Micro CoGen.

Sorry for the lack up updates on this project.  Reality reared it's ugly head and I've been working my tail off the last few months leaving little time for hobby projects.  Last weekend I finished up the carb and head install.  Decided to try starting the beast for a short test run before I put all the cooling system and stuff on just in case.  She fired on the second click of the impulse coupler and just purrred like a giant kitten!  That's a REALLY smooth engine.  Amazingly easy to start.  Just a squirt of gas in the primer cup then gently roll the flywheel past TDC until the mag trips and it just starts running.
One of these days I'll get around to finishing her up.  If I can figure out how, I'll upload a video clip.

chris

That's my FB ZC 346 in the other thread.  Yes, there are many in the Tulsa OK area.  Very nice, smooth, well-built engines.  $2000 will get you a project, but you'll be in the $4-5k range for a completely rebuilt and ready to run engine.  I'd be happy to help find one if you're interested as I've made a lot of contacts in the "community" while restoring mine.

Chris

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Last two weeks have been very busy and have only allowed for a small bit of work late at night.  Mostly just cleaning and blasting small parts.  I hope to make some serious progress over the holidays if my phone stays quiet.
I did finish putting the bottom end back together last night.  Con rod is back on the crank and all the gears are back in.  Need to flush the water jacket out one last time, then I can install the head.  I see light at the end of the tunnel!

Merry Christmas

Chris

Throttle body bored and re-bushed with new shaft and butterfly.
Brand new governor assembly.  Old one was missing entirely.
And lastly... Christmas present from my wife: an itty bitty pump jack to run off the Fairbanks 

RCA: Only managed to get one flywheel off.  The other just didn't want to budge and I didn't want to risk breaking it.  Fortunately, it was the non-clutch side which has good access to the back so I was able to clean it very completely and get a nice coat of paint on it.  I did not put anti-seize on the flywheels, but will do so when I put the clutch sleeve back on.  I did use some oil on the flywheel, but was concerned that if I used real anti-seize that I'd risk some movement over time.  Hopefully I'll never have to take them back off!

Chris

Got the big bits blasted and painted over the week.  Now starting the re-assembly process.
I apologize for the purists in the crowd, but I have too darn many green engines already.  The ones that are not green are red so that was out too.  I'll get it put together and see if I like it.  If not, it'll be a lot easier to take apart and re-paint now that all the bits are in good shape.
chris

Thanks Bob. 
Looks like the Sterling is the most sophisticated of the bunch although the Ample Power has a feature that I like - the ability to limit alternator output to allow the prime mover to handle other loads.  They're obviously all targeted at the marine industry but come pretty close to what one really needs for off-grid charge management.  Doesn't look like anyone quite has my idea of a perfect mouse trap yet :-)

Chris

Can someone point me at a really good, full featured controller/regulator for DC charging from an alternator please?  I'm looking for a unit which will properly modulate field current for battery charging that fully implements a proper multi-mode charging algorithm, is temperature compensated, and also has the ability to start/stop the generator system.  I'm sure such a thing exists, but I have not run across it yet.
Thanks,
Chris

What's the deal RCA?  You get iron envy after reading about my Fairbanks? 
Sounds like an awesome rig!  Looking forward to some pictures and a report about how it runs.  Sure hope you can work that large flywheel into the picture.  I have seen engines with an additional support bearing outboard of the flywheel.  I think that was fairly common on some of the really big old engines.  Obviously alignment is critical, but I don't see any reason it couldn't be done if your crank is long enough.

congrats on the new beast!
Chris

Thanks for the suggestions!  It's pretty cold here right now (right around freezing) so I just want to take extra care heating up a hunk of iron that large so that I don't cause enough stress to crack something.
My Fairbanks guru was able to confirm that the fan drive pulley was cast as a single part then broken at the factory for installation.  He cautioned me to NOT break it during re-installation as it is almost impossible to get a replacement and they are very expensive.
Probably won't get to work on this project much during the week, but I may try again on the flywheel this weekend.

chris

Thanks.  I'll just keep sharing my rust porn addiction then...

I have managed to get the pinch bolt removed from one flywheel.  It took a LOT of heat and every bit of force I could apply.  Was just about to give up when it finally broke loose.  No luck so far on getting the flywheel to budge on the shaft though.  I'm going to try a trick I heard about from an old-timer who used to work on very large engines.  When you get to a certain size flywheel, apparently heating the outer rim (very slowly and very carefully to avoid cracking the flywheel) can cause enough expansion to pull the spokes and loosen the grip on the crankshaft.  I think I'll get some heat tape and wrap the rim with it and see what happens.  Sure don't want to break anything!

Chris

Here's an interesting bit of trivia about these Fairbanks engines.  They use a phase change cooling system. The thing that looks like a radiator and has the fan blowing on it is actually a condenser.  The water level is only half-way up the hopper that the condenser is mounted on.  As the coolant reaches it's vaporization point, the steam rises into the condenser where it is cooled and phase changes back into a liquid.  After some thought, I realize this is a very efficient means of cooling an engine.  
Forgive me if I'm not exactly accurate on this - thermodynamics was a LOT of years ago - but if memory serves, raising one gram of water 1 degree C requires 1 kCalorie of energy.  Right at it's phase change point, that same gram of water absorbs 40kCal of energy to turn into steam (and hence liberates 40kCal when it returns to a liquid).  So, this system would seem to carry heat energy from the engine to the cooling system much more efficiently than a flooded radiator and also result in a very stable temperature (if the temperature starts to exceed the vaporization point of the coolant, the cooling capability of the system rises very rapidly as more liquid phase changes to vapor)

chris

Managed to find an original fan guard screen.  It was pretty mangled up, but a few hours with a dolly and a little brazing and it turned out pretty good.  Hole in the middle is to grease the fan bearing.

Dual fuel carb.  Apparently nobody uses the gasoline side and I couldn't find anyone who even knew how it worked, but after a bit of puzzling, I think I have it figured out.  Looks like there used to be a diaphragm type fuel pump built into the end of the carb (all guts are missing currently) and there is a plugged port on the intake butterfly casting that I bet used to be plumbed to the diaphragm to actuate it.
(note plug in "before" pic just to the right of the throttle arm)

Y'all enjoying this?
chris

First pic is the inboard pulley that goes between the flywheel and case that drives the fan.  I am not certain whether it is broken or was cast as a single part then split so that it could be removed.  The faces at the rim are obviously fractured and not cut, but there are bolts on both sides and it is clamped to a machined face on the flywheel.  The manual I have gives no clue - it only mentions the part number for the pulley.  Judging by the rust on the fracture line, it's been "broken" for a long time though.

Next pic is the pitted mating surface of the water hopper after being sand blasted then having a thin coat of JB Weld applied, then filed smooth.

Fan shroud all repaired and painted.

THIS was press fit onto the crankshaft over a half century ago.  It do not come off easily, but it is off at last and is undamaged.  It's the clutch base that the sheaves ride on.  There is a clutch disk that rides against the flat face and another one that runs against another face that goes on the threaded end.