Micro CoGen.

Ok guys, today's question is: I have an ST 7.5kw generator. Still building the system up but I'm looking into the future and the possibility I'll have unbalanced loads (it'll be wired for 240). So, what type of transformer do I need to balance the load? and how is it wired?

Thanks!

Hey guys, It's been many moons since I posted on here. I've finally put my Cat/Perkins 402d together, mated to a 7.5kW ST head. I'm looking to buy an O-scope but know absolutely nothing about them. Any advice would be appreciated. Money isn't an issue per say but I'm thinking I'd be willing to spend  few hundred $$ Thanks!

Here it is.. (I hope)

Hey guys, I have a friend with a B275 Tractor. He bought it a while ago. It had been setting for quite some time. Following the procedure in the manual for bleeding the system there are 2 bleed screws. The lower bleed screw squirts out a nice stream of diesel while cranking but the upper bleed screw barely trickles anything at all. Any ideas? Bad injection pump? Could the timing be off? I'm thinking maybe someone took the pump off and put it on wrong. There are directions for setting the timing when replacing the pump but I have not looked at that.

The pump is a C.A.V. pump

I'll go read the  "how to post pictures" and come back in a bit with a few pics.

Thanks,
Randy B

Anyone have a recommendation for a "good" battery hydrometer? I've bought plenty over the years from auto parts stores only to have the bulb dry rot on me rather quickly. The last one I bought I made sure to rinse with water after using and it still only lasted about 2 years.

I have a 7.5 kw head that I am wiring up. I do not plan to draw 7.5 kw but lets just say all my freezers, air compressor and AC motor kick on all at the same time and I see an instantaneous spiike of 8 KW. Do I size the circuit breaker for the max possible load? in this case 8KW? (35 amps).

Randy B

I will be using a Lovejoy connector to connect my 3 cyl Kubota to a 7.5 KW ST head. I calculated my torque needs and according to the Lovejoy site the minimum coupler I need is an "L-110". I will need a 1.125 coupler for one side and a 38 mm for the other. Currently I am looking on ebay for "a deal". My question is can I combine 2 different "L" stlye connectors? For instance, can I  join an L110 with a L225? I think I can because I believe the torque value is more or less based on the type of spyder you use between the 2 couplers. Anyone have some insight.

Randy B

Hey guys, I have a 3 cyl Kubota (D905D) mounted to a 5 kw Onan generator. I bought the whole shebang for $250.00. It has all the bells and whistles - radiator, 240/120 outlets, temp gauge, oil pressure gauge etc, and its on a cart! It starts up and purrs like a kitten. The head is a 1800 rpm direct drive unit. The head is toast so my intentions were to take it off and put on a ST head via a Lovejoy coupler. Upon taking off the generator head I found that it was attached to the engine with a piece of thin sheat metal. Here is a picture of the flywheel end with the sheat metal next to it. The round disc was mounted to the flywheel and the gen head was bolted to the center.



Here is a picture of the rotor shaft. It has the coupler on it that bolts to the sheatmetal disc. It appears to be a press fit.



So, my original idea is not going to work. I was thinking of having someone machine a stub shaft for me to bolt onto the flywheel, then mount the ST head via a couple.

2 questions:

1) Does anyone have a better idea? if so, what?
2) can anyone recommend a machinist? I like the work Mike Montieth did but I've been lead to believe he no longer is "in the business"

Randy B

Hey guys, I FINALLY went to crank the Cat engine today and I am not getting any fuel to the injectors. I had read 2 others guys on this forum had the same issue and it was a stuck injector pump. In both cases they said they took the pump to a shop to have fixed. My question is: Why can't I take the pump off and hit it with some penetraing oil?

Randy B

Hey guys, I have a friend with a PMG head from Tom Osborne. The directions say that the PMG pulley/shaft must rotate clockwise (as looking at it). Does this make sense? I thought a gen head could spin in either direction.

Hey guys, Here's an easy question for you all... I went to wire my ST head the other day and none of the wires are labelled as I expected them to be. This is a PowerSolutions head so there is no doghouse on it.There are 2 wires from one coil labeled "Z3" and "V1", the other coil is labeled "Z2" and nothing for the second wire.  Not sure which wires to wire nut together for 240 v. Any ideas?

Oh, and there is a pair of 18-20 gauge wires too, I'm guessing they are a 12v power source?

Thanks, Randy B



Alright, was going to insert pic of gen head but cannot. Can someone give me a quick and dirty tutorial?.. in the meantime I'll search for the answer

Hey guys, Awhile ago someone posted a nice thread of their Cat/Perkins build (This was the Cat that was sold by Surplus Supply a few years ago). In it they listed the special plugs needed for the electrical connections that are on the engine. At the time I dutifully bought those plugs and now they are hopelessly lost somewhere among the spare parts for the Lister, Redstone and Laidong

Can someone post them again? My apologies for not remembering who originally posted this info.

Randy B

Hey guys, What kind of clear fuel line is safe for diesel?
Thanks,
Randy B

Hey guys,  I have a Onan Generator head that has some pretty ugly looking slip rings. I want to buy a comm stone to clean them but know nothing about them. Other than coming in course, medium and fine are all stones the same? Is there a difference in quality in the cheap ones as opposed to the expensive ones?

Thanks, Randy B

Alright, an easy one for you guys. I have a cow mat that I was going to put under one of my stationary engines. Things have changed and now I need to cut it in half. Recommendations on the best method to cut it? Thanks, Randy B

After using the search function and coming up empty.. even though I saw this topic on here several times I cannot find it. What recommendations do any of you have for breaking in a new, virgin diesel engine? Thanks.. Randy B

Any opinions on a Voltmaster generator head? I have a 7.5kw ST head that I plan to add to my little 2 cylinder Kubota but I got to thinking... for less than $400.00 I could get a Voltmaster ready to go!

Randy B

Brief history first: I have a 220 v stick welder and a 220v MIG welder. I have never used a 120v.  My brother wants to get a welder. I told him to get a stick welder first to get the hang of things, then graduate to a MIG. He likes that idea, mainly because a stick welder is massivley cheaper than a MIG and its gases.. and the cart.

My question is: What do you guys think of the 120v stick welders? My brother does not have 220 in his garage and he is waiting for me to wire it in for him. Right now it'll probably be this summer before I make the 6 hour drive to his house. So, in the mean time I was thinking he should get a 120v stick welder. I do not think he will be doing any major welding work, just fixing things like mower decks and maybe welding little gizmos and such onto his farm tractor.

So, what's the verdict? Get a 120v now... or wait till next summer and get the 220V?

Thanks,  Randy B

Seriously, I'd like to know why alot of people think so highly of Changfas. I look on Craigslist often thinking I'll buy one if I see one for sale. But this is why I'm confused. Consider that there are tons of small 2 cylinder "name brand" engines out there like Cat, Perkins, Kubota and Yanmar. They put out about 11-14 hp so you'd be able to run a 5-7.5KW generator head, running about 2400 rpm, give or take.
For the most part, if one of these little engines needs something like a bearing, injector, or whatever, you can just call up the company and have what you need in a few days. I'm pretty sure if I had a Changfa and needed some bearings for it, they'd be hard to come by.. expecially 10 years from now.

I understand that a few years ago when they were legal to imprt they were a good deal, cheap, low rpm and plentiful parts supply. That is not the case today.

So.. convince me to buy a Changfa instead of for instance, a Yanmar like Surplus Center sells.
Inquirying minds want to know

Randy B

After reading of recent failures here of crankshafts, rocker arms etc I bit the bullet and ordered the "complete" spares kit from Central Maine Diesel. It has almost everything in it that you could imagine, except for a crank. I'm looking VERY long term. I worry about simple spares 30 years from now, so I am trying to stock up now. With the EPA banning these type engines, there would not be a  lot of incentive to anyone to stock spares for these. I thought about buying direct from India in the future but if the EPA ever gets an IQ above a snail, they could ban the importation of spare Lister parts into the US...

Anyone have recommendations as to where to get a crankshaft?

Randy B