We are starting to finally have some warmer days so Its time to start on the Witte diesel 12 hp model MD dieselectric plant. This engine has been in storage since the mid 80's in a building in central Indiana when I purchased it last fall. It has not been run for over 25 years.
I brought it back here to IL and it has sat in my garage all winter. I have started to check it over to see what it may need before it is operated. I do know that it does need to have new valve guides or the present ones sleeved or lined.
Today I found out that my Witte has walnuts and acorns in the water jacket. I knew there was some stuff in the water jacket when I looked in the water inlet and outlets with a flashlight. When this engine was in storage the water inlet and outlet were not sealed or plugged. This allowed the mice to make a nest in the water jacket.
I removed the head today and cleaned out the acorns, walnuts and nesting material. This stuff was removed through the water jacket openings in the end of the cylinder block after the head was removed. There is still more to clean out.
flywheel
Witte MD cylinder head and head gasket.
Hi flywheel,
Neat.
I started my BD this weekend and ran it for about 30 minutes. No adventures like yours. The next running will be a 10 quart oil change and new filter. In the mean time I need to rethink where the temperature probes go into the block for the emergency shutdown and gauge. Does anyone have photos of how the factory set the two probes into the block?
Do you have any "overall" photos of your engine and generator?
Casey
The local machine shop has called and said my head is done after nearly three weeks. It was bead blasted, new valve guide liners installed, liners drilled for oiler tubing, new valves, and new valve springs installed.
The valve seats are in very good condition and were reused.
flywheel
How was it that you lucked onto a pair of new valves or were these 'made' from valves originally made for something else? Good luck with this! Should be a sweet engine once finished.
There are still SOME nos parts for the Witte engines still available. The valves I found may be aftermarket, I'm not sure but as long as they fit I'm happy. They do have part numbers on them. Some parts are not available at any price.
Some of the items were found on ebay, smokestak and thru google searching. David Johnson / Wittemania also has many Witte parts and some of mine came from him
New parts I have already bought include a nos fuel pump, two new valves, two new valve springs, piston rings, two injector nozzles - each from a different person. Injector pump rebuild parts are also available but hard to find, my pump appears to be ok.
I have had new head gaskets made in the USA, I will be posting the contact info for that company should anyone wish to have gaskets made. Turnaround time is about two weeks.
You must send in a used gasket or a template to them. They will look over your sample and call you back to discuss it with them and what they will do. In a few days they call agin to tell they are done and you give them your credit card info. Attached is a sample of their work on my Witte head gaskets.
flywheel
This is likely as far as I will dismantle the Witte.
This cast iron base with oil sump is over five feet long and heavy.
flywheel
Aloha Flywheel,
How much further can you go?
Those casters sure are cute. The ones on mine (supplied by seller) are attached much the same way. This is a great way to crack or break the fabulous engine-generator-oil sump cast iron base we Witte owners are so proud of and thankful for. My instruction book suggests placing it in wet concrete or mortar so the entire bottom lip is connected to something very substantial. Mine is the slightly lighter BD model. See Avatar.
Before I had a tach I thought it was kind of neat to slightly over rev it and watch it jump up and down until I noticed the amount of flex that was going through this base. Luck Boy Day.
I almost forgot to tell you that it looks like you're doing a great job. When do you start splashing paint?
Casey
Just like building a new home, we start with the base-ment. A new gasket needed to be installed between the base and crankcase. Coated with dark brick red Glyptal, a nice color.
The original color for the Witte MD is Cooks grey. It will probably be painted with a similar color.
flywheel
My MD engine is completely disassembled so I will try and take pix's of nearly every part and piece for reference. There are many non forum members that do visit this site and look around and may also find this information very useful.
Here are a couple of pix from the head and crankcase end of the water jacket.
flywheel
MD cylinder liner and seal. The liner seal is not the round o ring type like most engines use. The MD seal looks like a large flat rubber band.
The liner is 15 3/4" long and a bit over 5.50" od. The notches on the liner end are for connecting rod clearance.
This liner is in very good condition for being 70 years old, if it is the original liner.
flywheel
Keep these photos coming.
Your work looks fantastic.
Casey
am looking for head gasket for witte 12hp diesel generator serial # 23674 noticed a post about a company that makes them but no contact info. Can you help me.
Have you checked with David?
wittemania@cox.net
Casey
Quote from: jljantz on December 21, 2011, 12:37:22 PM
am looking for head gasket for witte 12hp diesel generator serial # 23674 noticed a post about a company that makes them but no contact info. Can you help me.
Google any of the following.
www.lubbockgasket.com
www.cometic.com
www.gasketstogo.com
I had mine made by lubbock gasket, high quality, $40 plus shipping. You will need to send your old gasket or a good tracing. If your gasket has a fire ring let them know the compressed id of the fire ring on your old gasket.
flywheel
Quote from: flywheel on December 21, 2011, 05:46:14 PM
Quote from: jljantz on December 21, 2011, 12:37:22 PM
am looking for head gasket for witte 12hp diesel generator serial # 23674 noticed a post about a company that makes them but no contact info. Can you help me.
Google any of the following.
www.gasketstogo.com
flywheel
That's something we never got to see was John Belushi wearing a togo made of gasket material. :D
Last year I bought a new panasonic SD600P high Def camcorder. Never owned a camcorder so this is all new to me. This video is the second video I made with it.
This video was made in Feb of 2011,
There is no audio - I'm trying to learn how to use the camcorder. I had to buy a video converter to change the format from AVCHD to Mpeg format so I could post on youtube.
I always timed out on youtube as the files were to large. <iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-_7NfiO3nVk?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It is a walkaround showing the engine before it was taken apart for a rebuild.
flywheel
Oooooo, Ahhhhhh, Wow! ;D
Nice video and darn nice resolution, pretty slick old motor too. ::)
Ron
Quote from: flywheel on January 04, 2012, 09:39:17 AM
... - I'm trying to learn how to use the camcorder. ...
You may have to break down and read the manual! ;D
In the mean time, I'll wipe the drool off my monitor. I WANT ONE!
Quote from: Thob on January 04, 2012, 01:51:13 PM
SNIP
You may have to break down and read the manual! ;D
In the mean time, I'll wipe the drool off my monitor. I WANT ONE!
There is a guy selling a similar Dieselectric setup in Albuquerque for $3k. I talked to him a couple weeks ago, he said the engine was operational, but the generator was no longer hooked up. He bought it from a ranch located near Eagle Nest, NM.
Hmmmmm,
I had a fellow email me this morning about a 12.5 unit only it was in Arizona and priced at $2500. I was going to look at it real hard before I helped him list it here.
LowGear
Quote from: Thob on January 04, 2012, 01:51:13 PM
Quote from: flywheel on January 04, 2012, 09:39:17 AM
... - I'm trying to learn how to use the camcorder. ...
You may have to break down and read the manual! ;D
Its not the camcorder but the size of the file in HD. That video was 576990 kb BEFORE it was converted from AVCHD to mpeg. That video was also NOT produced in the camcorders finest quality setting. I wonder how large the file would be in the 1080/60p setting, the highest quality video for this camcorder.
In the mean time, I'll wipe the drool off my monitor. I WANT ONE!
I suppose I should get back to reassembling the Witte sometime this winter.
Shazaam. Now that is a clean block.
The base in the background looks very nice also! I'll bet it's gonna be a good looking engine!
Nice Job