Soliciting advice

[vdubnut62]

Ok, I am really new at all of this, and I need to pick someone's or a bunch of someone's collective brains.
I want to build a backup system for when the power dies here in good ole Tennessee. I lost everything in my deepfreeze a few years ago, and I don't want a repeat. I have lusted after a listeroid for seems like forever... But I think that I may need something a little different
due to size, weight etc. Maybe I need more than one engine . Reckon I'll be able to sell the little woman on that idea? What about parts for ya'll's favorite powerplants? I have heard of a Changfa, but that is all. I have no idea where to get one, other than Carol Stream Motor Co. on Ebay, but their shipping is a killer! I do know of a 28/2 Ashwamegh (spelling that is harder than Chinese arithmetic) that is within driving distance. I am seriously considering that one and de-rating it to around 600rpm or so. It only weighs about 1500 pounds so I don't think the occasional errant tornado will blow it away.  John F has a few engines, I would love to get a redstone when and if they become available, but again the shipping will kill me! I am looking at a 12kw st head, Georgia generator,(driving distance again) unless one that I am watching on Ebay goes cheap, it's a 27kw Marelli capable of 3 phase or single phase power, I have not heard of one before, but it's close (within driving distance). I think they are made in Italy and parts are available. A couple of my friends are licensed electricians, and  I am a better than average shadetree mechanic, so I'm not intimidated by all the tear down and build back the right way stuff, I know what will kill an engine, and what will make one live, but which engine?  I am a confirmed tightwad, so I will likely try to burn anything oily that will pour, after proper filtering of course. I am dumber than a rock here and I feel stupid asking all this, but I guess most of you will never see me so what the heck.
Anybody have any input?
Ron

[veggie]

vdubnut62

You can't go wrong with a well set up Changfa driving a generator head in tornado season.
Many people have them for that purpose. Very reliable and hard working.

Others on the forum could probably comment on the 28/2 Ashwamegh. I am not familiar.

There is quite a power difference in the various heads that you stated. (12kw and 27kw)
How many Kw's do you need to satisfy your situation? That would help to narrow things down.
Is it home standby power for storm outages?

A 1115 Changfa with a 12kw head sounds like a nice combination.

Good luck,
Veggie

[vdubnut62]

Thanks guys, I've  got the part about "do not run a diesel engine unloaded!" ring chatter, cylinder glazing, coking, etc.
I mentioned the 27kw head because it was close to me, not because I thought I needed one that large. By the way, just what is the
downside to being horsepower limited vs generator limited? I would think that if the generator head was a tad bigger than the engine
could pull, that would just add some margin of safety against overloading the head. If there are other factors that come into play,
please, clue me in.
 Jens thanks for the heads up on the governor situation with the 28/2 I had no idea! Heck I thought that they all had the same setup
with different springs for different speeds! From this I gather that the flyweights are probably too light in the governor assembly?
 As to how big a setup do I really need? Well my wife has never met a kilowatt that she didn't like, she wants stuff like tv, lots of heat,
hot water and stuff. At least my daughter has gotten married, that girl had the concept of a switch, she just thinks they are all one way, ON!
Anyway I am still working on it, I'll get my buddy's fluke meter and do some math and come up with an answer.
 Has anyone piped their engine exhaust through a hot water furnace (waterstove) to try and capture a little bit of that waste heat?
Would a feller need a heat exchanger or just a few loops of 2" black iron? I bet it would just be a matter of how anal one was about
efficiency.
Thanks again, Ron.

[vdubnut62]

Thanks Jens,
Ok I get it, finally. I'm gonna concentrate on just trying to use the electricity first!
  I have an "Evil Plan". I am planning on building a log house up on the farm, and go completely off grid. Her Highness just doesn't know it..
yet. So this is a test bed/learning experience, or maybe just a pipe dream, dunno yet. I do know that otherwise, I will have to run a really long underground electric cable. I don't want light poles in my woods!
  Now what does anybody know about the engines that Bounderdee aka Carrol Stream motor co. sells? What are they?
Who makes 'em?  He says he carries a full line of parts. They supposedly have an integral radiator, so that will have to go because of vibration? He has a 7.7 hp for $569 delivered, the item # on Ebay is 170389242622 now I'm leaning toward one of these and a 5kw st head. (unless someone has a better deal)  But I know absolutely nothing about the Chinese diesels, that's why I am here, to ask a bunch of silly questions.
  Another guy here locally has a bunch of Japanese 2,3,and 4 cylinder diesels starting at $500 for an Iseki 2 cylinder, but I can't
find out a thing about it as far as rpm range or hp. I bet he has 25 or 30 engines just sitting there in the floor, Kubota, Mitsubishi, and I don't know what all.
I'm open to any input.
Ron

[mobile_bob]

from experience go with a 195 changfa or variant if possible, in my opinion it is the smallest
engine that you can get a lot of useful work done for the dollar invested.

in any case, ditch the radiator and waterpump, in favor of remote mounted components

it really comes down to what your needs are, if you are going to try to run offgrid with one of these
engine's, then definetly the s195 is the starting point in my opinion, unless you are superinsulated, got
a wife fully onboard with the plan, have some solar or wind to add into the mix, etc.

start at the beginning and sort out the "needs" from the "wants" and then determine what can be realistically
scheduled and what cannot, and make up a load list so you can figure what you will need at any point in time
average power and peak power.

that will then dictate what engine/generator you will want to work with.

also depending on your climate, it might be that you need a small set for moderate weather, mid for more inclement, and
a larger one for really bad weather?

lots of ways to skin the cat here, and depending on how well you can manage without or with less power will determine how many
options you really have.

bob g