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Engines we like 05/17/06 INSERT Now banned by the EPA? What is needed in my opinion is an exemption on these slow speed stationary engines that will be burning Biofuels, and the EPA, State, or whomever can levy whatever fine they wish if the operator is caught burning petrol in it. As I understand it, the EPA demands that a Bio Fueled engine pass an emissions test on petrol fuel. Is this any plan to kick the petrol habit? All those Politicians that >claim< they're trying to help the AE community? Just what are they really doing for us? Another rant from George, when will he ever learn? The following is how I see it today, I'm no attorney, and it appears you'll soon need one to import much of anything. No, we don't import a thing, but we work closely with those that do. I see the EPA as a political foot ball being kicked from one end of the field to the other. Recently the EPA retracted some of their language that stated that all diesel engines would meet tier three by a certain date. It is possible that the States reminded the EPA that they have no authority over stationary engines; as they do not cross State lines? I do not pretend to understand what happened. The FEDs are involved with import though, and you will deal with them if you import period. As time goes on, the EPA drafts all kinds of additional language, of particular interest, it is their claim that an importer can NOT escape personal liability. If you are caught attempting to import engines that do not meet their requirements (make sure you are current in your understanding) and/or are caught attempting to deceive them, you could be subject to a LARGE fine. Large; meaning most of us would sell our house and possibly more to pay it. At present, the principle interest in the engines mentioned on these pages is that they burn Biofuels and do it well. Even SVO can be used as a fuel. There are reports that SVO will cause premature engine wear, but there are members in the DIYer community that know you can run for thousands of hours on these fuels because they are doing it now! Emissions are usually FAR below what you see with Petrol. I will never run a diesel in or near my shop on anything other than Biofuels, the difference is impressive! Universities and independent labs will have more credibility with these reports, and they are in the works. In Washington State, we have Maria Cantwell, she is an advocate of AE fuels. At present, Ethanol is getting most of the attention, and biodiesel and SVO all too little (IMO). We also have STATE Reps looking at the fuel taxes and wanting to punish those who are investing in these new hybrid cars! As they see it, they'll be using less fuel, and therefore paying less than what they were, and this would be seen as a loss to the State as a tax revenue. For this reason, they want to levy a special tax on them. Bring on the Hummers, they really help build up the State fuel tax revenue. I know (we the public) are addicted to petrol, and the State Government is addicted to tax revenue and wanting more to spend every year. Try and offer them the same budget as they had last year, and they'd most likely have a melt down. There are parts kits for sale in North America that will allow you to legally build an engine, and you may have to use one of your personal exemptions to make it legal. If it is to be a stationary engine, your state may allow it, and the Feds may not have any jurisdiction over it. It is best you check with your State. As for you folks that were really excited about using these proven engine designs to burn renewable Biofuels for your irrigation pump or other Agra applications, I don't know what to tell you, we were all excited about supporting our Farmers versus the middle East, but we'll just have to see if the EPA is given a new direction. It may be that the only people who will enjoy these veggie burning engines in the future; are those who assemble them themselves? All that follows is History, and I will redo the pages as I have time. I do not sell engines at this time. About now, I can hear someone say.. "This administration is the worst thing that has ever happened to us!" Give me a break! At present, there is a flock of environmentalists doing all they can to block natural gas production in Montana. Even the cleanest types of energy are on their hit list, ask them, they are no part of this administration. I think there's a good number of them that have no concept of energy and our Nation's requirement, they think you could put 100 square feet of solar panels on a factory roof, and run a full blown machine shop. I get a good number of emails from Adult self identified environmentalists, and they often throw in their hatred of 'big oil', then they share their 'over unity' idea. Example: they are going to have a motor run a generator, and due to the fact they'll use a REAL efficient motor, they'll be able to use the excess energy for free! Another guy tells me he'll mount little wind generators all over his car, get it up to 55mph, and the driving is free, as he'll wire them all up to power the auto's electric motor. These folks make excellent useful idiots for political movements. What they have in common is a hatred for Big Oil, as they think this is the only thing that keeps us from using all that free energy. Want to make some real money? Set up a WEBsite and advertise the impossible; take orders and deposits for your free energy device, low life individuals make a good living doing same. Thanks to a DIYer and reader, I have an great video clip from a FOX NEWS affiliate. The unwitting members of American Media give a good deal of coverage to a man developing an over unity power plant for an auto. It won't be long, and we'll see email about how big oil must have bought up the patent for this idea! Too bad these people will never learn that patents expire, and all that magic stuff, "like the 100MPG carburetor" is now public domain. Patents are there for you to look up, and part of the patent process is to reveal how it works! Believe in this stuff? Go look it up, build it, and get rich! As for this video clip, it's in the folder 'comedy' on the CD. Bottom line, it takes just the smallest effort to do your own figuring, and following the BTUs and losses in a system is key to understanding. Thsi takes little more than eight grade math. As for these Political folks that claim to be helping us, let me know of one who is talking to the EPA about allowing us to emission certify our engines using our chosen fuel.. (SVO), I'm not holding my breath.. All the best, George B.
All that follows is pre 5/2006
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! READ ME First! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Future of the Lister in the USA 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. 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. 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. |
