Common possible engine options

[cschuerm]

I keep reading all the discussion about engine options for ng use.  I'm surprised that there is so little interest in playing with oilfield engines?  They seem to meet all the desired criteria: slow speed, big flywheels, hell-fer-stout, readily available, good parts supply, many 10-30hp models....  I'm thinking about the Arrow, Lufkin, Kubota, Fairbanks, Ajax, Witte engines.  They're expensive new, but there's tons of used ones in all shapes, sizes, and conditions available.
For example, try this site and click on "Natural Gas Engines"
http://www.powerzoneequipment.com/

chris

[LowGear]

Wow!

What a neat site.  Arrow sure kept the Witte look going.

So if you're not on "main street" what do you do?  How convertible are these to diesel?

Casey

[BioHazard]

I think many of us are trying to move away from the old, obsolete engine designs. Even an old, used up and needing completely rebuilt Arrow engine will cost a few grand. In useable condition they bring more than $10,000 on ebay. I don't even want to guess what they cost new or parts cost...and where do you get them, besides the Arrow company?

If I used an old car engine, I can find one in running shape for $300, and get parts at any local car dealer.

Sure, I'd love to have an old Arrow engine pumping away somewhere, but I'd also love a new Ferrari and a speed boat...

[wiebe]

The outsider here are the europeans here .
I am very strange looking at this post and the above post.
Everybody is loving a lister but what is the speed of the piston ,its got a big stroke.
And is it so good on longlivety .
I am seeing lots of trobbels with a fake lister klone .more then with a chanfa type engine .

On youtube there are many movies with traktors,diesel and petrol 2cil deere and other makes.
Issent that a place to look for an dependeble engine .
Low on rpm high on torc .

i work on a indoor gokart track as a mecanic for more then 10 jear,and the honda engine is the best there is.
The old expensive ones ,we drive the shit out of them .
they run on lpg  ,no govener anymore,with silicone oil seals and the valve stem bearing??replaced from a copperbrons ?one .

the honda gx 200 ,take a head vrom a 160 and there is more compression .
compression is a bit to regulate with the thin gx200 headgasket ore the thikker 160 cc gasket.

they wil run a long time if not in a gokart without gov ,and easy to service/reabuilt.
Here over in europe there are tons of little 2 and 3 cil engine,s. .

Greetings wiebe.

[BioHazard]

Here over in europe there are tons of little 2 and 3 cil engine,s. .

In the US, just about anything with less than 4 cylinders is considered a golf cart or a motor cycle. Junkyard 3 cyl. engines don't seem to be very common. Most of the cars they came in were crushed and sent to China long ago. I actually think it would be easier to find a V12 than an I3 in a junk yard. I don't know of any that currently come with one? In europe they must be everywhere...but so are diesels.

One possibility I have run across is the Honda GX360(I think?) which is an inline 2, water cooled 3600 RPM RV generator engine. It has pressure lube with a filter. Not extremely common but someone here did offer me one for sale. I'd take it if I wasn't too deep in other projects right now.

[wiebe]

Here over in europe there are tons of little 2 and 3 cil engine,s. .

In the US, just about anything with less than 4 cylinders is considered a golf cart or a motor cycle. Junkyard 3 cyl. engines don't seem to be very common. Most of the cars they came in were crushed and sent to China long ago. I actually think it would be easier to find a V12 than an I3 in a junk yard. I don't know of any that currently come with one?

Wel We have more of them but junkjards here finding it better to have frequent braking down new cars.
Then the old cheaper ones.[the better one,s ]
Yes diesels here are more commen i think .
Maybe it is something to get a 4 stroke outbord engine ,they are expensive here but better expensive then not to get.

sometimes i am viseting a mate in NH there are more toyota,s yaris there then 2 years before.
But i cant say that they are low rpm and without elektronics.
i now that not everything is better in the US [But i like walmart and dunken dochnuts koffie and the gunschop hihi]

Greetings Wiebe .

[vdubnut62]

Here over in europe there are tons of little 2 and 3 cil engine,s. .

In the US, just about anything with less than 4 cylinders is considered a golf cart or a motor cycle. Junkyard 3 cyl. engines don't seem to be very common. Most of the cars they came in were crushed and sent to China long ago. I actually think it would be easier to find a V12 than an I3 in a junk yard. I don't know of any that currently come with one? In europe they must be everywhere...but so are diesels.

One possibility I have run across is the Honda GX360(I think?) which is an inline 2, water cooled 3600 RPM RV generator engine. It has pressure lube with a filter. Not extremely common but someone here did offer me one for sale. I'd take it if I wasn't too deep in other projects right now.

Your Honda sounds like a great engine, but probably extremely expensive? Most honda's are.
You did know the Geo metro's are 3 cyl? they are pretty common around here, but they don't seem to hold up very well.
Pull-a-Part has scads of the darn things.
Personally if I were going to go with an automotive type engine, I would look for a Toyota 22R. They are plenty tough and were used in everything from Celica's to the trucks. Bunches of them around. At 2.4 liters, they may be too big for most home use, that looks like the wall everybody is hitting.
Ron
Ron

[deeiche]

rm /

[TimSR2]

I have to agree with Wiebe on this one. A top quality air cooled engine like a GX360 or a 390 can be run hard for 3 to 5000 hours between minor overhauls and the gas conversion equipment is 'off the shelf'.   They are cheap enough that a spare engine can be both affordable, and swapped out in hours if needed. The only hangup is the air cooling, but heat extraction is still possible, just requires proper design of air to coolant heat exchange system. 

[rcavictim]

I have to agree with Wiebe on this one. A top quality air cooled engine like a GX360 or a 390 can be run hard for 3 to 5000 hours between minor overhauls and the gas conversion equipment is 'off the shelf'.   They are cheap enough that a spare engine can be both affordable, and swapped out in hours if needed. The only hangup is the air cooling, but heat extraction is still possible, just requires proper design of air to coolant heat exchange system. 

Tim,

I am the fellow with the Honda GX360 twin, 12.2 HP, over head cam, EV6010 motor home genset engine.  It is liquid cooled not air, speed regulated at 3600 RPM, electric start, has spin on oil filter.  I had offered to sell it to BioHazard.

[TimSR2]

I have to agree with Wiebe on this one. A top quality air cooled engine like a GX360 or a 390 can be run hard for 3 to 5000 hours between minor overhauls and the gas conversion equipment is 'off the shelf'.   They are cheap enough that a spare engine can be both affordable, and swapped out in hours if needed. The only hangup is the air cooling, but heat extraction is still possible, just requires proper design of air to coolant heat exchange system. 

Tim,

I am the fellow with the Honda GX360 twin, 12.2 HP, over head cam, EV6010 motor home genset engine.  It is liquid cooled not air, speed regulated at 3600 RPM, electric start, has spin on oil filter.  I had offered to sell it to BioHazard.

Those are awesome. I have seen units with 8000 hours on gasoline, never torn down and still run fine.

[rcavictim]

I have to agree with Wiebe on this one. A top quality air cooled engine like a GX360 or a 390 can be run hard for 3 to 5000 hours between minor overhauls and the gas conversion equipment is 'off the shelf'.   They are cheap enough that a spare engine can be both affordable, and swapped out in hours if needed. The only hangup is the air cooling, but heat extraction is still possible, just requires proper design of air to coolant heat exchange system. 

Tim,

I am the fellow with the Honda GX360 twin, 12.2 HP, over head cam, EV6010 motor home genset engine.  It is liquid cooled not air, speed regulated at 3600 RPM, electric start, has spin on oil filter.  I had offered to sell it to BioHazard.

Those are awesome. I have seen units with 8000 hours on gasoline, never torn down and still run fine.

That's good to know! 

[deeiche]

rm /