an auxiliary shaft. [11:53] And this shaft runs your water pumps and [11:56] your oil pumps that pumps oil into your [11:59] steam engine because as we said before, [12:01] water is not a lubricant. So the the [12:03] steam gets pumped in under extremely [12:06] high pressure, 200 lb per square inch. [12:08] Okay. Now the steam once it exits the [12:10] engine, it comes back up here, hits the [12:13] draft booster again, overrides the [12:16] electric engine, and forces gasoline [12:19] into the engine harder and faster. Uh [12:22] now here's the real genius of this [12:24] thing. This is your control unit. This [12:26] controls as you see all pressure and [12:28] functions of the water pump. In here you [12:31] have [12:32] about six pieces of crystal about this [12:36] big and it sits on a metal shaft and [12:41] since glass is not expand or contract [12:43] but metal does. What happens is, let's [12:45] say my finger's the crystal. Okay? As it [12:48] gets hot, the metal expands, pushes the [12:51] crystal forward, hits this contact, [12:53] shuts off the fire. That's how you [12:55] regulate it. Then it cools, fire comes [12:58] back on. So, as this goes down the road, [13:00] you hear kind of [13:02] a maybe three or four times a minute as [13:05] the fire comes on and off. Okay? Uh [13:08] that's how you control the the fire. [13:11] That's how you keep it at 750 degrees. [13:14] But the steam is not done yet. The steam [13:16] then exits there and hits these two [13:20] turbine wheels. Uh those two turbine [13:23] fans. [13:25] Um you know, these were built by a [13:28] company in Worcester, Massachusetts way [13:30] back in the 20s. The company was still [13:33] in business and I called them up and I [13:35] said, "Hey, I need some turban uh I need [13:38] some turbine wheels. Can you make them?" [13:40] Nah, we can't make those. And I kind of [13:43] shamed the guy. I said, "You know, your [13:44] grandfather made it in 1925. You mean to [13:46] tell me this many years later, you can't [13:48] make something your grand." So, finally [13:51] we they they were so embarrassed. All [13:52] right. Send us the we we'll make another [13:54] turbine. So, they made the turbine [13:55] wheel. I mean, they were crazy [13:57] expensive. But anyway, these two spin, [14:00] okay, it spins the fan. Okay. Then the [14:03] steam exits there, goes here into the [14:06] condenser. This is not a radiator. It's [14:08] a condenser. The steam goes in there and [14:11] the steam is cooled immediately by the [14:13] fan from the turbine wheel. Now, you [14:16] remember that little experiment uh you [14:17] might have done in science class where [14:19] you heat the water and you hold the [14:20] plate and the steam goes up and hits the [14:22] plate and then comes back down and as [14:24] rain or comes down as water. That's [14:26] basically what this and you reuse the [14:28] steam over and over again. So, you know, [14:29] this thing is so complicated. Okay, now [14:32] you have to lubricate it. So, what you [14:33] have here, this is your auxiliary unit. [14:36] Okay, it says this. The heart of the [14:39] doable car. This unit contains a 12volt [14:41] motor generator, four piston water [14:43] pumps, air pump, two vacuum pumps, and a [14:46] partridge in a pear tree. But you only [14:49] have one spark plug. How easy is that? [14:52] And these spark plugs last the life of [14:54] the car. I've had the plug in my other [14:56] doil for 10 years. It's fine. Nothing [14:58] ever goes wrong with it. That's [15:01] basically how it's supposed to work. And [15:05] on a good day, you can get it all [15:07] working. Do says you're supposed to get [15:09] about 1,200 miles on a tank of water. No [15:11] way. No way. Uh the most you might get [15:15] is a couple of hundred on a cool day. In [15:18] the summer, you get less because [15:21] uh it's not condensing. It's it's, you [15:24] know, you're putting 850 750 850 degrees [15:28] of steam into there. On a cool day, [15:30] it'll cool it and turn it back into [15:31] water. Sometimes it overrides it. that [15:33] has a safety valve and if it if it can't [15:36] condense at all it just vents to [15:38] atmosphere. But that's basically the way [15:41] it works. Uh what you have here is when [15:44] you start the car you pull this up that [15:46] engages your manual water pumps with [15:49] which fill these tubes with water before [15:53] you start. You don't want to turn on [15:55] your fire with no water in there because [15:57] you will scorch the tubes basically. Uh [16:01] but that's kind of how it works. Did you [16:04] follow that? Is that a little confusing? [16:06] It is. And the fun thing about these is, [16:09] you know, even uh we've had engineers [16:11] from General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and [16:13] you get to be a big shot. Well, let me [16:15] explain that to you guys again. You [16:17] know, I didn't go to engineering [16:19] college. I don't know. But when you work [16:20] with these, it's great fun. But you'll [16:23] be amazed at how much torque it has uh [16:25] and how powerful it is. You know, the [16:28] advantage is there's no shifting. You [16:31] just get in and you go. You step on the [16:34] gas or you open the throttle and you [16:36] pull away. You know, don't forget [16:40] 1925, you're grinding gears and pushing [16:42] clutches and all that kind of thing. [16:44] None of that. It's just direct drive. Uh [16:49] the disadvantage is the engine is always [16:51] engaged. There's no neutral. But, you [16:53] know, it's probably time to put this all [16:55] into practice and uh take it for a ride. [16:58] Now, the first thing you want to do when [16:59] you get in a doable steam car, I see [17:02] people much shorter back then. You pull [17:04] the handbrake cuz what that does is not [17:07] only works the handbrake, it also opens [17:10] the drain which means any water [17:12] that's in the cylinder that's left [17:14] overnight will drain out. Because, as [17:16] you know, water cannot compress. And if [17:18] you try to pull away with water in the [17:19] cylinder, boom, you just break [17:21] everything. Okay, first thing we do [17:24] is turn on the ignition. And I turn on [17:26] my water pump by pulling up this [17:28] plunger. You hear water [17:31] pumping. Okay, see the see the pressure [17:33] climbing. Okay, that's [17:35] water. It's about [17:39] 500. Put the pumps [17:42] down. And I turn on the burner and watch [17:45] the window down there. [18:02] Now, we don't want to pull away until I [18:04] have temperature reading [18:09] here. Pressure shuts off at [18:12] 750. See? So, I will crack it just a [18:15] hair. Let some water out. pressure goes [18:17] away. Pressure and temperature start to [18:20] build up again together as a [18:24] unit. Now, when you see that fire in the [18:27] window, you see the fire going in a [18:28] circular [18:29] motion. That uh cream colored paint you [18:33] see on the [18:34] inside, that's a plasma coating that uh [18:38] just works phenomenal. It's good for [18:40] about 6 or 7,000 degrees. We put that [18:43] it's a spa, it's kind of space shuttle [18:45] material. [18:46] And uh we got them a plasma coating [18:49] company. They put it on with a laser and [18:52] you can put on a piece of metal, put [18:53] that on there, put the piece of metal in [18:55] your hand, hold a welding torch to it, [18:57] and the heat doesn't come through. So, [18:59] it's worked terrifically for this [19:01] because you've got, as I said, [19:05] 3,000°. If you want to know more about [19:07] that plasma [19:09] coating, look up the other do we did the [19:11] web shoot on. We show we showed you [19:13] there how it was done. [19:15] Okay, I'm just trying to get a lot of [19:17] heat in it. [19:19] Now, this one here is pressure. You [19:22] haven't seen the temperature needle yet. [19:23] It'll come up in a minute. Okay, it's [19:25] starting to come up now. Here it is. See [19:28] here, we're at [19:35] 250. Top it off with water. [19:43] Now, if you want to go fast, we use [19:44] Evian racing water. No, not really. [19:47] That's just being [19:49] stupid. And we are ready to [20:00] motor. The amazing thing is just how [20:02] quiet it [20:04] is. They used to call steam the hand of [20:07] God because the torque just pushes you. [20:10] You're not letting out a clutch or [20:12] anything like that. Right now, my [20:13] temperature gauge about 650. See, the [20:16] hotter it gets, the more I can close the [20:18] throttle because I'm using the steam [20:20] more efficiently. I'm so glad we put the [20:23] disc brakes on this thing. Oh my god. I [20:24] used to go sailing through red lights. [20:26] Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me. Sorry. [20:29] Sorry. Steam car. No, those glass [20:31] crystals I spoke about work perfectly. [20:34] kind of makes you wonder what uh what [20:36] they can do with modern technology and [20:38] computers and stuff with steam. Now, [20:41] there's no gas pedal in this car. As you [20:43] can see, I'm controlling the throttle [20:44] through this inner wheel. The reason you [20:47] have that is [20:48] because there's no butterfly valve. With [20:51] 1,000 lbs of steam pressure, it could [20:53] hold it open. So, this works on a sort [20:56] of a screw in screw out technology here. [20:59] Well, you literally glide through modern [21:00] traffic. There's no noise. Imagine back [21:03] in the 20s when cars are pretty noisy, [21:05] they backfired and all kinds of things [21:07] like that. This thing was dead silent. [21:10] Okay, now everything's getting nice and [21:12] hot. You'll notice I have almost 750° of [21:16] steam and 1,000 lbs of [21:19] pressure. Now that it's warming up, I'm [21:23] using my steam more efficiently, so I'm [21:26] using less fuel. [21:37] The amazing thing about this vehicle is [21:39] you're able to maintain steam pressure. [21:41] You know, with a Stanley steam car, if [21:43] you had 600 lb and you're going down the [21:45] road, you could not make steam faster [21:48] than you're using it. This you can't. [21:50] Stanley have 500, 400, 300, 200, then [21:52] you have to pull over, build up a head [21:54] of steam, and pull away again. With this [21:55] thing, you can go 65 70 miles an hour [21:59] and maintain a,000 pounds or between [22:02] maybe 800 and 1,000 lbs of pressure. [22:20] That's vacuum [22:23] there. And when I shut off the [22:28] throttle, I'm now pulling water [22:31] in. It's such an eerie sensation to have [22:34] so much torque. It's so little throttle. [22:36] You just touch the throttle and you get [22:38] this tremendous [22:40] shove. Although this thing is only rated [22:42] at 150 horsepower, it's a,000 foot-lbs [22:46] of torque. [22:54] And unlike a gas car watch, it doesn't [22:56] scare the [22:59] horses. See, that horse never knew I [23:01] went by. I would say she's fully warmed [23:04] up now. And I just barely have to crack [23:06] the throttle to maintain 40 or 50 miles [23:08] an hour. [23:19] Believe me, this was a very fast car [23:20] back in 1925. There weren't many cars [23:23] that could do a mile a minute. [23:55] As you can see, 60 mph is no [23:58] problem. And the more you maintain that, [24:01] the higher your pressure will build [24:02] again. [24:09] You know, it's really an exciting car to [24:11] drive. You don't drive it so much as [24:12] sort of pilot it. It's uh it's just so [24:16] different. You know, I consider it such [24:18] an honor to be the custodian of this car [24:20] because we've been able to [24:23] uh to uh fix it and get it running [24:27] properly. Um it was done nice before, [24:30] but it didn't have a lot of miles on it. [24:31] We put about 3,000 miles on it. Uh we've [24:35] been through two sets of pistons until [24:37] we got something that fit exactly right [24:39] and got the metal energy right. You [24:41] know, you got different metals expanding [24:43] at different levels and it it's very [24:45] confusing. It took a lot of work, but [24:47] I'm glad we got there. The guys did a [24:50] great [24:53] job. See, when they pass the camera car, [24:56] there's no sound at [25:02] all. I bet Howard Hughes had a lot of [25:04] fun in this car blowing off everything [25:06] else on the [25:09] road. Now, even when it was new, this [25:11] car was something special cuz each owner [25:14] saved it and preserved it for the next [25:17] guy. Another cut, of course, went above [25:19] and beyond when they restored this [25:21] thing. Did just a beautiful [25:25] job. What we're going to do now is what [25:27] they call blow down the engine or blow [25:30] down the steam generator. You do this [25:31] every couple of hundred miles or maybe [25:33] every second or third time you take it [25:35] out. This gets all the scale out of the [25:37] pipes out of the steam drainer. This is [25:39] George Swift. George uh when we started [25:42] George didn't know anything about steam [25:43] engines and he's become sort of a master [25:45] doable mechanic. He rebuilt this motor [25:47] and got it to where it's running now. So [25:49] he's done a terrific job and uh he came [25:52] from the internal combustion world. So, [25:54] we had to, but uh he picked it up pretty [25:57] quickly. And this is probably I think [25:59] one of the best running doles in the [26:00] entire world. When we take it out, we [26:02] put 3,000 miles on it and it runs [26:04] terrific. So, we can thank George Swift [26:06] for that. But he'll show you how we blow [26:08] it down now. Go ahead, [26:12] George. Now, we do the double dance. [26:17] [Music] [26:26] What that does is blow all the scale. [26:28] You know, if you got hard water, that [26:30] blows all the scale out of it. And now [26:32] we're ready to uh put it back. I can [26:34] shut it off and I'll have enough uh [26:36] power to get me back into the [26:38] garage. Well, I hope you like this [26:40] little bit of history lesson on steam [26:42] cars. you know, I watch a lot of the car [26:44] shows where the people yell and throw [26:45] wrenches at each other and this kind of [26:47] stuff and I don't quite get it. So, we [26:49] try to highlight or educate a little bit [26:52] to folks to some of this lost [26:53] technology. And uh I we hope you [26:55] appreciate it. We really enjoy doing it [26:57] and uh we enjoy reading your comments [26:59] and hearing from you. So, uh that's what [27:02] we'll keep doing here. We'll see you [27:03] guys next week. Thanks. [27:10] [Music]