Slow Speed heaven

[David Baillie]

Got to talking to a man testing out an old tractor and he gave me a tour.  Rare to see an entire building full of old spark engines.  Lots of cast iron, thought I'd share

[rcavictim]

With a solar EMP a distinct reality, that photo might be a view of the power source of the near future!

[David Baillie]

would their magnetos survive the flare? Or would you have to store replacements in a faraday cage?  Yes these are the things I wonder about on a Sunday afternoon...

[SteveU.]

Hey DavidB
Just got back from a two day trip picking up a used solid as a ? Trace second generation inverter to supplement my PM Redi-Line converter generators. In a field passing by in Southeren Oregon is at least 50, 30's to 50's older lined up rubber wheeled tractors. Betcha' all would have been magneto or battery ignition gasoline.
If you intend to woodgas this tractor be picky and only settle for an overhead valve design. Go as late (new) as possible to have usable hydraulics systems.
Yes magnetos are just as EMP durable as battery ignition. Lots of decades of lighting strikes to prove this. But much more expensive to keep operating when they do break and wear. You will want a battery for crank starting anyway.
Regards
Steve Unruh

[rcavictim]

would their magnetos survive the flare? Or would you have to store replacements in a faraday cage?  Yes these are the things I wonder about on a Sunday afternoon...

A manmade EMP from a nuke can zap small items like even a integrated circuit sitting out on the open on a wooden kitchen table due to extremely rapid rise time magnetic pulse induced current flow in the small metallic circuits.  Wrap that item, be it portable radio, or whatever with aluminum foil and it will likely survive.  The danger is different for EMP produced by a solar flare and CME (Coronal Mass Ejection).  These EMPs affect long conductors like telegraph lines, power lines, metal pipelines and railway lines where many amps can be caused to flow.  In these cases electronic devices or power transformers connected at the ends of long conductors can get fried or melted from the slow risetime current and voltages.  You magnetos won't be harmed from solar EMPs, nor will generator heads on power circuits around the home or farm that are not tied to the utility lines.  I find this another useful case argument to be disconnected entirely from the grid if you have a renewable power system set up like solar panels or wind turbines.  Selling your green electricity for a pittance of fiat paper currency only invites the participation of a lot of already confused people and encourages their evil behaviour.

[Tom T]

Thoes old tractor's have sat there for years  he adds to them now and then you can find them like that all over the North West. I have stoped and talked to afew of them once thay start ou cant get away good way to spend a afternoon. Tom T

[David Baillie]

Hey steve.
No plan to gasify one of those tractor beasts.  The stationary engines maybe someday.  I did like the steel wheels versus air filled though.  I sold my trace made dr2012 and I still miss it. I explained my goals to the engine guy and he was interested. Seems a lot more logical then converting a diesel lister to spark then running gas.  Choose an engine with the same qualities butade for the fuel... Many plans, little time.
David.

[SteveU.]

Ah so, DavidB. I agree.
Most of the older small gasoline tractors been very well ran out especially in the transmissions /differentials/PTO powertrains. I did my share of that back in the 60's and 70's scraping manure and moving irrigation pipe running the last good hours out of them. Yeah TomT why they become field ornaments. Or if "retstored" good only really for parade duty.
David for stationary with still parts available take a look into the still several suppliers of Chinese Changfa clones engines. You are Canadian and at least two suppliers left still there in eastern Canada I think. I've had The IDI injector and pre-chamber out of mine and I am sure a spark plug insert would injector like clamp fit into to the cylinder head hole. Run it at 1500-1800 "slow" downed speed.
My "new" inverter is a one owner SW2512. I wanted the charging capability for for my welding-generator to still to be set up battery bank. The owner down in more southern solar country finally put in more PV panels and up graded his home system to an SW4048. He's been off grid living since 1972 with wife and family. Cool, practical, head. We talked personal sawmilling.

Regards
Steve Unruh

RCA I think you are 100% correct.  Individual freedom and independence has always had a higher price. Always much easy to joint the hive society and be a worker ant or bee directed by your higher social orders. Isn't this called Facebook now? S.U.