Micro CoGen.

As promised.

I'm sitting here on an island called Dominica and I've seen dozens of these engines running water pumps, generators and air compressors. The Chinese are building some roads here and it looks like these engines power everything.

I'm really surprised, 20 degrees outside and this thing fired right up with very little smoke. I ran it for about an hour. The oil pressure stabilized @ 90 PSI and the temperature stayed right at 190 degrees.

The solenoid thing on the front of the unit retracts while starting and drops back as soon as you take your finger off the starter. I have utterly no idea what it does. The center button says hold down while starting but it doesn't seem to do much. If you push it  you can hear a relay click inside the box with the meters. If you push the emergency stop button you can hear the relay click again. It does this with no power so it's some kind of mechanical linkage. The emergency stop button on the left doesn't do anything nor do the Murphy gauge contacts so something is amiss.

I traced a wire to some kind of device that is hooked up to the fuel injector so maybe that's the thing that shuts the machine down if you hit emergency stop or the gauges make contact. I'll have to take my meter and see if there's any kind of signal to it. My Fluke meter says the generator is outputting voltage but if I hook a load up there's nothing there and the meter zeroes out. I know nothing about these heads so any advice would be appreciated. I'll take a picture of the wiring if that will help.

I'm surprised how quiet the exhaust is but the engine is mechanically very loud. The diesel knock is quite high. Probably the emergency stop/gauges is a minor deal along with the generator head. I'm thinking I got an OK deal.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Quote from: mobile_bob on December 10, 2010, 09:29:00 PM
600-700lbs

patewieeee, you are just gettin started

it just starts getting exciting when you get over about 1200 lbs.

glad to hear you have your new baby home



bob g

I want a GM90 but don't really want to drive to Canada to get one. I guess it's a bit heavier than this. Any ideas where to get one at a good price in the Midwest?

"oh cool, big metal thing with a diesel engine" must weigh 6 or 7 hundred pounds.    It's sitting on my trailer in the back yard and I have no idea who I can con to help me put it in the garage. They had a small forklift to load it. 

Mark, mind posting some pictures?

--Bill.

Mark, here's a copy of the only paperwork I have: http://www.cumminsgeneratortechnologies.com/www/en/common/pdfs/manuals/bc/TD_BC%20MAN%20GB_01_10_Rev04.pdf It's a copy of what you saw in the picture.

I've never even seen one of these engines before. For that matter this was a total accidental purchase. Sort of a guy thing, "oh cool, big metal thing with a diesel engine". 

Slowspeed's post above has a link to an engine that's similar and this outfit supposedly has parts: http://www.chinadiesel.net/Changchai-195-1100-parts/index.html

I still need to run over and pick it up so I can't tell you much of anything about it. I'm out of the country until mid January but when I get back I'll play around with it some (like I don't have a whole heck of a lot of other things to do).

Quote from: Jens on December 06, 2010, 05:32:56 PM
Let me get this right .... you got a generator WITH a brand name Stamford generator head that has never been started for $500 ??

Well, I'd really hate to overpay for something. 

Unless I've been really steered wrong it seems the Changchai engines aren't well loved. Since I know utterly nothing about these engines then I guess I'll take it partially apart and make sure it has quality bearings in it and is spotlessly clean then fire it up. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't the parts interchangeable between the various manufacturers of these?  If so then I would assume replacement parts if needed could be sourced from a quality supplier. Other than the stock fuel tank and radiator issues, which are easily fixed, what's the real weak point in these engines?

Also, for you genhead experts, what would I need to do to this head to operate at 50hz, 230 volts? Is it as simple as reducing engine RPM and changing a capacitor or is the head more sophisticated than the standard ST?

I also could pick up one of those GM90 Listeroids from Canada and have something that would probably never die.

Thanks, Bill.

Quote from: mobile_bob on December 06, 2010, 05:55:30 PM
you got some interesting options, there

the electric fuel solenoid is something i have not seen done, mainly because the changfa s195 idi engine's don't have the port to install one.

Fuel solenoid? There's no paperwork whatsoever on the unit except the owner's manual on the generator head.

I didn't even note if it's direct or IDI. I'm guessing I'm going to be asking a lot of questions around here.

OK, I offered $500 and he took it. It's a generator with an English Stamford 1800 RPM 4 pole 8kw head so I guess I'll do OK.  If nothing else I can find an old Lister and drive the head. I'm kind of surprised to see a temp and oil pressure gauge.  I was told they paid over $5k for it. If it's electric start, and I assume it is with the S195nm nomenclature, then I have no idea where the wiring is hidden. It's never been started. Anybody have an extra starting handle?

I've played with Listers before, never seen one of these. May I assume a complete tear down, cleaning, high quality bearings and remote cooling is in order?

Here's some pictures:

I spoke to Hardy Diesel about this particular engine since they supply the parts. They said stay far far away from it. I guess I'll leave it with the guy for somebody else.

Quote from: hwew on December 05, 2010, 05:09:03 PM
Your welcome,

It is a PDF file almost 8 Mb. so it might take a while to download.

Henry

Got it. Thank You. 

Quote from: hwew on December 05, 2010, 04:47:53 PM
I will send you a copy of a Changfa manual to your email address. It should help you get started.

Henry

Thank You.

Unfortunately I don't have any kind of manual on this thing so I have no clue how it works. It has a radiator with a fan and what looks like a starting gear on the front but I don't have a handle. Looking at it I think it used to have an e-start but it's nowhere to be found.

The engine is dated 1999 and has never been started. Anybody have a link to a pdf owner's manual and parts list?

I just acquired a diesel engine that says it's a Changchai S195NM. Is this a Changfa or some kind of clone? Is it a good engine or something to avoid?

Thanks, Bill.