4/2009 This is a very old page, lots of things are changing, and we've learned a lot as well. The Redstone is a big bore engine that may be of interest if you're looking for the power the big twins make, but want a simpler and sturdy engine.

Redstone Project  

 Modern engines of the WESTERN World are often  'throw away'.  If they can be rebuilt, the cost is often greater than a new one.,

Our Focus: Is 'off grid' or 'mission critical' power.  If you appreciate either, you are a rare individual, and you probably fall into a percentage of the population too small to measure. You can be sure that the big marketing companies won't be spending a lot of time studying your buying habits or needs.

We view the world as a complex place where trade offs and compromises are necessary, we know that single cylinder diesels are NOT the perfect prime movers for AC generators...... but they fully meet our needs. Diesels are far more efficient, consider that diesel fuel has about 140,000 BTUs of energy per gallon, propane contains 91,300 BTUs per gallon. Therefore, it takes 1.53 gallons of propane to provide the same amount of energy. Gas on the other hand is a poor fuel that has a very short shelf life, it is also blended differently for summer to winter use dependent on emission laws, and temperature for it's formulation. Some folks like air cooled engines, they are lighter, less costly to ship, and we think they are a big advantage on weed trimmers, chains saws, and push mowers.  If you are interested in these engines, you're on the wrong site. If you wish to make an engine last the longest, and be the most efficient, it will be water cooled, and it will have a high mass to provide a stable and rigid platform, an added benefit is thermal mass, some of the designs we like has been over heated many times in their lives, and they usually survive because of their incredible mass and ability to 'soak up' the hot spots. Modern engines can often be turned into scrap metal with one episode of overheating.   

What is foremost in our minds, is a dependable generator. We'd give up light weight, mobility, name brands, fancy art work, bragging rights, and more to assure it will run and produce power when required. 

Shipping expenses are factored into every product you buy in North America.   When you visit Home Depot and look over the consumer generators, you will note the use of alloys, plastic, air cooling, and all the other wondrous things that make a portable generator appealing, manageable, and more cost effective to ship to the 99 plus percent of the population that they are designed for.   If you decide to use these generators often, you may have problems.

The stuff we like is 'heavy', you will pay higher shipping costs in many cases to move them to your site. Part of the pay off is the simple design and ease of maintenance. If you are even half way mechanical, you could overhaul one in an afternoon for a very small investment.  These engines were designed from the ground up to run for long periods of time and to be maintained by the mechanically challenged, having simple tools.

The following engines have massive cast iron heads with thick decks like we haven't seen since the 50s and early 60s in American products. Valves have massive stems, with valve guides having twice or more the surface area as you would find in a 'modern' engine.  Efficiency is important in these designs as well, fuel prices and fuel quality is not always good where they are typically deployed.

Serious work engines don't have spark plugs!

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   The Listeroid Pages

   Future of the Lister in the USA

   Inside the Lister

   Drive System for Listers

   The Amazing used vegetable oil burner, hundreds of hours, with ZERO troubles.

British Designed, Indian built Petters. These engines are more compact and higher speed than the Listers. They produce their power at 1500 to 1800 RPMs. Singles and Twins are available.

  The Petter Pages   

This engine has a totally enclosed valve train and a pressure oil system, this is another durable, time tested design that should perform when you need it. Mine starts the first compression stroke every time.

Above: the Chinese  Single

German designed, Chinese built, they come in a number of sizes.   I like the units with counter balance shafts,  185=9HP, 195=13.38HP, 1115= 22HP, these engines all have the same design and layout. The counter balance shafts provide very smooth running at 1800 RPMs. We have developed a direct drive coupler for these engines and feel they are well suited for driving generators and pumps.  If you are here to find out about an air cooled engine, this is the wrong place, most of the newer air cooled engines scream at 3600 RPMs, that's way too fast for our liking. air cooled engines will NEVER compete with liquid cooled engines for longevity or efficiency.

1/2004 Notice..

I have received a number of emails from folks buying Chinese engines of various brands that utilize a built in radiator.  They are often fitted with a fan and small dynamo to run a head light or charge a battery. These options seem attractive; but I avoid them in my designs because they reduce reliability. Engines without the counterbalances generate so much vibration that they often work harden the sheet metal and other components to the point where cracks develop and failures occur. The built in radiator models are equipped with Metric pulleys, Metric belt, and idler. I know of several engines that have been lost due to the idler freezing, the belt coming off, overheating, and the destruction of the engine. I have received several emails where folks have had cracks in the radiator itself, this lead to the loss of coolant, overheating, and yes..... you guessed it; the destruction of the engine. Maybe this is why radiators are usually mounted off the engine in proven designs? Please email me if you have a unit like this with a good many hours on it. Keep in mind, many of the people who buy these engines won't put 50 hours on them in a life time, they might be very happy with their purchase.

It is simple to convert a hopper cooled engine to a condenser cooled unit, or a thermal siphon cooled unit using a used auto radiator. In stationary applications, mount the radiator off the engine frame or at the very least isolate it with rubber mounts. I strongly suggest you buy engines with counter balances. I have received emails where folks explain that the built in battery charging dynamo (powered off the radiator fan belt) was the deciding factor in their purchase. If you are building a generator, why not buy an inexpensive battery charger and 'plug it in' to charge your start battery? If it breaks, throw it in the trash, and plug in your spare. It's cheap, and it does NOT put your engine at risk when it fails!

If you already have an engine with a belt driven fan, take the idler apart and have the best bushing you can find fitted. Make sure you do not run these engines without a high temp, and low oil pressure shut down. the low oil pressure shut down is a good idea for all engines with an oil pump.

Another side issue, a balance shaft does far more than reduce vibration, it also can even out the power strokes and makes for a smoother AC sine wave when you are powering a generator.

If you are building a generator, it should be with the goal that it will be as reliable as possible, 'keep it simple stupid' (KISS) is a big factor in reliable designs. You can add all kinds of complex stuff, but none of it should compromise the basic function of the unit. If you are looking to build a generator with lots of failure points, why not save yourself some time, just go to the hardware store and buy a ready made unit with all the failure points built in.

If you must buy an engine with a built in radiator, make sure you are getting a warranty from the person you are buying it from, and run it for a good many hours while it's still under warranty.

Diesel Fuel Injection Pumps

The Changfa Pages  click here and learn more about building your own generator, powering your saw mill, or ???

British designed, Indian built Lister 6/1s (Singles) and 12/2s (Twins).These are legendary 650 RPM work horse engines. They are massive, the 6HP single weighs around 750 pounds. Here's an engine that was designed from the ground up to be rebuilt in place! Actual tests have produced .125 Gallons of biodiesel per KWH using the efficient Allmand drive, and the ST head.