Take a look at the redneck generator thread. That is exactly what I am doing. This is the trick to get it to put out. Note that the light needs to be there and that it goes to the +12v.
"Ulysses" wrote in news:h3gktr$ef9$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
I know we're always trying for the least worst solutions rather than the best. Must be because we're not living off a trust fund or have six figure incomes huh?
best of luck man
-zachary
If only I could find someone to pay the all the stuff I want to play with...
Part of my problem is that I simply don't need a huge generator that produces 20K watts or more. All I need is about 3000 watts. Any more than that I wouldn't know what to do with it.
"Ulysses" wrote in news:h3j80i$p5q$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
Yeah me too -- i live happy on around 1000 with the occasional need for -
2-3k. Maybe this winter i'll try to build a generator out of parts like you are doing. My hondas are mostly dying now. Just plain worn out after all these years. I like the idea of using a custom exaust.Might have a look for a used onan like those guys were saying too rather than shelling out the big bucks (which I don't have) for another eu2000
Try an alternator pulley for a tractor. The International Harvester 1066 and the John Deere 4430 both use a dual groove pulley on the alt. IIRC the IH pulley is a larger diameter than the JD one. Your other option would be to go to a serpentine belt setup but that would require very precise belt alignment and a suitable pulley for the engine.
Thanks! Someone else suggested looking at farm equipment but I didn't really know where to start. Now I have specific tractors for reference!
>"z" wrote in message news:Xns9C48BB3084EB4zyadayadayada@216.196.97.130...
My eu2000 #2 still runs as long as I put oil in it every hour or so. Enough power to run my little chain saw anyway.
To charge my 48 volt bank at C10 I need about 3500 watts but since batteries don't continue to charge at the higher rate then I can squeeze by with 3000 watts. I suppose there might be some advantages to using a slighty bigger than 63 amps alternator but then you would need a bigger engine, more gasoline, and the extra power would only be needed at the beginning of the charge cycle. Since I have the OutBack inverters it is possible to run my well pump with the engine-driven alternator outputting only about 35 amps AND running one inverter as a charger with a 2000 watt 120V single phase generator to get a total of around 50-60 amps which will allow me to run the pump without discharging the batteries (It'll even charge at about 10 amps with the well pump running). And, as you probably know, instead of buying a third eu2000 I bought the cheap UST GG2300 for under $200 and have had no regrets (not many, anyway). I had to replace the muffler (fell apart inside but still worked) and it has taken me two weeks to remove the rotor from the tapered shaft so I can replace the impeller but it has 3000 hours on it and still starts with one pull and has more power than the Honda. They replaced the muffler under warranty plus sent me a new air filter for free. If it turns out that I need to replace the whole rotor it's only $25! Their service center/parts distribution/technical support is in Fullerton (Orange County) so I'm lucky that I don't even have to pay shipping since they are close by, but even with shipping the parts seems to be WAY cheaper than if it was a Coleman or Homelite etc.
Yea, the Onan is very appealing, especially since I learned they run at a slower speed. But I can also run my engine/alternator at a slower speed once the batteries get somewhat charged. Maybe not quite as low as 1800 rpm, but probably in the low 2000s.
I am reTired, and the only reason I have, what I have, is that I got an education, worked HARD for 40 Years, saved my money, invested wisely, and knew when to get out. Now, I have skills that are sale-able even in reTirement, and I live where, and how, I want to. NO Trust Fund, and never had a Six Figure Income in any ONE Year, in my life. I always worked for wages, even when I was a FED, and now folks pay me for those skills, I have acquired over a lifetime, as a Consultant, when I choose to actually accept a Job.
Bruce in alaska wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@unknown.usenetserver.com:
Yeah sorry didn't mean to imply anything by saying that. I just was wishing I had a trust fund man ;)
Look into one of the venerable Onan CCK's or even a newer NH or BG Series. They were built in 3 to 5 Kw Models, and can be had for less One Kilobuck, easily. Lots of these came from Motorhomes, that have died and gone to Motorhome Heaven. Usually have less than 3000 Hours on them, which is 1/3 their Primary Lifetime, with proper Periodic Maintainance. they run at 1800 Rpm, and actually the older ones, without the PCB Engine Controls, and better, and more reliable than the newer ones. Next up in class are Onan J Series Gensets, that come both in Gas, and Diesel, Versions, as well as Air and Water Cooled versions. The Gas Fueled versions come in Twin 6.5Kw,and Quad cyl. 12.5Kw versions, that are easily converted to Dry Gas fuel. If your in to Diesels, the J Series Onans are the ones to look for. They come in Single 3Kw, Twin
6.5Kw, and Quad 12.5Kw versions. Onan built Marine Versions of ALL the J Series Gensets, and these are easily setup for CoGen type operations. They also built Radiator Cooled version of both the Gas and Diesel Powered gensets in various configurations. I bought a number of 3Kw Diesel J Series Gensets, all for less than $500US, both Air and Water Cooled, and fellow gave me an air Cooled 6.5Kw Diesel this spring, just for hauling it away, and I live far out in the Alaskan Bush, where there aren't a lot of these around. Look around where you live on eBay and CraigList, Onan built thousands of these each year, for about three decades, so there are a pile still out there kicking around, and most folks have no clue, what they are, or what they are worth, to the right folks, who do.....
Wow, thanks very much for the specific information. I'm on craig's list now and they seem to start out at about $400.
FYI, my home standby generator is a 70's- era Onan 4CCK that once was a standby generator for a traffic signal. They are pretty simple to work on, parts and information are still generally available, and the gang at the Onan board at Smokstak.com (including Bruce) gives amazing support.
Vaughn
I'm not up on the Onan model numbers, but if anyone is talking about the old opposed-twin flat heads for a backup generator, I wouldn't think those would be a great choice except for low-use applications. My neighbor was fond of them because he could get them for peanuts, which was a good thing because he seemed to have gone through quite a few. They didn't seem especially reliable, quiet, or fuel efficient. I'd think that the fuel inefficiency alone of flat-heads makes them uneconomical for extended use. I'm not even sure that the 1800 RPM is any great advantage. Better 3600 RPM engines last a long time if properly cared for, and one can throttle most engines down to a lower speed if planned for.
It seems like there are lots of decent small engines available these days, some so cheap that even the most budget-conscious could afford to have a complete spare on hand.
9hp, $150
Neither of those engines will fit on a generator. You need an engine with a tapered shaft to replace the engine on a generator. Unless you have a belt driven generator head. See ebay sale #110406409961 and look at the shaft.
Richard W.
OLD? They made them for a long time. Don't know when they stopped. If age bothers you, find a newer one, but some of the older wones were the best IMO.
Sorry, I don't know anything about your neighbor so I can't argue about that, but I can tell you about my Onan because I have known it since it was new. It was perhaps 30 years old when I bought it from my employer. Except for sparkplugs and batteries, it was all-orignal. Nothing had ever broken! To be honest, after I bought it, I did have some problems with points. Perhaps the problem was the mechanic (me). Anyhow, I solved that issue with an electronic ignition conversion.
There is a germ of truth here. We are talking about something that was designed when gas cost 50 cents a gallon! There are certainly more efficient generators around, but they are not cheap and you are unlikely to find them at Home Depot. Fuel cost is important (OK, damn important), but it is not the only cost of running a generator..
Running at 1800 RPM (vs 3600 RPM) drastically lowers the pumping loss of the engione (increasing efficiency), greatly decreases noise, and reduces wear.
"Better" (commercial quality) engines are expensive and are not found on consumer-grade generators. I expect my Onan to outlast me. I can't say that about any other small engine I own.
No, you can't throttle a conventional generator down to lower speed if you want 60 HZ power. Running at 1800 RPM (vs 3600 RPM) drastically lowers the pumping loss of the engione (increasing efficiency), greatly decreases noise, and reduces wear. Yes, you could design your own generator with a throttled-down 3600 RPM engine and a belt ratio to get the proper frequency, but you would no longer get rated power from the engine.
Finally, these (Onan) generators are made for motorhome use. They must fit into a minimum space, must have reliablility comparable with the vehicle's engine, and must run with minimum noise and vibration. My neighbors don't even know that I have a generator because they can't hear it!
Vaughn
Seeing as we're talking about generators I have a question. I've read, from a few places' that small generators should be "exercised" at least once a month. I'm assuming that means run with a load on the generator. Why is that ??? Will the generator screw up if it isn't used frequently ???
Thanks Brian
There are two things that can happen to small generators if not occasionally "exercised".
1) The generator can lose its residual magnetism. If this happens, it will run but fail to produce power. There are various ways to "flash" the generator field to remagnetize the generator. 2) Engines, particularly carbureted gasoline engines, can gum up, or parts can rust up if they are allowed to sit for a long time.Read your generator's manual. There are probably storage instructions. Follow them!
Vaughn
I don't mind old stuff, I have lots of it. In this case though, the older versions are better in some ways, but not in the most important ways IMO. It's much the same with my old tractors. They're good in that they're relatively easy and cheap to repair, but in terms of efficiency and productivity, their designs were outclassed decades ago.
Let's make a fair assumption that the flat-head penalty is 20%. For every gallon of fuel burned per day, by using an overhead valve engine one could save enough in a single year to buy an entire spare 13 hp engine!
But they're *not* as efficient as OHV competitors. If they were, then Onan wouldn't have switched to OHV.
Somebody wrote that these engines can make 10,000 hours before the first rebuild. But didn't Ulysses get more than that out of an EU engine? Yes, the Onan can be rebuilt over and over, but what's the point if that costs more in the end?
I didn't mean commercial quality, only anything with a cast iron bore and a decent oil filter.
One can say the same about an old power drill for example. But it's still more practical and cost-effective for most to buy a modern drill.
True, but most of the DIYers here seem to be using belt-driven arrangements. My own is overpowered (larger displacement considering the output, just like the old Onans), and is throttled down to about
2000 RPM.
Aren't the new Onan RV generators 3600 RPM? Then it seems that lower RPM isn't the single secret to low noise. Anyway, if we're trading anecdotes, my neighbor with the old Onans was impressed with the quiet of my plain-jane Kohler in a simple enclosure. :-)
Wayne
Nothing wrong with Kohler AFAIK. I just happen to be more familar with Onans.
Vaughn
This is from a CL ad:
Model 6.5 nh-3cr. 6500 watts, 120-240 volts. 54.2-27.1 amps. Phase 1. Starts dependably. Hear it run. Like new! Came out of wrecked motor home. New plugs, wires, points, condensor, oil and filter, 30wt. non-detergent. New fuel pump and air cleaner. Dimensions are 23" in Heighth, 32" in width", 20" depth. Mounting plate is 19x19
All of this makes me wonder about maintenance. There seems to be a lot of stuff there that I currently don't have to deal with. How often does the oil need to be changed on these generators? Does the oil filter reduce the frequency of oil changes or just improve the lubrication? Does the flywheel need to be removed to adjust the points or are they easy to get to?
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