Moving blog

I decided to move this Blog to my website http://rbodell.com/listeroids.aspx

Please go there to continue from here. All the old info will be there too.

New air cleaner and gas starter motor

I added a bigger air cleaner today, one that uses the same filter as my truck. it is pretty self explanitiry. The bolt in the middle just closes up a hole. it doesn't do anything.



On the bottom is a 1.5 inch floor flange with a short nipple which will fit inside a piece of 1 7/8 exhaust pipe. The end fo the exhaust pipe which is compressed to fit inside of another piece, will just fir over the intake on the engine where the origional air filter goes (clcick on the bottom view for a cloeup photo). 2 pieces of sheet metal and four bolts take the place of the top and bottom of the air filter. This perticular one is 12 inch OD.

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I got tired of the hand crank. It is great when all else fails, but every day is not fun.

I mounted a 4.5 HP lawn mower engine on the engine bed with an 88 inch A belt. The engine has a 3 inch pulley.

The belt is very loose. I start the engine and use an idler pulley on a stick to temporarily tighten the belt to get the engine turning. Then I remove the idler pulley and the belt flys off the flywheel. I then release the exhaust valve and the engine starts.

Puppydog the cat.

Puppydog is actualy the dogs nickname. The cat decided she would answer to it so now the cat is named puppydog. I got her just when she was weaned and she grew up with the dog so she thinks she is a dog. She growels juust like a dog too. Not only does she answer to her name, she comes when called. Unlike the dog, I don't have to leave the gate shut, she stays in the yard by herself except when I take the dog for a walk. then she wil walk through the fence and wait just outside the gate until we get back and take the second part of the walk in the far end of the property. Then she falls in and comes along with the dog.

Like the picture of her sleeping by the diesel engine while it is running, she picks the weirdest places to sleep, the noiseyest and most uncomfortable places too. She also prefers to eat the dogs dry dog food rather than her meaty cat food or canned tuna, both of which the dog will gladly eat after she turnes her nose up to them. She also makes no bones about her getting firsts at the dogs food. After she gets done eating she lets the dog eat.

270 Hours

Since the engine is new I decided not to go the recommended 1000 hours between oil changes and changed it to doday. I also added a street L and a 12 inch nipple to the oil drain so I can drain the oil easier in the future. I just put a pipe cap on the end for now, Later I might add a valve with a pipe plug for a safety so it doesn't get bumped or accidently turned on and drain the oil while it is running.



I also pulled the inspection plate above the oil drain and looked inside. I found the oil drain is not at the lowest point of the sump so I took the bottom of an oil can and diped out the excess. Since these things run in india for twenty years without an air cleaner or oil change, it might not be necessary, but I like the idea of getting all I can get out. Man that oil is nasty. I suggest rubber gloves. lets not forget waste motor oil is "toxic waste"

A little note of intrest here. each gallon of waste oil I burn replaces a gallon of diesel fuel at $3 a gallon. The engine holds about 1.5 gallons, so I immediately get a $4.50 refund on the new oil by burning the old oil.

When I got done "Dilbert" was a mess so I decided to give him a bath. You don't just wipe off dirty diesel oil, it has to be scrubbed off and Dilbert didn't go to any trouble to stay clean. I hope nobody complains about this nude shot of Dilbert. As you can se he is quite a stud.

Quiet running

This engine runs so quiet the cat sleeps next to it while it is running.

Finaly have it on the ground and running.

Well, Finally got it set up and running. Temporarily, I have the roof just setting on the ground. The generator is between two shipping containers so there is only downward falling rain to shield it from. I will eventually be putting a roof between the two containers and remove the temporary one.

Since it has been cool lately and I haven't needed the air conditioning. I set the rpm down to 300 rpm. It still charges batteries at 30 to 40 amps. The alternator is running hot though. I am going to run it that way though for a while and see what happens. I am also going to see if I can get or make a smaller diameter pulley for it on the lathe to increase air flow through it.

If I can get it to run at 300 rpm, I can extend my fuel to about 6 to 7 hours per gallon. Since I am running 50% waste motor oil, that means about 12 to 14 hours per gallon of diesel fuel. At present prices, that comes to about$1.50 a day or 45 dollars a month.

Permanent location.

Since I mounted the generator on a trailer in case I had to move it around to a quieter place was unnecessary, I decided today to set it on the ground where it was at except I turned it 90 degrees to make it easier to get around it.

The only real hassle was that I had to remove the bolts holding down the engine and replace them from the bottom up so the excess was not in the way when I set it down on the railroad ties I have buried for a base.

No photos this time, I worked up till about 8 PM. I thought retirement was supposed to be easy. I used to work 40 hours and wear a white shirt. I haven't had a day off since I retired and wear blue work clothes now. Come to think of it, I haven't even got any dress clothes. I might as well go back to work.

So far I have it setting on some cement blocks. Tomorrow I will remount the generator, move the water tank, move the fuel tank and bolt it all down.