Gasoline engines mate well with 2-pole alternators to generate power at 3600 rpm. Diesel engines mate well with 4-pole alternators to generate at 1800 rpm.
Designing/building stuff with two separated components makes perfect sense! If either component of “direct coupled” equipment fails it invariably leads to total replacement! Nice work 👍
thank you for sharing my two biggest beefs with your build is the small bolts and no washers and the 3,600 engine speed. i would not run anything at 3,600 but trade for a 4 pole head or pulley it down. been off grid 15 years and use a lambardini with a dc motor/generator via a solar charger. as backup.
Well. first...If you live off the grid, then I kneel before you, hat in hand. Having said that, most Harry Homeowner 5K "Emergency Generators" run at 3600. I am also concerned with the RPM, but I needed the HP to keep up the HZ for my water pump. I'd rather loose the genny than my water pump (Florida). I also have solar, battery packs, and a propane gen for the water. Thanks for watching and sharing! BTW....What small bolts?
I have an old Onan generator from an RV. The original motor has seen better days, but when it runs it still pus out steady 120v. This video gives me great ideas for motor replacement, and my wife anxiety, lmfao.Great video. Stay safe.
I would make the actual mounting of the two main components on a solid substrate ( if weight were no issue, say a half inch steel plate.) with the required offsets added to perform any required alignment. Then I would use rubber isolation mounts to attach to the current welded square tube frame. Two things, the vibration harmonics you currently have will dramatically be reduced. Not 100 percent that’s for sure, but the longevity of all components will be drastically improved especially the lovejoy coupling. Make it more rigid and try to balance out as much tangent vibrations as realistically possible.
I'd be very tempted to use a belt over a love joy. Solves all the alignment challenges. Puts you into common parts that can be found most anywhere. Allows you to rotate the generator so the entire machine is operated from the same side. I'd probably fab it up with an automotive style spring tensioner so I never have to fuss with correct tension. Cool project. Not sure if the fuel consumption is significantly different than say a Honda or Subaru.
For the coupling I would use a car part called Guibo, or Hardy disc. (German ) It is placed in any car between the Gearbox and the Kardan, it is made of rubber and some short metal tubes. Its cheap.
Looks good. I would say the next thing for it is designing an enclosure with decent sound dampening material and air ventilation in two halves for cooling, one for the engine and the other for gen head as it sounds incredibly loud on camera.
It is loud. I only use it an hour at a time to take showers, do dishes, and get my water pressure up. I have a huge solar powered batt pack for the rest of my needs. After a hurricane, all you can here is everyone's gens running, so you kind of tune it out (and drink a lot).
I learned years ago working on gas powered pumps w/ Lovejoy couplers to turn it vertical, pump side up or in this case generator up. . Then use a bubble level to dial it in. Don't know if its the best way but it works well
Wow I built something very similar, with a northern tool 4500 watt head, and the lovejoys for direct drive. I used old hockey pucks drilled out as vibration dampeners. I also got the electric starter for the engine, you still have to use the decompression lever to get it started.
Some form of spring isolation is used even in the commercial portable generators. This should definitely have a cushy isolation spring between the metal frame and the ground.
I bought one of these diesel engines and then bought the windup starter for it. it's a lot nicer starting just by cranking the spring then releasing it.
I would like to do this during winter months, got plenty of engines and generators to work with Like the H design and coupler Keep us up to date Thanks 😊
how does the motor deal with the fluctuating load ? I suggest putting slight out handles on one side and holes on the other to snap in removable wheels. You could build a box for sound insulation and put a couple cooling fans in for redundancy. How about a belt off the coupling to an a/c dompressor modified to for compressed air.
Of course.... but it will be expensive to run if you use a gasoline engine... and you will need a governor to adjust engine speed as the load comes on and falls off...
Why didn't you use the belt drive ? You could have run at a lower rpm and save fuel and not work the engine as hard the only reason I would use a diesel was longevity and at lower rpm it's less noisy
1800 RPM would have been a better generator speed. Some modern units use a DC generator into a pure sine wave inverter and the motor can slow down a lot at zero power draw.
Very cool. I’m currently researching make my own diesel gen for my rv. Came across this video which really peaks my interest and let’s me know it can be done. Subscribed. Thanks
The joint you would really benefit from, is the 'rubber plate universal', like Mercedes used on the driveshafts of their old 400-SEL class cars. The plate looks like a 'sidewall cutout' from a radial car tire, and can tolerate angles and mis-alignment, as well as quell a LOT of vibration (which is NOT good for electric motor bearings). Also, that 3,600 RPM on a diesel...OUCH! Lot to be said for 2,400-rpm and pulley drive ratios! That engine is clearly HUGE compared to the motor...and while the 3/5ths rule works with gas engines (3 hp electric motor requires a 5-hp gas engine to drive it), this is not usually the case with diesels, due to their increased torque range...you can almost go 1:1 ratio with diesels...so 4700 watt motor (6.3 hp) shouldn't take more than 6.5 diesel hp to drive it...in other words, you could downsize your diesel, or more-likely, upside your gen head. Lastly, you could go with a conventional air-compressor service 208v single phase motor...maybe 10-hp, and with a simple fuse box, rig up both 110v and 220v circuits with breakers...add in a belt to drive a 100-amp 12v alternator, and a starter circuit, and you've got an 'all-power' rig that could be lifted with an engine hoist, or set up with rollers to roll around, or even pallet pockets to lift it with a fork lift... Good start, but that 'metal union' is massive overkill for something this small...hope you don't come to regret it, due to it's precision and 'vibration transferrance'.
Thanks. The coupling is metal/rubber/metal, and has allowances for offset. I appreciate your math, and I did much of the same prior to build. You must consider startup surges, which can be several times the running wattage of the appliances. If diesel and gen head can't instantly overcome a startup surge, you can damage either the gen head or the appliances. My 2300 watt water pump has a start up of about 12k watts. That has to happen while other things are loading the gen....like fridge and ceiling fans. Thanks again for watching!
Would be neat to put a laser on it and see how far it’s off. If you find it’s chewing up the coupling element. Try a dodge para-flex. It’s basically what this person is describing
I did a pm DC motor connected to a pvm solar charge controller a lambardini diesel to pmdc motor via belt drive…this can easily recharge a battery bank off grid.
Hello, very impressive! I have been thinking of getting one of the 418cc diesels myself and making a combo air compressor plus generator. My question is, what sort of speed control did you employ to keep the output at 60Hz? One would think that the shop vac and chop saw would have slowed the engine down.
It will take some engine starting method (these engines are available in 12VDC battery start... some sensors (to make sure the starter motor doesn't get burnt out) and a small computer to receive the remote start instructions and act on them and to monitor the whole system and shut it down in case of an emergency (overvoltage, fire etc.
what is the wattage of the power head? I am very curious as to how it is working. We live remote in Alaska and this would be amazing to have to keep our batteries topped in winter.
It would be interesting to see what it's brake specific fuel consumption is, and just how many kilowatt hours it can generate per gallon of diesel fuel. It should be much more efficient, than a commercially available gasoline generator of the same power rating.
Awesome build. Have you put a decibel meter on it to see how loud it is? I couldn't hear any of the other equipment over the sound of the generator. I have an off-grid property and would love to do something like this there but am concerned about the noise.
Much of the noise frfrom small air cooled engines is combustion knock coming through the cylinder walls. The water jacket on a liquid cooled engine absorbs the sound energy
If I try and link the diesel it takes you to my Amazon acct. Search Amazon for 9 hp diesel and you'll find it. The gen is a Winco 4800. They are available from many distributors. Total cost for me was about $1200.
Hi there love the build. I was thinking getting one of these engine to replace a worn out 23 horse gas engine. I have a 15kw generator. Won’t be heavy loads much, just a well pump to fill pressure vessel. Lights, internet and fridge. I wonder if the engine has enough torque to turn the generator?
Depending on the efficiency of your generator and the load you need to actually run (paying attention to combined peak, i.e., fridge kicking on at the same time as well pump etc.) you may be able to drive the generator with a comparatively small engine like this, but your capacity will be limited. Watts and horsepower are measuring the same underlying property, power, and there's some power lost in a generator. 9HP (what this particular engine is rated to handle steadily) is ~6.7kW. If you attach your generator to 6700 watts of steady load, it'll need *more* than 9 horsepower to turn, and thus should be stalling this engine by sheer physics.
In my experience of building generators you need 2 h.p. per 1000 watts of power produced in order to maintain the proper power frequency. good luck on your build... i hope this helps you!@@jercos
I wonder how well one of these would take to an rhb31 turbo and what kind of kw it could reliably put out. If it would be enough to run my house which uses 12.5 kw.
Will this run on fryer oil? I was thinking you can use shims to line the shafts up. I'm a manufacturing tech. Thanks I appreciate educational videos like this.
I'm thinking of doing the belt or possibly chain thing. I have a 5000w with the 178f (l70 clone) engine and I have a spare 186fa (l100 clone) if I run it at 2700 and the generator at 3600 the torque on the output end of the drive should be the same as the smaller one running balls out
Thank you! I have been looking for a generator build that I can use on a skoolie (school bus turned motor home) So that the generator can run off the primary fuel tank. Do you think this would be able to fully power a motorhome? namely a desktop PC, Fridge and mini-split AC? I know it would be best for such an application to run with a belt instead, but am concerned about having enough output. Should I upgrade the parts?
You have to add up the wattage of each appliance, and make sure your gen head can supply it. The main thing is holding the rpm at 3600 as the load varies.
Nice video! Could you post some info about the diesel engine? Where you bought it and such. And also, would a regular electric motor work in a build as such?
That would depend on the load. I haven't run it yet under a heavy load for long periods, but I can say that it would run for hours freewheeling or lightly loaded.
This engine is a high speed diesel. It doesn't lope along at 650 rpm like a Lister or Petter single cylinder with huge flywheels. It needs to turn at 3000rpm to make it's rated 10hp output....say 7500 watts (minus losses) say 6000 watts at a burst and 5000 watts continuous for 24 hours.
Just the ability to operate your wells water pump with a generator that can run off fuel you can make, will be worth its weight in gold in an emergency or a shtf situation
Thanks! We didn't get a hurricane this year, so I didn't get to put it thru it's paces. A Harley motor would be a VERY cool generator, but kind of a waste of a Harley motor? It would sell for big $$ during bike week tho...
Those love joy couplings arent good steel it will fly apart on you if your gonna continue to use put a steel shroud around it so the shrapnel doesnt potentially injure someone And yes those lovejoy couplings have flown a part on alternator generator set ups theyre was a video here on youtube about that too
I hope somebody knows the answer to this, the governor that is mentioned to maintain constant rpm/ frequency under load......Is this a feature built into the diesel engine, a feature provided by the generator head, or is there some other module you have to source in order to accomplish this?
This is the best small diesel generator build I have seen. I may build a 3.5kw version using a 5 HP version of the same type of engine (smaller displacement) that I already have purchased. Using a belt drive the frame would not have to be as ridged and could also allow for more compact unit if needed. Great job?
@@gwseymour Great to hear! Your approach to constructing a more industrialized generator vs buying a cheap consumer grade one is a wise one. I will be taking the same approach. I want a generator that, if needed, is designed to provide power for extended periods of time. Those consumer grade gas generators have about 1,000 - 3,000 max hr life. 1,000 hours is only 42 days of continuous usage. Whereas a commercial diesel gen-set has a life expectancy of somewhere around 10,000 - 30,000 hrs. Not to mention that a diesel gen-set uses somewhere around 50% of the fuel a gasoline one does. Those portable consumer grade gas gen-sets are great on a job site or for short emergency power as I have one of those. But they are not a permanent solution for standby power like a more industrial diesel one is.
Hello! Can you please provide an update for the engine? I recently took mine apart, same make and model after running it with a gas and used engine oil mix, big no no for the injector. Also yours arrived in great shape compared to mine that UPS delivered, which has a bent pull cord, dented shaft. Cheers.
Mine is still strong and good. I haven't experimented with Alt fuels. It hasn't been "hurricane tested" yet. Getting a heavy package from UPS is nerve wracking. Hope you were able to get it fixed.
hi, I would like to make a generator. I have a 4-stroke 3hp grass cutter engine available ..which electric motor do you recommend using? how many watts can I squeeze out?
I bought a couple of these engines a couple of years ago and they've been sitting in the barn waiting for me to do something with them. This looks like what I had in mind for one of them. My question is, do these engines come with a governor?
Mine does, and it works perfect. If your "throttle assembly" looks like mine, and has an arrangement of springs and stops, then its a governor. It will maintain a set RPM regardless of load.
1hp = 746Watts. Typically you would allow a 20% buffer for any other parasitic or frictional loses. With that said, (3/.746) x 1.2 = 4.83hp, so I’d say a 5-5.5 hp motor would suffice.
@@scottbergt1872 I think a YANMAR L48 would suffice, its rating is 4.7 HP.I just bought a used one. I will be using a chinese made alternator,4 pole ,3 KW.
Hello there, I just have a question: When you connect your generator to any load do you need to ground your neutral, and also, do you provide body earth? Thanks, and by the way you made a good generator
It's a Winco 4800 watt. There are many distributors for it. So far it has performed perfect, and handles large surges. It seems very well built. Thanks for watching!
#gwseymour imagine having a cabin in the woods and putting that little beast in a generator shed and having it wired to your cabin with either remote or push button start and having an in ground well and have it hooked to a battery bank and breaker box and have a water heater inside and have a 50-100gal fuel tank to hook up to the generator you'd have it made
No. Pure physics 10hp = 7300 watts (not counting losses) Say 6000 watts continuous. So you can't put two generators on this engine and expect to draw 12,000 watts from them.
Great work! I would recommend some sort of inverter and battery buffer between your house. Many things in the house have goofy electronics that don't like generator sign wave. Had to replace the spark module in my gas stove because I was testing out the generator on the house.
on wath thing can we find small diesel engine? here in europa its super rare to find small diesel usualy its 4 cyl 2 liter ... it could work as generator always at idle but its very unpractical to move XD
I think what people are asking is what is the THD of the generator's output. A great generator is less than 6%. Most generators are way over that. This means the power is not as clean as it could/should be which results in additional losses.
I think any smoothly rotating generator will create about as pure of a sine as you get get. For my purposes (and most generator uses) it's not really a concern. Thanks for watching!
@@gwseymour That's just not true. The higher the price, the better the THD. The better the THD, the more efficiently things using that power will operate. Some devices, such as TIG welders, will keel over dead with power over 5% THD. Nothing mechanical is going to produce a pure sine wave.
@@makerog5666 I appreciate your thoughts and input, but aren't you "over-thinking" it? It's a tried and true gen head. It rotates, so it produces a pure sine. It powers all my household appliances perfectly, and holds within +/- 1 hz. That's better than any commercial gen I've ever owned. I'm in Fl, so I owned a few....and run them hard after a hurricane. Plus...don't tig welders convert AC to DC? Thanks again for watching.
@@makerog5666 First, I didn't build the gen head. It's made by Winco, founded in 1927. So, I guess they also don't know anything either. Second, can you send a link of a generator (or anything else) that YOU built, so we can all see how it's done? Last, I'll converse all day long, but don't insult me from behind a keyboard.
I love finding small channels like this, truly a gem
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Здравейте от България такъв мини дизел двигател моля цена благодаря
Gasoline engines mate well with 2-pole alternators to generate power at 3600 rpm. Diesel engines mate well with 4-pole alternators to generate at 1800 rpm.
This type of diesel needs 3600rpm to make useful power for 60hz generation (3000rpm for 50hz.) These are high speed diesels
We use lister diesels they run below 1000 rpm
And are cheap as hell
@@nhilistickomrad4259 dirt cheap? what country?
1800 rev/min givers a spectaculair improfement in noice from the generator
@@henkholdingastate Small diesel engines like that will break from being laboured
Designing/building stuff with two separated components makes perfect sense!
If either component of “direct coupled” equipment fails it invariably leads to total replacement! Nice work 👍
thank you for sharing
my two biggest beefs with your build is the small bolts and no washers and the 3,600 engine speed.
i would not run anything at 3,600 but trade for a 4 pole head or pulley it down.
been off grid 15 years and use a lambardini with a dc motor/generator via a solar charger. as backup.
Well. first...If you live off the grid, then I kneel before you, hat in hand. Having said that, most Harry Homeowner 5K "Emergency Generators" run at 3600. I am also concerned with the RPM, but I needed the HP to keep up the HZ for my water pump. I'd rather loose the genny than my water pump (Florida). I also have solar, battery packs, and a propane gen for the water. Thanks for watching and sharing! BTW....What small bolts?
@Kiel Uyttenhove Yes Sir! It's all a trade. At 3600 it holds the rpm (HZ and HP) perfectly.
I have an old Onan generator from an RV. The original motor has seen better days, but when it runs it still pus out steady 120v. This video gives me great ideas for motor replacement, and my wife anxiety, lmfao.Great video. Stay safe.
I would make the actual mounting of the two main components on a solid substrate ( if weight were no issue, say a half inch steel plate.) with the required offsets added to perform any required alignment. Then I would use rubber isolation mounts to attach to the current welded square tube frame. Two things, the vibration harmonics you currently have will dramatically be reduced. Not 100 percent that’s for sure, but the longevity of all components will be drastically improved especially the lovejoy coupling. Make it more rigid and try to balance out as much tangent vibrations as realistically possible.
Great build, the performance of the governor is amazing!
Thanks. Just got thru Hurricane Ian, and it performed flawlessly.
@@gwseymour Paid it's way already them, glad you're safe.
@@stevemorris3710 Thanks! Finally getting dug out of this mess.
I'd be very tempted to use a belt over a love joy. Solves all the alignment challenges. Puts you into common parts that can be found most anywhere. Allows you to rotate the generator so the entire machine is operated from the same side. I'd probably fab it up with an automotive style spring tensioner so I never have to fuss with correct tension.
Cool project. Not sure if the fuel consumption is significantly different than say a Honda or Subaru.
For the coupling I would use a car part called Guibo, or Hardy disc. (German ) It is placed in any car between the Gearbox and the Kardan, it is made of rubber and some short metal tubes. Its cheap.
Thanks....I used what I had, but there are many good coupling options.
Please include or send us a pic of your joint….?
@@offgridmangogrower Well....I can't add a pic to a current video. It's a Lovejoy. there are many pics on line.
Nicely done! The voltage and engine RPM barely even blinked when you applied load. Should give you a long reliable service life
Looks good. I would say the next thing for it is designing an enclosure with decent sound dampening material and air ventilation in two halves for cooling, one for the engine and the other for gen head as it sounds incredibly loud on camera.
It is loud. I only use it an hour at a time to take showers, do dishes, and get my water pressure up. I have a huge solar powered batt pack for the rest of my needs. After a hurricane, all you can here is everyone's gens running, so you kind of tune it out (and drink a lot).
I learned years ago working on gas powered pumps w/ Lovejoy couplers to turn it vertical, pump side up or in this case generator up. . Then use a bubble level to dial it in. Don't know if its the best way but it works well
Nicely done. It’s noisy AF! Next project for me would have to be a sound isolation generator shed.
Have you tried running on alternative fuels such as biodiesel, waste motor oil, fryer oil etc?
Wow I built something very similar, with a northern tool 4500 watt head, and the lovejoys for direct drive. I used old hockey pucks drilled out as vibration dampeners. I also got the electric starter for the engine, you still have to use the decompression lever to get it started.
where did you get the electric start also do you run motor oil in it
Amazing! It seems to run better than most consumer grade stuff ive seen.
How well would it work if it was belt driven with a little larger pully on the generator side so you could slow the rpm down on the engine ?
nice clean and neat build
Wow, I am really impressed with the Prime mover. It started on the very first pull. Very Nice video
Some form of spring isolation is used even in the commercial portable generators. This should definitely have a cushy isolation spring between the metal frame and the ground.
I bought one of these diesel engines and then bought the windup starter for it. it's a lot nicer starting just by cranking the spring then releasing it.
Great info. Could you please give information on what parts #. Thank You, Joe
I would like to do this during winter months, got plenty of engines and generators to work with
Like the H design and coupler
Keep us up to date
Thanks 😊
Great job on the alignment! Especially considering the very tight tolerances. 👍
Could you replace the gas motor on a complete generator with that diesel engine? Something I would want to do.
how does the motor deal with the fluctuating load ? I suggest putting slight out handles on one side and holes on the other to snap in removable wheels. You could build a box for sound insulation and put a couple cooling fans in for redundancy. How about a belt off the coupling to an a/c dompressor modified to for compressed air.
Nice job, but if I used that generator on my block with its LOUD noise, my neighbors would go crazy - Any way to quiet it down ?
Kinda want to use an old car to power a pto generator. Is this possible?
Of course....
but it will be expensive to run if you use a gasoline engine...
and you will need a governor to adjust engine speed as the load comes on and falls off...
Why didn't you use the belt drive ? You could have run at a lower rpm and save fuel and not work the engine as hard the only reason I would use a diesel was longevity and at lower rpm it's less noisy
1800 RPM would have been a better generator speed. Some modern units use a DC generator into a pure sine wave inverter and the motor can slow down a lot at zero power draw.
No shit shirlock - but nobody makes a small 1800 working rpm engine.
@@royb.1441 i have an onan1800. 750 watts.
@@royb.1441the old Lister TR-1s work at 1500rpm but I can't find anything new like those.
In my view belt drive would be better because most vibration is torsional and transversally-mounted engine would have better vibration insulation
Very cool. I’m currently researching make my own diesel gen for my rv. Came across this video which really peaks my interest and let’s me know it can be done. Subscribed. Thanks
It would be worth trying if you lived in Northern countries. Then you could combine diesel engine with diesel heater
Have you run this many hours to verify the coupling and over speed operation?
The joint you would really benefit from, is the 'rubber plate universal', like Mercedes used on the driveshafts of their old 400-SEL class cars. The plate looks like a 'sidewall cutout' from a radial car tire, and can tolerate angles and mis-alignment, as well as quell a LOT of vibration (which is NOT good for electric motor bearings). Also, that 3,600 RPM on a diesel...OUCH! Lot to be said for 2,400-rpm and pulley drive ratios! That engine is clearly HUGE compared to the motor...and while the 3/5ths rule works with gas engines (3 hp electric motor requires a 5-hp gas engine to drive it), this is not usually the case with diesels, due to their increased torque range...you can almost go 1:1 ratio with diesels...so 4700 watt motor (6.3 hp) shouldn't take more than 6.5 diesel hp to drive it...in other words, you could downsize your diesel, or more-likely, upside your gen head. Lastly, you could go with a conventional air-compressor service 208v single phase motor...maybe 10-hp, and with a simple fuse box, rig up both 110v and 220v circuits with breakers...add in a belt to drive a 100-amp 12v alternator, and a starter circuit, and you've got an 'all-power' rig that could be lifted with an engine hoist, or set up with rollers to roll around, or even pallet pockets to lift it with a fork lift...
Good start, but that 'metal union' is massive overkill for something this small...hope you don't come to regret it, due to it's precision and 'vibration transferrance'.
Thanks. The coupling is metal/rubber/metal, and has allowances for offset. I appreciate your math, and I did much of the same prior to build. You must consider startup surges, which can be several times the running wattage of the appliances. If diesel and gen head can't instantly overcome a startup surge, you can damage either the gen head or the appliances. My 2300 watt water pump has a start up of about 12k watts. That has to happen while other things are loading the gen....like fridge and ceiling fans. Thanks again for watching!
A 6hp diesel engine will never pull 4700 watts
Would be neat to put a laser on it and see how far it’s off. If you find it’s chewing up the coupling element. Try a dodge para-flex. It’s basically what this person is describing
I did a pm DC motor connected to a pvm solar charge controller a lambardini diesel to pmdc motor via belt drive…this can easily recharge a battery bank off grid.
Like to see that mbz donut shock absorber…best to head out to a wrecking yard to get schooled….
hey if i cannot find alternator like that. is it possible to use tractor pto generator? you know . The generator that attached to rear of tractor.
The generator head in the vid was pretty much designed to serve as a PTO generator...so I'd say yes.
thanks buddy. I'm going to buy soon.
Hello, very impressive! I have been thinking of getting one of the 418cc diesels myself and making a combo air compressor plus generator. My question is, what sort of speed control did you employ to keep the output at 60Hz? One would think that the shop vac and chop saw would have slowed the engine down.
the engine already has a governor on it... so you just set it to the RPM you want and it will try to stick to that. That is just what a governor does.
So long as you don’t exceed the output (4,5kw) of the generator
For Example, a 10kw generator will struggle be driven by his 9hp (6,75kw) engine.
Great info. Thanks.
What are your thoughts on the same engine powering a Winco 7200 with the same load? Please. Fantastic job on this Sir!!!
Thanks! It would perform the same under the same load, but It's not enough HP to get the full use from a 7200.
What did you use to regulate engine speed to ensure the consistent 3,600 RPM to the generator?
Can you make this auto start when the battery drops a certain voltage, or maybe remote start?
It will take some engine starting method (these engines are available in 12VDC battery start...
some sensors (to make sure the starter motor doesn't get burnt out)
and a small computer to receive the remote start instructions and act on them
and to monitor the whole system and shut it down in case of an emergency (overvoltage, fire etc.
I want to know how long it will run under load on one gallon of fuel
Don't we all....and at what wattage load...say 5000 watts for 24 hours?
what is the wattage of the power head? I am very curious as to how it is working. We live remote in Alaska and this would be amazing to have to keep our batteries topped in winter.
It would be interesting to see what it's brake specific fuel consumption is, and just how many kilowatt hours it can generate per gallon of diesel fuel. It should be much more efficient, than a commercially available gasoline generator of the same power rating.
Wouldn't a steering shaft rag joint work as a engine/generator coupler?
What's wrong with strictly direct drive (at least in this context)?
Nothing except the revs.....and the noise...and the vibration
@JohnSmith-pl2bk : What _about_ the revolutions?
Awesome build. Have you put a decibel meter on it to see how loud it is? I couldn't hear any of the other equipment over the sound of the generator. I have an off-grid property and would love to do something like this there but am concerned about the noise.
Much of the noise frfrom small air cooled engines is combustion knock coming through the cylinder walls. The water jacket on a liquid cooled engine absorbs the sound energy
Can you link the generator and motor so we can get an idea of what the project will cost?
If I try and link the diesel it takes you to my Amazon acct. Search Amazon for 9 hp diesel and you'll find it. The gen is a Winco 4800. They are available from many distributors. Total cost for me was about $1200.
How is your generator holding up? cool build,
Hi there love the build. I was thinking getting one of these engine to replace a worn out 23 horse gas engine. I have a 15kw generator. Won’t be heavy loads much, just a well pump to fill pressure vessel. Lights, internet and fridge. I wonder if the engine has enough torque to turn the generator?
Depending on the efficiency of your generator and the load you need to actually run (paying attention to combined peak, i.e., fridge kicking on at the same time as well pump etc.) you may be able to drive the generator with a comparatively small engine like this, but your capacity will be limited. Watts and horsepower are measuring the same underlying property, power, and there's some power lost in a generator. 9HP (what this particular engine is rated to handle steadily) is ~6.7kW. If you attach your generator to 6700 watts of steady load, it'll need *more* than 9 horsepower to turn, and thus should be stalling this engine by sheer physics.
In my experience of building generators you need 2 h.p. per 1000 watts of power produced in order to maintain the proper power frequency. good luck on your build... i hope this helps you!@@jercos
I wonder how well one of these would take to an rhb31 turbo and what kind of kw it could reliably put out. If it would be enough to run my house which uses 12.5 kw.
Will this run on fryer oil?
I was thinking you can use shims to line the shafts up. I'm a manufacturing tech. Thanks I appreciate educational videos like this.
Thanks! The gen head is shimmed with brass. I have not tried any alt fuels....I really don't dare.
I'm thinking of doing the belt or possibly chain thing. I have a 5000w with the 178f (l70 clone) engine and I have a spare 186fa (l100 clone) if I run it at 2700 and the generator at 3600 the torque on the output end of the drive should be the same as the smaller one running balls out
Thank you! I have been looking for a generator build that I can use on a skoolie (school bus turned motor home) So that the generator can run off the primary fuel tank. Do you think this would be able to fully power a motorhome? namely a desktop PC, Fridge and mini-split AC? I know it would be best for such an application to run with a belt instead, but am concerned about having enough output. Should I upgrade the parts?
You have to add up the wattage of each appliance, and make sure your gen head can supply it. The main thing is holding the rpm at 3600 as the load varies.
Cold weather might be a problem with no glow plugs or electric start?
Nice video! Could you post some info about the diesel engine? Where you bought it and such. And also, would a regular electric motor work in a build as such?
Just found the info about the engine on your other video! :)
Great! You could try a DC motor, and use an inverter to convert to AC, but you'd have to get the speed just right.
Thanks for the advice! :)
How many HP is engine???
It has been a couple of years, how is this holding up? Also how well does it hold frequency with a few thousand watt load?
Can you please list a link to the generator head you used.
Source for engine & head?
How long will it run on 1 litre of diesel?
That would depend on the load. I haven't run it yet under a heavy load for long periods, but I can say that it would run for hours freewheeling or lightly loaded.
How's this thing holding up a few years later?
If you had an 1,800 RPM 4 pole generator, you could run the engine at 1,800 RPM for longer life and lower noise.
This engine is a high speed diesel.
It doesn't lope along at 650 rpm like a Lister or Petter single cylinder with huge flywheels.
It needs to turn at 3000rpm to make it's rated 10hp output....say 7500 watts (minus losses) say 6000 watts at a burst and 5000 watts continuous for 24 hours.
Just the ability to operate your wells water pump with a generator that can run off fuel you can make, will be worth its weight in gold in an emergency or a shtf situation
Very nice build, thanks for posting.
You might consider some kind of deflector to keep the engine heat off of the generator.
really cool share bruh!!..
wonder if a harley twin cam motor and a 22 kw would be a good project?! just larger scale.
larry
Thanks! We didn't get a hurricane this year, so I didn't get to put it thru it's paces. A Harley motor would be a VERY cool generator, but kind of a waste of a Harley motor? It would sell for big $$ during bike week tho...
Have you thought of trying your steam turbine with this generator or would there not he enough power?
The little turbine wouldn't do it. It's set up to do about 350 watts DC for charging batteries like a solar panel.
Those love joy couplings arent good steel it will fly apart on you if your gonna continue to use put a steel shroud around it so the shrapnel doesnt potentially injure someone
And yes those lovejoy couplings have flown a part on alternator generator set ups theyre was a video here on youtube about that too
Correct. I just finished installed a shroud! I also had fears of a cord or shirt tail getting caught.
How compact is it? I’m curious to know what the weight is and how easily it can be moved around.
If you had used belts and pulleys, how would have you done it?
I would have mounted the gen head to the side, or raised it up.
Great now you can make your own bio diesel 😊
I want to do this same build and try to make a diesel/electric golf cart
Nice work you can build a canopy around it with cooling fan to make it a bit quiet 🤫 that what I will do
Thanks!
How did you mount that engine?
Mine would dance all over….very smooth
The engine and gen are bolted solid. The frame sits on rubber mounts I just added removable rubber tires.
Why not a U-joint coupling?
I hope somebody knows the answer to this, the governor that is mentioned to maintain constant rpm/ frequency under load......Is this a feature built into the diesel engine, a feature provided by the generator head, or is there some other module you have to source in order to accomplish this?
It’s built in from factory
This is the best small diesel generator build I have seen. I may build a 3.5kw version using a 5 HP version of the same type of engine (smaller displacement) that I already have purchased. Using a belt drive the frame would not have to be as ridged and could also allow for more compact unit if needed. Great job?
Thanks! Just fired it up after over a year. Started on the first pull!
@@gwseymour Great to hear! Your approach to constructing a more industrialized generator vs buying a cheap consumer grade one is a wise one. I will be taking the same approach. I want a generator that, if needed, is designed to provide power for extended periods of time. Those consumer grade gas generators have about 1,000 - 3,000 max hr life. 1,000 hours is only 42 days of continuous usage. Whereas a commercial diesel gen-set has a life expectancy of somewhere around 10,000 - 30,000 hrs. Not to mention that a diesel gen-set uses somewhere around 50% of the fuel a gasoline one does. Those portable consumer grade gas gen-sets are great on a job site or for short emergency power as I have one of those. But they are not a permanent solution for standby power like a more industrial diesel one is.
@@multicyclist It performed beautifully post hurricane Ian.
@@gwseymour Outstanding to hear. You did a great job constructing it.
@@multicyclist Thanks!
Hello!
Can you please provide an update for the engine? I recently took mine apart, same make and model after running it with a gas and used engine oil mix, big no no for the injector.
Also yours arrived in great shape compared to mine that UPS delivered, which has a bent pull cord, dented shaft.
Cheers.
Mine is still strong and good. I haven't experimented with Alt fuels. It hasn't been "hurricane tested" yet. Getting a heavy package from UPS is nerve wracking. Hope you were able to get it fixed.
Not sure how your pull cord could be “bent” and the shaft “dented” but okay boomer
hi, I would like to make a generator. I have a 4-stroke 3hp grass cutter engine available
..which electric motor do you recommend using? how many watts can I squeeze out?
MIGHT get 2 kw out of 3hp,
I bought a couple of these engines a couple of years ago and they've been sitting in the barn waiting for me to do something with them.
This looks like what I had in mind for one of them. My question is, do these engines come with a governor?
Mine does, and it works perfect. If your "throttle assembly" looks like mine, and has an arrangement of springs and stops, then its a governor. It will maintain a set RPM regardless of load.
@@gwseymour Thank you
What is the required horsepower of a diesel engine for a 3 KW alternator? I'm also planning to assemble a genset.
1hp = 746Watts. Typically you would allow a 20% buffer for any other parasitic or frictional loses. With that said, (3/.746) x 1.2 = 4.83hp, so I’d say a 5-5.5 hp motor would suffice.
@@scottbergt1872 I think a YANMAR L48 would suffice, its rating is 4.7 HP.I just bought a used one. I will be using a chinese made alternator,4 pole ,3 KW.
As others have replied, the rule of thumb is 1hp per 750 watts
Gran trabajo
Would it last one year?
Hello there, I just have a question: When you connect your generator to any load do you need to ground your neutral, and also, do you provide body earth?
Thanks, and by the way you made a good generator
You must always connect neutral or all of your 110 appliances will be fried from a loss of neutral fault
@pootispiker2866 And so it equally is essential to provide the body earth of the alternator for safety.
This is identical to the one that Aurora Generators sells!
I haven't seen them, but it's a pretty basic design.
Ur not over reving it?
Where did the generator head come from and do you think it's worth money? How many kw
It's a Winco 4800 watt. There are many distributors for it. So far it has performed perfect, and handles large surges. It seems very well built. Thanks for watching!
#gwseymour imagine having a cabin in the woods and putting that little beast in a generator shed and having it wired to your cabin with either remote or push button start and having an in ground well and have it hooked to a battery bank and breaker box and have a water heater inside and have a 50-100gal fuel tank to hook up to the generator you'd have it made
Awesome video, upvoted and shared! 👍🏽👍🏾👍👍🏼👍🏿
Thanks! Just fired it up after a year. Started on the first pull!
Pretty neat
Thanks!
Have you tried to run it on filtered waste oil?
I haven't tried any alt fuels.
@@gwseymour I had an old Ford truck I ran on waste oil. I cut it with kerosene. It was like $1 a gallon to run
Nice! I might get a smaller "cheapo" to experiment with....
How much would you charge me but me an exact replica of this?
would that engine have the power to turn 2 of those generators?
No.
Pure physics 10hp = 7300 watts (not counting losses)
Say 6000 watts continuous.
So you can't put two generators on this engine and expect to draw 12,000 watts from them.
SO tell me about the diesel motor
Great work! I would recommend some sort of inverter and battery buffer between your house. Many things in the house have goofy electronics that don't like generator sign wave. Had to replace the spark module in my gas stove because I was testing out the generator on the house.
Do you know what the fuel usage was measured in gallons or liters?
I can only speak in regards to a no load or light load. I never really measured it, but it consumes about a 1/2 inch per hour on the fuel tank.
its about 1 gallon every 10 hrs
Does it still run?
How hot is that generator after a few thousand watts at once?
I can't recall the actual temps, but I took several readings during testing. the engine and gen head stayed within norms. Thanks for watching!
on wath thing can we find small diesel engine? here in europa its super rare to find small diesel usualy its 4 cyl 2 liter ... it could work as generator always at idle but its very unpractical to move XD
Throw a firecracker in the tank and close the lid. Boom. Fixed. Lol. Thanks for sharing
Ha! I replaced it, but still have the old one. I might just have a couple bourbons and try it. What could go wrong?
I think what people are asking is what is the THD of the generator's output. A great generator is less than 6%. Most generators are way over that. This means the power is not as clean as it could/should be which results in additional losses.
I think any smoothly rotating generator will create about as pure of a sine as you get get. For my purposes (and most generator uses) it's not really a concern. Thanks for watching!
@@gwseymour That's just not true. The higher the price, the better the THD. The better the THD, the more efficiently things using that power will operate.
Some devices, such as TIG welders, will keel over dead with power over 5% THD. Nothing mechanical is going to produce a pure sine wave.
@@makerog5666 I appreciate your thoughts and input, but aren't you "over-thinking" it? It's a tried and true gen head. It rotates, so it produces a pure sine. It powers all my household appliances perfectly, and holds within +/- 1 hz. That's better than any commercial gen I've ever owned. I'm in Fl, so I owned a few....and run them hard after a hurricane. Plus...don't tig welders convert AC to DC? Thanks again for watching.
@@gwseymour You literally don't have any idea what you're talking about. Now looking at the "machines" you've "built" it's even more obvious.
@@makerog5666 First, I didn't build the gen head. It's made by Winco, founded in 1927. So, I guess they also don't know anything either. Second, can you send a link of a generator (or anything else) that YOU built, so we can all see how it's done? Last, I'll converse all day long, but don't insult me from behind a keyboard.
Nice job Seymour
Thanks!