Micro CoGen.

Another good argument for plastigage. If you get enough clearance top and bottom and it still binds then adding more shims would not be good. My roid connecting rod was cut so crooked that I wouldn't even think about using the Nip measuring method.

A thousand or two isn't much, you could probably get that with a scotchbrite pad. Its been mentioned before about using a soda can for making shims, I suppose different brands of soda have different thicknesses.

I wanted the water cooled engine too but I hemed and hawed till it was too late. Ive only got it mounted to a piece of channel right now so it vibrates and walks like any other motor mounted that way would. I'm not real impressed with the quality of the engine but the thing might just run forever. It took a minute to figure out how oil gets to the crank journal but its not unlike my old IHC hopper cooled engine where the oil climbs up the gears from the base(cam gear on this one, governor gear on the IHC) and gets pushed into a ring on the crank and centrifugally feeds the crank, there is a roller bearing between the gears and ring on this engine though. I also have an oil ring on my listeroid but its fed by the oil pump. Would love to have gotten a larger Changfa style but I got my fix-- for now.

I purchased a 3.8HP YX165FA air cooled diesel a month ago. Its cast iron and horizontally opposed, looks like a Changfa. Its a cute little engine indeed and I bought it mostly "just because" and also because they're getting harder to find every day, in the US anyway. When I received it, I pulled out the oil dip stick and not to my surprise it had some awful smelling grease type substance on it and when I rubbed the grease between my fingers guess what I felt....yup, sand . After a couple of hours and about 5 cans of Brakeclean the inside was spottless. I found a couple of sand pockets in lower corners of the case. To add insult to injury, the injector pump was stuck hard and I had to completely disassemble it to get it unstuck. Pretty much no support from ebay seller who does not sell them regularly, oh well, buyer beware. It runs good now on my homemade biodiesel has lots of torque and hopefully will do a good job driving a small portable air compressor I plan on building. The manual is in chinese so if anyone knows where to download one that would be great.

I did not buy it from here because its out of stock, but this is what it looks like.

http://www.carrollstream.net/servlet/the-5/4.4HP-Air-Cooled-Diesel/Detail

Veg, that is awesome! and so compact! I want one!

Quote from: Tom T on March 18, 2010, 08:13:56 PM
No Spark I just read your post on the 23 HP Koller I thank  the RV two cyl. generators 7000  are the same block have seen some on Craigs list dont know were you are but we might be able to find you one shiping might not be to bad for one. Tom T

I just noticed I spelled Bolens Bowlens. I've looked just about everywhere for an engine or short block but I've got this diesel thing in my head now. Carroll Streams has a 20hp v-twin diesel for $1700 but thats to rich for me right now. I suppose I could put a Changfa type on it

I've been thinking about building my own blasting cabinet for a year now, it really makes a mess of the yard and me( and the shower). I have a Sears Craftsman 50lb suction type blaster that works great. I would just use this in the cabinet. The only problem is when using Black Beauty a cavity forms at the bottom of the sand tank at the hose inlet. I just give the tank a little kick and away she goes again. Also if a plug forms in the hose or at the nozzle or hose inlet I just put a finger over the nozzle and blow back through the line.

I've been wondering how the Yanmar would fit and work on a garden tractor. I have an old Bowlens HT23 with a blown motor that I'd like to repower and a Kohler 23hp short block is big $,$$$. The Yanmar is rated at almost half the horse power of the Kohler but the diesels got to have some torque. Also 2500 rpm may be to slow for the transmission and attachments, its rated for 3600 but could it be run that fast for long periods?  I can just picture a generator being shaft driven off of the front pto. It may be too big anyways, but it would be cool.

Whats discouraging, is when you braze fittings and they start to leak after awhile. I brazed together a couple of coolant fittings for the 'oid and evidently there were a couple of porous spots filled with flux that later dissolved. That will teach me not to use old brazing rods with the flux half flaked off. 

As far as thread sealing goes, I watched my father-in-law(retired pipe fitter, miilwright) put both thread tape and dope on fittings for years and wondered why until I had to get a well pump fitting to stop leaking, now I do the it on all my fittings. I use PST also.

Marcus, do you mean rheostat or dial type variable resistor? Like this http://cgi.ebay.com/Ohmite-6-300W-Rheostat-Type-N-25-Ohm-3-46-Amps-Used_W0QQitemZ370329832500QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item563960cc34. A heavy duty one like this one would not have to be temporary and I'm considering installing one myself for on the fly fine adjustment of AC voltage and might do what you have in mind.

You probably have what you need for the 6/1 already, you just have to believe that thermosiphon works. Iirc you had a radiator with a port in the bottom you were trying to use as an overflow. Flip that radiator over so that port is on top and use thermosiphon. Trying to rig up a pump now just complicates things more than they have to be. Hook up the pump later when you have the time. Good luck!

Like Geno I fill my sump and tray completely full until its more than half way up the dipper, between 4 to 5 quarts of oil. Its never slobbered or used oil, not enough to notice anyway. Mine also came with an oil pump and filter. About a year ago I pulled the crankcase cover off while the engine was running so slow it was almost stalling on compression stroke, needless to say I don't run it that slow anymore, no splash lube at all at that speed .

I've seen a lot of people use a 5 gallon bucket hung from the ceiling, thermosyphon of course. But then it would be just as easy to start with a small radiator also.

I'm finally writing this under roid/st5 power in my house, and not because of a power outage but because I had to test this thing before an actual power outage which we had last night but not for long. I made some Mac and cheese on my electric range and it was the best I ever ate . It handles the 240v deep well pump easily but the microwave is a no go , in 120v mode maybe, but its a 1500 watt sucker, having a voltage reg may help also since I have to have a field resistor. Running an element on the range does not balance the voltages out, the leg with the most load pushes the voltage up on the opposite leg. Anyways it feels pretty good. I'll be posting with more observations and questions.

I have the same problem with my ST5. Nice and quiet in 120v mode heavily loaded, but the slightest imbalance in 240v mode and it growls real bad. The set screw was loose on mine but it wasn't the problem. I even tore mine down and checked the bearings but they were fine, nice quality sealed bearings. The see-sawing voltage is driving me nuts and the only reason now I haven't powered my house with it. I was thinking about hooking up a computer power supply in 240v mode to try and balance the voltage and give me 12v volts for accessories, if that doesn't work I'll try a transformer.